To better execute this plan, I need to meet those Hyuga Clan Branch Family members." The most important and crucial part of Orochimaru's plan was when the conflict between the Hyuga Clan's Branch Family and Main Family was on the verge of breaking out.
And Hyuga Mio and her companions were very suitable to lead the Branch Family members against the Main Family.
Just as the Hyuga Clan was about to erupt into an unavoidable bloody conflict due to irreconcilable differences and accumulated hatred over the years, her beloved Teacher Hiruzen, the angel investor Dora·Danzo·A Dream, and the two Advisors could make their grand entrance.
As a third party, mediating the impending conflict between the Hyuga Clan's Main Family and Branch Family, even if unwilling, the Main Family members would have to grudgingly accept it to survive.
Orochimaru had been conceiving this plan ever since learning of the Hyuga Clan's internal strife, but implementing it had a prerequisite: whether the Konoha Higher-Ups, upon learning that she had unsealed the Caged Bird Curse Mark, would choose to protect her or hand her over to appease the Hyuga Clan's Main Family.
Orochimaru would absolutely not gamble on such a matter; she wasn't a gambler like Tsunade who enjoyed taking risks.
Precisely because of this, she had made two-pronged preparations.
If they were to hand her over, then, excuse her, but she, Orochimaru, would be taking her leave today.
The Kikaichu imbued with the Flying Thunder God Technique formula were prepared for this purpose; several of them were already waiting in the Forbidden Jutsu Chamber, ready to use the Flying Thunder God Technique to raid the Forbidden Jutsu scrolls there at any moment.
She admitted that this act might be a bit ungrateful, but her research achievements and her White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company had also brought sufficient profits to Konoha.
Even if the Daimyo cut funding, it wouldn't significantly impact Konoha; achieving self-sufficiency wouldn't be a problem.
Konoha was not like Sunagakure in the Land of Wind; in that desolate place, if the Daimyo of the Wind Country cut funding, the Ninja of Sunagakure wouldn't survive.
All these factors combined, although not enough to fully repay Konoha for its nurturing, couldn't it be considered that she had at least partially repaid most of it?
"No problem, we'll have the Anbu take you later." Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to Orochimaru's request to meet Hyuga Mio and her companions.
At the Anbu's temporary detention facility, Orochimaru met Hyuga Mio and her group.
"Orochimaru... why are you here?" Hyuga Mio's eyes widened when she saw Orochimaru.
She hadn't exposed Orochimaru!
Why was she brought here?
"Did you catch the wrong person?
The Caged Bird Curse Mark has nothing to do with her." Hyuga Mio looked at the Anbu beside Orochimaru, the veins around her eyes slightly bulging due to her emotions.
She had thought Orochimaru had been arrested.
"Lady Orochimaru, we'll just..." The two ANBU Ninja standing beside Orochimaru felt that Hyuga Mio's gaze was as if she wanted to butcher them, and they requested to leave temporarily.
Honestly, being stared at by such a pair of Byakugan was quite unnerving.
"No, you two stay.
My plan requires your assistance." Orochimaru didn't want them to leave.
If they left, what would happen when Hyuga Mio and her group escaped later?
Someone had to be defeated during the escape, right?
Ah!
The two of them looked exactly like cannon fodder characters who could be easily knocked out, perfect for highlighting how difficult Hyuga Mio and her group's escape was.
Then, Hiruzen Sarutobi and his companions would also have an explanation, saying that they only rushed to the Hyuga Clan compound after discovering the ANBU Ninja had been defeated.
See, everything was connected.
Except for a small number of people, no one would know that this entire situation was her, Orochimaru's, plan from beginning to end.
She, Orochimaru, was merely a disciple who couldn't bear her teacher's plight and simply helped her teacher solve some problems.
It's perfectly reasonable, isn't it!
"Assistance?" The two ANBU Ninja were stunned for a moment, then obeyed Orochimaru and stayed.
"You weren't arrested, were you?" Hyuga Mio was astonished to hear the ANBU Ninja's respectful address to Orochimaru.
"I have a plan, and I want your cooperation." Orochimaru looked at the Branch Family members confined in other rooms and said, "To abolish the Hyuga Clan's Main Family and Branch Family system, I need your cooperation."
"You, you're not joking, are you?" Everyone looked at Orochimaru in shock.
"Orochimaru, we've implicated you... haven't we?" Hyuga Mio looked at Orochimaru with complicated emotions.
She hadn't wanted to involve Orochimaru, but things went against her wishes, and she was still implicated.
"This is also the will of the four adults.
They also don't want such a distorted system to exist in the Hyuga Clan, but they can't express it openly.
Arbitrarily interfering in the internal affairs of the Hyuga Clan—couldn't that be seen as them being able to interfere in the internal affairs of other Ninja Clans?
Like clan head elections?" Orochimaru was well aware of what the Konoha Higher-Ups were worried about.
Moreover, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura were the heads of the Sarutobi Clan and Shimura Clan, respectively.
"This precedent cannot be set.
As Teacher Hiruzen's disciple, I naturally have to help him resolve his worries.
Besides, I was the one who improved the Caged Bird Curse Mark." Orochimaru reached out and patted Hyuga Mio's shoulder, saying, "The rest will be hard on you all." The Branch Family members were greatly shocked.
They had never expected that the Caged Bird Curse Mark was unsealed by Orochimaru, and the new Caged Bird Curse Mark was improved by her.
Next, Orochimaru revealed her plan, but she didn't reveal everything, instead concealing some parts.
