thefictionvixens Chapter 473 Lord Jiraiya, something terrible has happened! The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki has defected!
Chapter 473 Lord Jiraiya, something terrible has happened! The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki has defected!
Chapter 473 Lord Jiraiya, something terrible has happened! The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki has defected!
Late at night.
Konoha Village was shrouded in tranquility. The hustle and bustle of the day seemed to have subsided, leaving only the scattered streetlights emitting a dim yellow glow, outlining the silent contours of the buildings.
Most of the houses were dark, with only some night markets still lit up. The entire village of Konoha resembled a giant beast sleeping in the night.
Hyuga Hiashi walked with slightly unsteady steps on the bluestone path leading back to the clan's territory.
The cool night breeze brushed against his slightly flushed cheeks, dispelling some of the effects of the alcohol.
He did drink quite a bit tonight. The gathering with old friends, Yamanaka Inoichi, seemed like a casual chat and a game of chess, but in reality, every word was witty and pointed. Every toast was a test of each other's bottom line and intentions.
Haiyi, that old fox, speaks cautiously. Although he complains, he doesn't reveal any flaws. But Rizu can sense the worry and hesitation hidden beneath his gentle exterior.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio are closely allied, and the key to changing their stance lies with Nara Shikaku.
The wisdom of the Nara clan is not only reflected in their strategies, but also in their judgment of the situation and their extreme composure in protecting the interests of their clan.
Thinking of this, the slight heat that had risen in Hiashi's heart due to the alcohol gradually cooled down, replaced by a heavy sense of contemplation.
The road ahead is long and fraught with uncertainty.
"Lord Hiashi." At the gate of the clan compound, two Hyuga branch family ninjas on duty bowed respectfully.
They wore the Hyuga clan's traditional white training uniforms, their Byakugan gleaming faintly in the night.
Hiashi waved his hand, indicating that they didn't need to be so polite, and then walked straight into the Hyuga clan's territory surrounded by high walls.
Unlike the serene elegance of the mountain clan's territory, the Hyuga clan's territory covers a larger area, with more orderly and grand buildings, exuding a solemn atmosphere with a long history.
However, beneath this authority, the once suffocatingly strict system of the main and branch families underwent radical reforms after Hinata, Hinata, became the clan head.
Without the distinction between clans and families, the new generation of children no longer had the "caged bird" mark, and the cohesion of the clan reached an unprecedented peak.
This is one of the reasons why, even though Hiashi has stepped down from the limelight, he still fully supports his daughter and actively travels between various ninja clans for her sake.
After passing through several courtyards, we arrived at the core residence belonging to the clan chief's family.
The mansion was quiet, with only the lanterns hanging under the eaves swaying gently in the night breeze.
As he passed the study, Hiashi habitually slowed his pace.
He noticed a sliver of orange light shining through the crack in the study door.
Is it so late and you're still studying?
He gently pushed open the slightly ajar door.
The study was simply and elegantly furnished, with huge bookshelves filled with scrolls and classics, and the air was filled with the faint scent of ink and old paper.
Behind the desk, a petite figure sat hunched over, her long black hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall. It was his daughter, Hinata Hyuga.
She seemed to be intently looking at an open scroll, her brows slightly furrowed, her slender fingers slowly moving along the words on the scroll, her lips gently parting as if she were silently reciting something.
The soft light shone on her profile, making her still somewhat childish yet already showing signs of beauty appear exceptionally serene and focused.
"Father, you're back?"
The slight sound of the door opening startled Hinata. She looked up and saw her father at the door. A hint of surprise flashed in his pure and innocent white eyes, which then turned into a gentle smile. Her voice was soft and sweet, with a touch of timidity.
Hearing his daughter greet him in that tone, Hiashi understood.
Now, it is the introverted, shy, and gentle Hinata who is in control of the body.
A gentle smile unconsciously appeared on his face. Slightly tipsy, he walked into the study and sat down on another cushioned chair next to the desk.
"Yes, I'm back." Hiashi, though slightly reeking of alcohol, tried to make his voice gentler than usual.
"What are you looking at so late? You need to rest and not strain your eyes," he said with concern, his gaze fixed on the scroll in his daughter's hand.
"Yes, Father." Hinata obediently replied, turning the scroll in her hand toward Hiashi so that he could see the contents.
