“Big brother!”
“Tiange’s eyes — did you see them just now?”
Hizashi Hyūga’s expression was charged with excitement, both for his child and for the Hyūga clan.
Hiashi Hyūga nodded, a smile spreading across his face.
Hiashi knew exactly what the younger sibling meant.
“Big brother, what was that?
Are there any records of it in the clan?”
“None.
The most powerful thing recorded in all of clan history is the ancestor Tenmin Hyūga’s Thousand-Pupil Byakugan.”
“But Tiange’s eyes…”
“Perhaps this is the truest path of evolution for the Byakugan.”
“You saw that strike just now, didn’t you?”
“I suspect…
that is the ability of those eyes.”
“Big brother, then should we…”
“No.”
Hiashi Hyūga suddenly waved a hand.
“The evolution of the Byakugan is most likely not so simple.”
“In all of Hyūga history, only Tiange — the greatest genius the clan has ever produced — has managed it.
And very likely only Tiange can.”
“Hizashi, remember: when we get back, do not ask Tiange about this.
When Tiange wants to talk, Tiange will talk.”
“Having Tiange is enough for the Hyūga.”
“The reason I’m excited is because of the Hyūga’s rise.”
“Not because I saw hope for the Byakugan’s evolution.”
“Hizashi, you may not have noticed, the Third’s expression when we left.
Haha…”
Hiashi Hyūga was not wrong.
The Third stood staring into the abyss before him, and as the Hyūga clan departed without a word of farewell, the Third’s expression darkened until it looked ready to drip.
What Hiashi and Hizashi had thought of, the Third had thought of too.
The Hyūga clan having a Tiange Hyūga was already terrifying enough.
If Tiange Hyūga had the ability to help other Hyūga awaken eyes like those, then…
The Third didn’t dare keep that thought going.
Earlier, when Tiange Hyūga had looked at the Third,
The feeling of death had draped over every inch of the Third’s body.
That feeling could not be wrong.
The Third knew: if the Third had dared to question the matter of Danzō, or made a move just then, Tiange Hyūga would absolutely have struck, just as nine years ago.
Back then, the Third had only uttered a single word of warning, and Tiange had attacked outright.
Now…
Tiange would very likely kill the Third outright.
The Third had no confidence.
Not even with that one technique.
Before getting a clear picture of Tiange Hyūga’s abilities, the Third had no way of knowing whether what had been shown so far was the full extent of that power.
“Hah…”
The Third exhaled slowly, calming the trembling inside.
“Th-Third…
my lord, w-what do we do?”
“Send people down to investigate, then get some Earth Style ninja to fill in that abyss.”
The Third finished speaking, turned, and left, leaving the Anbu ninja standing there completely dumbfounded.
Just…
just like that?
Tiange Hyūga, and the entire Hyūga clan, they were just letting it all go?
Not far away, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio watched the whole thing play out.
Shikaku Nara gave a faint smile, then turned and left.
Inoichi Yamanaka pressed a hand to the chest, and only in that moment did the heart that had been suspended in worry finally come to rest.
“Inoichi, I told you, Shikaku Nara’s decisions are never wrong.”
“Right.
Let’s go.
Head back and talk things over with Shikaku Nara about what to do going forward.”
The two walked together, hurrying after Shikaku Nara up ahead.
“Freak!”
“This guy, in just a few years, how did he get this freakish?”
“Yūgao!”
“You saw it, didn’t you?”
“I told you, the person was killed by Tiange, and it has nothing to do with Tiange or the Hyūga.”
“That fool truly wasn’t worth it.
Whatever you do, don’t go doing something stupid.”
“That look Tiange gave the Third just now, I know it well.”
“When a snake hunts its prey, that is exactly the look it has.”
“I can guarantee that if the Third had made the slightest move, Tiange would have struck like thunder.”
“Tiange would even dare to kill the Third, so you absolutely cannot lose your head over this.”
Anko Mitarashi stared into the bottomless abyss, thinking back on Tiange’s gaze from moments before.
Normally fearless before heaven and earth, even Anko Mitarashi felt a chill settle deep in the chest, a feeling that had never once come from Orochimaru.
“I understand, Anko.”
The two had been nearby all along, collecting Hayate Gekkō’s body.
When they noticed the commotion, they had rushed over immediately, and every scene that followed, including the Third’s reaction, had been seen with perfect clarity.
“Hey, Kakashi!”
“That person just now, that’s Neji’s older brother, right?”
“The only elite Jōnin in the village who has never carried out a single mission.”
“Neji always had Tiange on the lips, always called Tiange strong, always set Tiange as a goal.
Didn’t expect it to really be this powerful.”
“But…
will the Hokage punish Tiange for doing this?”
“Kakashi, do you think I should go plead with the Hokage on Tiange’s behalf?
Otherwise I’m afraid Neji will be heartbroken.”
“Idiot.”
Kakashi glanced sideways at Might Guy standing there, head-to-toe green spandex, bowl cut and all.
Rolled both eyes.
Called Might Guy an idiot.
Then turned and walked away.
Would the Hokage punish Tiange?
Or rather, would the Hokage dare?
That moment when Tiange had stepped out, anyone with eyes could see the look Tiange gave the Third Hokage.
Probably only this idiot had missed it.
But…
that flash of light, was that the ability of those eyes?
Kakashi lightly touched the eye-guard worn over one eye, lost in thought.
At Koharu Utatane’s residence, the one-armed Koharu Utatane sat cross-legged at a table, lifting a cup of tea and slowly savoring it.
“Koharu…”
“Danzō…
is gone.”
Homura Mitokado rushed in with a face full of worry.
“Gone is gone.”
“That fool, did Danzō truly think Nichzan could protect Danzō?”
“If Nichzan could protect anyone, my arm wouldn’t look like this.”
Koharu Utatane’s expression was perfectly calm, unchanged.
This outcome had been anticipated long ago.
“Koharu, you had no part in the Hyūga clan’s affair, did you?”
Homura Mitokado was still worried, worried that Koharu Utatane held a grudge and had taken part in that matter.
If that were the case, things would have gone very badly.
“Don’t worry.”
“I’m not that foolish.”
“If I had taken part, do you think I’d still be sitting here in one piece sipping tea right now?”
Homura Mitokado thought about it, that was indeed the logic, given that person’s bloodlust.
If Koharu Utatane had truly been involved, there was absolutely no way that person would have let it go.
With that settled, Homura Mitokado finally let out a breath.
“Koharu, logically speaking, Danzō wasn’t the type to act so impulsively.
How did Danzō end up making such a foolish decision this time?”
“Hmph.”
“That fool.”
“My guess is there were cards up Danzō’s sleeve that even we didn’t know about.”
“Plus, with Nichzan always covering for Danzō, Danzō got a little too carried away.”
Koharu Utatane wore undisguised contempt for Danzō’s stupidity.
What cards Danzō had held, that remained unclear.
But one thing was certain: Danzō was no match for that monster.
Nine years ago it had been true.
How much more so now.
“Koharu, you’re not still holding a grudge and thinking of revenge, are you?”
“Heh…”
“I worked that out nine years ago.
There’s no chance, and I have no desire to court death.”
“These past few years of keeping to myself have actually helped me work through a great deal.
With the time I have left, isn’t it better to simply enjoy life?”
Homura Mitokado looked at Koharu Utatane’s demeanor, and the heart that had been hanging in suspense finally came to rest entirely.
➤ Next: Family — A Conversation!
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