As Hyuga Yu's detached voice fell, the exaggerated waves of chakra swirling around him—which had caused the entire Hokage Residence to tremble—began to contract inch by inch!
Yet, following this movement, the atmosphere on the field grew increasingly oppressive and heavy.
Hyuga Sodo stared in utter disbelief at the transformations unfolding upon Hyuga Yu's body. At this very moment, he perceived with absolute horror that the binding force of the Caged Bird curse seal he had activated and channeled into Hyuga Yu was weakening at an extreme pace!
Furthermore, the Caged Bird curse mark etched onto Hyuga Yu's forehead grew continuously fainter within his perception. "This... such a thing?!"
"How is this possible?" Hyuga Sodo swallowed a mouthful of saliva, instinctively taking two steps backward.
Right at that moment, crack! crack!
A series of sounds rang out through the air, resembling the shattering of glass, or perhaps the density of water inside a flask exceeding its capacity and overflowing, cracking the glass container piece by piece!
Hyuga Yu stood in place, entirely motionless, his eyes merely casting a subtle, detached sidelong glance toward Hyuga Sodo. "A mere ninjutsu of this caliber is fundamentally incapable of binding me."
"Now, you should be able to comprehend this, correct?"
Gashing his teeth in sheer despair, Hyuga Sodo bellowed with artificial bluster: "Im... Impossible! The Caged Bird is still there, you are merely bluffing!"
However, Hyuga Yu offered no rebuttal. He simply tilted his head slightly, gazing up at the sky above Konoha, which had brought forth a massive expanse of dark clouds and a terrifying weather anomaly due to the activation of his Tenseigan chakra comprising four natures—Fire Release, Wind Release, Yin Release, and Yang Release. He knit his brows slightly. "Very well. Since Tenseigan: Coercion has already been used once, and you all knelt down to repent because of it,"
"If I were to deploy it again, it would make it look as though I am excessively bullying people."
"Failing to handle this farce all at once has caused me to lose interest... It's about time to return to my proper business."
"What did you say?!"
Hearing Hyuga Yu's casual yet completely mocking words, Hyuga Sodo's eyes bulged. A chill shot through his core as a dense sensation of unease flooded his mind. His heart screamed and wailed frantically, urging him to flee! Flee! Flee! Flee!
In the next instant, Hyuga Yu gathered all the outward-leaking Tenseigan chakra and slowly took a single step forward!
Screeech—crack!
A sharp shriek resembling the tearing of steel rang out, accompanied by a fracturing sound that seemed to echo between heaven and earth!
Before the eyes of everyone present, upon the balcony of the Hokage Residence, countless cracks rippled across the surface of the deep green Caged Bird curse mark on Hyuga Yu's forehead. Following that!
Bang!
The Caged Bird curse seal actually shattered directly into innumerable physical fragments of light green chakra, drifting away slowly from Hyuga Yu's pale, pristine forehead!
It was like a bird escaping its cage, heavy chains breaking apart, a grand eagle spreading its wings to soar high into the heavens!
There was no longer any main house or branch house; standing there was simply the "Tennin"—
Hyuga Yu!
The Caged Bird, upon which the Hyuga main house relied for its survival and the maintenance of its authority, had actually been thoroughly shattered by Hyuga Yu with such absolute ease!
"..." Hyuga Sodo stood dumbfounded, his expression completely blank as his rear hit the floor of the top balcony of the Hokage Residence, collapsing into a sitting position. He felt the entirety of the strength throughout his body completely drain away at this moment.
Only he, as the Great Elder of the Hyuga main house, understood exactly what kind of feat Hyuga Yu had just performed—he had trampled the system inherited by the Hyuga clan for over a thousand years beneath his feet, ravaging it at will!
According to the secret canonical texts recorded by the main house, even the successive generations of Tennin among the ancestors of the Hyuga clan had been unable to thoroughly rid themselves of the Caged Bird; at most, they could rely on certain methods to briefly evade the damage of the curse seal while it was active.
But now, a scene that Hyuga Sodo could not have envisioned even in his wildest dreams had transpired!
A member of the branch house had completely cast off the Caged Bird! In that case, without the stabilizing countermeasure of the Caged Bird, how many times over... would the youth violently repay the humiliation, enslavement, oppression, and atrocities the main house had inflicted upon him in the past?
Hyuga Sodo could no longer continue thinking down this line, because merely contemplating this point filled him with enough despair to want to commit suicide on the spot!
At this time, as Hyuga Yu channeled his chakra back into his body, relying on the colossal volume of Tenseigan chakra refined in an instant to simultaneously flood the Caged Bird curse mark, breaking through its bearing threshold and shattering it, the anomalies in the sky above Konoha and around Hyuga Yu disappeared simultaneously.
The sky brightened, and the entire venue returned once more to a clear and sunny state.
Meanwhile, the crowd in the Konoha Plaza below felt as though they had just experienced a midday dream. It was as if nothing had occurred, yet at the same time, everything had already become entirely self-evident...