The scroll does not contain ordinary text or ninjutsu, but rather complex diagrams of human meridians, chakra flow, and numerous dense annotations and deductions, along with some strange anatomical sketches of eye structures.
"This is—" Hiashi squinted slightly and looked closely.
With his knowledge, he immediately recognized that what was recorded on it was an in-depth study of the Hyuga clan's Byakugan and some kind of evolutionary deduction.
His ideas were bold and his ideas ingenious, even touching on areas he had never thought of or dared to explore in depth.
"This is a compilation by Menma, some deductions about the evolution of the Byakugan," Hinata explained softly, her tone tinged with admiration.
"Although much of it is still just theory, my sister told me to learn more and understand it so that I can use it in the future." Her eyes lit up slightly when she mentioned her "sister".
The older sister is naturally referring to the other personality within her body, the feisty and flamboyant Hinata from the "Limited Tsukuyomi" world.
Hearing his daughter's explanation, Hiashi smiled, the blush on his face from the alcohol seeming to deepen.
He nodded, a complex emotion in his eyes.
His greatest worry was that his daughter possessed two completely different souls or personalities.
One personality is timid and shy, like a seedling that needs careful nurturing; while the other personality is precocious, strong, and decisive, with a style of behavior that sometimes even puts pressure on him, the father.
But Hinata had once told him with certainty that there would be a way to solve their problem, which gave him a glimmer of hope.
He looked at his gentle youngest daughter, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Is she available now? I have something I'd like to talk to her about."
Hinata nodded gently upon hearing this.
She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyelids, and her whole demeanor seemed to instantly become calm and reserved.
Then, when she raised her head again, a subtle change had occurred in the expression in her pure white eyes.
It has lost some of its timidity and softness, and gained more sharpness, agility, and even a touch of nonchalance and arrogance.
Her slightly forward-leaning posture subtly changed; she leaned back, casually crossing her right leg over her left, exuding an aura completely different from before—a cool and sexy vibe.
Hinata glanced at Hiashi's still slightly flushed face and the faint smell of alcohol emanating from him, her beautiful eyebrows furrowing slightly. Her tone was direct and blunt: "Looks like Father drank quite a bit today? Did you meet up with a lot of old friends?"
Hearing Hinata still call him "father" instead of "old man" as she often did, Hiashi felt a slight warmth in his heart for no reason.
"Well, I had a drink and chatted with Inoichi from the Yamanaka clan, and also—tested the waters a bit." Hiashi didn't hide anything. He reached for the teapot on the desk, picked up an empty teacup, poured himself a slightly cool cup of tea, and took a small sip, trying to wash away the alcohol and heat in his throat.
He put down his teacup and calmly analyzed, "The alliance between the Ino-Shika-Cho clans is stronger than we imagined. Shikaku is their strategist, and Choza and Inoichi almost always listen to him. To persuade them, or even just to keep them neutral at crucial moments and prevent them from siding with the other side, the key lies with Nara Shikaku."
Hinata nodded, resting her chin on her hand, while the fingertips of her other hand gently tapped the edge of the scroll, making a "tap" sound.
A soft "click" sound.
Currently, the largest and most influential ninja clan in Konoha is undoubtedly the Hyuga clan.
The second tier consists of the Sarutobi clan and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, who are bound together.
Although the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, is no longer with us, the Sarutobi clan's heritage remains, and Asuma, that Jonin, is no pushover either.
The pig, deer, and butterfly groups are an unbreakable unit.
Further down the list, Inuya, Aburame, and Shimura are considered medium-sized businesses.
There are also small clans like Kurama and Hatake, with few members, but even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse. The family's heritage is still there. Even if only one member of the current clan, like Hatake Kakashi or Kurama Yakumo, remains, as long as they have time to grow, they will eventually become Jonin.
Being born into a ninja clan means having hundreds of years of heritage, secret techniques, resources, and connections, giving them a starting point and potential far exceeding that of ordinary ninjas.
This was also something Danzo had always coveted.
"So next," Hinata looked up at Hiashi, "what Father needs to do is continue to probe, make contact, and stabilize those ninja clans that are still observing or wary of Danzo."
"Even if we can't 'pry' them to our side, we at least can't let them side with Danzo."
Nissho nodded in approval.
