Whether it was Konoha or any of the other Four Great Hidden Villages, they all shared a common theme: suppressing Ninja Clans while elevating commoners.
It was a necessary shift brought about by the new style of warfare in the Great Ninja World War.
The scale of these wars dwarfed the family battles of the Warring States era by an immeasurable degree, making the conflicts incredibly brutal. Even a powerful Clan like the Senju was nearly wiped out during the First Great Ninja War. This meant that, given such horrific casualty numbers, the quality of ninja had to temporarily give way to sheer quantity.
They had no other option – getting as many ninjas onto the battlefield as quickly as possible came first.
Depending solely on Ninja Clans for manpower simply wouldn't cut it.
Therefore, after Second Tobirama Senju established the Ninja Academy in Konoha, the other four great villages and even some smaller ones followed suit, setting up similar institutions to recruit talented children from commoner backgrounds and train them into countless line-filling ninja.
At the same time, this rise of commoner ninja also naturally encroached upon the authority and influence once held by traditional Ninja Clans—an undeniable fact.
Among the elite Ninja Clans were prominent families like the Hyuga, Uchiha, and even the once-dominant Senju and Uzumaki Clans that had ruled over the Warring States period.
The attitude of the hidden villages toward these Ninja Clans was similarly consistent: recruitment, study, assimilation, and ultimate dismantling of their independent structures.
In short, dismantling the self-organizing capabilities of the Ninja Clans was the common main theme among the Five Great Hidden Villages—and likewise, something all Ninja Clans despised most deeply.
Of course, there were always some audacious villages that saw Clan descendants as research subjects, hoping to steal the secrets hidden within their bloodlines—like the Grass Ninja Village, infamous across the ninja world for its opportunism and thuggish versatility in espionage, theft, and sabotage.
"We can already confirm that seventy-seven red-haired ninja are currently imprisoned within the hospital and dungeons of the Grass Ninja Village. Most of them are elderly or frail individuals, and at present, the Grass Ninja are basically using them as disposable medical resources."
"Based on how the Grass Ninja are treating these red-haired ninja, we can infer that these imprisoned elders and weaklings are likely remnants of the now-destroyed Uzumaki Clan. However, we still haven't determined exactly how they ended up in the Grass Ninja's hands."
The following day, while delivering the combat plan, Elder Fukasaku Hyuga also reported the latest intelligence findings to Hyuga Soushu.
"Only one thousand ninjas?"
Hyuga Soushu had no interest in hearing all the unnecessary backstory. He directly picked up the Combat Plan and flipped to the detailed section. Upon seeing the number of ninja forces requested by Elder Fukasaku in the operation plan, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows: "After all, wise commanders always assume the enemy is stronger than expected."
"It's well known that the Grass Ninja Village is extremely weak. And with the recent glorious victory you, our honored leader, achieved against Kumo, the Grass Ninja will undoubtedly surrender the moment our forces arrive. In truth, deploying a thousand ninjas is mostly a precautionary measure to counter any possible attack from Iwagakure."
Elder Fukasaku explained, "And if possible, I would also request that you summon the Uchiha Clan's Ninja Force to participate in this rescue mission, thereby demonstrating the power and unity of these two great noble Ninja Clans."
"Didn't you just make a huge promise to Old Monkey not long ago? Already planning to turn your back on him that soon?"
Hyuga Soushu let out a soft laugh.
"If there's no provocation, do you think he'd keep throwing resources away like that?"
Elder Fukasaku remained composed. "And if that fool hadn't kept chasing illusions, how could he drag the entire faction down with him?"
The old saying rang true — having a wise elder in the house was like possessing a treasure. This was absolutely true in Soushu's opinion.
With Elder Fukasaku's guidance, the previously chaotic situation suddenly became much clearer.
"You've got a point there," Soushu agreed. "Not everyone can keep sunk costs from clouding their judgment!"
