Transmigrating as the Third Hokage: Make Konoha Great Again!

009 Hyuga Hizashi's belated realization: the value of his ANBU identity

Leaf.

Dark area.

Sakumo Hatake brought Hizashi Hyuga to the base.

"Here, pick a mask you like? And think of a code name."

"Since the Third Hokage has instructed me to bring you into the Anbu, you can stay with my squad for now."

"Regarding work and rules, I'll tell you some basic principles in a bit, and then we'll have a systematic training course tomorrow..."

Sakumo Hatake sat on a stool, humming an unknown tune with a samurai style from the Warring States period, while carefully wiping his chakra dagger with sword oil.

His name is 'White Fang', which is also the origin of his title 'Konoha White Fang'.

"I understand..."

Hyuga Hizashi stood in front of a row of masks, feeling dizzy and disoriented.

The day's experience felt like a dream to him.

First, a war-like firefight broke out in the village, then he was pushed out by the main family to fulfill his duty, then he endured the complicated gazes of everyone and suffered inner torment, but in the end he joined the Dark Division!

Even now, he's still a little stunned.

Add shadows...

There was no precedent for this in the Hyuga clan before.

Will the elders of the main family agree?

"Lord Sakumo, there's something I need to report to you..." Hyuga Hizashi stammered, "You know our clan's situation is special, right?"

"I can't refuse the Hokage, and I really do want to join the Anbu..."

"But I really don't know how the main family will react. Will my hasty agreement affect the relationship between the village and the Hyuga?"

After Hyuga Hizashi finished speaking, his face turned slightly red.

He really felt he wasn't manly enough. Why did he go back on his word halfway through something he had already agreed to?

But the heavy inertia of being a member of the Hyuga branch family made it impossible for him not to think about this issue...

I didn't understand what you meant.

Sakumo Hatake looked up in confusion: "Why are you thinking so much? Wasn't this a direct invitation from the Third Hokage?"

Hyuga Hizashi was speechless.

Although it was Hiruzen Sarutobi who took the initiative to invite him, what if the Hokage didn't know the main family's thoughts?

"I've heard about your main family and branch families, the Hyuga clan, a powerful clan with a thousand-year history..."

"I've also heard about Hyuga's stance, 'a village within a village,' 'absolute neutrality,' and there are rumors circulating in the village." Hatake Sakumo continued grinding his white teeth.

Am I right?

Hyuga Hizashi's eyes widened in surprise. He had thought the main family's idea was a secret, but he hadn't expected it to have already spread widely in the village.

"What's with that surprised look on your face?"

Sakumo Hatake's gaze finally settled on him, as if trying to see right through Hizashi Hyuga:

"Your branch family has been too isolated in the clan territory, with too little contact with the outside world. The village has been established for so many years, even a Chunin should know some gossip and secrets."

"One of the duties of the secret service is to collect this public opinion."

“You haven’t fully joined the Anbu yet. If you decide to leave, it’s not too late. As the squad leader, I have the authority to deem you unqualified, even if you were invited by the Third Hokage.”

Sakumo Hatake said calmly, "I hope you will fully express your concerns. If they can be resolved, great; if not, then withdraw."

"If the secret is leaked one day, the consequences will not be good."

At that moment, the white dagger gleamed coldly under the lamplight.

"I…"

"I'm worried about what I'll do if the main family doesn't agree to me joining the Dark Guard. What if the main family asks me about the Dark Guard?"

Hyuga Hizashi removed his headband, revealing a blue cross mark.

"This is the mark of the caged bird. With just a thought from the main family, my brain and eyes will turn into a puddle of mush, and no one will be able to resist it for a thousand years!"

“Death would be better than death, but the main family can use this mark to punish us. That’s a punishment far worse than death!” As he said this, fear appeared in Hyuga Hizashi’s eyes.

That was a pain that consciousness could not withstand.

When he was a child, he had experienced this firsthand for arguing with a member of the clan.

"I want to join the Anbu, to protect the village alongside Lord Sakumo and your colleagues, and to use these Byakugan eyes to spot and defeat the enemies who threaten the villagers..."

“I’m worried I’ll encounter a difficult moment. I consider myself a man, but in front of this caged bird, I’m not sure if I’m qualified.”

Hyuga Hizashi rubbed the youthful mark on his forehead vigorously: "I feel much better after telling you. Please put me through the most rigorous test according to your standards!"

Sakumo Hatake nodded and looked Hizashi Hyuga up and down.

