Chapter 162: Let Them Go to Konoha!

As two major clans that had once developed from the same origin, the Hyuga and Kaguya clans, despite being separated in two different countries, still maintained a very high frequency of communication. Therefore, the two clans had a certain understanding of each other’s situation, especially regarding abilities, inheritance characteristics, and so on. In the past, Hyūga Hiashi would never have used ninjutsu or such unconventional methods. Around them, the other members of the Kaguya clan were completely bewildered, having no idea what was going on. Was that their clan head, defeated? But... they hadn’t even understood what had happened! "Look closely, this is the Gentle Fist. It looks like a few light attacks, but it has actually severed my muscles," Raizo explained to his clansmen, gritting his teeth and enduring the pain. Only then did everyone understand... so those few finger strikes just now weren’t for show, but had actually severed the muscles inside his body. Hizashi shook his head and said humbly, "It was only because it was a spar that Clan Head Raizo went easy on me. If it were a life-and-death battle, you would still have the ability to fight, and the final victory would more likely be yours." "Hahaha," Kaguya Raizo laughed upon hearing this. "Severed muscles are indeed not that fatal to us Kaguya. For a normal spar, there’s no need to fight to that extent." As he spoke, he started to walk to the side. With one step, he grimaced, cold sweat beading on his forehead. While severed muscles weren’t fatal, moving was indeed exceptionally difficult. If it weren’t a life-and-death battle... Hizashi stepped forward to support Raizo. "I know a little medical ninjutsu, I can treat you. Let’s go to the side first." "Alright." Kaguya Raizo nodded lightly. After being supported for two steps, he suddenly felt something was wrong and turned his head sharply. "You know medical ninjutsu?" The Hyuga clan... medical ninjutsu? What kind of joke is this! Kaguya Raizo was incredulous, his face filled with astonishment. Hyuga Hizashi nodded calmly. "Times have changed. The Hyuga clan must also make positive changes, otherwise how can we keep up with the pace of the times?" Have times changed? But he didn’t feel it. Kaguya Raizo was in a daze, not understanding why "Hiashi" kept saying "times have changed." Is it Konoha? He pondered for a few seconds. By the time he came back to his senses, he had already followed Hizashi from the center of the dojo to the edge and was being helped to sit down. Hizashi hadn’t lied. The next moment, he activated his Byakugan, gathered his chakra, and infused it into Raizo’s body using medical ninjutsu techniques. Pressure point strikes could harm, but they could also heal. Kaguya Raizo felt the changes in his body. After a dozen seconds, he felt his body had returned to its original state and he could move freely. The Hyuga clan, incredible! Before today, he wouldn’t have believed in a million years that the Hyuga clan would be associated with medical ninjutsu, and be so skilled at it. Raizo looked at Hizashi closely. Then, he leaned in closer. "You’re not Hiashi. You must be Hizashi, right?" "!!!" Hyuga Hizashi showed no outward signs of surprise, but his heart jumped. He didn’t understand where he had slipped up. But... "Raizo, you must be joking." "Haha, you two brothers are very similar. Even if you imitate him well, there will still be differences. And..." Kaguya Raizo said seriously, "We Kaguya don’t rely on our eyes, but on intuition. I feel you are Hizashi!" A slight smile touched Hizashi’s lips. "As expected of Clan Head Raizo. That’s right, I am indeed Hyuga Hizashi, but it’s also true that I am representing my elder brother." "I believe you." Kaguya Raizo nodded. After confirming the other’s identity, he found himself admiring Hyuga Hiashi even more. He had had several interactions with Hiashi. He was capable. But... "Now that I know it’s you, I find you’re still very different from him. Compared to your brother, I actually prefer you. You’re straightforward, not so full of twists and turns." Kaguya Raizo grinned. "Tell me, what does your Hyuga clan really want?" "Although I concealed my identity, it was due to the current situation. The objective is no different," Hizashi replied. Kaguya Raizo looked into the distance. "The Kaguya clan may indeed have reached the edge of a cliff, but can your Hyuga clan guarantee that if you take our people back, you’ll let them