Chapter 60 C60

It takes decades or even centuries for a tree that can be embraced to grow to its full size, but it can be destroyed in an instant.

Destruction is far easier than creation.

Compared to wars where people shout about bonds, friendship, and peace and charge in recklessly, post-war reconstruction is much more troublesome. The various interest groups that were forcibly united by a common enemy begin to show signs of disintegration after losing their objective.

Compared to long-term solutions like maintaining alliances with various ninja villages and finding new systems to maintain peace, there are clearly more urgent and troublesome matters for Kakashi.

For example--

How should we deal with Itachi Uchiha, Konoha's highest-ranking "rogue ninja"? Overturning the verdict would mean revealing the truth of what happened back then, which would also be tantamount to tearing off Konoha's fig leaf.

For example—

How should we deal with Uchiha Sasuke, who broke into the Five Kage Summit, attacked the Five Kage, was already on the wanted list, and even recently clamored for revenge against Konoha?

besides--

The two people who had already been buried and whose names were engraved on the memorial stone, yet who had come back to life, are now reluctant to return to the Hyuga clan. The main family both desires and fears them, and is even trying to put pressure on them through the power of the higher-ups.

To put it bluntly, they are all Kage-level ninjas capable of massacring villages and destroying countries, and they are bound together by mutual ties. If not handled properly, it could escalate into an S-rank crisis. The fear and concern of other ninja villages are not unfounded.

Compared to the Uchiha rogue ninja who had deep feelings for the village and was willing to seal away his power to await judgment, Kana, who had been a model worker in Konoha for more than ten years and was used by countless parents to teach their children, seemed quite reactionary at this moment.

Let alone returning to Hyuga, if Naruto hadn't cried so much, it's hard to say whether she would even be willing to stay in Konoha for the time being.

Without the constraints of the Caged Bird Seal, the main family had lost its leverage against Kana, who could enter Sage Mode and dared to confront Madara Uchiha and Kaguya Otsutsuki head-on—they knew very well that Kana's words, "Believe it or not, I'll destroy the main family," were not a joke; she truly had the ability to do so.

That's why they made the exceptional decision to recruit her and Neji into the main family.

Kana sat cross-legged on a chair in the temporary dormitory, propping her head up with one hand. After enjoying their expressions of barely suppressed resentment, she finally drawled, "No—don't—"

"You!" The indignant elder was stopped in time by Hiashi Hyuga.

Kana casually raised her eyes, her fingertips twirling a strand of hair, letting it twirl and fall around her knuckles, as if it were something more interesting to her than "leaving the branch family and becoming the heir of the Hyuga clan." "You guys aren't very sincere."

“There can only be one heir to the main family. If there are multiple descendants in the same generation, only one can be chosen to inherit the main family. The rest are branch families,” Kana recited the Hyuga clan rules, slowly raising the corners of her mouth. “If you are truly sincere in wanting me to be the heir and carry on the name of Hyuga, then all my peers should be branded with the Caged Bird Seal.”

His fist clenched tightly at his side. When Hiashi Hyuga met her eyes, which were as cold as an icy pool, he suddenly realized—she was serious.

"What? You were so confident in carving imprints on other people's children back then, but now that it's your turn, you're starting to feel reluctant?"

"Impossible!!!" A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his legs, numb from kneeling for so long, causing Hyuga Sousuke to sway violently as he rose. But this didn't stop him; instead, it fueled his frenzied, trapped-beast-like madness. His wide robes billowed with the sudden movement, sending the cushion he was sitting on flying as it tumbled and crashed into a low table beside him. "You're delusional! If it weren't for the family's glory, you and Neji would both have to re-engrave..."

Without warning, a destructive force descended from the sky.

He wasn't falling; rather, he felt the weight of the entire world instantly press down on his spine. His legs betrayed him first, his knees slamming into the ground, slamming him down like a nail.

The ringing in his ears drowned out everything. The air in his chest was instantly squeezed out, his ribs groaned painfully, and his cheeks were pressed tightly against the cold ground, deformed by the immense pressure. Even opening his eyelids was a luxury. He used all his strength, but could only make his fingertips twitch slightly, as if he were being suppressed by an invisible mountain, and any thought of resistance was futile.

He coughed up a mouthful of blood mixed with some broken internal organs, and with difficulty raised his eyes. In his squeezed vision, the other members of the clan, like him, were like lowly ants, crawling on the ground powerless to resist.

"【Pressure】." Kana's veins around her eyes bulged. "But trash like you probably don't know that the Byakugan can achieve this level."

This is a trump card she only uses when fighting Madara Uchiha (Six Paths Madara). What would a piece of trash like her who entered the Infinite Tsukuyomi early on know?

"I've changed my mind." Kana clasped her hands together, her voice becoming lighter.

Just when he thought he was about to be completely crushed and ground into the ground, the devastating weight disappeared with a single sentence.

His body, like an overcompressed spring, suddenly rebounded upwards, a near-weightless, surreal feeling making him dizzy. He greedily and voraciously swallowed air, but because he inhaled too quickly, he burst into a series of heart-wrenching coughs, which caused excruciating pain in his chest.