He smiled.

"Very good, you've passed. Welcome to the Anbu, Hyuga Hizashi."

"As for the issues you mentioned, they are not problems for the Dark Division."

Sakumo Hatake said slowly, "You have seen too little of the Hyuga clan's territory and have not yet developed any understanding of the village."

Hyuga Hizashi blinked. Although he was delighted by Hatake Sakumo's affirmation, he didn't understand the meaning behind his words: "Could you...could you tell me about it?"

"As an Anbu, you are a unit directly under the Hokage, an extension of the Hokage's will."

"In Konoha, who dares to interrogate Anbu members? Even if your Hyuga main family is powerful, they wouldn't dare," Hatake Sakumo said with amusement.

"Even the Uchiha clan never considered confronting the Anbu head-on; at most, they would mutter a few curses in secret."

"The main family wants to rebel?"

Upon hearing this, Hyuga Hizashi was struck dumb.

Suddenly, a pair of white eyes opened, veins bulging in their sockets, and the pupils widened.

"What, does your Hyuga clan also have Uchiha attributes?" Sakumo Hatake asked curiously. "Your eyes react when you are emotionally stimulated?"

"I'm sorry, Lord Sakumo, I was just too excited..."

At this moment, Hyuga Hizashi suddenly realized what was happening.

That's right, whether the main family agrees or not, what difference does it make? He's already a member of the Anbu, a member of the Hokage!

There will be no interrogation, and certainly no blame, right?

After all, he had heard that the Anbu had the authority to report directly to the Hokage…

Hyuga Hizashi's thoughts raced, and after being enlightened by Hatake Sakumo, his intelligence returned to its peak: "Forget about punishment, I don't even have to do those chores I used to do for the main family anymore, right?"

"The Anbu serve the Hokage!"

Hyuga Hizashi was so excited that his body felt weak.

As a member of a separate family, how could one not have longed for freedom?

It's just that the barrier for caged birds is too thick, and no one can fly over it. Once they get used to it, they stop thinking about it.

Like a butterfly trapped in a glass bottle.

After hitting walls so many times, even if the bottle is finally opened, I no longer have the desire to try...

But unexpectedly...

This freedom, which no one in the family has ever enjoyed since the beginning of the millennium, has suddenly fallen on his head!

While the caged bird hasn't been freed, and while the bound eyes still have a blind spot...

But so what? The most crucial freedom is already here!

Hyuga Hizashi almost wanted to perform a set of Gentle Fist on the spot to express his indescribable excitement...

"No wonder the Third Hokage had me bring you into the Anbu first, instead of having you go through the normal training process..."

Sakumo Hatake said quietly, "If you talk to Danzo like that, whether you can join the Anbu is another matter, but your Hyuga clan will definitely attract his attention."

The so-called 'roots' is actually the 'dark training department'.

As the leader of the Root, Danzo Shimura was responsible for training new recruits to the Dark Guard.

In Sakumo Hatake's view, Danzo's training, though overly rigorous, was undeniably highly professional and necessary…

The problem is that 'Root' gradually became Danzo Shimura's private force, and no longer maintained a high degree of loyalty and purity towards the Hokage.

Sakumo Hatake had discussed this matter with Hiruzen Sarutobi several times, but it had been shelved for a long time.

Now, the dark area and the root area have finally merged.

Today, Hiruzen Sarutobi's speech finally made Sakumo Hatake understand.

Or perhaps it was by sheer coincidence that his doubts were met.

The reason the Hokage didn't deal with it before wasn't because he was indulging Danzo, but because he was conducting research and planning for systemic reforms to the entire village.

The previously silent Hiruzen Sarutobi actually made him feel a little cold inside.

He was loyal to the Hokage, even at the cost of offending Danzo, who was extremely powerful and senior, but he seemed to be sidelined, never responding or explaining why he left the 'Root' to its own devices.

"The Hokage's thinking is much more far-sighted..."

The thought flashed through Sakumo Hatake's mind: "The village is indeed good... I was too hasty!"

Upon hearing the name Danzo, Hyuga Hizashi's excitement immediately dissipated by more than half.

This person's title of "Darkness of the Ninja World" is not just for show...

It has a high degree of deterrence both domestically and internationally.

Sakumo Hatake explained the department's rules and origins to the new member, Hizashi: "The Anbu, short for Assassination Tactics Special Forces, is involved in missions and has all its information classified."

"The rest of the rules will be taught to you tomorrow. The two most important things are..."