"Then let's settle it this way. Also, I'll have Fugaku withdraw a detachment from the Eastern Coastal Defense Garrison for the rescue mission. As for the main force, we'll call up 300 from our main force and 600 from the Northern Front units. With that, we'll have enough for a thousand-strong battalion!"
"A brilliant move, my lord."
Elder Fukasaku bowed respectfully. "There's one other matter I must bring before you, with your permission."
"Just speak plainly."
Soushu waved his hand casually.
"Will the Commander insist on maintaining monogamy?"
The elder suddenly asked an unexpected question.
"What exactly are you implying?"
Upon hearing this, Soushu immediately frowned.
"The Tennin bloodline hasn't manifested in many years, and even the Main House, which upholds strict pure-blood policies, is no exception." Fully aware that Soushu wouldn't want to hear such words, Elder Fukasaku still bravely continued, "For the purity of our clan's Kekkei Genkai, I humbly urge the Commander to—"
"That's enough!"
Soushu directly interrupted what had been meant as a respectful request and advice.
Thankfully, only the two of them were present at the moment; otherwise, if Mahiru Uchiha heard these words, she'd probably glare with her Sharingan and start slashing people on the spot.
"Additionally, the Fuma Clan has accepted our invitation, with their current Clan Head leading the delegation to attend the ceremony. However, the Tsuchigumo Clan declined our offer."
Without dwelling further, the elder shifted directly to another topic. "Other ninja clans not currently active within the Land of Fire haven't yet replied, so—"
"This isn't urgent. You can handle it as you see fit."
Soushu wasn't particularly concerned.
Rescuing the Uzumaki descendant from Grass Ninja Village's hellish prison and displaying them at the wedding as a lucky charm — this was already sufficient for Soushu. He'd gone through all that trouble just to get a taste of this vinegar — every dumpling wrapper he'd folded led to this moment.
After all, the Uzumaki Clan had stood as allies of the Senju of the Forest for a thousand years. Though Konoha failed to act in time to prevent Whirlpool Country's destruction, rescuing the already-destroyed Uzumaki Clan would mean restoring an extinguished lineage and ensuring its continuation — a truly meaningful act for various ninja clans across different hidden villages.
At that point, Soushu's position as leader of the Ninja Clan Alliance would become firmly established.
As the Hyuga Ninja Force secretly mobilized, the Konoha Anbu also began growing vigilant, sensing unusual winds blowing.
After all, three hundred Hyuga ninja had been dispatched directly from the village itself — an action impossible to conceal from the Hokage faction, who already had their eyes wide open.
However, Hyuga Soushu still maintained secrecy before the official execution of the mission. As a result, even those mobilized Hyuga ninja were unaware of the purpose behind their sudden deployment away from the village, and naturally, the Hokage faction was unable to gather any intelligence.
For a time, Konoha's dazzling surface once again became tense beneath its beautiful façade.
But after those Hyuga ninja left the village and headed straight toward the Northern Border of the Land of Fire, the Anbu ninja relaxed slightly.
Thus, a speculative analytical report suggesting that the Hyuga Clan had mobilized ninja to reinforce military strength along the Northern Front was submitted to the Hokage Office.
After only glancing over this report, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi made a decision based on historical inertia: he would expedite the pace of withdrawing the directly-controlled ninja forces under the Hokage faction currently stationed near the Lightning Daimyo's court in the Kina Region.
Yet he remained dissatisfied with the report, viewing it as a shallow attempt at accountability by the Anbu. Unfortunately, as the Anbu served as a force directly governed by the Hokage, it had long been deeply influenced by the Hokage faction. Even the Third himself faced great difficulties when attempting to carry out a complete reform. After deep contemplation, he decided to appoint his student Orochimaru as Deputy Commander of the Anbu, subtly implying that he might be a candidate for the "future Hokage successor."
With political tensions within Konoha growing increasingly severe, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to strengthen the reorganization of his core forces, lest he discover too late—when war potentially broke out—that his army was completely incapable of fighting back. That would be an unbearable humiliation.
