My Villainous Life Starting with Naruto

Chapter 6 The Heart of Great Love: Hyuga no Tama

For the village ninjas, getting an audience with the Hokage wasn't actually that difficult.

Especially for someone like Hyuga Yuto, who has just returned to the ninja village after completing a mission, it is perfectly normal for him to report to the leader.

After being led into the Hokage's office by an Anbu member wearing a dog-face mask, Hyuga Yuto knelt on one knee and respectfully said:

"Greetings, Hokage!"

Inside the room, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was over fifty years old, slowly turned around. He was wearing the Hokage robe, smoking a pipe, and his hair was already gray. He didn't look like the Hokage of a village, but more like a short and thin uncle next door.

But Hyuga Yuto knew that at this age, Hiruzen Sarutobi was at the tail end of his peak as a ninja, with powerful combat strength, and was undoubtedly the number one combat force in Konoha at this time!

Sixteen years later, when Orochimaru attacked the village, Hiruzen Sarutobi's body was already in decline. Even without using the Reaper Death Seal, he was exhausted and had no chance of surviving more than a few days after the battle.

As the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi was not only incredibly powerful in battle, but also possessed wisdom and skill far exceeding that of ordinary people. During his reign, powerful ninja clans gradually became subdued and obeyed the will of the "Kage." Geniuses also emerged continuously in Konoha, creating a thriving village.

Praising him as a "hero" is not flattery.

"Yuto, get up, don't kneel." Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a smoke ring, looking at the boy who had stood up.

"The barrier team reported that they only detected your chakra."

"I'm so sorry, Hokage-sama." Hyuga Yuto stood up, his handsome face showing obvious pain.

"Tetsujiro Sugisaki, Mahiro Sato, Reiro Yamagata, Eiji Hirahara... all of them are dead. The special raid reconnaissance squad is now down to just me."

"Sugisaki Tetsujiro is gone too." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed softly.

"Senior Tetsujiro was surrounded by Cloud Village ninjas and couldn't escape... Hokage, this is the scroll."

Hyuga Yuto handed over the cylinder.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took it, tapped it lightly a few times in front of Yuto Hyuga, used a special seal to break the seal, and then read it carefully.

Throughout the entire process, Hyuga Yuto kept his head down, not even glancing around or moving his fingers.

Judging that Hiruzen Sarutobi had seen enough, Yuto Hyuga finally spoke, reciting the "mission summary" that he had already rehearsed dozens of times in his mind:

"The first half of the mission went very smoothly."

"We arrived at the Land of Hot Springs and retrieved the information from the agreed-upon cave, but we ran into trouble on the way back."

"Within the Land of Hot Water, we were ambushed by the Hidden Cloud Ninja, and the pursuers kept coming. We could only move towards the border of the Land of Fire while fighting off the attacks. But unexpectedly, the other side also dispatched Jonin..."

What Hyuga Yuto said was 99% true. Apart from the most crucial part, "the sudden attack on Sugisaki Tetsujiro," he didn't hide anything. He even described in detail the locations where those Konoha ninjas died.

After that, Konoha's Anbu will clean up the mess. As Hyuga Yuto said today, they will go to that location to collect the bodies of the fallen ninjas, dissect them, examine them carefully, and use their experience to recreate the scene of that day.

This is the rule, and also procedural justice. Every ninja village has a similar system of accountability; it's impossible to believe whatever a subordinate says.

After Yuto Hyuga finished speaking, seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi did not react, he obediently stood still.

Throughout the entire process, his gaze remained fixed on his toes.

"After you leave here, go assist the Anbu with the investigation," Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly said.

"Sugisaki Tetsujiro was a Jonin. The death of someone like him must be recorded in a separate ninja record. There can't be any mistakes."

"Yes, Hokage-sama, I understand. I will cooperate with the Anbu."

"Good... As expected of the Treasure of Hyuga, Yuto, you may be young, but you already handle problems like an adult." Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly smiled and handed the scroll to Yuto Hyuga:

"Look, the elders of the Hyuga clan are very knowledgeable; you should be able to understand."

The handsome young man nodded, understanding the value of the information after only a few glances:

"Food prices in the Land of Lightning continue to rise... Is war about to break out?"

"Yeah, those warmongers from Kumogakure are going to stir up trouble again."

"Victory will surely belong to Konoha," Hyuga Yuto said respectfully, his slogan ringing out loudly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled. Of course, he wouldn't discuss such a war between nations with a twelve-year-old member of the Hyuga branch family; he was merely using this information to start a conversation.

"This scroll is very valuable. It not only exposes the Cloud Village's intention to launch a war, but also outlines several supply lines. The Cloud Village is going to have a headache. Now that we know their location, they will definitely have to spend effort and time to reopen the supply routes."

"Not only that, during the escort of the intelligence, you also killed several enemy ninjas, including a Jonin."

"Including Sugisaki Tetsujiro, all the members of the squad except you are dead. Konoha will send the compensation for these heroes to their families, but the credit for the battle will all go to you."

"Since you became a genin, you have carried out ninety-two missions, including five A-rank missions with very high danger levels, and you have completed all of them perfectly."

"Including this one... well, all things considered, you've accumulated a considerable amount of merit."

"Go to the Anbu, Hyuga Yuto. I'll make a special exception for you. One of my Anbu captains is getting old. Considering the time, you still have time to grow."

If an ordinary Konoha ninja were here, they would be so excited that they would be at a loss for what to do. The Anbu are the Hokage's personal troops, and all the Anbu captains are Hiruzen Sarutobi's confidants. If they had the opportunity to climb to the captain's seat, they would be jumping into the middle and upper ranks of Konoha!

However, Hyuga Yuto simply lowered his head and said without the slightest hesitation:

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, I haven't thought about the reward yet... Could you allow me a few days to consider it?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't reply, but simply exhaled a smoke ring, the white smoke carrying a spicy and strange aroma drifting into every corner of the room.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was over fifty years old, felt displeasure.

—Are the rules of the Hyuga clan even stricter than those of the village?

As the ruler of Konoha, he naturally knew that Hyuga Yuto went to the Hyuga clan's territory as soon as he returned to the village. Although it was done secretly, such a small action could not be hidden from him.

"Was that the answer you were told by Hiashi Hyuga?" Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed inwardly. "Let's stall for time and find the best reward for the Hyuga clan later."

The village's interests and authority must supersede all other ninja clans; the Hyuga, Uchiha... it seems there's still a long way to go...

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi, known as the "Ninja Doctor," ultimately did not lose his composure; his magnanimity was such that he would not hold a grudge against a twelve-year-old member of the Hyuga branch family.

"Alright, that works. Take your time to think it over," Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly.

"However, Yuto, you need to give me a range. What kind of reward do you want... roughly?"

Upon hearing this, Hyuga Yuto's heart tightened instantly.

It's here! It's here! He'd finally heard those words!

There's no need for a grand, righteous answer, nor is there any need to show weariness towards the Hyuga family or resentment towards the Caged Bird Seal.

If he reveals even a small "trait" in his answer, given his identity, Hiruzen Sarutobi will definitely make a big deal out of it, and he can use this opportunity to carry out his next plan.

Your emotions, actions, and words must be carefully managed.

In the quiet Hokage's office, Hyuga Yuto remained silent for a while.

Then, for the first time, he looked up, revealing his snow-white eyes.

The voice was gentle yet firm, carrying a hint of youthful timidity and shyness.

"Lord Hokage... I was thinking, if the reward you give me can satisfy everyone in the village, that would be wonderful."

(End of this chapter)