Although Hinata is arrogant, her keen insight and sense of the big picture have saved him a lot of trouble and given him more confidence in the future of his clan.
Just as the father and daughter were talking in hushed tones, a soft rustling sound came from outside the study door.
Hiashi's wife, Hinata and Hanabi's mother, wore a light-colored coat and carried a softly lit paper lantern as she gently pushed open the door and entered.
She had a gentle appearance and a quiet demeanor. When she saw her husband and daughter in the study, with a faint smell of alcohol still lingering in the air, she slightly furrowed her delicate brows, her eyes revealing concern.
"Hiashi?" she said softly. "It's so late, you should get some rest. I'll go prepare some hangover tea for you. Drinking something warm will make your stomach feel better."
Then she looked at her daughter and said softly, "Don't stay up too late either, get some rest."
She always did this, silently supporting her husband and taking care of the family from behind.
A warm feeling welled up in Hiashi's heart. He stood up and smiled gently at his wife: "Yes, thank you for your trouble."
Then he turned to Hinata behind the desk and said, "Take it one step at a time."
Hinata looked quietly at her father, then glanced at her gentle mother at the door.
"Understood, Mother." She nodded.
Hijikata and his wife left the study together, gently closing the door behind them.
The study returned to silence, leaving only Hinata and the table lamp emitting an orange glow.
"How long have you been watching from the side?"
Hinata's voice suddenly rang out in the quiet study, her gaze shifting and locking onto a shadowy corner of the room.
The shadow seemed to twitch slightly, and then a figure emerged from the darkness.
The person who came in wore round-framed glasses, with slightly upturned eyes behind the lenses, and a gentle, warm smile on their face.
It was Yakushi Kabuto.
He bowed slightly to Hinata with a respectful posture: "Hinata-sama."
"I have only recently infiltrated this place myself, and I have some urgent intelligence that I believe needs to be reported to you immediately."
Hinata raised her eyes and looked at the gentle-smiling man in front of her.
She knew this man's background very well. On the surface, he was a young medical ninja at Konoha Hospital, but in reality, he was the head of Menma's spy network in Konoha. He controlled a secret and efficient intelligence network, and he was meticulous and unpredictable.
Menma had instructed him to have Yakushi Kabuto report directly to him if anything happened, so that he could coordinate with subsequent actions.
She shifted to a more relaxed sitting posture, leaning back completely against the chair back, her right hand still supporting her chin, while her left hand casually rested on the armrest of the chair, her fingertips lightly tapping.
"Oh? What information is so important that you had to come all this way in the middle of the night?" Hinata's tone seemed nonchalant.
Kabuto's lips curled slightly upward as he pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting the dim light of the lamp, obscuring his expression.
"About two hours ago, Sasuke and Naruto left the village."
Meanwhile, on a deserted and quiet street in Konoha Village.
Kakashi Hatake walked home alone, hands in his pockets, at a leisurely pace.
Her silver-white hair appeared somewhat dim under the sparse streetlights. Her headband obliquely covered her left eye, leaving her right eye half-open and half-closed, filled with lingering weariness and an indescribable emptiness.
He seemed to have done nothing all day.
Enjoying the breeze on the Hokage Rock, chatting with Yamato, watching Naruto run by, and listening to those grating rumors—
Konoha is still Konoha, but it seems like everything is different now.
A suffocating, invisible sense of constraint descended upon him like a spider web, and he was like a flying insect stuck in the web, able to see the direction of the threads but unable to find the strength or direction to break free.
As he walked absentmindedly across an intersection, a burst of energetic shouts and a rhythmic "thump, thump" sound suddenly came from ahead.
Kakashi paused, his figure blurred, and he took a few steps back, hiding behind a thick concrete utility pole by the roadside. He only peeked out half of his head, looking in the direction from which the sound came.
Under the dim streetlights not far away, two figures, one large and one small, were "walking" towards them in an extremely strenuous upside-down manner.
The tall, muscular man in front of him, wearing a green bodysuit, sporting an exaggerated watermelon-shaped haircut, and with thick eyebrows and big eyes, was his friend, Matt Kai.
At this moment, Kai's face was drenched in sweat, even glistening under the streetlights, but his eyes burned with boundless fighting spirit and passion. As he continued his handstand, he encouraged his disciples behind him in a booming voice: "Come on, Li! Today's five hundred handstand laps around the village, only two laps left!"