"I will replace the Caged Bird Curse Mark on the foreheads of all Branch Family members with the new Caged Bird Curse Mark.
To abolish the Hyuga Clan's Main Family and Branch Family system, you still have to fight for it yourselves.
The opportunity will be given to you, but whether you can seize it is up to you." Orochimaru looked at the two somewhat dejected ANBU Ninja beside her.
"It will also be hard on you two." Hard?
What's so hard about pretending to be knocked out?
The two ANBU Ninja felt greatly humiliated.
They had thought Orochimaru kept them for something important, but it turned out to be just this, which was too much of an insult.
At night, Orochimaru manipulated the Kikaichu imbued with the Flying Thunder God Technique formula to infiltrate the Hyuga Clan compound, being extra careful during the infiltration.
If discovered, the plan would be nullified.
The architectural style of the Hyuga Clan compound was designed in a way that the Branch Family houses formed a protective circle around the Main Family's residence, like stars surrounding the moon.
The Kikaichu infiltrated the Hyuga Clan compound with surprising ease, so much so that Orochimaru wondered if her caution was a bit foolish, having overestimated the Hyuga Clan's Main Family.
No, are you, the Hyuga Clan's Main Family, really that careless?
After what happened during the day, you're not even assigning people to stand guard at night?
If it were her, before the Third Hokage gave an answer, she would definitely send people to secretly monitor the Branch Family members to prevent them from causing more trouble.
Not to mention using the Byakugan throughout, at least a sensing barrier should be set up.
"Shadow Clone Technique!" Ten Shadow Clones appeared beside Orochimaru, each using the Flying Thunder God Technique to travel to the houses where the Hyuga Clan's Branch Family members resided.
Before the Branch Family members could react, they were taken outside Konoha using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The Branch Family members who wanted to fight saw that it was Orochimaru and didn't rush to attack, but instead asked what she was doing, seeing others from the Branch Family nearby.
Orochimaru didn't explain much, only saying that someone had invited her.
After unsealing the Caged Bird Curse Mark on the foreheads of the Branch Family members and replacing them with new Caged Bird Curse Marks, Orochimaru used the Flying Thunder God Technique to send them back.
Soon, all the Caged Bird Curse Marks on the foreheads of the Hyuga Clan's Branch Family members were replaced with new Caged Bird Curse Marks.
On the other side, Orochimaru received the memories and fatigue from her Shadow Clones and said to Hyuga Mio and her group, "It's done.
You should 'escape' now.
Whether you can seize this opportunity is up to you." With that, Orochimaru used the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave.
"What do you want to do?!" "Stop it now!" "Quickly go notify the Hokage... Ah!" The two ANBU Ninja reluctantly put on a show of acting, and before Hyuga Mio and her group even moved, they lay on the ground, striking comfortable poses, and "fainted." Hyuga Mio and her group successfully "escaped," took soldier pills, and rushed at full speed towards the Hyuga Clan compound.
Boom—! The main gate of the Hyuga Clan's Main Family crashed down, startling everyone in the Main Family.
When the Main Family members came outside, they saw countless Branch Family members staring at them with eyes full of anger and hatred.
"What exactly do you intend to do?" An elder wearing a kimono sleep robe angrily reprimanded, forming a single hand seal to activate the Caged Bird Curse Mark.
However, none of the Branch Family members reacted.
"The Main Family's control over the Branch Family ends here!" Hyuga Mio stepped forward, pointing at the elder, the veins around her eyes bulging, her pale blue eyes filled with anger and hatred.
Finally, finally this day has come!
The time to abolish the Hyuga Clan's Main Family and Branch Family system has finally arrived!
"The Main Family's long-standing oppression of the Branch Family—it's time for you to repay it!" "Main Family members!
You can no longer punish us with the Caged Bird Curse Mark!" The Branch Family members shouted in unison, venting the hatred and anger accumulated from long-standing unfair treatment, but they were not so consumed by rage as to directly attack the Main Family members.
They knew that they were not only the Hyuga Clan's Branch Family but also members of Konoha.
"Are you trying to incite a conflict between the Main Family and Branch Family?
Do you know how many people will die this way?!" Hyuga Hatsume looked at Hyuga Mio and her companions leading the Branch Family, her pupils slightly constricted, and tried to persuade them, "It's not too late to stop now."
"It's too late!
It's already too late!" "Head Hatsume!
The Main Family's control over the Branch Family ends here!" "We will never be controlled by the Main Family again!" "The Hyuga Clan's Main Family and Branch Family system is abolished!" "Abolished!" "That damned system should have been abolished long ago!" The Branch Family members were in an uproar, their emotions running high, and the veins around their eyes bulged as they unconsciously activated their Byakugan.
Stared at by those pairs of Byakugan filled with anger and hatred, the Main Family members could no longer reprimand them with their usual arrogant attitude.
"How could this happen..." The elder slumped to the ground, muttering to himself.
"Abolish the Main Family and Branch Family system!
Otherwise, we won't hesitate to engage in a bloody revolution!" Hyuga Mio shouted loudly, her gaze like a torch as she looked at the grim-faced Main Family members.
"Abolish the Main Family and Branch Family system!" The Branch Family members all let out hoarse shouts, their voices shaking the heavens and echoing throughout Konoha.
This was the unwilling and angry cry of the Branch Family members who had suffered years of oppression under the Hyuga Clan's Main Family and Branch Family system, and also their never-extinguished yearning for freedom deep within their hearts and souls!
Everyone who heard the shouts looked in the direction of the Hyuga Clan compound in unison.
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