"Hyūga Ming, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Hyūga Hiashi's voice came from the neighboring cell.
He truly couldn't understand it.
Why would Hyūga Ming choose to stay here for an entire year?
He had heard every word of the conversation between Hyūga Ming and Tsunade earlier.
"None of your damn business," Hyūga Ming replied coldly.
Was he supposed to explain that he planned to solve the Caged Bird Seal within the year?
If he said that out loud, he was certain the Hyūga clan would immediately dispatch a squad to seize him—
even if it meant imprisoning him permanently at all costs.
The Caged Bird Seal might appear to exist to prevent the Byakugan from being stolen,
but in truth, it was the Hyūga main family's most critical tool for controlling the entire clan.
The very idea of removing it was something the Hyūga would never allow to exist.
Hyūga Ming had no interest in talking to Hyūga Hiashi.
Even if Hiashi had done nothing before, he was still a beneficiary of the system.
They were natural enemies.
And now that Hiashi had already used the Caged Bird on him, the last shred of goodwill was gone.
If Hiashi ever found another chance, he would absolutely try to kill him with the seal.
And if Hyūga Ming ever found his chance—
he would kill Hiashi.
Hyūga Ming touched the area around his eyes.
The first activation of the Caged Bird had ended, but phantom pain still lingered.
Barely tolerable.
He steadied his thoughts and looked at the skill attached to his completed set.
[Blackjack]
He silently activated it.
A transparent circular zone appeared beneath his feet.
"The range is… really short," Hyūga Ming muttered, rubbing his chin.
That transparent circle represented Blackjack's effective area.
At this distance, it was clearly designed for close combat.
Which was a problem.
He was a ranged damage dealer.
Using it the old way wouldn't work anymore.
If he wanted to make proper use of Blackjack,
he'd need to develop a new combat style—
something fast, lethal, and efficient for farming experience.
The neighboring cell fell silent.
Hyūga Ming sank into thought.
Just then—
The prison door opened.
A man with white hair stepped inside, wearing a light-colored robe.
His features were refined, his demeanor gentle and scholarly.
"You're Hyūga Ming, correct?" the man asked with a friendly smile.
Hyūga Ming stood up and tilted his head, smiling back.
"That's right. And you are?"
He didn't need the introduction.
This was Hiruko.
A future renegade ninja—
the man who would later develop the Chimera Technique.
A boss capable of dropping four kekkei genkai and one forbidden technique.
Of course, that version of Hiruko didn't exist yet.
Right now, he probably wouldn't drop anything worthwhile.
"My name is Hiruko," the man said warmly.
"I'll be your jōnin instructor from now on."
"…Hm?"
Hyūga Ming was genuinely surprised.
After graduating from the Academy, every ninja was supposed to be assigned a jōnin instructor—
But he'd been taken directly by the Hyūga clan and never received one.
As for Tsunade, she had been their team leader, not an instructor.
A formal squad leader handled missions, not personal development.
The two roles were entirely different.
He hadn't expected to receive a jōnin instructor at all—
much less a jōnin.
And Hiruko, no less.
"Hiruko-sensei," Hyūga Ming said immediately, bowing respectfully.
"Please take care of me."
Future betrayal aside, that had nothing to do with the present.
A jōnin instructor's duty included teaching ninjutsu.
And Hiruko knew a lot of techniques.
Hiruko nodded, his gaze briefly lingering on Hyūga Ming's Byakugan with subtle interest—
before vanishing just as quickly.
"Where did you put the sealing scrolls you brought?" Hiruko asked.
"Oh—right."
Hyūga Ming suddenly realized what he'd forgotten.
He slapped the ground theatrically, releasing prepared smoke.
As the smoke dispersed, a backpack appeared on the floor.
"…Summoning?" Hiruko frowned slightly.
Something about it felt off—
but he couldn't pinpoint why.
He decided not to dwell on it and slung the pack over his shoulder.
"Come with me," Hiruko said, turning toward the exit.
Hyūga Ming glanced once at the sealed neighboring cell.
Looks like his confinement was already over.
He hadn't even been inside for long.
Lucky.
As they walked side by side, Hyūga Ming asked quietly:
"Sensei—were we the real transport team, or just bait?"
Hiruko looked at him in surprise.
He hadn't expected a genin to think that far.
After a moment, he explained:
"You were the transport team.
The bait was the squad led by Orochimaru and Jiraiya."
"After all, who would suspect that three genin and one jōnin were carrying critical supplies?"
Hyūga Ming nodded in understanding.
A psychological trap.
The most unlikely group carried the real goods.
Which explained why his interception force had been so small.
Most enemy ninja had gone after Orochimaru and Jiraiya instead.
Command Tent – Meeting Area
Jiraiya sat slouched in his chair, looking battered.
Orochimaru didn't look much better—both had visible damage to their armor.
"This really flushed out most of the foreign ninja hiding in Fire Country," Jiraiya said loudly.
"I'm exhausted, Tsunade—you wouldn't believe—"
"Enough," Tsunade snapped, slamming her palm onto the table.
Both she and Orochimaru were already getting headaches.
"What matters now," Tsunade continued coldly,
"is intelligence on the Rain Country."
Rain Country was a strategic choke point.
Neither Iwagakure nor Sunagakure would ever abandon it.
Once war began, both would inevitably move in.
And Rain Village intelligence was the clearest window into their intentions.
"Just send a few people to scout," Jiraiya said carelessly.
Orochimaru sighed.
"Rain Village tightly controls its intelligence.
Extracting information from them won't be easy."
Jiraiya scratched his head.
True.
Ninja were experts at stealing intelligence—
and even better at protecting it.
Rain Village shinobi had already gone underground.
Finding them wouldn't be simple.
"And they know war is coming," Orochimaru added.
"So what do we do?" Jiraiya asked helplessly.
Orochimaru slowly licked his lips.
"We'll need to plant spies inside Rain Village."
At that moment—
The tent flap lifted.
Hiruko stepped inside, Hyūga Ming following behind him.
Tsunade glanced at Hyūga Ming, then looked away.
"The supplies are intact," Hiruko reported with a smile.
"They'll be enough for any emergencies."
Noticing the grim expressions around the table, he asked curiously:
"What are you all discussing?"
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