pass on their bloodline?" He smiled. "Honestly, I don’t trust Hiashi." "Those other than children can also come to Konoha," Hizashi said. Kaguya Raizo was somewhat surprised. He turned to look at Hizashi. "Are you sure?" Taking away the children was something the Hyuga clan could still decide on, but adults... that was a different matter. It would require approval from above. Kaguya Raizo liked to be straightforward, but that didn’t mean he was stupid. When he calmed down, he could think. But... after a moment of thought, Raizo gave up thinking. "Is it Konoha’s idea?" "The village certainly has this intention. In fact, we are already prepared to go to war with Kirigakure," Hizashi stated. To be honest, Kaguya Raizo himself was tempted. This was Konoha! The current Konoha, though not yet displaying the invincibility of its past, was already showing signs of it. If they went to Konoha... "Hizashi, I don’t trust Hiashi, but can you guarantee that you will treat my clansmen well?" Kaguya Raizo’s expression was serious. Hizashi nodded. "Of course. The Hyuga and Kaguya clans share the same roots, and there is no reason for Konoha to mistreat the Kaguya clan." He paused slightly, then smiled. "Have you heard of the Iburi clan?" "The Iburi clan?" Kaguya Raizo was blank for a moment, then shook his head. "Never heard of them. They must be a very weak clan, right?" "Yes, they are very weak, and their Kekkei Genkai has a major problem. But after joining Konoha, we helped them solve their bloodline disease," Hizashi said. Kaguya Raizo was stunned. He looked at the dojo in the distance, silent for a long while. In the end, he didn’t speak but stood up and looked around. At this moment, Hizashi added more pressure. "Clan Head Raizo, a friend of mine once said, ’don’t put all your eggs in one basket.’" "Don’t put all your eggs in one basket..." Kaguya Raizo murmured to himself. Then, he shook his head. "Forget it, I don’t want to think about it that much." "Clan Head Raizo!" Hizashi thought the other didn’t want to talk and became anxious. Who would have thought... Raizo smiled faintly, stood up and said, "Follow me." He led Hizashi to the other side. Hizashi was stunned for a few seconds, then quickly followed. Soon, he followed Raizo to the residential area. "This should be your first time visiting our Kaguya clan. As you said, the Kaguya clan is not what it used to be," Kaguya Raizo said. Then, he sighed softly. "Our clan loves to fight, but many have also died because of it." Kaguya Raizo led Hizashi to a row of houses. The Kaguya clan had been around for hundreds of years, and was considered the most powerful ninja family in the Land of Water. They certainly didn’t lack for houses or land. But it was clear that many houses were already covered in dust. Kaguya Raizo said, "Some husbands have died, leaving only widows and orphans, or children who were... take these people with you." "For Konoha, children and women might be better," Kaguya Raizo understood clearly. Konoha certainly wouldn’t take just anyone, and the Kaguya clan couldn’t really move their entire clan. To let their active fighting force leave... would be unfair to the remaining Kaguya. He continued walking forward, his gaze finally settling on a house in the corner. Hizashi noticed the reek of blood here. What’s going on? He turned to look at Kaguya Raizo. Raizo said, "There are two here. One has the bloodline disease, the other is crippled. If they stay in the Land of Water, they will only be a burden, and their end will not be good. Take them with you as well." "Then the others..." "The rest are warriors. We will not retreat, nor will we run away!" Kaguya Raizo’s tone was filled with pride. This was their family’s creed for hundreds of years, but at this moment, it left Hizashi speechless. Two Kekkei Genkai clans. No matter how strong, how could they fight against a hidden village? When the storm hit, only death awaited them. He was silent for a long time, but in the end, did not try to persuade him. Hizashi could tell this was Kaguya Raizo’s final concession; he would not make any other compromises. However, for the Hyuga clan and Konoha, this was indeed not a bad thing. If the entire Kaguya clan were to move, that would be a huge problem! The current situation was satisfactory for both sides. --- In the Land of Water, Kyohiko walked through the vast forest, his own aura blending with the surrounding trees and earth. Using Wood Style, he could already relatively easily borrow