Following recent dramatic changes within his clan, Hiashi Hyuga—who had always maintained a low-profile and never spoken publicly about his deceased father—was appointed as the overall commander of this operation, making him the sole informed individual among the three hundred mobilized Hyuga ninja.
Regarding this development, Hiashi Hyuga experienced extremely complex emotions.
From both his personal stance and from the perspective of avenging his murdered father, Hiashi had ample reasons to initiate retaliation against Hyuga Soushu.
Yet he also knew himself well enough to understand that the authority of the Main House had already, in reality, collapsed entirely. Even though the cursed seal he possessed enabled him to control those former Branch House Jonin who hadn't yet removed their Caged Bird seals, nothing could change the current situation anymore—the status quo was beyond his power to alter.
Once trust is gone, even the strongest leader can't hold the team together.
Even while leading troops across the battlefield, Hiashi could only exercise authority through temporary appointment orders issued by Hyuga Soushu. As for personal influence or intimidation value tied to his status, those Branch House ninja clearly no longer regarded it highly.
Hiashi Hyuga understood this truth deeply.
Stay calm. Endure. Wait for the right moment.
After another deep breath to calm himself internally, Hiashi truly felt powerless.
Yet under everyone's watchful eyes, he couldn't afford to show any abnormal expression.
After all, among the ninja who had been ordered to accept his command, no one could say how many treacherous former Branch House members were eyeing him like predators ready to strike—fixated hungrily upon the former young master of the Main House.
After trekking the entire night, Hiashi Hyuga led his forces to arrive at Hakone Prefecture city. He briefly completed document handover with Acting Commander Takahiro Uchiha before officially taking command of six hundred ninjas. Furthermore, Fugaku Uchiha had secretly rushed northward from the east coast and now fell under Hiashi Hyuga's chain of command.
This was also the first time Hiashi directly commanded a ninja force numbering into thousands. Previously, although he nominally served as commander-in-chief of the Eastern Coastal Defense Garrison, practically all administrative affairs were handled by his younger brother Hizashi Hyuga. Therefore, for him, this truly marked the first time personally leading a ninja army.
"According to Chief Strategist Soushu's direct orders," Hiashi declared as soon as the ninjas assembled — "our operational target is Grass Ninja Village!"
"This campaign must advance swiftly without delay! Straggling or looting is strictly prohibited. Any violator will be executed according to martial law!"
Hiashi's tone remained completely rigid, showing no room for negotiation: "We'll depart in ten minutes. All jonins return immediately and prepare your units!"
"Hai!"
Ten squad leaders responded unanimously before vanishing through Body Flicker technique!
"Now that's what a real man looks like!"
Inside his tent alone, Hiashi momentarily wore an expression of intense absorption before quickly reverting to his habitual impassive demeanor.
In dangerous circumstances like this, one must never reveal their genuine feelings, or it would certainly bring deadly consequences.
"This old relic's practically used up."
Within Grass Village hospital treatment chamber, a masked Grass jonin medic manipulated the frail, wheezing elderly man on the stretcher whose grayish-brown hair barely clung to life. Speaking in an even but chilling voice: "Didn't I clearly say maximum five bites per day? Otherwise they'd die. Why won't you idiots listen?"
Several Grass chunins inside the treatment room showed complete indifference toward the senior medic's scolding.
"Five times daily is obviously too little — totally impractical. Our village averages more than thirty injured ninjas daily. If we insist on traditional medicinal treatment, costs would become enormous."
"Medicine works too slowly too, delaying comrades' mission assignments."
"If they die just replace them. With so many missions available currently, it'd be such a shame to miss out."
"At most keep only a few special cases for future use as premium test subjects. It's better to extract every last ounce of utility from these old geezers while we can instead of wasting resources keeping them alive until they croak on their own!"
Multiple Grass ninjas took turns voicing arguments, effectively brushing aside the medic's concerns.
