Chapter 512: Edo Tensei
Ishiro understood Orochimaru's meaning. He had already mastered the method to break the Caged Bird Seal. Next time, he just needed to find another Hyuga branch member and perform the ritual again. It was impossible for the branch members to stay in Konoha forever. He could afford to wait.
After Orochimaru left, Ishiro walked up to Hyuga Iroha, carefully observed his Byakugan, and concluded that they were indeed intact. If his goal had simply been to obtain a Byakugan, like Kiri or Kumo in the past, he had already succeeded.
But what Ishiro wanted was to break the seal without harming the individual.
When he used the Spirit Transformation Technique to enter Iroha's mind, he found his soul was already shattered beyond repair. In other words, Iroha was now in a vegetative state.
It makes sense, Ishiro thought. For Orochimaru, who can use the Living Corpse Reincarnation, a vegetative person might be better, more suitable as a vessel.
His soul returned to his body. Looking at Iroha, he began to think about Neji's situation.
First, the method Orochimaru had used on Iroha definitely could not be used on Neji.
Second, was this method truly useful as a reference for safely breaking the seal?
Just then, Chiga, who had been standing silently on the side, spoke up.
"Teacher Ishiro, I think I discovered something through my blood perception."
Curious, Ishiro turned to look at her.
"When Orochimaru performed the ritual," she said, "I could vaguely see some images in my blood perception space. But the process wasn't very clear. If we could do the experiment one more time, and I ingest that person's blood beforehand, I should be able to see more clearly."
Ishiro's eyes shifted, as if grasping something.
He frowned and thought for a long time, then his brow slowly relaxed.
He had been inside Chiga's blood perception space. He knew the connection between the inside and the outside.
Since breaking the seal directly is risky, could the ritual be performed inside the blood perception space?
This was not an easy matter. It required careful research and long-term planning.
So, Ishiro beckoned Chiga, took the still-unconscious Uzumaki boy onto his porcelain platform, then picked up Hyuga Iroha, glanced in a certain direction, and flew up.
He quickly brought the three of them back to Iwagakure.
He had already checked the Uzumaki boy on the way back; Orochimaru hadn't done anything to him. He handed him directly over to the Uzumaki clan.
Then, he placed a sealing jutsu on Hyuga Iroha and dropped him off at the hospital. It was hard to say if he would be useful in the future. Let him live on like a vegetable for now.
Meanwhile, Danzō in Konoha received more bad news. Over a dozen Hyuga branch members who had been out on missions had all lost contact.
Now things were clear. The perpetrator was not targeting him, but the Hyuga clan.
He sent someone to inform Hiashi Hyuga and had him send men to assist the Anbu in the investigation.
Hiashi was both shocked and enraged. He immediately guessed that this was again related to the Caged Bird Seal.
He dispatched twenty elites to follow dozens of Anbu out to search for the missing clansmen. His order was: bring them back alive, or bring back their corpses.
After some searching, they soon arrived at the scene. Hyuga Meian, an elite jonin, looked at the dozen or so corpses of his clansmen on the ground, a chill running down his spine.
Among them were elite jonin like himself, yet they had all died silently. This meant that if he had been on an external mission, he would have likely suffered the same fate. The only difference between him and them was luck.
He activated his Byakugan and continuously scanned the surroundings, feeling as if something was watching them from a corner. But no matter how he looked, he couldn't find anything unusual.
At this moment, a voice sounded by his ear. "Senior Hyuga Meian, have you found anything?"
He turned and looked at the person. Although he was an elite jonin of the Hyuga, he didn't dare to act arrogantly in front of this Anbu-clad individual. Others might not know who it was, but his Byakugan saw clearly: it was the Uchiha clan's genius, Shisui Uchiha.
Shisui, likely to avoid exposure, hadn't activated his Sharingan, but Meian's Byakugan could see his face through the mask.
He had no time to wonder why Shisui was still alive and in the Anbu. He shook his head. "Nothing."
Shisui thought for a moment. "Let's check their identities first."
Meian nodded and personally went forward to examine them one by one.
After a short while, he realized something was wrong. "One is missing! Where is Iroha? Have any of you seen Iroha?"
