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In the snow.
Hinata Hyuga, mocked by three older children, her innocent eyes filled with mist, and finally, tears unwillingly streamed down her cheeks.
In the snow, a small figure crouched, while the three older children, clearly of the age to have entered the Ninja Academy, perhaps their ignorant and fearless jealousy had led them to mock her.
At this moment, a figure appeared, calmly looking at the three children, who were startled. In their eyes, the Headband and Ninja Blade represented a ninja, and a natural fear made the three children show signs of panic.
"You brats, haven't your parents taught you not to bully younger children, especially a girl?"
The one who appeared was Uchiha Yoru, his voice calm as he spoke to the three children, but his eyes glanced at a frail child who had just jumped off the swing, seemingly about to walk over, but froze upon seeing him.
At this moment, Hinata Hyuga was weeping, but a gentle hand caressed her head. Looking up, she saw a sharp and distinct figure.
"From the Hyuga clan."
Uchiha Yoru, seeing this scene, narrowed his eyes. He seemed to have intercepted the future princess, and then looked at the frail figure in the distance.
"Big Brother Yoru." With a swoosh, Uchiha Shisui instantly appeared behind him, his expression serious as he spoke to his older brother, but his eyes deeply gazed at the child in the distance.
How could Shisui not know the identity of that child? But precisely because he knew, the Uchiha clan must avoid any contact with that child, or they would be used by those with ulterior motives.
But the frail child, with his thin clothes, was a stark contrast.
Uchiha Yoru turned around calmly and led Hinata Hyuga away, glancing at the frail figure in the distance before leaving, his heart pondering, Jinchuriki!
Uchiha Shisui, seeing this, also breathed a sigh of relief, fearing any misunderstanding, as the clan's contact with the Jinchuriki could indeed cause trouble.
But despite his relief, Uchiha Shisui's mood was unusually complex, as the frail appearance of the Jinchuriki was clear to him with his ninja's observational skills.
"Shisui, change your clothes next time. Don't tarnish the Police Force. Don't go to that store again."
Under Shisui's stunned gaze, Uchiha Yoru calmly took a Gold Coupon from his pocket and threw it away, as if saying, "We are a noble family; how can we go to such a small shop?"
In the snow, the coupon was carried by the wind and landed on the head of the frail child in the distance.
At this moment, Naruto Uzumaki, seeing the coupon on his forehead, instinctively picked it up and looked at the two figures in the distance, wanting to wave and call out, but then heard a distant voice, seemingly disapproving of the coupon.
Naruto Uzumaki's mood instantly fell, but then he looked at the coupon in his hand. On the front, it read "Grand Opening," and on the back, it stated that the coupon could be exchanged for a set of winter children's clothing, with limited slots.
The frail hands, with visible veins, had rough palms, but a drop of water fell onto the hand holding the coupon.
Lifting his head, Naruto Uzumaki's eyes, though filled with tears, showed a large, innocent smile.
The ANBU hiding in the shadows frowned at this scene, but relaxed after confirming there was no problem.
Uchiha Shisui, however, showed a helpless smile, saying to Uchiha Yoru, "Big Brother Yoru, that was mine."
Although he said this, his heart was filled with warmth, as his older brother's calm demeanor completely masked the kind act he had just done.
At this moment, he felt a complex mix of emotions, as the Third Hokage's glory seemed less bright, and even filled him with suspicion.
The two walked calmly toward the Uchiha clan, passing by the Hyuga clan's territory, where Hinata Hyuga stood at the entrance of her family's compound, bowing respectfully and saying, "Thank you."
With the etiquette of a noble family, although Hinata Hyuga was shy, she bowed deeply, showing the manners of a prestigious clan.
After passing the Hyuga clan, Uchiha Shisui sighed, "Big Brother Yoru, that child!"
Uchiha Yoru sneered, "Ugly political tactics. After all, this is a Jinchuriki, not an ordinary ninja. It needs to be handled more carefully, after all, this is the Will of Fire."
The blatant disdain in his voice made Shisui frown, seemingly thinking of something, his face turning extremely grim.
"Big Brother Yoru, do you mean to say!"