The Tennin had shattered the Caged Bird, definitively disproving the rumors and casting off the control of the Hyuga main house. Concurrently, he had deployed a force powerful enough to completely dominate Konohagakure, forcing every member of the main house to bow and kneel to him, while publicly displaying his terrifying "Tennin" power...
Most crucially, through this series of farces, everyone present had received a piece of explosive information of the highest magnitude—the Tennin had clarified the underlying principle of the Caged Bird technique.
Namely, under the restriction of the Caged Bird, breaking through the chakra limitations of the curse seal would allow one to obtain even greater chakra.
Furthermore, the Tennin did not seem to specify... that this was exclusive to the Hyuga clan.
For a moment, the hearts of the people shook. Everyone who realized this point couldn't help but look up, focusing their gazes on the white-eyed youth who stood atop the Hokage Residence with an entirely calm and unperturbed expression.
The Tennin seemingly possessed a pathway that could allow a talented shinobi to rapidly elevate their strength.
And the subtext behind the Tennin's words appeared to be:
Want to become as strong as me? The Caged Bird is exactly such a pathway!
At this point, after order was restored to the entire venue, Hiruzen Sarutobi—who had stepped down from the position of Hokage and was currently serving as the Hokage Advisor Elder—stepped forward. He cast a glance at Hyuga Sodo, who sat collapsed on the ground in a daze, and knit his brows slightly as he consulted Hyuga Yu: "This fellow... how did he manage to appear in a venue like this? Regardless, this matter can be counted as a clan affair of the Hyuga, or it can be counted as an internal matter of the village. Tennin, how do you plan to handle it?"
Hyuga Yu gave a slight nod. "Let the village handle it."
With Hyuga Yu's intellect, he could naturally discern the meaning behind Hiruzen Sarutobi's immediate question, "How did Hyuga Sodo manage to appear in a venue like this?". The old man had likely also deduced that this matter was far from simple; aside from the Hyuga main house plotting behind the scenes, there was someone within the Foundation acting as an inside accomplice.
And that person... was not difficult to guess.
Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi had deliberately posed such a question.
As for Hyuga Yu, several of his objectives for today had already been achieved: communicating the value of the Caged Bird to the outside world, disproving the rumors, deterring the noble faction behind him, and securing a justification to penalize the main house...
Hyuga Sodo, who had disrupted the venue and simultaneously offended several major factions in Konoha, was already facing a definitive dead end. Whether he was handed over to the clan or the village only determined the speed of his demise; handing him over to the village allowed Hyuga Yu to exchange him for more tangible benefits instead.
At this moment, hearing Hyuga Yu's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a gratified puff from his tobacco pipe. He then lifted the brocade box in his other hand. "In that case, before the full picture of the incident is thoroughly investigated... this cannot be handed over to you for the time being."
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Hyuga Yu with a genial smile. His gaze bore no friction due to Hyuga Yu being Danzo's disciple; rather, it held a sense of gratification as if looking at his own student, or perhaps... the Shimura Danzo of the past. Truthfully, he did not harbor resentment toward Danzo suddenly having an epiphany and taking a disciple to compete against him. Correspondingly, after investigating Hyuga Yu's background—which was so fitting it bordered on outrageous—his first impression of Hyuga Yu... was not bad at all.
Aside from his young age, the current Hyuga Yu perfectly aligned with the ideals their faction had inherited from the Second Hokage, as well as the various requirements to become Hokage.
It could be understood that the Hyuga Yu Hiruzen Sarutobi saw now resembled less a disciple of Danzo and more a grand-disciple who had inherited the Will of Fire from his master, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, across generations.
He pondered for a moment before speaking: "However, a celebration organized specifically for you cannot conclude without an actual reward. Tennin, you may voice some requests. If it is something that can be decided on the spot, this old man shall make the final call as a prize for this celebration."
Hyuga Yu had already anticipated this layer and immediately spoke up: "Lord Third, upon this return to the village, I have no intention of pursuing the position of Hokage. Compared to that, I prefer to perform some practical deeds for the village."
Hearing this, the smile on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face grew a fraction brighter. He nodded and chuckled: "That is a good thing. Wading into this vortex prematurely is not a beneficial matter given your current age."
Following that, he asked again: "Have you considered which field of work you wish to pursue?"
"The medical field," Hyuga Yu stated directly. "I have already recruited qualified assistants outside the village. I intend to use the Konoha Hospital as a foundation to establish a large-scale pharmaceutical laboratory. This can also be considered returning to my old trade within Konoha."
Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes slightly. However, as a former Hokage and someone who had resided in the political arena for a long time, he naturally would not simply take Hyuga Yu's words at face value. He quickly began calculating in his mind: Could this be Shimura Danzo's arrangement? Does Danzo plan to make a move on the Konoha Hospital currently under Tsunade's purview, relying on the hospital's reputation and Hyuga Yu's peak medical expertise to accumulate public prestige for his disciple?
