Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 217 Brothers Break Apart

Hyuga Hizashi was very efficient. After spending three days getting used to his transplanted eyes, he informed his elder brother and the main family that he was going to the Eastern Front.

Hyuga Hiashi and several other members of the main clan were very pleased with this, as they had long wanted Hyuga Hizashi to go to the front lines to oversee the clansmen.

There was no other way; the clan's scornful gaze was being watched by too many people, not just those outside the village, but even some within the village. Leaving the village was too dangerous.

Therefore, large-scale missions, especially war missions, are usually led by the head of a branch family.

For example, the Hyuga clan also participated in the First Shinobi World War, led by their clan leader, and died on the battlefield.

This Shinobi World War was supposed to have been fought after Hyuga Hizashi became the head of the branch family, but Hyuga Hizashi's previous performance was too ineffective.

Now that Hyuga Hizashi has regained his spirits, they naturally wouldn't refuse, and even held a banquet to see him off.

All the clansmen still within the clan's territory came, even the infants were brought over.

Some people in Konoha knew about this, but no one paid attention to it, and no one monitored or observed it.

Are you kidding me? You dare to spy on the Hyuga clan? Are you tired of living?

In this isolated and secluded setting, the banquet proceeded smoothly. However, halfway through, the strongest member, Hiashi Hyuga, suddenly sensed something was wrong. His wine glass slipped from his hand and his body became weak and powerless.

"poisonous!"

Startled, Hiashi Hyuga looked up and saw that most of the people present were staggering and falling to the ground. Some had already fallen, but at first he just thought they were drunk and didn't pay much attention.

But now it seems that she has been drugged. Then she suddenly realized that her younger brother sitting next to her was perfectly normal and was still calmly drinking his wine.

"Hizashi!"

Looking at his younger brother in disbelief, Hyuga Hiashi knew perfectly well that it was his brother who had poisoned him.

"Brother, there's no need to be nervous. The medicine I used isn't lethal. The antidote is inside this smoke bomb. I'll pull it open after I leave, and the poison will be neutralized quickly."

Hyuga Hizashi's expression remained calm; he had made his decision and would not hesitate any longer.

"Don't use your eyes. Since you've chosen to hide, then keep hiding. This time I'll only take the children of the clan, giving them a free future. I've had enough of this lifeless, hopeless clan."

"What do you know?"

His face darkened, and Hyuga Hiashi realized that he had underestimated his younger brother. After years of silence, this brother had suddenly done this to him.

"These are just some speculations, but I'm not interested in paying attention to them. I just want to leave with the children. You can handle the aftermath, brother. I wish you success in achieving what you want to do."

Hyuga Hizashi had been thinking a lot these past few days. Combining the information given by Kumogakure and the strange things he noticed in his brother's hands, he had some guesses in his mind.

But that's none of my business, and I don't want to verify anything.

"where are you going?"

Suppressing his anger, Hiashi Hyuga couldn't understand why his younger brother had suddenly changed like this.

"A place where there is freedom!"

Hyuga Hizashi downed the sake in his cup in one gulp, leaving behind a shadow clone to wait for the antidote smoke bomb to be detonated before standing up and leaving.

"Did you kill Xuanhuo?"

Hyuga Hizashi paused, then suddenly asked a question.

Although he didn't manage things much before, he was very clear about many things, such as the mysterious disappearance of Xuanhuo.

Hiashi Hyuga had a gloomy face and remained silent, but Hizashi Hyuga had already received the answer, the answer he least wanted.

My brother has changed; he's even started killing his own people.

This further strengthened their resolve to lead their clan to Kumogakure. The future of the Hyuga clan was becoming increasingly hopeless and perilous, and leaving with these children was the best option.

Hyuga Keiko glanced at her husband and directed the branch family ninjas to carry away the unconscious clansmen according to the list he had prepared. These were mainly children and women; they needed to save as many clansmen as possible.

This list was drafted by Hyuga Hizashi after three days and nights of tireless work, taking into account all aspects and ensuring there were absolutely no problems before it was finalized.

Hiashi Hyuga could only watch helplessly as the branch family ninjas acted, his gaze finally shifting to his younger brother's shadow clone beside him, and the smoke bomb containing the antidote in his hand.

He wanted to seize it, but his body was weak and sore, and he could not even refine his chakra. Although the burst of his eye power was not affected, his eyes were undergoing a transformation. He was not sure what impact it would have on the transformation if he were to unleash his eye power.

