Naruto: The Primal Hyuga Pierces the Shinobi World

"I'm sorry... I failed to protect my men."

Orochimaru's somber tone, imbued with a profound sense of grief and self-reproach, caused the bereaved families to weep even more bitterly.

These people were grieving the loss of their family members and were unable to communicate with Orochimaru at this moment. Hiashi sighed softly and stepped forward to speak on behalf of the family members:

"Lord Orochimaru, please don't say that."

"They were all ninjas. They knew the risks before they went into battle. We will remember their courage and their unwavering commitment."

"Nobody wants this to happen, and it's not your responsibility."

"You took the time out of your busy schedule to come and see them off... On behalf of Hinata, I thank you for coming."

As they spoke, Hiashi, representing the bereaved family, bowed slightly to Orochimaru. Hyuga Hizashi, standing behind Hiashi, also bowed. Although the family members were immersed in the grief of losing their loved ones, they still respectfully bowed to Orochimaru to express their gratitude on this occasion.

Orochimaru fell silent upon hearing this. He glanced around at the coffin and the photos placed on it, and sighed softly.

He reached out and took the incense from the waiter, then led Hongdou forward to offer prayers.

As Orochimaru made his move, the cries of the family members nearby rang out again.

The clansmen outside the arena felt deeply sympathetic upon hearing the heart-wrenching cries of their own family members, and their hearts grew heavy.

In recent years, the number of clansmen who have died in battle has been far too many, even approaching the number of clansmen who died during the most intense phase of the Third Shinobi World War.

Although some people sensed something was amiss, the Hyuga family investigated thoroughly but found nothing else.

What else can the Hyuga clan say besides lamenting the fickleness of fate?

Did they intend to protest to the Konoha leadership that the mission assigned to the Hyuga clan was too risky?!

At this stage of the war, every clan in Konoha has suffered heavy losses, but compared to those clans, the Hyuga clan is relatively better off. Within Konoha as a whole, perhaps only the Uchiha clan, responsible for the security of the village itself, is in a better situation, but not by much.

The fact that Orochimaru, the highest leader on the front lines, was present to mourn his fallen subordinates shows that the Hyuga clan felt respected by him.

"Chief Rizu, there's another matter I'd like to discuss with you, but I don't know..."

After offering incense, Orochimaru returned to Hiashi's side, pondered for a moment, and tentatively asked.

"Lord Orochimaru, may I speak to you in private?"

Upon hearing this, Hiashi turned around and exchanged a glance with Hizashi. After a moment, Hiashi turned back and gestured towards the side hall.

"Red Bean, wait for me here."

Orochimaru gave a brief instruction and then followed Hiashi and Hizashi, who were leading the way.

What Orochimaru and Hiashi Hyuga discussed is probably only known to the few people present. The meeting lasted for about ten minutes, after which Shinichi saw Orochimaru walk out of the side hall with a calm expression.

After calling out to Anko, Orochimaru left the Hyuga clan's territory.

It wasn't long from the time Orochimaru entered the clan's territory to pay respects to the deceased until he left, and Shinichi's gaze followed Orochimaru and his disciple the entire time.

Shinichi even knew the details of Orochimaru and Hiashi Hyuga's conversation in the side hall.

Although he couldn't hear them speak, Shinichi was still able to read what they were saying through lip reading.

For the Hyuga clan, lip reading is a required course, as it is an extremely important part of gathering information.

"Let's support him and Danzo, Hyuga..."

"In exchange, he was willing to provide support to us Hyuga ninjas on the battlefield."

"Is this a negotiation for cooperation or an attempt to coerce the Hyuga clan...?"

Shinichi frowned, digesting the information he had "seen," and pondered to himself.

Shinichi was aware of Danzo and his advisors' desire to push for the imprisonment of Jinchuriki. The Hyuga clan had not taken sides on this matter, but when a vote was needed, the Hyuga clan would be one of the Fourth Hokage's trump cards.

However, his support for the Fourth Hokage was based on personal relationships. If Orochimaru used the lives of Hyuga ninjas as bargaining chips, Shinichi could even predict what Hiashi would do.

but……

Orochimaru is actually using this as a bargaining chip. If the content of this meeting is exposed, it will not be good news for Orochimaru.

unless……

"He was confident that he wouldn't be replaced as the frontline commander."

"In Konoha today, apart from the Fourth Hokage and Jiraiya, it seems that no one can replace him..."

After a moment's consideration, Shinichi understood where Orochimaru's confidence came from.

This is... strength.

........................

Chapter 68 My sister is acting strangely!

Orochimaru's appearance added a touch of eeriness to the Hyuga clan's funeral. Shinichi, who had learned of Orochimaru's conversation with Hyuga Hiashi, found it hard not to wonder if the deaths of so many Hyuga clan members in recent years had anything to do with him.

From the perspective of the entire Hidden Leaf Village, the Hyuga clan accounts for a large proportion of the ninjas who have sacrificed themselves in recent years.