What followed was a full-blown onslaught of pain; every bone seemed to groan, every muscle trembling with aching weakness. He tried to prop himself up with his hands, but his arms were as limp and powerless as overcooked noodles, barely managing to shift from a prone position to a kneeling one.

“You said that in order to protect the bloodline, the main family can only have one lineage. If you want us to return to the Hyuga clan, all of you will have to be imprinted.”

They keep claiming it's for the future of the Hyuga clan, using such high-sounding reasons to arrogantly control the fate of the branch family, but when the opportunity arises to make them sacrifice for that bright future, they back down.

Once you peel away that glamorous facade, you're nothing but selfish parasites.

"Did you see that?" Kana's gaze remained fixed on the departing figures outside the window. She turned her head slightly and said to Neji, who had walked up to her, "What do you mean by 'for the sake of Hyuga'?"

She caught a glimpse of his slightly furrowed brows and understood the reluctance in his eyes. Neji was ultimately more soft-hearted than her, which was also a failure of her upbringing. "If they still hold the privilege of the Caged Bird, those surviving members of the branch family will live their entire lives under the shadow of having their lives controlled by others."

Those who benefit from the system will not question it; only when they become victims themselves will they empathize and change their minds.

Besides, she's such a vengeful person. Why should these old hags who have enjoyed most of their lives continue to live superior lives? That's too good for them, isn't it?

“Wait until the next generation? That’s too long,” she said with a hint of ruthlessness, conveying to Neji her unwavering determination. “I’m going to destroy it right now.”

Two days later, Kana received an invitation letter delivered by a messenger from Kotokawa Castle, who had made a grand entrance through the city. The news that the son of the Fire Country's daimyo had invited Kana and Neji to stay in Kotokawa Castle spread like wildfire.

Kana unsurprisingly ran into Kakashi.

As the Sixth Hokage, he couldn't possibly be unaware of the Hyuga clan's recent activities. It's likely that they've been putting considerable pressure on him, and it's already quite remarkable that he only came to find her now.

"If you really don't know what to say, then don't say anything."

She tried to walk around him to open the door, but someone blocked her way.

"You and Neji don't have to return to Hyuga." It was a very casual tone, but Kana understood that this was a promise made by the Hokage, and the price to be paid behind it was far more complicated than he made it sound. "Konoha is still your home."

What if I say no?

That would be tantamount to betraying the village, and Konoha or the Ninja Village Alliance could not stand idly by in order to maintain the existing ninja system.

Kakashi understood this; he knew it, and she, as the former head of the Anbu, also understood it.

"Would you send someone to kill me?" she tilted her head and asked softly.

"Naruto? Or Sasuke?"

These two are the people in the world most confident they can kill her in a one-on-one fight.

As if admitting defeat, Kakashi let out a long sigh, "You know perfectly well that I can't do it."

Having already witnessed her "die" once, the pain still lingers to this day; how could he possibly bring himself to do it?

Besides, "neither Naruto nor Sasuke could do it."

Rather, it's more accurate to say that if anyone were to try anything against her, the two of them would absolutely not let that person get away with it.

"The Kage never interferes in the internal affairs of the Hyuga clan; the five Hokage before you did the same."

Since the main family has been allowing the branch family to oppress the branch family under this pretext, they should also remain neutral when the branch family rebels.

Kana was a master of negotiation; threats and benefits were more effective when put together. "Don't interfere, Neji will still be a Konoha man." He had a sense of belonging to Konoha that she lacked.

"And what about you?"

"I can assure you that I will not do anything to harm Konoha."

No.

He wasn't worried about what threat she might pose to Konoha as the Hokage; he was simply trying to find out what she wanted as Kakashi Hatake.

Kakashi opened his mouth in vain, but ultimately didn't say anything.

He was already bound to the responsibility of the Hokage of Konoha, and it was impossible for him to ignore those hidden dangers and fully support her.

He gave a self-deprecating twitch at the corner of his mouth. What good would it do to ask if you couldn't do it?

"The trial for Itachi Uchiha is scheduled for tomorrow. You and he..."

"That has nothing to do with me." Kana walked straight past Kakashi, kindly reminding him to get lost. "You can't beat me now. The Sixth Hokage was beaten up in the street—believe me, you don't want to experience that."

The scent outside had faded away. Kana turned around and found the living room empty. "Don't you even knock before entering other people's homes anymore?"

The person who appeared out of nowhere remained calm and composed, his attitude quite frank: "I'm used to it."

"It's not a good habit, I suggest you change it." Kana took a can of soda from the refrigerator, flicked it with her index finger to make a "click" sound, and casually tossed the can over with her other hand.

Just because she didn't care before doesn't mean she still condones this behavior now; this is the last time.

"What do you want?"

"Can't I contact you if there's nothing wrong?"

"cannot."

Sasuke choked for a moment, but the habits left over from his childhood made him immediately toughen up, "I have nowhere to go."

