Chapter 29: A Hyūga and an Uzumaki... An Interesting Combination
Even though they hadn't found the Box of Ultimate Bliss, bringing back this mother and daughter had made the trip worthwhile. In Yugito's eyes, the descendants of the Uzumaki clan were far more valuable than some mythical box.
"I found them," Neji stated, "so I have the right to decide their fate."
"And what do you plan to do with them?" Yugito asked, looking at him skeptically.
Neji coughed, a little embarrassed. "They've already agreed to join the Hyūga clan. From now on, they're my people. As the clan head, it's my duty to protect them."
"..."
The corner of Yugito's mouth twitched. "A Hyūga and an Uzumaki... An interesting combination."
Then, a thought seemed to strike her. A mischievous smile spread across her face. She poked him in the chest. "You little fox, you've shown your tail..."
Neji was speechless. He hadn't done anything, yet she was acting as if he'd done everything.
"I'll go get them something to eat," he mumbled, unable to bear her teasing gaze any longer, and fled from the bathroom.
Seeing him so flustered was a rare sight. A small smile played on Yugito's lips.
The Hidden Cloud lacked powerful Kekkei Genkai clans. The Fourth Raikage's twenty-year plan was to create a number of them, giving the village the strength to rival Konoha. The Uzumaki bloodline would be a significant addition to that plan.
The only thing Yugito found unfortunate was that the Uzumaki descendants Neji had found were a mother and daughter. If it had been a father and son, they could have established a new bloodline clan in just ten years.
Of course, that was also the main reason she was willing to entrust Kana and her daughter to Neji.
Meanwhile, Ryurin stared at the body of a Grass-nin on the ground, his brow furrowed. There were no external injuries. Even with his trained eye, he couldn't determine the cause of death. He wasn't a dōjutsu user, nor was he a professional medical-nin. He had no way of seeing the internal damage caused by the Gentle Fist.
After a few moments, a medical-nin finished his examination. "The chest cavity is intact," he reported to Ryurin, "but the tenketsu points within were violently destroyed. As far as I know, the only technique in the entire shinobi world capable of doing that... is the Gentle Fist."
Ryurin's expression changed. "You mean the intruder was from Konoha's Hyūga clan?"
The medical-nin shook his head. "I'm only saying he was killed by the Gentle Fist. I can't be certain if the killer was a Hyūga."
In truth, he was almost sure it was a Hyūga, but he didn't dare to make such a definitive statement himself.
"It has to be," Ryurin said, now eighty percent convinced. "Only the Hyūga of Konoha have mastered the Gentle Fist."
The Hidden Grass had managed to acquire some basic Gentle Fist techniques, but no one had ever been able to learn them. Just as the Uchiha's throwing techniques required the pinpoint accuracy and high-speed calculation of the Sharingan, the Gentle Fist was even more intrinsically tied to its Kekkei Genkai. Without the Byakugan, even the most skilled taijutsu master couldn't hope to learn it.
Therefore, Gentle Fist meant Byakugan, and Byakugan meant Konoha's Hyūga clan.
Swoosh!
A Grass-nin appeared in front of Ryurin in a Body Flicker.
"Captain, there was an intrusion at the main office building. A scroll containing information about the Box of Ultimate Bliss has been stolen."
"What?" Ryurin's face paled. He thought of the unknown fire-style user who had unleashed the Great Fire Annihilation. Clearly, there had been at least two intruders: one at the "Fruit of the Grass" headquarters, and another at the "Flower of the Grass" headquarters.
Their goal was the Box of Ultimate Bliss?!
The Box was a divine artifact that had been passed down through the village for generations. The Grass had made great sacrifices in their attempts to open it. In recent years, the "Fruit" faction had made a breakthrough in their research. And now, Konoha had its eyes on it.
Fortunately, the box had been taken to Hozuki Castle years ago. If the Konoha-nin had stolen it tonight, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"Captain, Lord Shōshirō is awake!" a voice called out from the small cabin.
Ryurin immediately ran inside. "Shōshirō," he said, looking at the man who had been brought back from the brink of death by the medical-nin, "how are you feeling?"
"Cough, cough..." Shōshirō coughed weakly. "I'm alright, Ryurin. The intruder... was from Konoha's Hyūga clan."
Ryurin's suspicions were now confirmed.
"Shōshirō, the intruder was after the Box of Ultimate Bliss."
"The Box of Ultimate Bliss?" A look of perfectly feigned surprise crossed Shōshirō's face, followed by one of relief. "Thank goodness it's in Hozuki Castle. If Konoha had gotten their hands on it, we would have failed our ancestors."
The conflict between the "Fruit" and "Flower" factions was primarily over the Box.
Ryurin moved past the topic. "The Konoha-nin took the Uzumaki mother and daughter. But this might be an opportunity. We can use them as bait to capture him."
"Oh?" A glint of light flashed in Shōshirō's eyes. "What's your plan, Ryurin?"
"There were at least two of them. I had a brief encounter with the other one. He's a powerful fire-style user who never showed his face. But since the intruder rescued the mother and daughter, we now have a clear target for our search. I've already sealed all the exits of the village. It will be impossible for them to sneak out with two helpless civilians."
"That makes sense," Shōshirō nodded. "Ryurin, I watched helplessly as the Hyūga took them. Let me join the search."
A flicker of admiration passed through Ryurin's eyes. This was a respectable shinobi. Although the "Fruit" and "Flower" had their differences, they were united against a common enemy.
He looked at Shōshirō's bloodstained chest. "But your injuries..."
"Don't underestimate me, Ryurin," Shōshirō said, coughing as he clutched his chest. "I just... I want to catch the intruder as soon as possible and avenge our fallen comrades. Surely you can understand that?"
Seeing him in such a state, Ryurin couldn't bring himself to refuse. "Alright. You'll be in charge of guarding the main gate. You can inspect everyone leaving the village."
It was a task that didn't require much exertion. If he were the intruder, he certainly wouldn't try to leave through the main gate. Ryurin already had a detailed plan. He would deliberately leave a weakly guarded spot in the perimeter and set an ambush there.
A barely perceptible smile touched Shōshirō's lips. "As long as I can contribute to the village, I'll do as you say."