"What did you say?!"
"Danzo-sama… Orochimaru's house… collapsed…"
The Root ninja could only repeat himself, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"Gather everyone! We go to Orochimaru's house immediately!" Danzo barked.
"Yes, Danzo-sama!" his subordinates responded in unison.
The Ino–Shika–Chō clan rushed toward Orochimaru's home upon hearing the news. Aburame Shisuke brought several Aburame clan ninja, knowing that the sudden collapse of Orochimaru's residence was no trivial matter.
Even members of the Inuzuka clan joined the crowd, mounting their ninja dogs and moving swiftly toward the scene.
"Enemy attack?" someone murmured.
The Uchiha Military Police activated their Sharingan, scanning the ruins. Four gigantic creatures hovered above the rubble, radiating a faint but powerful chakra.
"What… what is this?!" an Uchiha officer exclaimed.
"Were they the ones who attacked Orochimaru's house?" another asked, incredulous.
The ground shook violently as the enormous insects descended, their massive pincers snapping and two scorpion-like tails raised in the air.
"Cough… cough… cough-!"
A violent coughing came from the back of one insect.
"I see Orochimaru! He's on that huge insect's back!" a Uchiha pointed, recognition dawning.
"What kind of insects are these?!" Akimichi Torifu's face twitched as he observed the airborne giants from afar. "Are these cultivated by the Aburame Clan?"
"This…!" Aburame Shisuke's expression betrayed shock. He had never imagined that Orochimaru could enlarge small insects like Kikaichu to this extent.
"These… could they be a new species bred by Orochimaru?" Shisuke asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
The four Chimera Bugs slowly landed, three taking protective stances around the one carrying Orochimaru. Their massive pincers opened and closed menacingly, serrated edges glinting in the sunlight.
"Orochimaru-sama! Are you unharmed?" Iburi Clan members shouted through the rising smoke. Despite their training, they hesitated to attack, knowing any harm to Orochimaru would be unforgivable.
Danzo Shimura exhaled in relief, seeing Orochimaru safe. He gestured for Hiruzen Sarutobi to speak.
Hiruzen approached, his gaze settling on Orochimaru. "What happened here?"
"These are Chimera Bugs I bred using the Aburame Clan's Kikaichu," Orochimaru explained, patting one male Chimera Bug's back to calm it. Dust clung to his pale skin, giving him a slightly disheveled, almost cat-like appearance.
Danzo nearly flinched at the sight. Orochimaru, normally composed and mature, now looked so small and unkempt, as if caught in a private, innocent moment. It was both disarming and amusing.
"I raised them in the basement," Orochimaru continued, cheeks reddening. "I… forgot how big they would grow when they came out."
A stunned silence followed, then laughter. Orochimaru's almost cat-like face and sheepish expression were too endearing to ignore.
The Aburame Clan, however, was the most excited. Shisuke had never expected Orochimaru to create a new species so quickly. These Chimera Bugs, with their enormous pincers and scorpion-like tails, were clearly combat-ready.
"Orochimaru! Are you truly alright?" Tsunade arrived, faint lightning flickering along her aura, relief flooding her face as she assessed Orochimaru's condition. Around them, nearly a hundred ninja had gathered, including many Anbu and Root members, though she didn't recognize most of them.
"My house… destroyed by these two… monstrous insects," Orochimaru muttered, stepping off the Chimera Bug. Tsunade carefully checked him for injuries.
The Chimera Bugs responsible for the destruction fascinated the Aburame Clan. Through Shisuke's careful observation, he discovered that these were not ordinary fighting insects but summoning beasts with extraordinary abilities.
With breeding over generations, each Aburame Clan member could one day command a Chimera Bug of their own. Their ability to secrete medicinal fluids, accelerate healing, and assist in combat made them an unprecedented boon.
Envy and admiration filled those present. The usually stoic Shisuke, who rarely showed emotion, could not suppress his excitement, laughing freely at the sheer fortune that had befallen the Aburame Clan.
Even Hiruzen and Danzo had not anticipated Orochimaru's capabilities. They had underestimated him, assuming he was merely experimenting with Kikaichu for personal curiosity. Now it was clear that he had created a new, powerful summoning beast—an invaluable asset to the Aburame Clan.