It would be a loss to interrupt the evolution of the eye.

On the other side, Hyuga Hizashi led everyone to a huge wine cellar in the clan. Most of the wine jars inside had been moved to the banquet, and the empty spaces were inscribed with complex sealing techniques. All the Hyuga clan members he brought stood on the techniques.

At the center of the jutsu is a large red gourd, one of the Six Paths Ninja Tools, the Red Gourd. It has been further modified to create a barrier inside, expanding the space to temporarily accommodate the Hyuga clan members here.

Uchiha Hikaru stood beside the red gourd with six Uzumaki ninjas. With the help of the six Uzumaki ninjas' chakra, the sealing technique was completed, sealing everyone inside the red gourd, leaving only Hyuga Hizashi and Uchiha Hikaru.

Seeing that all his clansmen had been taken away, Hyuga Hizashi threw out dozens of kunai, smashing the surrounding wine jars and letting the wine spill out. Finally, he threw out an explosive tag to set the wine on fire, burning everything there, including the smell.

"Let's go!"

Before the flames could spread, Uchiha Hikaru, who had carried the red gourd on his back, placed his hand on Hyuga Hizashi's shoulder and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to take him away.

Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he teleported repeatedly, disregarding chakra depletion, and arrived near the eastern front in one breath.

"Once everything is ready, infuse the chakra into the incantation, and I'll be there immediately."

Uchiha Hikaru handed a Flying Thunder God kunai to Hyuga Hizashi, and then used the Flying Thunder God technique to leave.

Although the red gourd can hold people, the air inside is limited, not to mention that most of the people inside are children, or even infants. They must reach the submarine prepared by the village as soon as possible to release the people.

Meanwhile, that shameless villain was also there waiting to remove the Caged Bird Seal from these Hyuga clan members.

"What a convenient ninjutsu!"

Hyuga Hizashi couldn't help but sigh as he watched Uchiha Hikaru suddenly disappear.

"I hope you will make the right choice in the end."

Looking towards the camp, he whispered something and then used his teleportation technique to run away quickly.

He needed to take the female tribespeople away before the village realized what was happening; as for the male tribespeople, there was no way he could take them.

In the Hidden Cloud Village, women, who are mostly gentle and weak, are much easier to control than men. Once a family is established, a woman will generally follow her husband closely.

Men are generally more rational and more likely to have other ideas.

In particular, the suppression of the Caged Bird Seal and the attitude of the main family towards the branch family, especially the male members of the clan being targeted and suppressed by the main family, caused the branch family ninjas to have mental problems long ago, even though they themselves had many problems in their hearts back then.

These suppressed problems can easily get out of control once they erupt; he can't let the hidden dangers pass, causing harm to everyone.

Moreover, if anyone really had any ideas, given the attitude and style of the Hidden Cloud Village, their fate would definitely be terrible, so it's better not to bring them along.

"Thank goodness you've finally made it through."

After reviewing the appointment letter handed to him by Hyuga Hizashi, confirming that it was his teacher's notes and that it also had special markings, Jiraiya welcomed Hyuga Hizashi's arrival.

He had heard some things about Hyuga Hizashi, that he was blinded by the Third Raikage and never recovered, and that it was a good thing that he was able to get out of this mess.

The Hyuga ninjas on this front are all in a bad mental state, and he can't change it. It's great that Hyuga Hizashi, the head of the Hyuga branch family, was able to come.

"War seems to be about to begin. I need to gather my people as soon as possible to find out what's going on."

Hyuga Hizashi spoke indifferently, indicating that he would gather his clansmen as soon as possible.

"I will immediately order the Hyuga ninjas who are out there to return."

Jiraiya didn't think much of it and immediately ordered the summoning of the Hyuga ninjas. He did need Hyuga Hizashi to motivate them and boost their morale.

That would not only enhance the Hyuga ninja's ability to perform, but also motivate other ninjas.

Otherwise, facing those expressionless faces every day, especially those stark white eyes, would be too unsettling.

The ninjas were very efficient; all the Hyuga ninjas on the front lines were summoned that very night.

After giving a passionate speech to all his clansmen, Hyuga Hizashi led more than two hundred female clansmen to a large house according to the pre-arranged list.

The number of female ninjas in the ninja world is relatively small, roughly one to two compared to men, and the Hyuga clan is no exception.

