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With the news of the Land of Lightning signing a peace treaty with Konoha, the village was filled with an atmosphere of peace, and joyous smiles could be seen everywhere.
Under the night sky, the laughter and joy in Konoha gradually faded as people began to drift off to sleep.
In an ordinary apartment, the door creaked open, and a weary, lazy voice echoed in the empty room.
"I'm back."
Wearing a deep gray outfit, a dark blue headband, and the Konoha Headband, Deiwaushi, who had spent the day guarding the gate, finally returned. He said this with fatigue and walked into the house casually.
He was an orphan; his parents had died in the Third Great Shinobi War. Every time he came back, he still habitually called out, even though the house was always empty and no one was there.
"Sigh, this gate-guarding duty seems easy, but it's tedious. When will it end?"
Deiwaushi shut the door and showed a dejected expression, dragging his tired body to plop down on the sofa in the living room.
A few years ago, he, Byakugan Raito, and Fugaku Genkan were on top of the world, achieving success at a young age. They had become the Fourth Hokage's bodyguards and were highly favored and trusted by the Fourth Hokage. However, not long after their moment of glory, the Nine-Tails Incident changed their lives completely.
As the Fourth Hokage's bodyguards, they were demoted to guarding the Konoha gates after the Fourth Hokage's death. The repetitive and monotonous work day after day had long since worn out their once vibrant spirits.
Deiwaushi sighed deeply, his eyes still filled with memories of past glories. Unfortunately, those days were gone forever. He shook his head with a self-deprecating smile and picked up the glass of water on the table to drink.
The glass still contained half a cup of cold water. As he gulped it down, his throat moving, the water entered his body. But in the next moment, his face turned to one of terror.
Thud~
The sound of the glass dropping to the floor and Deiwaushi collapsing almost coincided. The glass rolled on the ground, and Deiwaushi's body stiffened, his eyes wide with terror, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks.
The water was poisoned! The toxin had directly invaded his brain, paralyzing his nerves. His mind was still clear, but he could no longer control his body.
As he stared in shock, a black figure slowly emerged from the shadows, wearing a mask.
Anbu? Or Root!
Why are they attacking me?
As Deiwaushi's thoughts raced, the masked figure's eyes were dead and cold, looking at him indifferently. "There's no point in struggling. This is an extremely rare neurotoxin."
Deiwaushi could not control his mouth or throat, only managing to emit a low, weak growl. The figure slowly placed a hand on his head, and he was filled with terror.
"I see you've figured something out. Don't resist. You, as the Fourth Hokage's bodyguards, failed to protect the Hokage. You should have died a long time ago."
The masked figure spoke calmly, one hand on Deiwaushi's forehead, the other forming seals. He looked at Deiwaushi's terrified face with indifference, a cold, detached gaze that showed no regard for life, be it enemy or self.
"Don't worry. I just need the Space-Time Jutsu that the Fourth Hokage taught you. I won't take your life. Just cooperate, and remember not to talk about this when you wake up tomorrow. Watch your mouth."
The masked black-clad ninja spoke calmly, but from his superior position, Deiwaushi's terrified eyes were filled with shock.
The Space-Time Jutsu taught to the Genkan Squad by the Fourth Hokage was a secret. How could this person know about it? Anbu? No! Impossible, Anbu belongs to the Hokage, who clearly knows about it and wouldn't covet their Space-Time Jutsu.
So, there was only one other possibility: Root! As former bodyguards of the Fourth Hokage, they naturally knew some secrets. Root's leader has always been ambitious, and he probably suspects that the Fourth Hokage's improved Space-Time Jutsu secrets are in their minds.
Terrifying! But it also made him give up any resistance.
Ninja Art: Mind Reading Technique
The figure formed the seals, and in an instant, a mental force surged. Deiwaushi's eyes rolled back, and he fell into a semi-unconscious state. The figure had now invaded his mental world, his brain.
In the mysterious mental world, when Uchiha Yoru opened his eyes and saw the dreamlike underwater world, he smiled. In the mental world, he still wore a mask. Indeed, this was a very powerful jutsu.
