Chapter 39 (C39)
Neji didn't realize anything was wrong at first.
The Anbu is arguably the most dangerous and busiest department in Konoha, with many missions coming in urgent and dangerous times. It's not uncommon for Kana to be away from home for two or three months at a time.
But this time is different—
All the squads' outings were canceled, and the elite Jonin scattered in various places gathered towards Konoha, the queen ant, like ants returning to their nest.
Security in the village has been strengthened, and the frequency of patrols has increased significantly, creating a tense atmosphere of impending doom and preparedness.
At a time like this, how could she, as an important fighting force of Konoha's new generation, not be absent?
— Either they were on an extremely dangerous and confidential mission, or something unexpected had happened.
If it were the former, it's impossible for my sister to leave no trace at all. The strict, almost perverse, secrecy regulations of the Dark Division couldn't restrain her—"leaving without saying goodbye" means the same thing to me as "parting ways," as Kana once said.
So he approached Shikatori in Nara.
Shikato couldn't help but sigh, "As expected of Hyuga Kana's child, his sensitivity to certain things far surpasses that of his peers." Then he shrugged and said, "I don't know either."
Their eyes, almost identical in every way, were fixed on him.
Shikato casually looked away. "She never does anything she's not sure of. If she didn't tell you, it means she didn't think it was necessary. Kids shouldn't worry about things too much."
As expected, he received an angry glare.
"It's not that I look down on you." At this moment, Shikatori sincerely admired Kana for being willing to do such a troublesome thing as raising a child. "Letting children take on adult responsibilities, that world is too trashy."
He shrugged, knowing exactly how to handle a sister-obsessed person. "Your sister said so."
“If you ever ask me about her,” Neji said, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow, “I will definitely tell you: outsiders shouldn’t meddle too much.”
Lu Qu's lips twitched. This kid could poison himself with just a lick of his lips.
Unfortunately, "I really don't know," Shikatori said without lying. "I'm not qualified to attend a department-level meeting at my level. I haven't seen her since she left the Hokage Building that day."
"Aren't you worried?" Neji frowned, feeling inexplicably dissatisfied.
It would be a lie to say I'm not worried at all.
But that person is a bird, a cloud, a wind; they are an existence that does not wish to be bound.
She doesn't care much about the world, there aren't many people or things she cares about, and she keeps her own boundaries very firmly.
If anyone forcibly enters with love, affection, or some other unknown reason, they will only be sentenced to exile a thousand miles away by the owner.
So the current distance is just right.
and--
"Do you have some misunderstanding about your sister?" Shikato's eyes held an arrogance he himself didn't realize. "The Anbu values strength above all else, and she became the vice-captain at the age of fifteen."
Despite his seniority, impressive political resume, and powerful backing, Esca could not become the top candidate for minister without much justification. The most important reason was that he was no match for Kana.
The appreciation and worship of talent among martial arts practitioners is very pure.
What's more, Kana is not only good at fighting, but also intelligent.
"I believe her."
At this moment, Kana, who had just received Nara Shikatori's praise for being "intelligent," was "confined and reflecting" in a dark room behind the Hyuga ancestral hall.
I acted impulsively.
It is said that people's temper gradually mellows with age, but her patience has recently plummeted for unknown reasons.
In the windowless, sunless space, Kana, with her exceptional eyesight, could clearly see the lines on their faces left by the passage of time.
It's all wrinkled.
It would remind her of the old tree in the Hyuga clan's land that was revered as a sacred tree.
The thick branches have dried up, like human bones that have lost calcium and become loose. They creak and groan when the wind blows through them, as if they will break at any moment.
The tree trunk is covered with mottled lesions left by ants and insects, like the brown spots on the face of an aging human.
The long-withered leaves lay piled up on the ground in thick layers, oozing sour, rotten juice, a sign of decay and stagnation.
—This is all for Konoha.
—This is all for Hinata.
Even their words and tone of voice were so similar.
She'd been hearing it for years and was thoroughly tired of it.
The three members of the advisory group were very dissatisfied with this, but they could not openly show their disobedience to the Hokage's orders—even though he was dead.
Unexpectedly, yet somewhat logically, they summoned the Hyuga clan leader to take her home for a proper "consideration."
Impulsiveness comes at a price.
Kana was also prepared to pay the price.
