Chapter 140: Hiashi – Are Branch Members Not Our Kin?

"Still, you’ll need to put some pressure on the Hyuga clan. If they keep dragging their feet while secretly conducting their own research behind our backs... we’ll suffer a huge loss!" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, his killing intent palpable. "Don’t worry. I’m holding back too—I haven’t disclosed the forbidden techniques to them yet. Besides, if they try to research it on their own... they might regret it." Kyohiko chuckled softly. Studying chakra points wasn’t without its risks. Attacking others by targeting their tenketsu was one thing, but unlocking the latent potential within one’s own tenketsu? That was far more dangerous. It required extremely precise control over chakra intensity and flow. Even Kyohiko himself—with his heightened perception, exceptional chakra control, and partial understanding of tenketsu from his past life—could only cautiously experiment with one or two points at a time. Every attempt demanded meticulous chakra regulation. If the Hyuga clan recklessly tried to replicate his methods, they’d only bring disaster upon themselves. And besides— He trusted Hiashi wasn’t that foolish. Hiashi might be scheming, but he surely understood that Kyohiko’s influence had already solidified. Crossing him would bring the Hyuga no benefits. So... "I can’t shake the feeling that old man Hiashi is plotting something." "As long as you’re aware. Let Hiashi busy himself with his games—we lose nothing either way. He plays his hand; we play ours." Orochimaru responded indifferently before refocusing on his experiment. Animals were different from humans. Untrained in chakra, their bodies reacted in simpler, more primal ways to modifications. Every adjustment required careful observation and guesswork. Boom! The test subject’s body suddenly ruptured, bursting apart. Orochimaru reacted swiftly, hurling the creature outward before the explosion could spread. It struck the ground outside the cave—roots sprouting instantly as the remains transformed into a grotesque tree. Orochimaru’s expression darkened. He turned back, irritation flashing across his face. In the past, he wouldn’t have needed to go through such trouble. Danzo would’ve provided him with enemy-nin prisoners—no questions asked. Orochimaru took a deep breath. For the first time, he found himself missing Danzo’s... efficiency. At least the old warhawk never hesitated to fulfill his requests. "Senpai, have you considered first breeding chakra-resistant creatures before using them for specialized experiments?" Kyohiko suggested. Orochimaru paused. Breeding summon animals? He already had the serpent clan at his disposal. The idea of raising creatures specifically for lab purposes seemed... Absurd. Yet— Summon animals were far more intelligent and resilient than ordinary beasts. If he could cultivate a stable of them, it would undoubtedly accelerate his research. No— This wouldn’t just benefit him. Konoha’s medical division could also use such specimens. And beyond experiments, trained summon animals held immense strategic value. Orochimaru glanced at Kyohiko, a faint smirk forming. "You want my help with this?" "Call it mutual cooperation. A win-win partnership." Kyohiko replied smoothly. After a moment’s consideration, Orochimaru asked, "How far along are you?" "The crows have been successfully tamed and trained. I advised using the most rudimentary method—repeatedly demonstrating chakra extraction until they mimic it." Kyohiko smiled. Orochimaru had no better suggestions. The field of summon-animal cultivation was uncharted territory. Only the Inuzuka clan possessed deep expertise—and they guarded their secrets fiercely. After a pause, he conceded, "Crows are highly intelligent. Your approach is sound." "Exactly. Establish a foundation first, then refine the process." Kyohiko nodded. Orochimaru exhaled—a rare hint of frustration. This was one area where he couldn’t contribute. "Honestly, crows aren’t the ideal test subjects. Primates or lab rats might yield better results." Kyohiko added. Primates shared closer biological and cognitive traits with humans. As for lab rats— In his past life, they’d been the gold standard for medical research. Far more reliable than avian specimens. Orochimaru’s smirk returned. "That... can be arranged." --- Hyuga Compound. Hiashi stormed into a concealed chamber, his face taut with fury. Bang! The door slammed open under his palm. "Elder Chi—is this how you answer to me?!" His voice was ice. The corpse at his feet drew his glare, wrath simmering beneath his composed veneer. "Human experimentation? Have you forgotten our clan’s laws?!" "C-Clan Head, I never intended—I