Winds howled and flames roared into the sky.
Under Hiashi Hyuga's command, the Uchiha squad led personally by Fugaku Uchiha immediately set fires across the interior of the Grass Ninja Village after breaching its defenses, creating instant chaos.
In no time, the once-numerically superior Grass Ninja Village descended into total disarray.
The panicked Grass ninja who attempted to fight back appeared as helpless as lambs to the slaughter when facing the well-trained Konoha Ninja Forces, quickly cut off in groups and then surrounded and eliminated one by one through localized superiority.
As for those attempting to flee, they encountered not the slightest resistance; the Konoha ninja even deliberately opened two escape routes, allowing the demoralized Grass ninja to abandon their village entirely.
Grass ninja were already famous throughout the ninja world for their fence-sitting opportunism, naturally adept at reading the room and playing the game accordingly. Therefore, the Grass ninja—who originally still held some fighting spirit—quickly assessed the situation, especially upon spotting the forehead protectors on the invaders' brows and identifying the red-eyed psychopaths and cataract-wielding killers rampantly setting fire around. At that moment, the Grass ninja collapsed at a speed unmatched by any.
"Could these guys have been reborn as cheetahs?"
Hiashi Hyuga, commanding from an elevated position at the edge of the Grass Ninja Village, couldn't help but marvel, "I'd say even elite Uchiha ninja might not be able to keep up with how fast they're running away!"
"Grass specializes in reckless attacks during favorable winds and immediate retreats under pressure; that's just how they survive."
A battle-hardened Hyuga Jonin added his unsolicited comment.
"Well said."
Hiashi glanced at the senior ninja who had spoken up and gave a slight nod before falling silent again.
This was a good start.
This particular clan member was the first to initiate communication with Hiashi since launching the campaign. The content may have been trivial, but at least it showed a shift in attitude.
Overall, things were improving slightly—but only slightly.
Perhaps it would be better to seek a station outside the village later!
Hiashi started turning over the possibilities for his future in his mind.
Being stationed overseas would mean his flawless Byakugan would draw covetous eyes and countless assassination attempts. But in return, he would finally gain true freedom. Staying in the village meant enduring an endless cycle of torment day after day.
While Hiashi drifted deep in thought, the unstoppable Konoha ninja finally breached the Grass Ninja Village's secret prison and escorted out a group of red-haired individuals, visibly terrified and emaciated—members of the Uzumaki Clan.
At the same time, over a dozen desiccated corpses were carried out from the Grass Village hospital. Upon seeing the bodies, panic among the Uzumaki survivors exploded into uproar, and cries rang out one after another.
These elders of the Uzumaki, brutally tormented by the Grass ninja—who ground their teeth in hatred and drained them of life—were beloved ancestors to these survivors.
Their ultimate sacrifice had finally brought the remaining Uzumaki a glimmer of hope.
"Release their bindings!"
Hiashi Hyuga frowned slightly before giving orders. "Medical ninja, move forward and take over. Check whether they have any hidden injuries."
"Yes sir!"
The medical ninja immediately obeyed, leading his subordinates forward in a Body Flicker motion.
"Clear out everyone inside the Grass Ninja Village hospital and prison chamber! No one left behind!"
Hiashi continued barking commands. "Except for the Third Battalion who will start searching for supplies, all other battalions must consolidate our defensive lines. Don't recklessly expand our attack range!"
A thousand Konoha ninjas might seem a lot or not enough, depending on how you look at it. Actually, if the Grass Ninjas had united with unyielding determination, they could have resisted or even defeated this thousand-man battalion.
But the Land of Earth may change its hills—Grass Ninja Village's nature remains unchanged. Asking these Grass Ninjas, who've always surrendered at the first sign of trouble, to fight to the death is like asking pigs to fly.
Yet prolonging this conflict might attract unwanted complications—perhaps Iwagakure within the Land of Earth might intervene actively. Therefore, with the sole goal of completing the mission, Hiashi began tightening control over his ninja force and continued the pursuit and elimination operations.
"Commander Hiashi!"
Before long, a Hyuga Jonin arrived through Body Flicker technique before Hiashi, reporting: "All Uzumaki clan members within the village have been accounted for. There are a total of sixty-seven Uzumaki clan survivors, but only forty-three of them are relatively healthy."
"That few?"
Frowning again, Hiashi questioned further: "Are you certain every location has been searched thoroughly?"
"Except for Hozuki Castle, we've combed through all areas of the Grass Ninja Village."
The Jonin's tone lacked complete certainty.
Hozuki Castle lay upon a small island outside the Grass Ninja Village perimeter. Though this special facility located within Herb Country's territory was administrated by Grass Ninja Jonins, actually it represented common property shared by all Hidden Villages without belonging to any single one—maintaining a delicate neutral status primarily for imprisoning the most dangerous criminals from various villages. Therefore attacking or entering this special institution rashly would easily provoke controversy.