In the original story, Ibiki Morino used this technique to read Pain (Female's) memories, and Yamashiro Aoba used it to read Kisame Hoshigaki's memories after Kisame was defeated by Maito Gai.
As for disguising himself, Uchiha Yoru was naturally coveting the Space-Time Jutsu. Although he didn't know if he could master it, he at least needed to get his hands on it first.
As for the jutsu in the Sealing Scroll, one could only obtain them with the Hokage's approval, after proving their loyalty and earning sufficient merit. With his Uchiha surname, he would never get it from the Third Hokage.
He had also asked Orochimaru, but without the innate talent for Space-Time Jutsu, it was impossible to learn it. Orochimaru wouldn't waste his time, so he didn't know about it. If he asked the Third Hokage now, he probably wouldn't get it either.
Space-Time Jutsu is one of the most powerful jutsu in the ninja world, but the easiest way to obtain it might be from Konoha's gate-guarding Genkan Squad.
In the original story, during the Fourth Great Shinobi War, the Genkan Squad used a marking on Tsunade to quickly transport the Fifth Mizukage and the three members of the Genkan Squad to Madara's battlefield.
"Let me see the mysterious Space-Time Jutsu."
Uchiha Yoru murmured to himself and slowly extended his hand to touch the surface of the brain in the mental world. Instantly, a huge scroll appeared, a manifestation of memory, not real.
Uchiha Yoru slowly closed his eyes, placed his hands on the scroll, and in an instant, the massive scroll began to unroll rapidly. At the same time, countless memories of Deiwaushi flooded his mind.
These memories flashed by like a film, and Uchiha Yoru frowned, quickly flipping to the time when the Fourth Hokage taught them the Space-Time Jutsu. Fortunately, it wasn't too far back.
The Genkan Squad, consisting of Fugaku Genkan, Byakugan Raito, and Deiwaushi, with Deiwaushi being the weakest, naturally became his first target. He had observed them for a long time before making his move.
...
The next day, as sunlight streamed through the window onto his face, Deiwaushi suddenly opened his eyes, breathing heavily. He looked around in terror, seeing himself lying on the living room floor, and the glass of water that had fallen.
Deiwaushi was filled with terror. The pain in his head made him wince as he tried to recall the events of the previous night, as if being pricked by needles.
"Ah, dammit, dammit! Why!"
Deiwaushi clutched his head in pain, the memories of the previous night flooding back. He knew it wasn't an illusion but a real event. He had been invaded, or rather, his mind had been invaded.
...
Konoha, with the arrival of spring, the village was filled with new life, and the Hidden Cloud Village's envoy from the Land of Lightning arrived.
The Konoha villagers on the streets watched the envoy with joy, not cheering for the Hidden Cloud Village's ninjas but for the peace they represented.
If the peace treaty was signed, it would mean the end of the friction on the front lines in the Land of Lightning, and countless ninjas would be able to return home. Peace is something everyone yearns for, especially in the ninja world, which is often at war.
This year, the Hyuga Main Family's young lady, Hinata Hyuga, turned three.
The envoy from the Hidden Cloud Village wasn't going to settle things quickly, but at least it was a political signal. Everyone in Konoha smiled with hope for peace.
Hyuga Branch Family.
"Hizashi-senpai."
In a clean and tidy room, the two sat facing each other, sipping tea. The difference was that last time, snow was falling outside the window, while now it was full of green life.
"Yoru-kun."
Hyuga Hizashi was very respectful and humble, as he had a request. With a hopeful look, he saw Uchiha Yoru sigh softly. "The Hyuga elders truly are remarkable. The Caged Bird Seal is almost flawless, making it extremely difficult to break, especially since it is set from childhood and has become one with the body over decades, affecting everything."
Although he had prepared himself, Hyuga Hizashi's eyes still showed disappointment when he heard this. He still clung to a sliver of hope, looking at Uchiha Yoru. "Is there really no hope at all?"
At that moment, Hyuga Hizashi hated himself. He knew the fate, so why! Why did he let Neji be born into this world, why!