the power of nature to merge into the environment, thus concealing his presence. Combined with the Transformation Jutsu, basically no one could detect his existence. This was an invisibility jutsu he had created based on Wood Style. Before him was the Yuki clan’s territory. "The Yuki clan." Such a large clan, gone just like that. Kyohiko looked at the clan’s territory and sighed inwardly. The demise of the Yuki clan was only a matter of time. However, without him, it might have been a few years later. He had brought everything forward. Thud! Kyohiko took out a kunai and, after carving the warning "Beware of Kirigakure" on a tree, disappeared into the forest. The Yuki clan had no connection with Konoha; it was impossible to try to recruit them like the Kaguya clan. For them, Kyohiko could only give a warning, hoping a few could survive, and then find a way to rescue any survivors later. After carving the words, he left quietly. A long time passed. As dusk approached, a man and a woman returned from gathering mushrooms in the forest. As they passed by, the woman suddenly said, "Look over there." "What?" The man turned and saw the words carved on the tree. Beware of Kirigakure? What does that mean? The two of them looked at each other, not understanding. But, thinking about the recent "big event" in their clan, their faces changed abruptly. Could it be... "Kirigakure is going to make a move on us?" the man murmured to himself. Hearing this, his wife was so scared she dropped her basket. "What should we do?" They were well aware of Kirigakure’s power. Although they were from the Yuki clan, facing such a behemoth, they didn’t dare guarantee their own survival. "Maybe someone is just trying to scare us," the man’s voice was dry. That possibility was too small! "But who would tip off our clan? The Kaguya clan?" "Them? Heh." The man shook his head. Believing in the Kaguya clan’s brains was less reliable than believing in his own social connections. He thought for a long time and said, "Let’s go back to the clan first and tell the clan head and the others, so they can prepare for battle as soon as possible." "But..." "What’s wrong?" The man looked at his wife strangely. The wife’s expression was complicated. "I... I might be pregnant." "Ah?" The man was stunned for a moment. Then, his expression became complicated and hesitant. Finally, he said, "No matter what, let’s inform the clan head first and let him decide. After that, after that..." He didn’t finish, clearly still hesitant. But looking at his wife, his eyes gradually became firm. "Let’s go." "Mm." --- After a tour of the Yuki clan’s territory, Kyohiko arrived outside the Kaguya clan’s. From what he could sense, Hizashi seemed to have been quite successful. However, here, besides the Kaguya clan’s ninjas, he also sensed many external enemies. They were Kirigakure ninjas! "The Mist has already reached here?" Kyohiko frowned slightly. This was not good news—it meant that Kirigakure was already prepared to attack the Kaguya and Yuki clans. Previously, he hadn’t sensed any enemies at the Yuki clan’s location. That made sense. Although both the Yuki and Kaguya were powerful Kekkei Genkai clans, the Kaguya were more aggressive, with greater destructive power and strength. Kyohiko thought for a moment, then, repeating his earlier method, carved the words "Enemies are present" on a piece of bark, peeled it off, and sent it to Hizashi’s side using the Flying Thunder Godw technique. At this moment, Hizashi was talking privately with Raizo, discussing which people would go with him to Konoha. A rough count came to nine people, seven of whom were pregnant women. He felt immense pressure, and was just pondering how to take them away when he felt something appear in his chest. Hmm? This is... Hizashi felt around. "What’s wrong?" Raizo was also having a headache when he saw Hizashi fumbling at his chest. After a moment, a piece of bark was pulled out. Hizashi glanced at it, and his face changed drastically. Then... Byakugan! He activated his Byakugan, releasing his chakra to its maximum. Soon, everything around him came into view. There were indeed enemies! Although they were well hidden and far away, they still couldn’t escape his eyes. Besides, was that Kyohiko? He hadn’t expected him to have followed all the way to the Land of Water. Hizashi was touched, and his confidence grew. He said, "Our Konoha intelligence reports that enemies have arrived. I just confirmed it, the intelligence is true."