Naruto: The Primal Hyuga Pierces the Shinobi World

After tidying up the dojo briefly, the group left.

As for Hinata, who had been peeking outside the door earlier, a child her age simply didn't have Neji's patience. After watching for nearly half an hour, she got tired and bored and left long ago.

Although the brother and sister are only one year apart, their very different personalities lead them to react very differently when faced with the same thing.

Only after finishing his training did Shinichi finally have time to spend with his younger siblings. His "spending time" consisted mostly of watching Neji and Hinata chase and play in their room; his job was simply to keep an eye on the two little ones so they wouldn't get hurt.

As for Hanako, she also had some rare free time. She chatted with Shinichi in her room while knitting sweaters and scarves for her son and daughter.

Hanako was the kind of extremely traditional mother Shinichi knew. Shinichi and Hinata were at the age where they were growing, and their clothes and shoes were changed almost every year. Hanako was very skilled at handicrafts, and almost all of their clothes were made by her.

The warm moments spent with his family made Shinichi truly feel that he was in a real world.

The fatigue from training gradually dissipated during casual conversations with Hanako. The deep-seated fear of the unknown future also deepened with time spent with family.

Hanako never cared how many techniques Shinichi mastered or how much his physical abilities improved during his training. What she cared about most was whether Shinichi had a happy day, and she would ask him what interesting things had happened to him.

Alternatively, they might inquire about the family situations of Shinichi's teammates, gaining a clearer understanding of Shinichi's interpersonal relationships than they would from a census.

Perhaps this is a traditional way for mothers to express their care.

The warm atmosphere vanished as Hyuga Hiashi opened the room door. In the evening, few guests arrived or left for the funeral, allowing Hiashi to escape and have a short rest.

After a brief discussion with Hizashi, Hiashi was unable to reach a satisfactory answer after talking with Orochimaru. In the end, he discussed the matter with the elders of the Hyuga clan.

The clan elder is Hyuga Shin, Hyuga Hiashi's uncle. Shinichi needs to call him Great-Grandpa. He is an old man who is much more old-fashioned than Hiashi.

Shin Hyuga, who spent his entire life experiencing war, never married or had children due to some experiences in his early years. His younger brother, Shinichi's grandfather, also died in the Ninja World War in his prime.

The Hyuga brothers, Hiashi and Higashi, are essentially the children of Shinichi Hyuga.

He dedicated his life to the Hyuga clan and held a high position within the clan. Moreover, as a ninja who survived the war years, he possessed experience and decisiveness that the younger generation could not match.

What Orochimaru said concerns the entire Hyuga clan, and even Hiashi wanted someone to help him with the planning.

The discussion naturally yielded a result, but... the solution that was reached left Hiashi Hyuga feeling heavy-hearted.

With a serious expression, Hiashi pushed open the door and entered the room. Neji and Hinata, who were playing around, turned their heads to look at the door after hearing the noise. When they saw that it was Hiashi, the two children immediately fell silent, stood up straight, and bowed respectfully to Hiashi.

The once lively room suddenly became quiet and deserted.

Forcing a smile, Hiashi glanced at Neji and Hinata, then turned to Shinichi and Hanako, beckoning to Shinichi and saying in a deep voice:

"Shinichi, come here."

Hiashi's somber expression made Hanako's heart sink. After so many years of marriage, she and Hiashi had developed a tacit understanding that no one else could match. As soon as she saw Hiashi's expression, Hanako knew that something had happened.

However... she managed to remain calm at this moment, gently patted Shinichi's arm, and said softly, "Your father is calling you, hurry up and go."

Shinichi naturally noticed this as well, got up and went to the door. Led by Hiashi, he walked out of the room.

As soon as he stepped outside, he saw Hyuga Shin and Hyuga Hizashi standing there.

It turns out that not only Hiashi, but also Hizashi and Hyuga Shin were present.

"Follow."

Hijiri didn't say much, but after giving a brief reminder, he led the way towards the study in his home.

The group moved through the darkness, and a sense of oppression permeated the air.

After entering the study and closing the door, Hiashi addressed Shinichi directly:

"Shinichi, Father, I'm going to the battlefield."

"While I'm away, you must listen to your great-grandfather, study hard, and cultivate diligently!"

"I'm entrusting the family to your care!"

Hiashi Hyuga spoke solemnly to Shinichi, his expression as if he were giving his final words, his face heavy with grief.

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

Chapter 71 The Butterfly Effect: A Change in the Situation!

"Go to the battlefield?!"

When Hiashi Hyuga suddenly told Shinichi this news, Shinichi was taken aback and didn't react for a moment. He asked in a suspicious tone.

Why would Hiashi Hyuga, the head of the Hyuga clan, suddenly need to go to the battlefield? Is there some mistake?

Why would you want to go to the battlefield?

"What has happened? Has the Hyuga clan reached a point of life and death?"

After a brief moment of surprise, Shinichi Hyuga quickly recovered, but he was still somewhat puzzled.

Although Konoha is still in the midst of the Third Shinobi World War, the surrounding situation has basically stabilized. What exists now are just small-scale probing and conflicts between ninja villages, which are merely battles fought to solidify the results of the war. The intensity is far less than that during the Third Shinobi World War.

At the height of the Third Shinobi World War, the main Hyuga clan had already joined the battle. However, at this stage, there is no need for the Hyuga main clan to intervene, because the current war cannot shake Konoha or the Hyuga clan.

