My Villainous Life Starting with Naruto

Chapter 135 The Cause of a Certain Incident

It was a cold day when Hinata Yuto returned to the village.

The village did not organize villagers to go out to welcome them. After the ninjas who withdrew from the western front entered the village, they went directly to the Hokage Building to report for duty, were reassigned to new positions, and were given time to recuperate in preparation for the New Year.

As the vice commander, Hyuga Yuto naturally had to be the first to meet the Hokage.

In the office, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood by the window with his hands behind his back, his figure noticeably hunched over.

Time finally began to ravage this ninjutsu doctor. His beloved student left the village, he fought a series of battles, and he suppressed the unruly ninja clans within the village. In the second year of the Fourth Shinobi World War, a large patch of Hiruzen Sarutobi's hair had turned white.

"Yuto." The Hokage didn't turn around, just puffed on his pipe.

"How's it going at the front?"

Hyuga Yuto relayed Uchiha Kohei's instructions:

"Lord Hokage, the Rain Country troops are all safe and sound, but the Uchiha seem very worried about Tsukuyomi."

"Tsukuyomi? He is indeed a troublesome guy. First, there was the Byakugan, then the Wood Release. Sooner or later, he will probably target the Sharingan. The Uchiha's worries are not without reason."

"Lord Hokage, because of the Moon Goddess, the bloodline limit clans on the front lines are filled with unease. What I see with my eyes are warriors terrified of death... They may not be afraid of death, but no one can calmly face the guillotine that could fall at any moment!"

Upon hearing Hyuga Yuto's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent at first, then asked a strange question:

"Yuto, you haven't returned to your clan's territory yet, have you?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama, I came here as soon as possible."

"You can go back now."

"...Yes, Hokage-sama."

Hyuga Yuto accepted the order, a hint of doubt in his mind—was Sarutobi Hiruzen angry? What did I say wrong? This shouldn't be the case…

However, just as he turned around, the Hokage's voice suddenly rang in his ears again:

"Come here again at three o'clock tonight, away from everyone. At that time, you might understand why I called you here."

Although Hyuga Yuto was puzzled, he still bowed and left the Hokage Building.

He first went to say hello to Tsunade before returning to the Hyuga clan's territory.

Within the clan's territory, order remained intact.

The ninja clan, with its main family and branch family system, could never be associated with "lively" in any way.

The hierarchy was rigid and as old-fashioned as a rotting tree. Most of the time, the clan's territory was eerily quiet, as if no one was alive.

However, this time, because of Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Yuto Hyuga carefully observed his clansmen and discovered that beneath the oppressive atmosphere lay an emotion called "excitement".

Excitement?

Hyuga Yuto frowned.

Is it because the village has intensified its "anti-discrimination policy"?

The thought crossed his mind, but it seemed somewhat unlikely.

Thinking about it was pointless. Hyuga Yuto shook his head and returned home, planning to ask the Third Hokage for clarification at three in the morning.

However, just as the sun was setting, Hiashi Hyuga suddenly sent someone over.

Thinking to himself, "I'll gouge your eyes out in two years," Hyuga Yuto appeared respectful and gentle as he followed the messenger to the clan chief's house.

"Come closer to me, Yuto." Hiashi pointed to the tatami mat in front of him:

"I have something to ask you."

"Yes, clan leader." Hyuga Yuto sat not far from Hiashi, and heard the sound of a heavy wooden door being slammed shut.

Inside the room, Hiashi, draped in a white cloak, looked at Yuto, something seemingly burning deep within his eyes:

"You've fought the Moon Goddess?"

"Yes, but I was not strong enough and was defeated almost instantly."

"Does the Moon Goddess's moves really have elements of Gentle Fist?"

"Yes." Hyuga Yuto knew he couldn't hide it any longer.

"He has a habit of relaxing his finger joints at a slight angle when he speaks, starting from his ring finger and ending with his thumb and little finger. This is a habit he has developed through years of practicing soft boxing."

Hiashi Hyuga clenched his fist tightly as he lowered his head, his gaze burning even more intensely:

"Yuto, do you think Miko is dead?"

"Chief, I'm not familiar with Miss Miko..."

"You just need to express your thoughts."

"I don't believe that Miss Miko was killed. If she wanted to kill us, the Moon Goddess could have killed any one of us in that dense forest. But Miss Miko just disappeared, and there are no signs of a battle at the place where she disappeared."

"Just as I thought, Tsukishima is a member of the Hyuga clan, and he captured Miko... Could he really be Shinji?" Hiashi closed his eyes and uttered words that greatly surprised Hyuga Yuto:

"There's a greater than 90% chance that he is Shinji."

"The family will contact him... solely on behalf of Hinata's will."

Hyuga Yuto narrowed his eyes and made a reaction most befitting his identity:

"Clan Chief!" He stood up, looking at Hiashi with disbelief.

"You're colluding with the enemy, are you... planning to betray the village?"

"Don't put it so harshly. The Hyuga will always be a loyal ally of Konoha and the Hokage. We will not betray the oath we made when the village was founded. However, it is also my duty as the clan head to contact the lost children."

Their pure white eyes met in mid-air, and slowly, Hyuga Yuto lowered his head:

"...But, Chieftain, the Moon Goddess is an enemy the village must kill."

"Shinji is a member of the Hyuga clan, and from the main branch." Hyuga Hiashi's tone suddenly turned serious.

"Family first, then village."

Hyuga Yuto took a deep breath and said nothing more.

He understood the reason for the excited atmosphere within the clan territory.

After the abduction of Hyuga Yoshiko, the fact that "Tsukigami is Shinji" is almost a certainty, which is undoubtedly good news for the Hyuga clan.

—The Byakugan can also gain new powers in some way, just like the Sharingan!

"Yuto, actually, even if we don't do it, the village will take action." Hiashi calmed down:

"The fact that Shinji didn't kill Miko proves that he hasn't severed his past ties, which means there's still room for negotiation."

"Since they can negotiate and trade, the village must have more leverage than the family."

"After all, if Shinji wants the Sharingan... it's very difficult for the clan to obtain it."

"Yuto, you're a smart man. For your own sake and for the sake of your clan, from now on, you will monitor the Hokage Building's operations."

"After all, you are a direct descendant of the master and disciple lineage, and they trust you."

……

At three in the morning, the temperature was even lower than during the day due to the snow, so Hyuga Yuto put on another layer of clothing before arriving at the office as agreed.

Inside the room, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood with his hands behind his back, seemingly having not moved all day.

"Yuto, unlike other young ninjas, you always manage to think about problems from a higher level."

He got straight to the point:

"I know that deep down, you put the village before the family."

"Moreover, you, who were once known as the 'Hyuga Jewel,' are deeply trusted by the Hyuga main family."

"So... from now on, you will be monitoring the Hyuga clan's activities."

(End of this chapter)