Chapter 23: The Suppression Begins
The Flying Thunder God Technique.
A space-time jutsu created by the Second Hokage, it allowed instantaneous travel across the ninja world using pre-placed formula markers. Simply put, it was teleportation—long-range teleportation that could span thousands of miles in an instant.
Minato Namikaze had earned his moniker "Yellow Flash" through mastery of this very technique.
Today, he'd been using it to rush back and forth throughout the village. Then, on the Hokage's orders, he'd crossed a thousand miles to reach the coastal front lines in eastern Fire Country to contact Hiashi and the others.
The village had anticipated situations requiring Minato's mobility, so Orochimaru, as supreme commander, carried one of Minato's specially marked kunai. In fact, all front-line commanders had been given them.
"Father, my—my eye hurts so much!"
The young man with bandages wrapped around his head, his right eye concealed beneath the wrappings, wailed continuously. This was Hyuga Daisho—the fool who'd lost a Byakugan to the Mist ninja, a watered-down Main Family jonin.
"Daisho, bear with it. The medical facilities in the village are much better. We'll take you straight to Konoha Hospital when we get back. You'll be far more comfortable there than here."
Hisho kept consoling his son.
Nearby, Hiashi's eyes were cold as ice.
Daichi wore an equally disgusted expression. Though his own son had died at Ritsu's hands, whenever he thought about how this whole mess might never have happened if Daisho hadn't been such an incompetent fool, he couldn't stand the sight of this embarrassment.
"Is everyone ready?"
Minato asked.
"We can leave anytime," Hiashi replied.
"Orochimaru-senpai, I'll take my leave."
Minato bid farewell to Orochimaru.
"Go ahead, Minato-kun. The old man's probably getting impatient." Orochimaru's smile never wavered.
Minato nodded slightly and placed his hand on Hiashi's shoulder. Following Minato's earlier instructions, the others grabbed onto each other. In the next instant, all five people—including Minato himself—vanished.
"The Hyuga... heh. Interesting. So even that stagnant pond of a clan has spawned a living spring? Hiruko trained himself quite the student!"
Orochimaru laughed once before sweeping out of the tent.
He intended to share this news with Hiruko. After all, Minato hadn't told him it was confidential.
Meanwhile, in Konoha Village at the Hokage Tower.
Five people suddenly materialized in the smoke-filled office.
"Hokage-sama, I've brought them all back!"
Minato pulled the specially marked three-pronged kunai from the floor and returned it to his tool pouch, then reported to Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Hyuga Hiashi, Hyuga Daichi, Hyuga Hisho, and Hyuga Daisho—all four Main Family members are present."
"Thank you for your hard work, Minato."
Hiruzen set down his pipe and, after acknowledging Minato, turned his gaze to Hiashi. "Clan Head Hiashi, Minato explained everything, didn't he? What are your thoughts?"
"I will follow your commands completely, Hokage-sama."
Hiashi bowed low, his attitude respectful.
He hadn't been like this before. As the Hyuga clan head, he'd always maintained proper dignity even before the Hokage, neither servile nor overbearing.
But times had changed. With Ritsu's rebellion and the Main Family's own strength insufficient to guarantee victory, they had no choice but to rely on the village's help. How could he afford pride now when seeking the Hokage's aid?
The taste of depending on others was truly bitter.
"In that case, let's proceed!"
Hiruzen stood up.
"Eh?"
Hiashi and the two Main Family elders were startled.
"W-we're starting now? Isn't this a bit hasty?"
Hiashi couldn't help but protest.
"Hasty?"
Danzo Shimura, seated on the sofa, let out a cold laugh. "Any later and Ritsu will have won over everyone in your clan. If his method for removing the Caged Bird Seal can be replicated and spread, by the time you get back there might not be a single Branch Family member left willing to serve you. And in this situation, you still want to wait?"
The words left Hiashi unable to refute.
He opened his mouth, managing only a weak: "Then let's do it now."
In the end, he lacked talent and experience. Without the Main Family-Branch Family system, he'd never have been capable of leading the clan. At twenty-eight years old, he was no match for old foxes like Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura. Being led by the nose was inevitable. In the original timeline, just three or four years from now, Hiashi would be manipulated by Hiruzen into agreeing to let his own younger brother die in his place, even handing the corpse over to the Cloud ninja to prevent a war.
Honestly, it was the epitome of incompetent weakness.
At this moment, watching Hiashi's performance, the assembled elders said nothing, but even Minato gained new insight into this Hyuga clan head. He realized that counting on Hiashi to oppose Ritsu was impossible.
Recalling his earlier meeting with Ritsu, Minato remembered how the fifteen-year-old's presence had been overwhelmingly stronger than anything Hiashi could muster.
Unfortunately, the Hokage and the others had already made their decision: execute Ritsu as the ringleader, help Hiashi and the others restore order, and return the Hyuga clan to its proper course. Minato had originally thought that a Hyuga clan freed from the Main Family-Branch Family system might contribute even more to the village.
But there was nothing he could do. His opinion was merely advisory—he had no authority to make decisions.
He would even be participating as reinforcement, cooperating with Hiashi to eliminate Ritsu as a "cancer."
Truthfully, he didn't want to do this kind of work against his own people, but it was the Hokage's order—there was no way to refuse. This situation stirred in him a desire for power.
Only by becoming Hokage could he do things according to his own convictions.
"Um, Clan Head, do we all have to go?"
Hisho stared at the raincoat handed to him, glanced at the torrential downpour outside the window, and swallowed hard. He was getting nervous.
But before Hiashi could respond, Danzo barked out: "Your clan's own affairs and you won't put in effort? You just expect the village to solve all your problems? If that's the case, I think from now on the Hyuga clan should send all matters large and small to the Hokage Tower for resolution!"
Danzo's cold gaze swept over them.
Hisho shuddered and fell silent. Daisho became even quieter than a mouse before a cat, trembling as he put on the raincoat, not daring to mention going to the hospital.
A moment later—
"Move out!"
At Hiruzen's command, the group donned their raincoats and leaped through the open window. Hiruzen personally led the operation with Danzo accompanying him, Minato serving as the vanguard, and Hiashi's group providing the "justification" for the suppression.
The two advisory elders, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, remained behind at the Hokage Tower to provide support. If any unexpected situations arose, they would handle them.
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