But then Japan suddenly announced that it would go to the battlefield. This news came so suddenly that Shinichi was not prepared at all.

"We can't explain too much about the specifics to you."

"I called you here just to let you know about this."

"Before I return, you must listen carefully to your great-grandfather's teachings, cultivate diligently, and not slack off."

Hiashi didn't intend to explain too much to Shinichi. In his view, although Shinichi was precocious, he was still just a child and couldn't offer any help in this matter.

However, aside from Japan, Shinichi did have some guesses:

"Is it because of Lord Orochimaru?"

Everyone present was taken aback when they heard Shinichi mention Orochimaru's name.

“I saw your conversation with Lord Orochimaru.”

"I'm sorry, Father."

Shinichi didn't hide it. Although peeping was a bit outrageous, given his status, he wouldn't be punished even if he did it.

As expected, Hiashi showed no anger upon hearing Shinichi's explanation, but nodded in relief, confirming Shinichi's guess.

Shinichi Hyuga, who was standing nearby, knew quite a bit and also spoke up to explain:

"In recent years, the number of Hyuga clan members who have sacrificed their lives on the battlefield has approached two hundred."

"Judging from the number of casualties suffered by various ninja clans on various battlefields in recent years, our Hyuga clan's losses account for a significant proportion."

"Although there are other ninja clans that have suffered similar numbers of casualties as us, we, the Hyuga, are a clan with a bloodline limit. To put it bluntly, ordinary ninjas simply cannot be a match for us, the Hyuga."

"In addition, given the unique nature of the Byakugan, we Hyuga ninjas are often the focus of protection in the military, so this number of casualties is abnormal."

"Orochimaru came to the Hyuga clan's territory today. Shinichi, since you peeked, you must know what he said, right?"

"We suspect that Orochimaru is deliberately targeting the Hyuga clan and using this method to coerce them."

"Therefore, we plan to send Hiashi with his elite guards to the front lines as a commander to monitor Orochimaru!"

The sacrifice of nearly two hundred Hyuga ninjas might not seem like much to the average person at first glance, but a closer look reveals just how horrific the death toll was.

During the Fourth Shinobi World War, the five great nations, together with the samurai of the Land of Iron, could only muster a total of 8 shinobi.

With a total of six countries, even on average, each ninja village would only send around 1.3 ninjas.

Among them, the forces of the Mist Village, Sand Village, and the Land of Iron are relatively weak. Taking all factors into consideration, the forces that Konoha can mobilize in this war are only around 1.5.

Among them, three thousand ninjas belonged to the Sarutobi clan.

1.5—that's the ninja force a ninja village could mobilize at its peak.

The Third Shinobi World War was so devastating that, at this stage, the entire Hidden Leaf Village could probably only mobilize around 7000 ninja troops. These 7,000 people included ninjas from various clans, civilian ninjas, and Anbu, among other diverse backgrounds.

The Hyuga clan alone has lost nearly two hundred ninjas in the past two years, which has almost shaken the Hyuga's current foundation.

Even at their peak, the Hyuga clan could only muster a ninja force of around four thousand people.

After three brutal battles, it was already a struggle to gather 1500 ninjas; the loss of 200 ninjas was undoubtedly a heavy blow.

This situation must be stopped. Even if it is the branch family ninjas who are sacrificed, the main family and the branch family are interdependent. If the branch family is weakened to a certain extent, how can the main family survive?!

Given the Hyuga clan's power, it would be impossible for them to advise the Hokage to remove Orochimaru from his frontline leadership position. The Hokage has an advisory group as political partners, and their influence at the higher levels is even greater than that of the Hyuga clan.

More importantly, the opponent is one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, and one of the strongest ninjas in Konoha today. If we take him down as commander, there is simply no ninja who can replace him.

Unless the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, or the Fourth Hokage personally take over, but these people simply cannot replace Orochimaru based on a single word from the Hyuga clan, not to mention that they themselves hold important positions, and Jiraiya is a free spirit who is difficult even for the Third Hokage to command.

All the Hyuga clan could do was suggest to the Fourth Hokage that a warlord be dispatched to the front lines to oversee and monitor the appropriateness of Orochimaru's various orders.

In the entire Hyuga clan, the only person with this status and position to hold such a post is Hyuga Hiashi, who is also the clan leader.

He planned to personally go to the front lines to oversee Orochimaru's various actions.

As for why it couldn't be Hyuga Shin, it's because this elder of the clan is old and frail, and his strength is not as good as Hiashi's. If something unexpected really happens, Hiashi is more capable of getting out of trouble than Hyuga Shin.

In terms of strength, Hiashi Hyuga is a man who managed to escape from a siege led by Toneri!

Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Shin probably know that their clan has inadvertently been drawn into the factional struggles within the Hokage's upper echelons. Regarding the issue of "Jinchūriki safety," the Hyuga clan doesn't want to take sides, but now someone is forcing them to.

Therefore, the Hyuga clan needs to demonstrate their strength and skill, otherwise people will think they are easy to manipulate.

Shinichi was carefully considering what Hyuga Shin had said, his brows furrowed, which made Hyuga realize that his son was worried about his safety.

"Shinichi, don't worry. Although we're going to the battlefield, I won't be facing the enemy head-on."