only sought to—" Hyuga Chi paled, staring at the lifeless body in horror. His hands trembled. "Clan Head, I... I admit my fault. But I never anticipated this outcome!" Hiashi’s Byakugan flared to life, his killing intent saturating the room. "You who followed Elder Chi’s orders are accomplices. You will be confined, then assigned to the Anbu for disciplinary service." The branch members present shuddered, bowing in frantic agreement. Finally, Hiashi turned back to Chi, his gaze devoid of mercy. "Elder Chi. You disgrace the Main House." Chakra erupted around him. Byakugan – Activate! "Hiashi! You wouldn’t dare—!" Chi stumbled back, but Hiashi’s hands were already weaving seals. His hair elongated violently, strands spearing into Chi’s body like needles. Then— Tenketsu Strike! Gasps filled the chamber. The observing clansmen stared in shock. Rumors of the Hyuga’s dealings with Konoha’s leadership had circulated, but none had witnessed the fruits of that alliance firsthand. Until now. A hair-manipulating ninjutsu, integrated with the Tenketsu— Unthinkable. "Hiashi! No! You can’t kill me!" Terror contorted Chi’s face. His chakra pathways were sealed. He’d assumed Hiashi sought only to strip him of status and authority. But this— Execution. Struggling uselessly, he choked as hair tendrils coiled around his throat, silencing him. Hiashi’s voice rang out, steeped in righteousness. "Repentance? Are branch members not our kin? Do you think mere words can restore the life you’ve taken?!" Chi’s eyes bulged with fury and fear— Then— Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm! Boom. A concentrated blast of chakra pierced his heart through the sealed tenketsu. The hair retracted. Hiashi stared coldly at the corpse, his wrath undiminished. "The Branch House’s duty is to protect the Main House—not to serve as test subjects for monstrous experiments!" His gaze didn’t waver as he declared: "I will see justice done for him." The surviving branch members fell to their knees. "Thank you, Clan Leader!" Hizashi difference lowered his head, his gaze carrying a trace of a sigh. "Thank you, Family Head!" "Thank you, Family Head!" Inside the cellar, shouts of gratitude rang out one after another. "Hizashi difference, take them all away. I need to go ask those elders—do they truly believe sacrificing clansmen is the answer?" Hyuga Hiashi stormed off, his demeanor furious, as if he were determined to seek justice for the dead. However— Hizashi difference felt nothing but sorrow in his heart. Perhaps— All of this had been within Hiashi’s expectations. He had done nothing, merely pushing things along from behind the scenes. Hiashi... Ever since their father’s death, over the years, this elder brother of his had grown increasingly unfamiliar. Now, he had even become someone Hizashi difference feared. He couldn’t help but wonder—would there come a day when Hiashi would treat him and his descendants the same way? Following behind, Hizashi difference could only feel suffocated. --- At the ANBU base, Kyohiko was reviewing some intelligence reports from the village. "The Hyuga clan is undergoing changes?" Kyohiko looked at the report in his hand and nearly laughed, then turned to Gekko Shusaku. "You even managed to get intel on the Hyuga clan?" "No need to ’manage’ it. Probably every major clan has heard by now—rumor has it a Hyuga elder died, and it’s suspected Hiashi himself struck the killing blow." Gekko Shusaku replied. Kyohiko set the report aside, deep in thought. Hiashi was setting a trap, huh? After spending over ten days, he’d finally hooked his prey. That probably meant he could officially get to work now, right? He gave a slight nod. "Understood. This is an internal Hyuga matter—we don’t need to get involved. Just focus on our own tasks." After a pause, Kyohiko added, "Oh, right. If any ANBU members from the Hyuga clan need to return for the funeral, make sure to grant them leave. Even ANBU should have some humanity!" "Huh? Yes, sir!" Gekko Shusaku was confused but still acknowledged the order. Though— He didn’t quite understand. The ANBU intelligence network was still only half-built, and with the outside world at peace, there were no special missions to speak of. What kind of "field assignments" could there possibly be at a time like this? "Wait." "Yes?" "Isn’t tomorrow the ninja academy’s enrollment day?" "That’s correct, Rin-sama." Gekko Shusaku nodded. Kyohiko acknowledged. "Got it. You’re dismissed." --- The next day, the ninja academy was bustling with noise. "Ah, another year..." "Yeah, more new students. Just over a year left for us..." "Tch, if they’d changed the rules sooner, I’d have loved staying in the academy longer. At least here, we