The Inuzuka Clan, watching their ninja dogs, wondered what Orochimaru might accomplish if he studied their breeds. Their dogs twitched, seemingly aware of their masters' thoughts, and moved away with faint, knowing shuffles.
Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado arrived too late to witness the chaos. The spectacle had already ended, leaving only the astonished crowd in its wake.
In Konoha, Orochimaru's prestige and value were undeniable. He was regarded as a genius, a celebrity of sorts, while the chaos-causing "criminals" behind the house's collapse—like the Chimera Bugs themselves—were largely ignored.
---
Chapter 78: Hyuga Clan's Internal Conflict
After completing her role in freeing a Branch Family member, Hyuga Mio returned to her room, preparing to dissolve the Caged Bird Curse Mark on her own forehead. She paused just as the final barrier began to lift.
"Enough…" Her eyes burned with hatred for the Main Family. At fourteen, she had lived under the Caged Bird Curse Mark since age three. She had moved from ignorance to bitter resentment, then resignation—until she met Orochimaru and saw hope.
I will change the Hyuga Clan's Main and Branch Family system.
Determined, Mio spent months mastering the technique to undo the Caged Bird Curse Mark and apply Orochimaru's enhanced version. From spring into summer, she practiced relentlessly.
She began by creating controlled encounters with Branch Family members she trusted. One by one, she removed their curse marks outside Konoha and replaced them with the enhanced version, all without alerting the Main Family.
Her ultimate goal: to eliminate the Main Family's ability to control the Branch Family. The thought of the shocked, arrogant Main Family faces filled her with quiet anticipation.
---
Hyuga Main Family Dojo
"Is that all you have? Branch Family members are nothing special!" Hyuga Tsuruoka sneered at Hyuga Kojin, his sparring partner.
Kojin's long-suppressed anger flared. Even if he harmed Tsuruoka, the Main Family's curse mark would not respond. He closed his eyes, gathering focus, and countered Tsuruoka's palm strike directly.
"Young Master Tsuruoka, I yield," Kojin said respectfully, though his veins bulged with restrained fury. He kept the secret: the Caged Bird Curse Mark on his forehead was no longer effective.
Tsuruoka, disdainful, struck again. Boom! Kojin slammed him to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth.
"This is the arrogance of the Main Family? My father died protecting you, and this is your gratitude?!" Kojin roared, furious.
"Hyuga Kojin! How dare you attack a Main Family member!" an elder shouted, activating his Caged Bird Curse Mark. To his horror, it had no effect. Kojin remained unaffected.
Realizing the danger, the elder fled, calling for reinforcements.
Hyuga Mio and the others faced a decision: abandon Kojin or side with him, risking exposure to Konoha's higher-ups. Their loyalty to their Branch Family and shared resentment for the Main Family led them to choose the latter.
Branch Family members who had long felt powerless now stood emboldened. The Main Family's methods, once infallible, were no longer effective.
"To the Village!" Mio whispered urgently. "We must escape and spread the word!"
The Branch Family fled the compound, using the Main Family's orders to surround them as cover.
"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!" Hyuga Hatsume struck at a fleeing member, only to find them gone before the attack landed.
"Why don't you stop them?" Hatsume shouted. "Do you wish to disgrace the Hyuga Clan before Konoha? Or betray us?"
She formed the hand seal of the Caged Bird Curse Mark. The Branch Family hesitated, but Mio and her allies led the escape.
The Hyuga Clan's internal conflict erupted into chaos, quickly drawing the attention of Anbu, Root, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, and senior advisors Koharu and Mitokado.
They were astonished. The Branch Family members, long subdued, had broken free. The centuries-old power of the Caged Bird Curse Mark had been nullified.
---
Senju Residence
Orochimaru sat by the window, a scroll in hand. A tiny Kikaichu landed atop the scroll, carrying a miniature Flying Thunder God Technique formula. Orochimaru's finger touched the insect, eyes widening slightly.
Isn't that… reckless?
Mio, despite her intelligence, had chosen such a bold and visible way to confront the Main Family. Wasn't it safer to remain hidden?
Yet, Orochimaru knew better than anyone that sometimes, bold actions sparked the most significant changes.
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