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Night fell.
The Hyūga clansmen had arrived in the Land of Water and were now outside Kirigakure.
“Big Brother, what now? Do we infiltrate Kirigakure?” Hizashi asked Hiashi.
“Yes. We infiltrate now. Try not to be discovered.” Hiashi nodded to Hizashi. They had come this far; there was no turning back.
“Big Brother, what if Shin Uzumaki doesn’t help us?” Hizashi asked hesitantly. He still didn’t fully trust Shin.
“I believe he won’t deceive us.” Unlike Hizashi, Hiashi trusted Shin implicitly. Without hesitation or apprehension, he led the Hyūga clansmen forward.
Kirigakure, being isolated, generally didn’t expect danger, so its defenses weren’t particularly strict. Furthermore, the village was currently in turmoil.
Hiashi led the elite Hyūga ninja—Combined with Kirigakure’s lax security, they infiltrated easily. The Byakugan was the ultimate reconnaissance tool; slipping in undetected wasn’t surprising.
“We’ll likely be discovered soon. Let’s establish our battle plan now,” Hiashi addressed his clansmen. Their large group and distinctive Hyūga features made discovery inevitable.
“As I mentioned before, our primary targets are Kirigakure’s high-ranking ninja. We’ll split into two groups. I’ll lead one; the rest follow Hizashi.”
Hiashi’s plan was clear:
Not to conquer Kirigakure, but to eliminate its leadership and then seize control. To achieve their goal, the current Kiri leadership had to be removed.
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Meanwhile, Shin, savoring a seafood feast, finished the lobster meat Konan offered him. He clapped his hands. “The Hyūga Clan has arrived in Kirigakure.”
Shin’s Kagura Mind’s Eye, which encompassed the entire village, had detected the Hyūga the moment they entered.
“Let’s go.” Shin took Konan’s hand and vanished from the restaurant.
Instantly, they appeared before Hiashi Hyūga. Hiashi, startled by their sudden appearance, almost attacked instinctively.
“It’s you, Shin.” Hiashi relaxed his Gentle Fist stance, feeling a wave of relief wash over him.
Though he’d appeared calm during the infiltration, he had actually been incredibly nervous.
They were facing one of the Five Great Villages. Even knowing Kirigakure was weakened, Hiashi hadn’t been confident. A great village, no matter how weak, still possessed significant underlying strength. It wasn’t something a single clan could challenge lightly.
“Hiashi, sneaking around like this won’t work. If you want to control Kirigakure, why be so secretive?” Shin asked Hiashi.
“My plan was to assassinate Kirigakure’s high-ranking officials first, then take control—” Hiashi briefly explained his plan.
“Will that work? Kirigakure’s leaders are protected by numerous ninja; assassinating them won’t be easy. Even if you succeed, new leaders will emerge.” Shin shook his head.
Killing the current leaders and taking control wouldn’t work. The Hyūga were outsiders; entering Kirigakure would face resistance from all Kiri ninja. Even if they killed the current leaders, new ones would be chosen.
It was pointless.
“Then what should we do?” Hiashi humbly asked Shin for guidance.
“Naturally, use the simplest method: Fight. Beat them all into submission.” Shin disliked scheming now; a direct, forceful approach was better.
If he can’t be straightforward and overwhelming, what’s the point of all this power he’s worked so hard to gain?
Hiashi blinked, stunned. Shin’s suggestion seemed completely unreliable.
“The Hyūga Clan’s strength is no match for all the ninja in Kirigakure,” Hiashi reminded Shin.
“I know the Hyūga Clan can’t take on Kirigakure alone. But you have me. Since you swallowed your pride and asked for my help, I can’t just sit back and watch.” Shin wanted a simple, brutal resolution. End it quickly and go home.
“Eight Trigrams: Mountain Crusher!“
Shin gathered chakra and thrust his palm forward. A chakra beam shot out, cutting across half of Kirigakure. Everything in its path disintegrated into dust.
The Hyūga clansmen behind Hiashi gulped. If that attack had been aimed at them, their bodies wouldn’t even leave ashes behind.
Even Hiashi’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. ‘Isn’t that… our Hyūga Clan’s secret technique? How can it be so terrifyingly powerful?’
Hiashi knew this technique too, but his version compared to Shin Uzumaki’s was like comparing a firefly to the moon.
“Go bring Hizashi here,” Hiashi ordered a clansman, turning his head.
Since Shin Uzumaki had done this, assassination was pointless. The entire village of Kirigakure had been alerted.
“Actually, your Hyūga Clan’s Gentle Fist has its merits. It’s just that you’re too weak to unleash its true power.” Shin turned and said to Hiashi.
His words pierced Hiashi’s heart like daggers.
Not just Hiashi, but all the Hyūga clansmen behind him felt a sting of resentment. Their secret technique—the Gentle Fist—had to be showcased by an outsider to reveal its true potential.
It was incredibly frustrating!
Shin didn’t know that his provocation had inadvertently ignited a fierce determination within these Hyūga clansmen—They resolved to train diligently in the Gentle Fist. If Shin knew, he’d probably expect Hiashi to thank him for motivating his clan.
“What do we do next?” Hiashi asked Shin.
Before, Hiashi could still make decisions. But after Shin’s display, he could only follow Shin’s lead.
Hiashi now saw Shin as their pillar of support—Without Shin, he wouldn’t know how to face the Kiri ninja who were surely converging on them.
“What are you panicking about? You clearly haven’t seen a real spectacle. Let me show you a real spectacle.” Shin said calmly.
Shin could remain calm, but Hiashi truly couldn’t. They were about to face all the ninja in Kirigakure.
The danger might be even greater than when they defected from Konoha. Back then, they only faced a small number of Konoha ninja, and their goal was just to leave.
This was completely different…
At this moment, Hiashi wondered, Is Shin Uzumaki really reliable? Was trusting him a mistake?
Though panicking inwardly, Hiashi forced himself to appear calm like Shin. He could be scared, but he couldn’t show it. The Hyūga clansmen behind him were watching.
This wasn’t just about his own pride; it was about maintaining morale.
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