Seeing Shisui seemingly understand, Uchiha Yoru sighed, "Shisui, no matter how unfortunate that child is, the inheritance left by his parents is enough for a life of comfort. And the protection they claim is for his safety, but the rumors in the village, do you think any Jounin doesn't know about the Jinchuriki? Or the Uzumaki surname."
Tearing off the pretense, Shisui's face turned dark at that moment, as the child's parents were those two great figures!
"Shisui, just like other ninja villages and the black market learning from the Inuzuka clan's training of ninja dogs, they catch wild ninja dogs, beat them into submission, and then let them starve. When they are on the brink of death, their owner appears as a beacon of hope."
"If it's a puppy, they will let it suffer and freeze, and when the owner appears, they will give it warmth, and come back occasionally. In a few months, the animal's instinct will make it attach to the person who gives it warmth, and from then on, the ninja dog will be loyal to its owner."
Speaking in a calm tone about a cruel matter, comparing the Jinchuriki to a ninja dog, Uchiha Shisui's face turned even grimmer.
"Big Brother Yoru, that child's father is! But!"
The village's ugliness was clear to him, but that child was from the Hokage's lineage. It had only been a few years since the Nine-Tails' night, the third year to be precise, but the child had already been treated like this! (The Nine-Tails attack was on October 10th of the first year, the second year, and now it's just past the New Year, making it the third year)
Shisui couldn't help but feel a chill at this moment. The village was so corrupt that the Fourth Hokage's child was treated like this. If the Fourth Hokage's child could be treated this way, what else could the village's darkness do?
In the Uchiha Clan Territory, the New Year's snow did not bring much joy to the Uchiha, or rather, compared to the villagers who were already enjoying the peace, the Uchiha clan was isolated and under suspicion at the outskirts of the village.
When he returned to his house, someone had been waiting for a long time.
Snowflakes fell outside, and the steam from the hot tea inside the house rose.
"Senior Hizashi."
Hyuga Hizashi had come to visit him, and at this moment, his calm face seemed to have made a decision. The usually very polite man had lost his manners this time.
He respectfully sat in the traditional manner, with his head touching the floor, and respectfully said, "Lord Yoru, please help with the Caged Bird matter!"
Seeing Hyuga Hizashi's determined appearance, Uchiha Yoru smiled. He knew that something must have happened to him, or perhaps his child Neji had been branded with the Caged Bird.
Perhaps Hizashi was loyal to the Hyuga clan, but no father would willingly see his child become a slave controlled for life.
"Senior Hizashi, you are too polite. This is all for the sake of Orochimaru-sensei."
Uchiha Yoru smiled, completely acting as if he was merely helping his teacher gather political resources. Hyuga Hizashi, lifting his head, slowly removed his Headband, revealing the green Caged Bird seal on his forehead, representing the control of the Main Family over the Branch Family.
"If Orochimaru-sama can remove the Caged Bird seal from the Branch Family, the Hyuga Branch Family is willing to stand behind Orochimaru-sama."
Hyuga Hizashi's determined voice echoed, which was no longer a simple political investment. A political investment was merely showing goodwill, but not committing everything.
Such a total commitment was rare among noble families, as a single failure could lead to irreversible consequences. The survival strategy of noble families was to diversify their investments, ensuring that while they might not get the biggest share of the pie, they would not fall into irreversible ruin.
"Senior Hizashi, please wait a moment. I need to examine your Caged Bird seal and record it."
Hyuga Hizashi closed his eyes, revealing the seal mark on his forehead, which was a source of shame for the Branch Family. Uchiha Yoru, stepping forward, began to observe and record the seal with a serious expression.
Isolated, the Uchiha clan, despite investing in Orochimaru, maintained a distance from other noble families, as the suspicion of the Nine-Tails attack could not be shaken off.
Therefore, it was difficult for the Uchiha clan to find true allies in the village, but the Hyuga Branch Family was a good ally, especially if the Caged Bird seal could be removed.
However, the Uchiha clan could not protect the Hyuga Branch Family on its own, but with Orochimaru, it would be different.
"Senior Hizashi, do you know the situation of the Branch Family once they regain their freedom?"