The other Hyuga were stunned, then immediately said, "No, we haven't seen him."
Meian's heart jumped. How could one be missing? He then began to examine how his comrades had died. The more he looked, the more shocked he became. This feeling... it's like they were tortured to death?
Because the Caged Bird Seal had activated before their deaths, he didn't realize someone had been experimenting on them.
Finally, as he knelt down to examine Hyuga Tokuma's body, a giant snake suddenly shot out from the ground beside his foot. It opened its mouth wide and lunged to swallow him whole.
He quickly got up, intending to jump away, but at that moment, he felt a sharp pain in his ankle, and his body went numb.
A glance from the corner of his eye revealed a small snake had bitten him while his attention was drawn by the giant one.
Delayed by that fraction of a second, he was swallowed by the giant snake.
Most of the other Hyuga nearby didn't even react. The few who did only managed to jump away. No one tried to rescue him.
It wasn't that they were selfish. Firstly, it was an instinctive reaction. Secondly, they hadn't expected an elite jonin like him to fall in a single move.
The distant Shisui reacted quickly, but he was too far away. By the time he arrived using a Body Flicker, Meian had already been swallowed.
Just as he was about to attack the giant snake, a hand suddenly reached out from the ground and grabbed at him.
"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!"
But the hand grabbed empty air.
"Oh?" The caster emerged from the ground, letting out a soft sound of surprise. "Such a fast Body Flicker. You must be Shisui Uchiha?"
The nearby Hyuga now saw the newcomer clearly. They all cried out in alarm, "Orochimaru?"
Shisui, having dodged the attack, immediately formed hand seals. "Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Using the fire as cover, he charged at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru grinned, formed hand seals, and slapped the ground.
The next moment, two coffins appeared, blocking the fire. But the fire also instantly incinerated them.
However, two seconds later, a massive water jutsu erupted from where the coffins had been, growing larger and larger. It instantly overwhelmed Shisui's fire dragon and surged back, forcing him to retreat.
Orochimaru grinned at him. "A pity. I'm in a hurry today. Otherwise, your eyes would be mine. Take good care of them for me. I will come back for them."
No one was paying attention to his words anymore. All eyes were focused on the two figures he had brought out.
"Lord First! Lord Second! How is this possible? They died long ago!"
"Why are the two Hokage with a missing-nin like Orochimaru?"
"This must be his ninjutsu! He's controlling them!"
Orochimaru grinned. "Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
As he spoke, the First Hokage, who had been standing silently, immediately formed hand seals and cast a Wood Release jutsu.
A large number of trees instantly sprouted in the valley, attacking the Hyuga and Anbu as if they had minds of their own.
Seeing this, Shisui immediately activated his Susanoo, which offered both offense and defense. With several slashes, it cut down large swathes of trees, saving the others.
But when everything subsided, Orochimaru and the two Hokage were gone. Also vanished was Hyuga Meian, the elite jonin.
Seeing this, Shisui dispelled his chakra-consuming Susanoo. "Quick! Take all the bodies and report back to Lady Hokage!"
By the time he returned to Konoha and informed Hiashi Hyuga, a long time had passed.
Hiashi immediately activated the Caged Bird Seal, intending to remotely kill Meian.
But the next moment, his expression changed drastically. He couldn't sense Meian's seal at all.
Could he be dead? But that's not right. According to the description, he was just captured. Orochimaru had the upper hand. If he chose to capture him alive, he wouldn't kill him immediately.
Could it be...? A terrifying thought formed in Hiashi's mind.
He immediately looked at the branch members who had been on the mission. "Tell me the detailed process immediately!"
"Yes." One of them quickly recounted everything. As he spoke, he was also guessing at the meaning behind Hiashi's expression. A thought that made him tremble also formed in his mind.
When he mentioned that Hyuga Iroha was missing, Hiashi, trembling slightly, activated the Caged Bird Seal again.
Unsurprisingly, there was still no reaction. His heart sank to the bottom.
When the man mentioned Orochimaru telling Shisui he didn't have enough time, he himself paused, unable to continue.
And Hiashi felt dizzy, the world spinning around him.