She followed the powerful leader of the clan down the cold, dark steps—one hundred and eight steps, exactly the same number she had counted years ago.
Her wide sleeves hung down naturally, hidden in the dim space, and several tiny water droplets had formed and hung around her wrists, swaying with the movement of her.
As the enraged elder raised his right hand and pointed to the first word of the incantation, five water bullets were launched simultaneously, piercing the throats of five people standing in different positions. Their carotid arteries ruptured, spurting out bright red blood, and bloody foam coughed up from the corners of their mouths. In an instant, the people lying on the ground were no longer struggling—she had simulated it many times in her mind, so she would never fail.
This is a secret location marked by the main family for the branch families; it's a forbidden area and will be the last place to be searched. This bought her time.
Konoha is currently in chaos, surrounded by wolves. To maintain morale, news of her defection and the casualties of the Hyuga clan will likely be suppressed. By the time they have the resources to officially issue a kill order, she will have already left the Land of Fire with Neji.
That's how it should be.
—If it weren't for the Third Elder suddenly intervening and stopping the First Elder from using the "Caged Bird" to teach her a lesson.
She heard them arguing.
They're just a branch family, yet they dare to be so disrespectful...
He actually resigned from his position as deputy head of the Dark Guard without authorization, showing absolutely no regard for the interests of the entire clan…
Regardless, using a cursed seal is going too far...
We have to teach her a lesson! The Third Hokage is dead, who can protect her now...?
"Enough! I said enough!" His chest bulged with anger like a heavy drum, and each breath of the Third Elder was heavy and labored.
"What do you mean? You..."
"She's a genius in the Hinata region!"
"No matter how talented she is, she's still just a member of a branch family!"
"Geniuses should not be afraid!!"
Their roars were like ocean waves, each one louder than the last, as if they wanted to smash each other to death on the barren walls, echoing through the empty crypt.
The wave suddenly surged to its highest point before abruptly receding.
“A genius cannot be afraid.” The Third Elder’s hand trembled slightly from the excessive force, and his voice deepened. “If we want to continue having ‘Hyuga’s genius,’ we cannot let her be afraid. A genius who understands fear will only become a waste.”
Throughout the entire ordeal, Kana remained indifferent, watching the farce unfold with a detached, detached attitude.
Impulsiveness is only temporary.
Kana's greatest strength is her calmness.
She understood that Konoha was currently in a state of high alert, with lurking sentries everywhere. Even if she could kill the five people here silently, she was destined not to be able to kill all the main clan members without attracting attention.
This was a very poor strategy.
"Why don't you listen to my thoughts?" Kana said, completely unfazed by the fierce stare she was receiving.
"They want to appoint someone else as minister."
"He's still just a 17-year-old kid," Hyuga Hiashi thought.
“You don’t need to be a minister.” He couldn’t bear to tell her in the end that, from the perspective of the higher-ups, those who split up were deprived of the right to move up from the very beginning—no matter how powerful you were. “You have done very well. If the saga were still here, they would be proud of you, and our entire clan would be proud of you.”
“What if it’s just temporary?” Kana asked.
She approached them, circling them with her footsteps. "The Hinata clan has never had a captain before. Now it's their turn to need us more, isn't it?"
She understood their hypocrisy and indifference, their selfishness and arrogance; only their core interests could move them.
"Why not give it a try?" Her voice softened, like a sealed honeypot, full of allure. "Even if it's just for a month, a week, or a day. Once you do it, you'll do it again. Once someone in Hyuga has successfully reached that position, there will be a precedent for others to follow."
What do you want to do?
Kana laughed, "That depends on what you think."
"From this moment forward, you are to be confined to your quarters to reflect on your actions, and no one is permitted to visit you until you 'repent.'" It was the Grand Elder who reacted first, saying, "We will inform the advisory council that you are currently undergoing ordination."
Why not take a gamble?
If they lose the bet, they'll say that Kana has realized her mistake and is willing to return to the Dark Division to atone for her sins, so that they suffer no loss.
I won the bet...
Ambition ignited his already frail body, and his eyes shone with an unusual brilliance.
...The future of Hyuga will surely be even brighter and greater.
"If you're going to put on a show, you're not allowed to go out during this time, and you're not allowed to see anyone—anyone."
Kana obediently lowered her eyes. In the fragile candlelight, the boundary between light and shadow was blurred, making her appear compliant and harmless. "Yes."
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