Uchiha Yoru's voice echoed, and Hyuga Hizashi's heart was filled with complex emotions. He couldn't help but know.
The Branch Family, under the Caged Bird seal, was like caged birds controlled by the Main Family. Once the seal was removed, the Branch Family would face a complete rupture with the Main Family.
More importantly, resources! The resources of Konoha had already been divided among the noble families. While the Hokage had no authority to intervene in the Branch Family's affairs, the resources belonged to the Hyuga clan, and the Main Family represented the Hyuga clan, so all the resources were in the hands of the Main Family.
"The Hyuga Branch Family is willing to serve Orochimaru-sama."
At this moment, Hyuga Hizashi had no choice but to take this gamble. As the head of the Branch Family, although it was only a nominal position, many in the Branch Family had resigned themselves to their fate. He knew that if there was any real hope, the resentment in the Branch Family would erupt.
Uchiha Yoru, hearing the answer he wanted, smiled and shook his head, "The Caged Bird seal is indeed a marvel, truly troublesome."
"You, who have been branded with the Caged Bird seal from a young age, have grown with your chakra, and the seal has become one with you."
"The Caged Bird seal, in essence, is a sealing technique, attached to the brain tissue and Byakugan nerves. Once the seal is slightly activated, the brain will feel like it's splitting, and if the ninja dies, although the brain will not immediately die, the consciousness will detect its own death, and the seal will activate, instantly destroying the ninja's brain and the connected Byakugan."
Having followed Orochimaru for so long, he had learned a lot about sealing techniques and medical ninjutsu, and it didn't take long to thoroughly understand the Caged Bird seal.
After the examination, Hyuga Hizashi calmly tied his Headband, and Uchiha Yoru smiled and nodded, "As Orochimaru-sensei suspected, the Caged Bird seal is a different direction of sealing techniques, a so-called curse seal. And the Branch Family, branded with the curse seal from a young age, has grown with their chakra, becoming one with you."
"The Caged Bird seal is one with the brain and Byakugan, and removing the Caged Bird seal means eliminating your eyes and brain tissue. Therefore, the seal cannot be removed, at least not with the current methods."
Uchiha Yoru slowly explained the situation of the Caged Bird seal, and Hyuga Hizashi calmly nodded. The Branch Family had not been without trying to find a solution, and each generation had people secretly researching ways to remove it, but there had never been a successful case.
He had come with only a glimmer of hope. If others couldn't do it, it was understandable, but Orochimaru was an outstanding figure, even surpassing the Third Hokage in talent. If Orochimaru couldn't do it, perhaps only the Second Hokage, who had created countless forbidden techniques, had the talent to do so.
"But!"
Uchiha Yoru's sudden words immediately sparked hope in Hyuga Hizashi. For Neji, he was willing to take this step, and thinking of his child, he said hoarsely, "Please, Lord Yoru, speak clearly."
Uchiha Yoru smiled and nodded, "Removing the Caged Bird seal is not something that can be solved in a year or two, but Orochimaru-sensei once said that any technique, even forbidden techniques, has risks, and there is no perfect technique. Every technique has a solution."
"While the method to remove the Caged Bird seal may take a long time, there is another method that might work."
"What method!" Hyuga Hizashi's usually stern face broke, as if he had grabbed the last straw, nervously looking at the other.
If the Caged Bird seal could be removed, his child Neji would not have to follow his path.
Uchiha Yoru smiled confidently and nodded, "Orochimaru-sensei once said that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's seal is a forbidden technique, and an additional 'Four Symbols Seal' was added to reinforce it."
"Similarly, the Caged Bird seal, while a curse seal, is still within the realm of sealing techniques. What if we add a perfect sealing technique on top of the Caged Bird seal? This way, the Caged Bird seal can only be controlled if the ninja dies, otherwise, it cannot be controlled by others. It would no longer be a restriction but a protective seal."
With Uchiha Yoru's confident explanation, Hyuga Hizashi's face showed excitement.
Good news, the editor has notified us that we have entered the revival round. Next week, we will continue the PK for the Three Rivers. On Monday and Tuesday, please support us with your reads.
(Chapter End)