Although war is unpredictable, most of the Hyuga clan's ninjas belong to the reconnaissance and perception unit and generally carry out tasks similar to "observation".

These types of ninjas would be key targets for enemy elite squads on the battlefield, but correspondingly, the Hyuga clan's ninjas would also be key targets for protection on the battlefield.

If war is likened to a fight between people, then the Hyuga clan is like the eyes of a person. If even the ninjas of the reconnaissance and perception units cannot be properly protected, the war will be difficult to continue.

After leaving the side hall, Hiashi Hyuga's expression turned extremely grim. He clearly shared similar thoughts with Shinichi Hyuga, and was noticeably distracted while presiding over the funeral.

However, in such a situation, everyone subconsciously assumed that it was because Hiashi was also overwhelmed with grief, since among the dead ninjas were his close clansmen.

Naturally, no one would connect Hiashi's absent-mindedness with Orochimaru, who had come to mourn his subordinate.

"Brother, what happened to Uncle?"

"He looks terrible, but it doesn't seem like he's sad?"

On the contrary, it was Hyuga Neji, who was standing next to Shinichi, who noticed Hiashi's unusual behavior. This young boy was unusually perceptive.

"fine..."

"He must be tired."

"Don't worry about it, Neji."

Hiashi's face was naturally grim. As the head of the Hyuga clan, he had been coerced. Hiashi must have been seething with anger, but he couldn't let it out in this situation.

The Hyuga clan still needs to establish itself in Konoha. Orochimaru has a close relationship with several advisors, and the relationship with Orochimaru must be maintained on the surface.

Despite the Hyuga clan's self-proclaimed status as the strongest clan in Konoha, they actually lack the power to overturn the table.

"Is that so?" Neji clearly didn't believe Shinichi Hyuga's perfunctory answer, but being sensible, he didn't press the matter further.

During the funeral, Neji stayed quietly by Shinichi's side, being very obedient and sensible, which saved Shinichi a lot of trouble.

It wasn't until noon that the Hyuga clan members gradually dispersed. Shinichi Hyuga, after exchanging brief greetings with the families of the deceased, led Neji and his guards toward his home.

Hiashi and Hishi will have to stay here until the coffin is laid to rest and the burial takes place early tomorrow morning. Only then will their mission be truly complete.

While the elders were busy for the past two days, Neji was taken care of by his older brother, Shinichi Hyuga. However, Shinichi didn't really need to put in much effort. Because of his younger sister Hinata, the family always employed maids, and Neji was also capable of taking care of himself. Shinichi only needed to keep Neji from getting bored.

This is incredibly simple. Just let Neji expend his excess energy and stamina in the dojo, and the kid will naturally ask to rest.

"Neji, go back and have lunch, then rest for a while. I'll be checking on your training this afternoon."

On the way home, Shinichi said to Neji behind him, which immediately made Neji's face fall.

"Big brother...no..." Before he could finish uttering his refusal, Neji could only nod obediently, seeing Shinichi Hyuga's unyielding gaze.

"Okay... I'll try my best."

Neji's understanding and obedience made Shinichi feel a little sorry for him. He gently patted Neji's head and, adopting a mature demeanor, said earnestly:

"Neji, this is all for your own good."

"Brother, I... don't want to meet you in the ancestral hall in the future."

"Even for us Hyuga, we need to work hard to survive in this world."

Shinichi's words made Hyuga Keisuke, the bodyguard following behind him, tremble. As a fellow member of the Hyuga clan and someone who had experienced the battlefield, he deeply empathized with Shinichi's words.

While feeling gratified by Shinichi's mature mind, he also glanced at Neji with a hint of envy.

With such a senior elder brother protecting him, this kid from the branch family is really lucky!

Back home, Shinichi Hyuga took Neji to see his mother, Hanako, who was teaching Hinata how to hold a pen and write.

Before she turns three, Shinichi's younger sister will not receive any ninja training. She will only gradually come into contact with ninjas after her third birthday.

Furthermore, due to Shinichi's existence, Hiashi and Hanako did not have high expectations for Hinata and did not place the hope of "reviving the clan" on her. Naturally, they doted on their daughter.

It's not about discrimination against women, but in a traditional family like the Hyuga, the preference for sons over daughters is unavoidable.

Hanako only hopes that her daughter can grow up healthy and have the ability to protect herself; that's enough.

"Brother is back!"

"Oh~ Neji-nii is here too!"

Hearing the door open, Hinata saw Shinichi and Neji, immediately dropped her pen, cheered happily, and leaped up in front of Shinichi.

It's hard to imagine that a two-year-old could jump up, but Shinichi was used to it and squatted down slightly to hold his little sister in his arms.

Feeling Shinichi's warm embrace, Hinata smiled broadly, hooked her arms around Shinichi's neck, and turned to Hanako, saying, "Mother, I'm not writing anymore!"