The Hyuga clan dispatched a total of 700 ninjas to the front lines this time, most of whom were only Chunin level, and women accounted for about one-third of them, which is the current group.

Repeating the previous steps, he used the Flying Thunder God Technique to summon Uchiha Hikaru, and then used the Red Gourd to take away these clansmen.

No one in the camp noticed anything unusual, and Jiraiya didn't assign anyone to keep an eye on things.

After all, that's the Hyuga clan with the Byakugan. No one can monitor the Byakugan, so they're bound to be discovered.

Besides, we're all on the same side, and there's the teacher's appointment letter, so there won't be any problems.

But then a problem arose. Before dawn the next day, Jiraiya, who had been dragged out of bed, was completely bewildered when he saw the intelligence that had been delivered.

"What? Hizashi Hyuga has betrayed us?"

What the hell is going on?

"The information came from the village. Hyuga Hizashi poisoned and controlled Hyuga last night, and took some of the clan members away."

I had someone check it out before, and those Hyuga female ninjas who were specifically taken away for questioning last night are all gone. The room was also sprayed with a special liquid, so even the Inuzuka clan's ninja dogs couldn't detect any special scent from it.

Mitarashi Shishou said helplessly. He understood that this was another problem with the ninja clans, especially the Hyuga clan with its bizarre system. He was not surprised that such an incident had occurred.

At this moment, Yuhi Makoto, Hatake Sakumo, Nara Shikaku, and others who had been notified rushed over, all with solemn expressions.

What are your thoughts?

Jiraiya rubbed his face, then sat up straight, signaling everyone to share their thoughts on the matter, as he still didn't understand it.

It was Mitarashi Shishou who spoke first.

"First of all, judging from the information from the village and the current situation, Hyuga Hizashi's betrayal was premeditated, and he came from the village too quickly. Either he has space ninjutsu, or one of the people in the village or the one we saw last night was a fake identity."

I prefer space-time ninjutsu; it's not easy to take so many people away from a village silently.

Another question is, where is Hyuga Hizashi taking so many people? Are they leaving the ninja world, or are they going to join a certain ninja village? If it's the latter, I think Kumogakure is the most likely suspect.

"According to intelligence, they took away children and women, which is consistent with the Cloud Village's past practice of doing this kind of thing."

Nara Shikaku added that he also believed it was the work of the Hidden Cloud Village.

"That must be Kumogakure (Hidden Cloud Village)."

Jiraiya was so angry his teeth ached. The war hadn't even officially started yet, and the enemy was already launching one attack after another.

First they kidnapped Koizumi, and now they've colluded with so many members of the Hyuga clan to betray them.

This wasn't just a case of those people betraying them; the remaining Hyuga ninjas had also become untrustworthy, which was fatal to their front line.

"Prepare for battle; they're coming."

Sakumo Hatake suddenly said something, then walked out carrying his ninja sword.

"Quickly, get all our men on high alert!"

Jiraiya realized what was happening, his expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly shouted out an order.

This is the most chaotic time for them. The problems with the Hyuga ninjas have far-reaching effects, and the Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Mist Village will never let this opportunity slip by.

Indeed, after the Hidden Cloud Village and Hyuga Hizashi had made their arrangements, Tamura Hao, having received the memories transmitted back by the shadow clone, went to discuss with Yagura Karatachi and others, gathering forces for a surprise attack.

"Hikaru, keep an eye on Minato Namikaze, don't let him cause trouble."

As they approached the Konoha camp, Tamura Hiroshi spoke to Uchiha Hikaru through his Thunder God clone.

"Um!"

She nodded. This was a battlefield, and she would naturally obey orders. This was something they always agreed on before each battle.

As for the energy expenditure last night, with that shameless villain continuously providing chakra through the Eight Thousand Spears Inscription, she herself didn't experience much energy depletion; she was just a little tired from not sleeping all night.

"We'll hold them off. Hao, find an opportunity to extract eye power from the Hyuga ninjas and cripple as many of them as possible."

The Thor clone, under control, looked at Tamura Hiroshi and calmly gave the order.

"yes!"

Tamura Hao accepted the order with a serious expression, and then used his Thunder God clone to give orders to the others based on the environment and the response of the Konoha ninjas.

Seeing this scene, Yagura and the others nearby became even more certain that this Raijin's status in Kumogakure was extraordinary, and he might even be the next Raikage.

Didn't you see that even Ai Yotsuki, the son of the Raikage, obeys orders?