"Interrogate those prisoners for intelligence. And execute all Grass Ninja casualties without exception!"
Without another word, Hiashi immediately issued his next command decisively.
The Hyuga Jonin hurried away immediately through Body Flicker to carry out the orders.
This was the very thrill of wielding power!
That thrilling sense of control came from treating others' lives as if they were nothing more than blades of grass!
Hiashi took a deep breath of the air heavy with blood, a strange ecstasy spreading across his face. Previously, he never imagined that smells and scenes of blood and death could be so captivating and addictive!
No wonder Hyuga Soushu wasn't willing to remain a Branch House member...
Hiashi seemed to gain sudden understanding.
After tasting the sweetness of power, no one could accept returning to subordinate positions anymore—let alone situations where life and death were controlled by others.
Therefore, regardless of how the Main House treated him, Hyuga Soushu would inevitably rebel eventually. The only difference was whether it happened sooner or later.
Understanding this, Hiashi Hyuga regained his composure. He summoned the Jonin under his command in turn and swiftly set about organizing the follow-up logistics as per the combat plan.
The anxious Uzumaki Clan Members were carried onto the backs of Konoha ninja and immediately transferred toward the border of the Land of Fire, shielded by the Ninja Force.
The reason they didn't head back to their base on the Northern Front was because the journey would have required passing through too many small countries, and the long voyage risked unforeseen troubles emerging along the way.
On the other hand, if they advanced straight into the territory controlled by the Northwest Border Defense Forces, they could count on aid from fellow villagers within the Ninja Force.
Although the Northwest Border Defense Forces weren't directly under Soushu Hyuga or Sakumo Hatake's authority, they were still ninja of Konoha. Regardless of whether these forces had any ties to Soushu's faction, upon seeing the rescued Uzumaki Clan Members, they felt a deep sense of difficulty.
To put it bluntly, for border guards to remain unaware of Grass Village's wicked deeds all along was essentially dereliction of duty.
To sit idle while former allies suffered terribly—such inaction as ninja of Konoha amounted to betrayal!
Therefore, rather than fuss over whether this unexpected group of village ninja that appeared at the border actually had proper combat documentation, the commander of the Northwest Border Defense Forces quickly allocated a camp for Hiashi Hyuga's thousand-man unit to settle in and rest after verifying their identities without error.
At the same time, crucial intelligence was entrusted to specially trained messenger hawks, which took flight toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage residing far away in Konoha.
Hiashi Hyuga was in no rush at all. Accepting the commander's generous offer, he arranged for his ninja forces and the rescued Uzumaki Clan Members to set up camp and rest, additionally requesting large quantities of medicine from the border commander for treating the Uzumakis.
Though renowned across the Ninja World for immense chakra reserves, extraordinary Sealing Techniques, and strong vitality, this particular group of rescued Uzumaki Clan Members had originally been obscure figures within the former Nagarezu Hidden Village, never particularly powerful individuals.
Furthermore, after having been captured by the Grass ninja, they had remained imprisoned and confined for years, constantly subjected to blood extraction for bizarre experiments conducted by the Grass ninja—even if they hadn't literally ended up as test subjects in laboratories. Their bodies had therefore become extremely weak. The harsh escape only made their already fragile health even worse.
Yet, once returned to safety and given adequate rest, nourishment, and medical care, these previously feeble Uzumaki Clan Members recovered strength rapidly. Though they hadn't yet had an opportunity to interact deeply with the Konoha ninja who'd rescued them during the return journey, merely catching sight of the iconic Leaf forehead protectors worn by their rescuers, the familiar pale eyes of the Byakugan wielded by the Hyuga Clan, or even those crimson Sharingan eyes from the Uchiha Clan—who used to seem intimidating but now felt reassuring—once regarded with unease but now bringing warmth—was enough for each Uzumaki survivor to feel overwhelming security and gratitude swelling within their hearts.
Standing at the highest point of the camp, Hiashi Hyuga gazed thoughtfully at the gradually relaxing group of Uzumakis.
"This is what happens after a ninja clan is destroyed."
Fugaku Uchiha used the Body Flicker technique to appear beside Hiashi Hyuga. The two of them looked toward the tent where the Uzumaki survivors were staying. "Without our help, these people would eventually be worn down over time and consumed. The Uzumaki Clan would truly fade into mere footnotes in history books. And if our own families encountered disaster, we might not even have the chance to escape as surviving remnants."
"What are you trying to say?"
Hiashi Hyuga asked emotionlessly.
"You must feel quite resentful about this situation, right?" Fugaku's tone remained very calm.
"What difference does it make whether I accept it or not?"
Hiashi's voice still showed no fluctuations.
As someone who had received the most elite upbringing his clan could provide since childhood, he certainly possessed the ability to keep his emotions and preferences from showing on his face.