"Tsk."
The Grass jonin medic grabbed the old man's arm again — riddled with bite marks and barely covering exposed bone beneath sagging flesh — then shook his head: "Any more patients needing treatment? Hurry up and bring them in, otherwise this guy won't last much longer."
"Plenty more waiting for sure!"
Several other Grass ninjas immediately bounced out of the treatment room before quickly ushering in a group of heavily bandaged injured personnel.
"Now that you've let them bite, why waste bandages!"
The Grass Ninja medical jonin was furious at the sight: "Don't you realize how precious our village's medical supplies are!"
"Heh! These casualties arrived before you got here, didn't they, Grass Ninja chunin?"
The Grass Ninja chunin argued back with a defiant expression: "We couldn't possibly just sit around and watch our comrades bleed to death, could we?"
"How many times have I told you this! For non-fatal wounds, just smear some plant ash over them! No need to waste valuable bandages!"
The Grass Ninja medical jonin raised his voice sharply, sounding extremely harsh.
Meanwhile, the newly brought-in Grass Ninja casualties ignored the medical jonin's commands entirely. Completely disregarding their own injuries, they rushed straight toward the stretcher carrying the nearly deceased elder. They grabbed his arm and bit into it forcefully.
"Huh!"
Seeing this, the Grass Ninja medical jonin couldn't help but frown.
"He's dead—it's useless!"
The Grass Ninja casualty bit for quite a while, only to discover his body showed absolutely no change. Even though his sharp teeth pierced the elder's skin and he sucked desperately, not even a drop of unexpected blood could be drawn.
"Fine, bring another one from the prison chamber!"
With a helpless shake of his head, the Grass Ninja medical jonin sighed: "If that's the case, we'll raise the dosage frequency to ten times daily. Also, don't reduce their food rations anymore."
"Understood,"
The Grass Ninja chunin immediately accepted the order and left right away.
Those unsuccessful Grass Ninja casualties continued biting all over the corpse's arms unwillingly, trying to squeeze out even the slightest effect.
Before long, another prisoner—an Uzumaki with deep red hair—was bound tightly and shoved inside. The moment he entered, he saw the elder's tragic and gruesome death scene.
"Waaah!"
The man struggled violently the instant he saw what had happened.
"Silence!"
The Grass Ninja chunin pulled out a large syringe from his robe and stabbed it directly into the Uzumaki's neck without hesitation. His movement was so forceful that the needle actually snapped off inside the Uzumaki's body when he withdrew the syringe.
Under the drug's influence, the chakra flow of the already-restrained Uzumaki became sluggish. His eyelids fluttered once before he passed out cold.
"Throw this useless leftover medicine away and set up the new medicine pack!"
The Grass Ninja medical jonin impatiently ordered the group of Grass Ninja casualties who were still gnashing their teeth and sucking blood to scatter, then directed the Grass Ninja chunin to properly arrange the medical equipment.
"BOOM! Boom boom! Boom boom boom!"
Suddenly, a series of incredibly powerful explosions rang out!
"Which idiot is testing ninjutsu inside the village?"
The Grass Ninja medical ninja frowned slightly, but didn't take it too seriously.
"BOOM! Boom boom! BOOM! BOOMBOOMBOOM!"
But it didn't stop there—explosions kept erupting one after another.
This time, even the slowest Grass Ninja finally sensed something was off.
"Disaster! We're under attack!"
The terrified shout coming from outside the hospital confirmed the Grass Ninja medical jonin's suspicion.
Yet he merely furrowed his brows, showing no intention of responding.
"Hurry up! Everyone get a bite in!"
"As soon as your wounds heal, get back out there and exterminate those worthless nuisances!" barked the Grass Ninja medical jonin.
"Woof!"
Upon hearing this, the band of Grass Ninja casualties immediately threw themselves at the fresh medicinal pouches lying on the stretchers, savaging them like hyenas tearing into prey.
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