"Prepare the Tailed Beast Ball."

Finally, Tamura Hao controlled his Thunder God clone to look at Yagura and the others. They needed to use the Tailed Beast Ball to break through the defenses established by Konoha and then attack.

"Leave it to us!"

Yagura nodded, then activated the Three-Tails' chakra within the seal, causing the crimson Tailed Beast Cloak to cover his body.

The three of them, Ao and his companions, also drew upon the tailed beast chakra to form a tailed beast cloak. Standing beside Yagura, they opened their ferocious mouths and gathered chakra together to create a tailed beast ball.

The Hidden Mist Jonin, including Kusanagi no Yato, stood guard beside the four to prevent Konoha ninja from interfering.

Tamura Hao immediately absorbed and devoured all the Flying Thunder God Technique seals of Minato Namikaze that he sensed around him.

He once obtained a piece of Minato Namikaze's flesh and chakra, which he then gave to the Ten-Tails to devour. This was not only to acquire Minato's chakra talent, but also to counter the Flying Thunder God Technique that Minato had set up.

The Flying Thunder God Technique is based on the formula; it cannot be performed if the formula is destroyed.

Minato Namikaze could sense the Flying Thunder God Technique he had set up, and so could Hiroshi Tamura, who could then destroy or absorb it.

"He's sabotaging the Flying Thunder God Technique I set up there."

Seeing the flashing golden light and sensing the decreasing spell, Minato Namikaze's expression changed slightly.

After arriving here, he set up the Flying Thunder God Technique around him, only in this way could he bring out his own advantages.

But now the opponent has ruined it in advance. If I want to use the Flying Thunder God Technique here again, I will have to use the Flying Thunder God Kunai.

However, this creates a pattern, making it easy for the other party to see through it and even target them.

"An extremely terrifying chakra appeared one kilometer ahead; it was truly frightening."

At this moment, the sensory ninja behind suddenly spoke in horror. The chakra he sensed was too terrifying; he had never seen such terrifying chakra before.

"That's a Tailed Beast Ball. We must take the initiative and not let them use the Tailed Beast Ball to break through our defenses."

Jiraiya immediately guessed what it was, decisively gave the order, and was the first to rush out, absorbing natural energy to activate Sage Mode.

After fusing with that bead, not only was his body transformed, but his body also contained a vast amount of immortal energy, which could quickly guide natural energy to activate immortal mode.

Furthermore, as long as his chakra is not exhausted, Sage Mode can be maintained indefinitely, which is much stronger than before.

This is also the source of his confidence in fighting against the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki. According to the Great Toad Sage, Sage Mode itself can suppress the Tailed Beast Ball, or at least delay its explosion and knock it away.

The group had no choice but to temporarily abandon their defenses and charge forward. With a powerful weapon like the Tailed Beast Ball, their defenses couldn't hold them off.

Jiraiya, who was at the forefront, quickly spotted the four monsters radiating crimson chakra, and was taken aback by their sheer number.

"Four Jinchuriki of Tailed Beasts?"

Doesn't Kirigakure only have two tailed beasts?

Could it be that the Hidden Cloud Village brought their two Tailed Beast Jinchuriki with them?

"Teacher, Kurama said it was the Three-Tails. It seems that the other party also cut off the Three-Tails' tail, thus creating a weakened Tailed Beast Jinchuriki."

Minato Namikaze spoke rapidly, referring to what Kurama had just told him.

"Cut off the tail to create a tailed beast jinchūriki?"

Jiraiya frowned, but did not stop. He raised his right hand to create the Rasengan he had learned from his disciple, and infused it with Sage Mode energy and Lava Release chakra.

"Immortal Technique·Relting Release·Da Jade Rasengan!"

A golden-red Rasengan appeared in his hand, radiating intense heat.

"Wasn't wind-style chakra infused?"

Looking at the oversized golden-red Rasengan, Tamura Hao was certain that it was not the Sage Art: Lava Release Rasengan Shuriken that Naruto would use in the future. Without the infusion of wind attribute, it also lacked the cutting attribute, but its power was still not to be underestimated.

He controlled the Thor clone to swing Thor's hammer rapidly, finally aiming it at Jiraiya who was charging towards him.

Jiraiya only felt a black flash of lightning, too fast for him to react. He only had time to raise the Sage Art: Lava Release - Great Rasengan in front of him.

(End of this chapter)