Chapter 394 - 79

Chapter 79: Caged Bird(Thanks to Zhou Miaotong for the blades)The intentions of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo were already very clear; they wanted to do as they always had, sacrificing one person to exchange for what they considered peace in their hearts.Moreover, in their minds, Hizashi's death was completely insignificant. If the need arose, they would even be willing to wipe out the entire Hyuga Clan, just like they did with the Uchiha Clan.But this philosophy was completely different from that of Tsunade and Naruto. Naturally, they would not allow such a thing to happen. Temporary forbearance would only make the enemy more rampant; this approach was simply drinking poison to quench thirst.Indeed, most Konoha Ninjas were wholeheartedly dedicated to the Village and willing to sacrifice their lives, but over time, they would inevitably be heartbroken. By then, everything the predecessors had done would come to nothing. However, Narutohad not arrived yet, so Tsunade temporarily held back her anger.Just then, Hyuga Hizashi stepped forward and said to the crowd, "The Hyuga Clan agrees to this condition, but the terms need to be changed.""To save the Hyuga Clan and the Village, we can make sacrifices, but how could the head of the Hyuga Clan possibly give his life for a mere Joninof yours? That would be far too ridiculous.""Let me do this! I am willing to die in my brother's place. As the younger brother of the Hyuga Clanhead, surely that is enough to pay for one of your ordinary Jonin!"Hizashi looked up at the sky. After making this decision, he felt incomparably relaxed. This was the first time he had the freedom to choose, even if it was also the last.Putting aside his thoughts, Hizashi said to his brother, "Please tell Neji that I am not dying because of my status as a branch family member protecting the main family, but because I am protecting my own brother and the Village."Having said this, he was about to commit suicide when a figure suddenly appeared and grabbed his hand. Everyone looked closely and saw that it was Naruto who had stopped him."Naruto, what are you doing? This has nothing to do with you. Do not cause trouble, come here quickly," Hiruzen said hastily.Danzo also said, "Brat, do not think you can act recklessly here just because you have some strength. The Village leadership has already made a decision; it is not your place to intervene."Hearing them say this, the corner of Naruto's mouth curled into an expression of disdain. However, before he could speak, Tsunadeinterrupted, "Oh? The Village leadership has made a decision? Then why is it that I, the Hokage, do not know about it?"Upon hearing Tsunade's words, Danzo's expression immediately turned dark, while his eyes flickered with strange glints, as if he were pondering something.Hiruzen said, "Tsunade, stop messing around. You are the Hokage now; you cannot act on impulse. Everything must be for the sake of the Village. None of us want to see the Village plunged into war.""Oh? Do you still remember that I am the Village's Hokage? Then why does it seem like you two made this decision directly? Did you ever ask for my opinion?" Tsunade said bluntly.This time, Hiruzen was left speechless. Just as the envoy from the Land of Lightning was happily watching the commotion, Naruto said, "Uncle, why do you value your own life so little?""All people are created equal. Although sometimes we may be treated unfairly for various reasons, we can die on the path of pursuing freedom and light, but we cannot just die in such a cowardly way, can we?""Your child is still young. He does not yet understand the meaning behind everything you are doing. He will only know that his father was forced to death by the Village and the main family, which will inevitably cause the seeds of hatred to sprout in his heart."Naruto's words greatly moved Hizashi. He had only been born a little later than Hiashi, yet he was forever branded with the mark of the branch family.It could be said that from the moment he was born, the fate of his descendants was already determined: to serve the main family until death.It was not just his lineage; the branch family of the Hyuga Clan had long faced such a destiny. They never lived a single day for themselves, much like a Caged Bird. Despite having the ability to fly, they were trapped in a cage for their entire lives.Hizashi had resigned himself to his life. He had thought about resisting, but he never had the courage to carry it out. However, the only obsession in his heart was his son.He was so talented—he could be called a genius rarely seen in the Hyuga Clan for decades—but because of his status, he could only end up as a Caged Bird like himself. No matter what achievements he might attain in his life, his ending was destined to be tragic.However, after hearing Naruto's words, Hizashi's mindset began to change. He did not want Neji to follow in his footsteps. A voice from the bottom of his heart kept telling him to resist, to rely on himself to change the fate of the branch family. Even if he died on the path of change, it would be worth it. Only in this way could he save Neji's life and change the fate of the thousands of branch family members to come.However, the mindset that had long flowed in his blood made him hesitate. For so many years, the philosophy of putting the clan, the main family, and the Village above all else had been deeply engraved in his bones, leaving Hizashi incredibly conflicted.Naruto looked at Hizashi's thoughtful expression and knew that because of his words, he was currently in the midst of an internal struggle. He believed that he would not do anything foolish for the time being.So, he slowly let go of his hand, turned to the envoy from the Land of Lightning, and said, "I believe the Chunin who escaped must have told you whose hands the dignified Jonin of the Land of Lightning died by!"As soon as Naruto said this, the envoy's face changed drastically. At the same time, he argued, "W-what do you mean? I do not understand what you are saying. Our Ninja who escaped said he did not see anything clearly."Naruto smiled slightly and continued, "Oh? Is that so? Then why do I remember that last night, he asked me many questions!""Forget it, I will not waste my breath on you here. Let me tell you, those two Ninjas of yours were killed by me. Now, what do you plan to do? Do you want me to pay with my life?"As Naruto spoke, he unleashed his killing intent without restraint, while his face turned toward Hiruzen and Danzo, as if the last sentence was a question directed at them.The envoy from the Land of Lightning naturally knew that the child before him was telling the truth, because the Ninja who had returned described him very clearly: "A child's appearance, yellow hair, blue eyes, uses the Flying Thunder God—there is a high probability that he is the 'Yellow Flash's' child."Soon, through Hiruzen's reaction, he realized that this child before him was likely even more important to them. Therefore, he immediately changed his tune and said, "Oh? Is that so? Since you have admitted it yourself, that makes things easier.""Considering that you are still a child, we will not make you pay with your life. You will come with me to our Village and let the Raikage decide how to deal with you."This time, he had poked a hornet's nest. Not only did Tsunade disagree, but even Hiruzen and Danzowould not allow him to do so.Are you kidding? Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Once he grew up, he would be an indispensable force for the Village. How could they possibly allow him to be taken to another country?It could be said that he was completely playing with fire. Although Hiruzen and Danzo could sacrifice everything to keep the Village from war, they did have a bottom line. In their hearts, the status of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was even more important than their own lives.At this moment, everyone present could clearly feel bursts of killing intent coming from him, as if the surrounding temperature had dropped significantly.