Seeing Hyuga Hizashi's unwillingness, Uchiha Yoru smiled, took a sip of tea, and then slowly took out a scroll from his pocket, pushing it towards him. With a puzzled and bewildered look, Hyuga Hizashi's next words filled him with a sense of a dramatic turn of events and uncontrollable excitement.
"The Caged Bird Seal may be unbreakable, but I have successfully developed a sealing technique. This seal was developed by researching all the sealing techniques collected by Orochimaru-sensei."
"I call it 'Sealed Caged Bird.' This seal requires the chakra control of a jōnin, so only jōnin can master it. After the seal is cast, it appears on the surface of the brain, invisible to others. This seal is like covering the cage with a black cloth, preventing others from manipulating or sensing the Caged Bird Seal, while still maintaining its effects, such as the seal activating upon the death of a ninja."
A dramatic turn of events!
Hyuga Hizashi trembled, holding the small scroll in front of him. When he heard the explanation, tears welled up in his eyes.
Fate! The century-long fate of the Hyuga clan was finally about to be broken!
Uchiha Yoru kept a relaxed smile on his face, looking out the window without interrupting Hyuga Hizashi's emotional moment. Although he couldn't fully understand, he could empathize, and he wasn't lying. The 'Sealed Caged Bird' was indeed his creation, though he used the system to achieve it.
The Caged Bird Seal was like a prison, enslaving generation after generation of the branch family. No one would accept it, but they had never been able to break free from it before.
Trembling, Hyuga Hizashi opened the scroll, even activating his Byakugan. The sealing technique was etched deeply into his mind.
This small scroll, which seemed so simple, had broken the century-old seal of the Hyuga Branch Family, freeing them from their fate.
A very precise sealing technique, specifically designed to protect the brain, tightly wrapping around the Caged Bird Seal. It wasn't impossible to break, but it would require capturing them and breaking the seal, which would also trigger the Caged Bird Seal.
The principle of this seal was simple: it was connected to the Caged Bird Seal, so breaking it would be as difficult as killing the person directly.
After a long while, Hyuga Hizashi finally calmed down and placed the small scroll in his pocket with great care.
"The Hyuga Branch Family will always remember Uchiha Yoru's great kindness!"
Reflecting on those words, wasn't it true that Uchiha Yoru had said he developed the seal himself, with Orochimaru's help?
Indeed, smart people speak simply. Hearing Hyuga Hizashi's words, Uchiha Yoru smiled and nodded. "It's all for Orochimaru-sensei."
With these words, Uchiha Yoru had sent a signal: Orochimaru-sensei would become the Fifth Hokage, and he would strive to become the next Hokage.
Hyuga Hizashi wasn't stupid. They had the key to breaking their fate, but they weren't fully successful yet. They needed protection, and Orochimaru, the future Hokage, could provide that.
Supporting Uchiha Yoru would be a good move, given his talent and the potential to become the future Hokage.
"So, when should we do this?" Hyuga Hizashi seemed to realize he was being too eager but still couldn't help but ask in a serious tone. "I'm afraid once we start, we won't be able to keep it a secret."
Uchiha Yoru understood. After all, he knew that secrets could be hard to keep. He nodded and lowered his voice, smiling. "Isn't now the perfect time? The Hidden Cloud Village is here to form an alliance with the Land of Lightning."
In other words, with the village's attention focused on the alliance, it would be the best time for the Hyuga Branch Family to break free from their fate.
"By the way, the Uchiha Compound is quite spacious. If you're willing, Hizashi-senpai."
With a half-smile, Hyuga Hizashi's eyes widened, and he immediately performed a formal bow.
"The Hyuga Branch Family will rely on you, Yoru-kun!"
Uchiha Yoru's laughter echoed in the room as he nodded. "You should also ask the Main Family for more funds before this. After all, there won't be another chance, and I noticed someone watching me when I came here today."
Hyuga Hizashi looked up with a determined and even angry expression. Yes, there wouldn't be another chance to get funds from the Main Family, and this could serve as a good cover.
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