It was now 8 PM.
Inside the Hidden Leaf Village, within the Hyuga Main House.
Hiashi Hyuga, the current head of the Hyuga Main House who had just met with Hiruzen Sarutobi, had also returned home.
"Father!"
"The Hokage summoned you earlier. What for?"
"It's nothing major. He simply consulted me about personnel adjustments at the village's outer surveillance posts. And he ordered me to dispatch more clan ninja to cooperate with the Aburame clan ninja, strengthening monitoring beyond the village perimeter…"
Hiashi explained in a normal tone.
"More reinforcements again?"
"Yes, probably more than twenty."
"There aren't many Branch House ninja we can still mobilize left…"
The elder Hyuga patriarch let out a slight sigh.
After Root's recent heavy losses and the intense battle against Iwagakure,
the Hyuga clan had suffered numerous Branch House ninja casualties recently.
Plus a large number had already been sent out a few days ago to assist with village defenses.
If they redeployed again, there wouldn't be many Branch House ninja remaining.
And within the Main House itself, without keeping several available as scapegoats whenever needed, one simply couldn't feel safe!
"I'll dispatch them accordingly," Hiashi responded.
The elder patriarch nodded slightly and continued earnestly reminding him:
"As long as you understand this much, that's good enough. This is currently a time of many troubles for the village—don't let the village drag our entire clan down with it!"
"As for that old fox Hiruzen, you especially need to watch carefully."
"Don't let his serious injuries lately and appointing a Provisional Hokage deceive you."
"That old man hasn't loosened his grip on power in the slightest!"
"All these years, former powerful clans like the Senju, and now the Uchiha Clan have either perished or defected…"
"And yet the Sarutobi clan alone continues prospering…"
Indeed, although Sarutobi handed the Provisional Hokage position to Jiraiya,
the actual authority over the entire village remained firmly in his grasp.
The entire Anbu was under his son Sarutobi Shin'nosuke's control, while the captain of Konoha's city defense close combat unit was also Asuma Sarutobi.
Unnoticeably, the entire Sarutobi clan had already dominated most of the village's real power.
They were simply more discreet about it, in contrast to the Uchiha who had been far more overt in their power displays.
Moreover, Jiraiya had no family background whatsoever;
he was simply Hiruzen's apprentice.
That's precisely why Hiruzen felt confident allowing him to temporarily assume the Hokage duties.
"Father, I understand."
"There's no need for further words."
"Anyway, remember this."
"In this ninja world, some clans bask in glory, others in greatness—but ours has endured the longest…"
"Therefore, regardless of anything, as Main House head, your own safety comes first!"
Hearing his father's advice, Hiashi nodded in silence.
He was no longer the impassioned youth he once was.
Now bearing the heavy responsibility of continuing the Hyuga's legacy, naturally he understood what mattered most.
"Oh, by the way, recently I've sensed quite a few Branch House ninjas seem restless. Do you know why?"
Hiashi Hyuga shook his head.
"Not sure. Perhaps someone is spreading useless theories about freedom again?"
"How foolish!"
"All these years, from time to time arrogant fools have appeared, trying to overthrow the 'Caged Bird Cursed Seal'."
"Still, this matter cannot be taken lightly. If people's hearts grow more restless, heresies may arise."
"Afterward, find time to eliminate those stupid insects... Clean them up."
"I will!"
Hiashi nodded in agreement, confirming he would handle it personally.
Then, he was about to head out to deploy the remaining Branch House ninjas still stationed at home.
However, before he even stepped out of the house,
A sudden alarm startled him.
Dang—
A crisp bell rang sharply.
It meant—the Hyūga Main House was under attack!
The next moment,
A Branch House ninja jumped in front of Hiashi and quickly reported:
"Reporting, Lord Hiashi! It's bad! Lady Hinata has been captured by an assassin!"
"What?!"
Hiashi exploded with rage, grabbing that Branch ninja fiercely and loudly demanding:
"What exactly happened?!"
"Just now, when I went to relieve the watch outside Lady Hinata's room, I saw a pitch-black shadow darting out from inside, carrying Lady Hinata away."
"The two guards stationed outside the room have already been knocked out!"
"My teammates are already in pursuit..."
Hiashi shoved the Branch ninja aside.
He shouted furiously: "You're all useless! Complete failures!"
Meanwhile, Elder Hyuga walked out slowly, calmly asking:
"Hiashi, what's happening?"
"There's an assassination attempt; Hinata has been kidnapped! Most likely targeting the Byakugan!"
"In which direction did the assassin flee?"
"Northeast, left less than half a minute ago..."
"Father, I'll lead a team for pursuit. The house is left under your care!"
"Go. Be careful, and bring Hinata back safely if possible!"
"Alright!"
With that, Hiashi immediately took off, leading only a few remaining elite Branch Jonin toward the northeast.
Despite her poor talent,
And even the uncertainty of her inheriting the Hyūga leadership in the future,
She is still Hiashi's eldest daughter, the Hyūga Clan's young lady—she must be rescued!
Furthermore, as the clan's first-born daughter, Hinata never received the 'Caged Bird Cursed Seal'.
If enemies seize her eyes, the consequences would be disastrous!
Under no circumstances can the Hyūga allow another village to produce another 'Byakugan Killer'!
Why did Hiashi himself have to intervene?
There was no other choice.
After all, most of the Branch House ninjas were recently dispatched to guard outside the village.
There weren't many hands left within the clan.
Moreover, whoever silently defeated the two Branch ninjas guarding Hinata's residence clearly demonstrates their enemy's strength—at minimum, Jonin level.
Only Hiashi himself could guarantee swift capture!
Soon enough, the alarm bell ringing from the Hyūga Main House attracted Konoha's attention.
Anbu ninjas soon arrived, inquiring about the situation.
As the elder of the Hyuga Main House, Tokko Hyuga quickly explained the situation and requested Anbu to send reinforcements to assist Hiashi Hyuga, who was chasing the intruder.
Anbu was momentarily startled upon hearing that someone had infiltrated the village. But when they learned the enemy was just one person targeting the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan, they relaxed slightly.
However, out of duty and to prevent the leakage of the village's Kekkei Genkai, Anbu immediately organized personnel and headed northeast in pursuit.
...
Seeing that Anbu ninja had also joined the chase, Tokko Hyuga finally exhaled in relief.
With so many chasing after him, Hiashi probably wouldn't be in serious danger.
He could only hope they would successfully retrieve Hinata…
But just a minute or two after Hiashi and the others left,
"Bang! Bangbang—"
Suddenly came several intense sounds of collision and battle from the direction of the Main House ancestral hall.
The elder lord Tokko Hyuga was greatly alarmed, his heart pounding, as he hurriedly rushed toward the ancestral hall (zongci – where the clan honored its ancestors).
After all, the ancestral tablets inside the ancestral hall weren't really important.
What mattered most were the family treasures stored within the secret vault beneath the hall!
That was the Main House's last reserve — they couldn't afford to lose it!
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