"Don't slack off! Your hard work won't betray your youth!"
"Let your passion burn as fiercely as the summer night breeze!"
Following behind Kai was Rock Lee, who was also wearing a green bodysuit, had a watermelon-shaped hairstyle, and equally thick eyebrows.
Xiao Li's face was flushed red from the handstand and strenuous exercise, and sweat dripped from his chin and nose like a stream, splashing a small wet patch on the ground.
But he gritted his teeth, his eyes fiercely resolute, and responded just as loudly to his teacher's encouragement: "Yes! Teacher Kai!"
"I will never give up! I will become a ninja as strong as you, one who radiates the same youthful brilliance!"
"To—to catch up with that man's silhouette! I will definitely persevere!"
"This is—youth!!"
That man?
Kakashi raised an eyebrow slightly.
Then I realized that the "man" Xiao Li mentioned was probably referring to Menma.
Menma was the top student at the Ninja Academy, and it seems that Rock Lee has regarded Menma as his goal since his time at the Ninja Academy.
After the Konoha Collapse Plan, Menma's identity was exposed, but Lee was not discouraged; instead, he became even more passionate.
Watching this almost eccentric master and disciple, shouting the slogan of "youth" in the quiet of the night, sweating profusely as they walked upside down, Kakashi's eyebrows twitched.
The heavy mood in my heart seemed to be slightly diluted by the dazzling scene.
Kai and Xiao Li's world is always so simple and straightforward, filled with sweat, hard work, and an indomitable spirit.
And he—
Kakashi let out a soft breath and completely shrank behind the telephone pole to avoid being discovered by the master and apprentice.
If Kai catches you wandering around late at night, he will definitely launch all sorts of strange challenges without explanation, such as a "late-night ramen-eating contest while upside down".
Right now, he really has no interest in dealing with it whatsoever.
As the energetic shouts and the "thump-thump" of someone being turned upside down gradually faded into the distance and finally disappeared at the other end of the street, Kakashi finally emerged from behind the telephone pole.
He stood there, gazing at the deserted street. The evening breeze brought a chill and a sense of loneliness.
He shook his head, started walking again, and headed towards his apartment.
However, he stopped again after taking only a few steps.
In the shadows ahead, a tall figure blocked his path.
Kakashi raised his head, his right eye under his forehead guard narrowing slightly as he looked at the newcomer.
Long white hair, a red coat, and a forehead protector with the character "油" (oil) on it.
It is Jiraiya.
"Lord Jiraiya?" Kakashi was somewhat surprised.
It's so late, why is Jiraiya waiting for me here?
Jiraiya nodded, skipped the pleasantries, and looked directly at Kakashi, asking bluntly, "Kakashi, did you go to the Third Training Ground today?"
"Or rather, where were you between afternoon and evening?"
His question was somewhat abrupt, and his tone seemed a bit urgent.
Kakashi tilted his head, seemingly puzzled by the question, but still answered truthfully, "The Third Training Ground?"
"no."
He paused, then added, "I spent most of the day on the observation deck above the Hokage Rock with Yamato. Later, he left, and I was there alone, enjoying the scenery and the breeze, until it got dark before I left."
"It was almost dark when I left the observation deck."
Upon hearing Kakashi's answer, Jiraiya's expression changed slightly. "Isn't it Kakashi?"
He believed Kakashi wouldn't lie about something like this.
But if it's not Kakashi, then who could it be?
Konoha has very few Jonin with powerful genjutsu abilities, and Kakashi also has a three-tomoe Sharingan.
Could it be—Uchiha Sasuke?
Has that boy grown up to be this age?
Kakashi noticed the change in Jiraiya's expression and stepped forward, asking in a low voice, "Lord Jiraiya, what happened?"
He had a vague sense of unease.
Jiraiya opened his mouth, about to say something.
But at that moment...
Whoosh!
A figure descended from the sky, landing on the street between the two, and knelt on one knee before Jiraiya.
The newcomer was dressed in the standard uniform of the Dark Division and wore an animal mask, but his breathing was rapid, indicating that he had come at great speed.
"Lord Jiraiya!" the ANBU ninja cried out in alarm, "Naruto Uzumaki! The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—he's defected!"
"What?!"
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