don’t have to worry about mission risks." Upstairs, students chattered away. At the back, Uchiha Obito—who was about to head downstairs for his run—twitched his lips. Choosing not to join the conversation, he pulled down his goggles and dashed downstairs. He knew many people thought life at the academy now was great. They could access higher-level knowledge and jutsu, master more advanced techniques, and graduate with far greater strength—enough to avoid dying on missions. But— He didn’t want that!! Uchiha Obito’s resolve was firm. He wanted out. He wanted Rin to see him—not waste away in the academy, slowly forgotten. Being forgotten... Was agony! Uchiha Obito ran with all his might, Rin’s face flashing in his mind, fueling his determination even further. He would become a genin! --- "Shisui, what are you looking at?" "Nothing. Just thought I saw a familiar clansman." A young boy retracted his gaze. Uchiha Inabi smirked coldly. "Him? The Uchiha clan’s dead-last. Before the reforms, he was always at the bottom of his class." "And now?" Shisui looked up. Uchiha Inabi’s expression stiffened. "Well... he’s alright, I guess. At least in ninjutsu, he hasn’t embarrassed the Uchiha name." "Got it. Inabi-san, I’ll go register now." "Sure." Uchiha Inabi watched as Shisui entered the school building. After standing there for a while, he glanced toward Obito in the distance. This guy... actually seemed to be working pretty hard. Had shame fueled his determination? Lost in thought, he observed for a moment longer before heading toward Shisui’s registration area. --- "Name?" "Uchiha Shisui." Shisui answered truthfully. Kyohiko—now disguised—looked at this seemingly "ordinary" young boy. Who would have guessed that this was the descendant of Uchiha Kagami, the future genius who would awaken "Kotoamatsukami"? And— Compared to Uchiha Itachi, Shisui was far more normal! Kyohiko studied Shisui silently while Utatane Koharu continued the questioning—basic details like background, future goals, and so on. Uchiha Shisui answered honestly. Once the questions were done, he stood up, bowed politely, and left the classroom. Shisui was gone. But just as Koharu turned to speak, she saw the figure beside her split into two—one of them vanishing in an instant. Koharu’s expression froze briefly before she sighed in resignation. "You’re leaving just a shadow clone?" "Isn’t that enough?" Kyohiko replied. Koharu said, "You’re planning to make a move on the Uchiha?" "I think you’ve all misunderstood the Second Hokage’s intentions. The Uchiha should be monitored—but they should also be utilized." Kyohiko shared his perspective. Koharu nodded. "Then... why aren’t you paying attention to that other Uchiha in your year?" "You mean Obito?" Kyohiko’s shadow clone glanced out the window. Uchiha Obito... Kyohiko shook his head. "He’s not the right fit." Truthfully, Kyohiko had considered it. But as the saying goes—there are no wrong nicknames. This guy was single-minded to a fault, even more illogical than Uchiha Itachi. Recruit him? The risk of failure was too high. Koharu sighed. "Fine. It’s your show now. But regarding the Uchiha, Hiruzen also wanted to resolve things—he just never figured out how." "So, were you all just banking on future generations’ wisdom? Or waiting for some miracle within the Uchiha?" Kyohiko turned his head. Koharu had no rebuttal. She truly didn’t know what Sarutobi Hiruzen or Shimura Danzo had in mind—nor had she ever considered a proper solution herself. But— From the looks of it, Kyohiko seemed intent on revisiting the Second Hokage’s approach. Another Uchiha Kagami? And... Kagami’s descendant, no less. Koharu fell silent. "I hope it works. Do you need anything from me?" "No. The less you do, the fewer mistakes you’ll make." The shadow clone answered bluntly. Koharu’s eye twitched, and she lost all desire to continue the conversation. Meanwhile, the real Kyohiko had already teleported away, standing atop a high vantage point to observe below. Uchiha Inabi escorted Shisui back to the Uchiha district with extreme caution, leaving no openings for anyone to approach. However— Earlier, when Shisui had handed in his registration materials, Kyohiko had already discreetly etched a Flying Thunder God seal on him. There would be plenty of opportunities later. As he pondered, an ANBU operative appeared in a flash. "Sir, the Third Hokage has returned. The Hokage has ordered you to assemble a team for escort duty." "Understood." Kyohiko acknowledged. A moment later, he vanished with the Flying Thunder God Technique. Soon after, at the ANBU headquarters, Kakashi arrived with his squad. "We’re to escort the Third Hokage and his party back to the village." "Roger!"