Forcing himself not to lose composure, he waved his hand, dismissing everyone.
Once he was alone, he could no longer hold back and spat out a mouthful of blood.
After the branch members left, a rumor immediately spread throughout the Hyuga clan: Orochimaru had broken the Caged Bird Seal.
No one was a fool. Connecting the recent events, it wasn't hard to reach this conclusion.
In an instant, the entire clan was in turmoil.
The Hyuga, once like a pool of stagnant water, was suddenly filled with undercurrents.
Due to Hiashi's presence, no one dared to discuss it openly, but secret contacts and exchanges suddenly increased.
A voice began to echo in everyone's hearts: Defect to Orochimaru. Only by defecting can the Caged Bird Seal be removed.
The calmer ones were still thinking: Is it worth betraying Konoha just to break the seal? The more impulsive ones were already thinking: How can I safely leave the clan, leave Konoha?
Another thought surfaced: How enviable Hyuga Iroha and Hyuga Meian are.
Little did they know that the two they envied were now mindless vegetables. Iroha was receiving treatment in Iwagakure's hospital, but Meian, after being taken to Snake Den Village, had been stripped naked and thrown into a large culture tank, waiting to become Orochimaru's new body after sufficient preparation.
Looking at the pure white eyes in the giant tank, Orochimaru let out another cold but cheerful laugh.
When the news reached Danzō, he flew into a rage. Those useless Hyuga! They couldn't even protect their Caged Bird Seal! Wasn't it supposed to be unbreakable?!
He directly sent men into the Hyuga compound to summon Hiashi.
Normally, he wouldn't treat Hiashi with such disrespect. But with the secret of the seal leaked, Hiashi's position was extremely awkward. For example, normally, his men would have to be announced before seeing Hiashi. But this time, the branch family members guarding the gate let them straight in. Unknowingly, Hiashi's control over the clan had weakened significantly.
Hiashi was different from the heads of other clans. They had to learn how to manage their subordinates from a young age, how to balance kindness and authority, and how to brainwash the younger generation. But Hiashi knew none of this. His father hadn't taught him, and likely didn't know how either. With the Caged Bird Seal, the main family didn't need to learn the art of leadership.
So, when the news spread, all the branch members became restless, without exception.
Only then did Hiashi realize he didn't have a single true confidant. The branch members, including his guards and servants, none were trustworthy.
The clan was still technically under his command. But before, everyone had obeyed his orders unquestioningly, acting in the main family's interest. Now, they would still follow his orders, but everyone was thinking: Can I use this mission as an opportunity to defect to Orochimaru?
Hiashi received Danzō's messenger in his own living room. He listened grimly to the order to report to him immediately.
He clenched his fists but ultimately submitted.
When he arrived at the Hokage's office, Danzō immediately berated him, then said, "From now on, all branch family members must also be branded with the Tongue-Cursing Seal."
Hiashi's eyes blazed. "Impossible!"
Danzō said coldly, "Hiashi Hyuga, know your place. I am not discussing this with you. I am giving an order."
Hiashi still wanted to argue, but Danzō's next words nearly silenced him.
"The village has not interfered in the internal affairs of the Hyuga clan, but that does not mean the village has no right to intervene. The reason the village allows your main family to enslave the branch family is not because it is your inherent right. It is because the village hopes the main family can use the Caged Bird Seal to prevent the Byakugan from falling into outside hands. Since the Caged Bird can no longer control the outflow of the Byakugan, the Hyuga main family no longer has any special privileges."
Hiashi said, "The Tongue-Cursing Seal cannot prevent the outflow of the Byakugan. And it is not yet certain whether Orochimaru can break the Caged Bird Seal. Even if he can, it is only him. Other villages may not be able to. The function of the Caged Bird Seal still cannot be replaced. Our main family's status is still unshakable."
Seeing this, Danzō made a concession. "In that case, from today on, all branch family members who need to leave the village for missions must be branded with the Tongue-Cursing Seal. I believe that many in your branch family are now thinking about how to use external missions to seek Orochimaru's protection. The Tongue-Cursing Seal can at least prevent them from actively defecting."