His original residence was destroyed when Pain attacked the village. Places that have been uninhabited for a long time are the least urgent to repair, not to mention the Uchiha clan's land that has long been abandoned.

"You can ask Naruto, Kakashi, or Sakura." Kana took a sip of her drink and bluntly told them to leave.

Sasuke frowned, looking very serious. "I'll keep an eye on you for him."

Itachi voluntarily puts on the restraint suit to seal his Sharingan and accept "judgment," but only on the condition that Sasuke's safety is guaranteed.

Sasuke's thinking was simpler: if the trial didn't go his way, he would eliminate the person who made the judgment. Staying outside was less about respecting his brother's opinion and more about blatant intimidation.

"for?"

Kana felt that his words were very nonsensical, as if that person had any right to say that.

She tossed the empty can into the trash can, saying, "After you finish drinking, throw away the trash over there too."

Sasuke wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that he was also among the trash she mentioned that should be thrown away.

His thumb was still pressed on the small, sharp-edged metal piece of the can, the mouth of which gleamed with a cold light. The dark brown liquid waited quietly in the confined space, its surface covered with a layer of extremely fine, restless bubbles that were rising eagerly from the bottom.

He hadn't forgotten the words she'd blurted out in the secret chamber of the Uchiha clan's territory.

What do you need my help with?

In the past, he was so immersed in pain and obsessed with revenge that he couldn't even take care of himself. Kana, on the other hand, was always at ease in front of him, so much so that he subconsciously ignored the hidden pain of others.

"unnecessary."

"Kana, I can help you."

His tone was so solemn, it was as if he were making some kind of promise.

However, Kana is now severely allergic to promises from the Uchiha clan. Based on the principle of "if I'm unhappy, then no one else should be happy either," she said with a wicked grin, "I want the Hyuga main family to disappear. Can you do that?"

Uchiha Sasuke is actually a very soft-hearted person—although apart from a few exceptions, probably no one would agree with that.

But Kana truly believes so.

Itachi Uchiha made him hate him, so Sasuke forced himself to hate him; even after learning the truth of what happened back then, the only one who truly killed him was Danzo Shimura; even when they sought revenge against Konoha, it was all bark and no bite, and the innocent were not harmed.

He had no grudge against the Hyuga clan, so it would be unreasonable to ask him to kill someone for a trivial childhood friendship.

"good."

The unexpected answer startled Kana for a moment. "Do you know what you're saying?"

Sasuke is no longer a naive child. Killing the Hyuga main branch means he will be permanently wanted by Konoha, which will put Naruto, who has pledged his life for him, in a difficult position. But if this can change her mind, "If that's what you want, I'll help you."

His elder brother bore the pain of the massacre of his clan, something he was once powerless to change. But now he possessed the power to overturn the world, and he couldn't let her suffer the same fate.

"Oh? Is this also a substitute?" She raised an eyebrow.

"No."

Admittedly, Itachi owed her a life, a promise, and perhaps other things as well.

But he also owes her a great deal.

Whether it was protecting him under the watchful eye of "Root" back then, or respecting his wishes to let him leave the village to seek revenge, or the flute music that soothed him from his nightmares all those years, or bringing his only relative back to reality from the underworld...

If you were to list them all, he probably owes more than Itachi.

For Hyuga Kana, he was no longer just "Itachi's friend," but perhaps in her heart, he was always just "Itachi's younger brother."

His hands, hidden beneath his cloak, unconsciously tightened. This feeling was just like when he longed to be seen and affirmed by his father as "Uchiha Sasuke" a long time ago.

"This is my decision, and it has nothing to do with Itachi."

"Don't interfere in my affairs." The person in front of her, now possessing the Rinnegan, was no longer the brat she could easily slap at any time—otherwise, she would have already sent him flying. "Some things are meaningless if you don't do them yourself. Don't you know that better than anyone?"

The knocking on the door suddenly rang out.

Her room was unusually lively today.

“Now, get out.” Kana glanced at the treetops outside the window. “And that crow, if it appears in front of me again—I’ll kill it.”

"Sasuke." There seemed to be a barely audible sigh.

He paused in his departure, and when he turned back, he only saw Kana's profile, her lowered eyes obscuring the light.

She did take care of him initially because of Itachi, and as for the system's favorability mission, there was only one related to Sasuke—that was completed long before the Uchiha clan was massacred.

But the interactions that followed were different.

Kakashi once half-jokingly, half-seriously suspected that she was using his students as meal replacements, but she never clarified the matter out of a desire to annoy him.

But she always knew that Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi were two completely different people.

It's hard to say whether it's more painful to have only one thing and then be abandoned, or to have everything and then have it all destroyed.

Suffering is incomparable, but for a moment, she felt a sense of her past self in Sasuke—because she had to hate, she had to force herself to cover up her original love with double the hatred before she could put on a hateful act.

However, the connection between them should have ended when she let him go back then.

Her voice was thin with exhaustion, "Don't come looking for me anymore."