Nevertheless, even he had to admit that this point of entry was exceptionally well-chosen. Tsunade, who was currently in charge of Konoha's Medical Division and served as the honorary director of the Konoha Hospital, simply couldn't be bothered to manage its affairs. She had thrown the hospital's minor administrative duties directly to her fourteen-year-old apprentice, Shizune. In fact, if he hadn't been keeping a lid on the situation, Tsunade would have left Konoha with her apprentice long ago.
Now that the Third Shinobi World War had concluded, he no longer possessed a rationale to retain Tsunade, and her departure was an inevitable reality. At a juncture like this, having Hyuga Yu—whose medical ninjutsu was on par with Tsunade's—inherit the Konoha Hospital and the Medical Division perfectly filled this vacancy.
Moreover, his specialization was a flawless match.
If Hyuga Yu had demanded a position as the Anbu Commander or the Jonin Commander, Hiruzen Sarutobi would have found it difficult instead. After all, he had already collected the dues for those two positions thirty years into the future...
Having thought through this layer, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded immediately. "I can promise to place the Konoha Hospital and the Medical Division under your charge. However, regarding more specific matters, you will need to coordinate together with Tsunade, who is currently responsible for this sector."
At the end, as if fearing Hyuga Yu might harbor reservations about this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi added somewhat vaguely: "Her impression of you is not bad, and... she should not stand in your way."
"I understand. I am also deeply grateful to Lady Tsunade," Hyuga Yu nodded. He had previously sent Hyuga Natsu to seek assistance from Tsunade. Although the one who arrived in the end was the unexpected Shimura Danzo, since Tsunade had not explicitly refused, she must have played an important role in that matter as well.
However, Hyuga Yu looked back at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his gaze falling onto the brocade box in his hands as he voiced his core demand: "Lord Third, as I mentioned just now, I wish to establish a new laboratory, not the kind of small-scale laboratory found within the Konoha Hospital."
"I already have a few ideas regarding the laboratory's site selection."
A gleam flashed across Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes as he looked at Hyuga Yu. "Site selection?"
Hyuga Yu raised his right hand slightly, pointing toward the brocade box in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands, and nodded. "Since I have no intention toward the position of Hokage, I hope to trade the 'Hokage half-sleeve' to secure the village's support in establishing a large-scale laboratory within the Forest of Death, which is used to host the Chunin Exams. This is also the purpose of my return to the village this time."
Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows instantly knit together, his heart sinking. "This..."
The Forest of Death possessed a radius of a full ten kilometers, comparable to a quarter of Konoha's entire urban area. What kind of laboratory required such a massive piece of real estate?
Furthermore, securing the village's support in Hyuga Yu's words implied that the village would have to allocate funds to help him build it. What kind of astronomical figure would that investment entail?
Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated instantly. Upon reflecting on the conversation, he immediately discerned several layers of different meanings from Hyuga Yu's words just now—this brat had started out by stating he had no intention toward the position of Hokage, so it turns out he was waiting for him right here?
Moreover, he suddenly realized that he had actually been led into a trap by this brat, the Tennin.
According to the logical flow of the dialogue, the authority over the Konoha Medical Division and the Konoha Hospital had become the bargaining chip Hyuga Yu used in exchange for handing Hyuga Sodo over to the village. Meanwhile, Hyuga Yu's own massive military exploits and the honorary reward the village rightfully owed him—the Hokage half-sleeve and subsequent rewards—were traded by him for the tangible, vast territory of the "Forest of Death" alongside the village's subsequent additional investments.
At the end, this brat had intentionally or unintentionally supplemented his stance with the phrase "no intention toward the position of Hokage," thoroughly blocking any words of refusal he might have offered.
With Minato Namikaze's campaign for Hokage supported by the Third Hokage close at hand, the meaning behind these words effectively became:
Want me to pull out? Fine, trade it for funds.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was briefly exasperated into a laugh, casting a disgruntled glare at the thoroughly solemn expression on Hyuga Yu's face. However, he quickly recalled the scene of the various clan representatives converging toward Hyuga Yu during the celebration today. Reflecting on the significance of that display, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but ponder internally that if spending money could cause the Tennin to withdraw from the competition against Minato Namikaze, it was undoubtedly the most cost-effective deal. It was just that... once Minato became Hokage, the funds left at his disposal might end up somewhat strained.
Thinking up to this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated for a brief moment, choosing not to give a definitive answer: "Well... the request is not bad. However, this old man is currently merely a Hokage Advisor Elder and does not possess the authority to make the final call on this matter. The specific details must still be discussed at the high-level council meeting. I cannot give you a commitment right now, but... there should be a result once the high-level meeting concludes."
Hearing this, a smirk tugged at the corner of Hyuga Yu's mouth, a vibrant smile surfacing on his face.
Incapable of offering a commitment right now... meant that there would be a way in the future!
Thus, the preliminary planning for Hyuga Yu's return to the village was entirely and successfully accomplished!
And the next step would be to integrate all these acquired resources, formally initiating the first phase of Hyuga Yu's research—Analyzing the Sage Body!
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