Hiashi had lost. Although he had managed to prevent all branch members from being branded, all those who needed to leave the village would now bear the seal.
With this, his status dropped another notch.
These branch members, bearing both seals, now had their lives held in the hands of two people. One was just the head of the main family, the other was the Hokage. When their orders conflicted, the choice was obvious. Not to mention, obeying the Hokage was the duty of all ninja. And the head of the main family was the person they hated most.
From this moment on, Hiashi had basically lost control over the branch members.
Danzō, having forcefully seized control of most of the branch members, was in a great mood.
He sat on the Hokage's throne, savoring the wonderful feeling of holding great power.
Then, BANG! The office door was kicked open. A toy kunai flew toward him, hitting the wall two meters away and clattering to the floor.
At the same time, a voice echoed in the office. "Grandpa Hokage! Duel me! When I beat you, the seat of the Seventh Hokage will belong to me, Naruto Uzumaki!"
The next moment, Naruto tripped over his own kunai.
Danzō looked expressionlessly at the only man in Konoha who wasn't afraid of him.
Always shouting about the Seventh Hokage. I'm only in my seventies. I can be Hokage for at least another thirty years! he snorted internally.
But he really had no way to deal with Naruto. Unless he replaced the Jinchuriki, he had to consider his image in Naruto's eyes.
Forcing down the urge to slap him dead, Danzō said coldly, "Naruto, shouldn't you be at the academy at this time?"
Naruto, who had just gotten up and was about to shout something like "I'll be back!", immediately changed the subject. "Haha! Grandpa Hokage, you truly live up to your name! I admit defeat this time!"
With that, he jumped out the window. Then Danzō heard an angry roar.
"NARUTO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!"
Then Naruto's voice: "Iruka-sensei! I'm sorry! Please forgive me just this once! I'll never do it again!"
The two of them went off, fighting and yelling, taking Danzō's good mood with them.
No longer in the mood to sit in the office, Danzō returned to the Root base.
Being in a bad mood, he thought of his good old friend. He called a subordinate. "Spread the news that Orochimaru desecrated the souls of the dead, using the Edo Tensei to control Lord First and Lord Second. Tell the villagers that all the forbidden jutsu Orochimaru knows were secretly taught to him by his teacher."
"Yes, sir." A Root member immediately went to carry out the order.
Iwagakure. Chiga's ten-day period was finally over.
As per Ishiro's request, she once again ingested the Hyuga blood samples to maintain constant surveillance.
Then, she took some blood from the Uchiha children in the village, fused it, and located the remaining Uchiha clansmen.
"Teacher Ishiro, there aren't many left. Besides the dozens in our village, there are only four others elsewhere. Two seem to be in Konoha. One is to the southwest, and one is to the south."
Ishiro thought for a moment. "Take Sōkai. Let's go check the one to the southwest first."
Sōkai had been in Iwagakure recently. Or rather, ever since Izumi had arrived, he hadn't left at all. He often took her around the village, sometimes visiting this family to see a "little brother," sometimes visiting that family to see a "little sister." His life was quite comfortable.
When Ishiro found him, he was strolling with Izumi, each holding an infant in their arms.
Seeing this, Ishiro was surprised.
"This kid has matured a lot," he remarked.
"Looks like I still don't understand the Uchiha. The destruction of his entire clan couldn't make him mature, but trying to help Izumi integrate into the village has made him grow up overnight."
Ishiro took Chiga and walked up to them. "Sōkai, Izumi, are you out for a walk?"
Seeing Ishiro, Sōkai quickly said, "Yes, Teacher. I'm showing Sister Izumi around the village."
Ishiro nodded to Izumi, then played with the two babies for a bit.
Helping Izumi integrate was also important, so he didn't interrupt them. Instead, he accompanied them for half a day, playing the third wheel.
Only after they had finished their walk and returned the babies did he say, "Sōkai, Izumi, Chiga can now locate all the Uchiha. I plan to go and see them. Are you coming?"
"I'm going!" they said in unison.
Ishiro glanced at the two, who seemed to be in perfect sync. "Good. I was planning to take you anyway."
Then, he took the three of them and flew out of Iwagakure.
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