"It's nothing much really," Fugaku said with a smile, "I just think it would be quite something if we ever had the opportunity to fight side by side, Hiashi."
"All of this is according to the Grand Leader's arrangements."
Hiashi nodded slightly without giving a definite opinion.
The Uzumaki Clan's survivors had been saved!
This news sent shockwaves through Konoha like a stone dropped into still water, with ripples quickly turning into tidal waves across the village.
Especially when people learned that the Uzumaki survivors had been rescued by Hyuga Soushu through a military operation he initiated on his own initiative from Grass Ninja Village—saving former allies—the village's public reaction turned into widespread uproar.
What followed was fierce questioning of the Border Forces' capabilities. After all, the northwestern border army stationed at the borders and boasting secret control over Herb Country had been completely unaware of this matter for so long—an unacceptable situation.
Shortly thereafter, public criticism began targeting the Hokage Tower itself, blaming what many saw as the inept leadership of the current Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Of course, certain ninja clans seized the opportunity to push the narrative further, launching relentless slander and attacks.
For Konoha's F4, caught in this storm of public opinion and struggling to keep their heads above water, matters grew increasingly dire—they were too overwhelmed to focus on anything else.
As the only blood relative of the Uzumaki Clan remaining in Konoha, Tsunade took the initiative to visit the Hyuga District to meet with Hyuga Soushu. Her grandmother had been a direct descendant of the Uzumaki Clan, which meant Tsunade herself carried three-quarters Uzumaki blood.
Especially in this era when the Senju Clan had all but faded into obscurity and was nearing its end, upon hearing about the rescue of the Uzumaki survivors, Tsunade simply couldn't sit still any longer.
Hyuga Soushu was also quite accommodating, making time during the hectic wedding preparations to meet with Tsunade alongside Mahiru Uchiha.
Tsunade certainly made an impression on Mahiru Uchiha at first sight.
However, this conversation focused on different topics rather than Tsunade's physical attributes.
"When will the Uzumaki survivors return to the village? How does the Hyuga Clan plan to settle them?"
No sooner had Tsunade sat down than she couldn't wait to ask her question.
Hyuga Soushu didn't answer immediately, while Mahiru Uchiha calmly began preparing tea.
Tsunade immediately understood, so she suppressed her inner anxiety and forced herself to remain composed.
"The resettlement of the Uzumaki Survivors must be determined by the survivors themselves."
After taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat, Hyuga Soushu spoke slowly, "Although those Uzumaki Survivors in Grass Village were rescued by the combined forces of the Hyuga and Uchiha clans, they were once noble ninja clans that stood side by side with the Hyuga, Uchiha, and Senju. Therefore, no matter what, they should have the right to choose their own fate after regaining freedom."
"Why are they still lingering at the northwestern border then?"
Tsunade asked a foolish question.
Hyuga Soushu let out a light chuckle. "If they continued traveling under such conditions, many would likely die along the way due to their physical condition."
"Even if they didn't perish from exhaustion or environmental adaptation issues during the long journey, there's also the possibility that unidentified hostile forces might attack them, wiping out the entire clan!"
Mahiru Uchiha added darkly, "After all, not everyone is happy to see a new independent power rising within the village."
"I've heard the Hyuga Clan mobilized over a thousand ninja for the expedition into Herb Country, and if necessary, the village could also dispatch Anbu or issue escort missions."
Tsunade didn't directly respond to Mahiru's implication but instead countered, "With such forces, wouldn't that be sufficient protection to ensure the safe arrival of the Uzumaki Survivors into the village?"
Hyuga Soushu did not deny Tsunade's point outright. "Precisely because of that, I intend to propose to Hokage-sama tomorrow that the 'heroic ninja force' that rescued the Uzumaki Survivors personally escort them back to the village. However, their future affiliations should be determined solely by the Uzumaki themselves."
Of course, with all the Uzumaki now under his control, whatever 'freedom of choice' they had would ultimately be dictated by Soushu Hyuga. After witnessing Konoha's failure to act in the face of Whirlpool Country's destruction and seeing their clansmen captured and tortured, there was no way these surviving Uzumaki would fall for the Hokage faction's hollow words again.
Tsunade naturally understood what kind of consequences this 'free choice' would entail — which was exactly why she had come here willingly. Even though Soushu's stance was already crystal clear at this point, she still refused to give up entirely. "The Uzumaki and the Senju have been allies for a thousand years. They could easily be settled within the Senju Clan's Territory."
"The Senju?"
Hyuga Soushu smiled. "Looking across the vast Ninja World and all the clans of Konoha, I just can't seem to find a single legitimate member of the Senju Clan left!"
Tsunade's expression immediately darkened.
"If Princess Tsunade is willing to revive the Senju name, then handing the Uzumaki Clan over to you isn't out of the question."
Soushu made his position clear as well.
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