92 Chapter 92

"Now that this matter is settled, I will carefully study the technique and let you know when I am ready," Kazuki declared, his voice confident and assured. "As for you, Minato-sama, I hope you can guide Naruto in controlling the Nine Tails. The faster Naruto learns to gain control of the Nine Tails, the stronger he will grow in the future."

With a decisive nod, Kazuki turned away, already focused on the task ahead. He didn't wait for Minato to discuss the matter with Kushina, knowing that she would agree to the plan without hesitation, especially if it meant bringing Minato back to life.

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Days passed swiftly, and the effects of the war had considerably subsided. In those few days, several significant events unfolded. Utakata, the last Jinchuriki of Kirigakure, was officially appointed as the new Mizukage. Meanwhile, both Roshi and Killer B had retreated to recover from the severe injuries they sustained during the Konoha ninja's suicide attack. It was projected that their recuperation would take more than a year to complete. As promised, the Raikage had already delivered the war reparations to Konoha. Consequently, Konoha was obligated to return Yugito as agreed, and she was currently being held in a secure location.

Kazuki was deeply engrossed in the process of extracting the last bijuu from their respective Jinchuriki. He had been at it for close to eight hours now. The Five Tails and the Three Tails had already been successfully extracted. Presently, Kazuki was working on extracting the Two Tails. However, this particular bijuu proved to be more challenging than the others. Its bond with Yugito was significantly deeper and stronger than that of the other Jinchuriki.

"Kazuki, are you alright? You know you can take a break and then continue, right?" Tsunade couldn't help but express her concern as she observed Kazuki's pale form. He had been tirelessly working for the past few hours without any breaks. Despite replenishing his chakra with special medicines, fatigue had been steadily accumulating. As a medical ninja herself, Tsunade was well aware of Kazuki's condition, and she advised her student to rest before continuing.

"It's alright, Sensei. I'm fine," Kazuki reassured her, though his voice betrayed a hint of exhaustion. "The Two Tails seems quite stubborn. If it were just a matter of extraction, I would have forcefully removed it from Yugito. But we need her alive, so I suppose I need to have a chat with this cat."

With determination in his eyes, Kazuki rose from his position and reached out to touch Yugito's forehead, preparing himself for the mental dialogue that awaited him.

As Kazuki's consciousness merged with Yugito's mind space, he found himself in a cramped, suffocating place where the two tails was sealed. The seal was far more crude and oppressive than the one that contained the Nine-Tails originally, showcasing the vast disparity in fuinjutsu prowess between the two villages. Kazuki couldn't help but scoff in disdain as he surveyed the seal space.

"Who are you, kid? How did you make it in here?" The voice, tinged with curiosity and suspicion, echoed from the darkness, its source obscured.

The voice echoed from within the darkness, carrying a mixture of curiosity and caution. It reverberated through the cramped confines of the seal space, resonating with a primal energy that hinted at the formidable power contained within.

Kazuki remained composed, unfazed by the intimidating aura that emanated from the voice. With a calm demeanor, he stepped forward into the shadows, his eyes scanning the dimly lit surroundings.

"I am Kazuki Nara, a shinobi from Konoha," he replied, his voice steady and unwavering. "I've come to speak with you about your current situation and offer you a way out."

There was a moment of silence, as if the two tails was assessing Kazuki's words, weighing his intentions with a sense of cautious skepticism. Then, from the depths of the darkness, a pair of glowing eyes emerged, illuminating the gloom with an eerie light.

"Kazuki Nara... I've heard of you," the voice rumbled, its tone tinged with a hint of curiosity. "But what business does a Konoha shinobi have with me?"

Kazuki remained undeterred, meeting the gaze of the glowing eyes with unwavering resolve. "I seek to free you from your current confinement," he explained, his voice carrying a sense of earnest determination. "To release you from this seal and grant you a new home."

The two tails regarded Kazuki with a mixture of surprise and skepticism. "Freedom, you say?" it mused, its voice echoing with a touch of incredulity. "And how do you propose to accomplish such a feat? By sealing me inside a new container, is it?"

"Clang!" Suddenly, out of nowhere, the two tails swiped its massive paws, attempting to behead Kazuki's consciousness. But from the shadows, a massive black chain collided and intercepted the incoming attack. Simultaneously, more than a dozen black chains shot out from within the darkness, poised dangerously and ready to target the bijuu at any moment.

Kazuki's demeanor completely shifted from casual to that of a bloodthirsty monster, his aura seeping out. Although the two tails' attack wouldn't have killed him, it would have damaged his spirit significantly. Kazuki had shown no hostility towards the two tails, but the bijuu chose to attack, so Kazuki was furious.

"Matatabi, try that again, and I will rip you out of Yugito, not bothering about what happens to your Jinchuriki," Kazuki declared, while the black chains remained poised to attack and bind the two tails if needed.

However, the two tails was frozen in shock. Kazuki had called out its name, a name Yugito hadn't even known despite being a perfect Jinchuriki. But this kid knew about its true name.

"Kid, tell me, who are you? How do you know that name?" Matatabi inwardly panicked but maintained a cool facade on the outside.

"Oh, it's not just you I know about. I know all about your siblings, and I even know of Hagoromo," Kazuki said with a smirk playing on his face, as if he were teasing the bijuu.

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Meanwhile, inside a secure location within the Hyuga compound, a high-profile meeting was taking place, with almost all members from the main branch and representatives from the side branch in attendance. The meeting had been called regarding the recent events within the village.

"This is simply an insult to our Hyuga clan! We are on par with the Uchiha clan, so why didn't Tsunade-sama give the bijuu to us, Hyuga?" An elder from the main branch fumed, echoing the sentiments of many others from the main branch.

"Do you still not understand why? Do you think Hokage-sama wouldn't find out about your actions behind the scenes?" Hiashi countered, his tone firm. He had worked tirelessly during the last war to gain favor from the Senju princess as the current Hyuga head, but the elders had been collaborating with the Daimyo faction to undermine the powers of the Hokage.

"Clan Head is right. If we had just stuck to supporting Tsunade-sama from the beginning, we would be like the Nara clan now. Who knows, maybe we might have even ended up with the three tails," Hizashi, representing the branch side of the family, added, addressing the recent issues within the Hyuga clan.

"Hizashi, this is not your place to talk about such matters. You will only answer if questioned. Act befitting your position. You are from the branch family, which serves the main branch. Don't forget that." Kenshi Hyuga, a member of the main branch, who had competed and lost with Hiashi for the clan head position, admonished Hizashi, relishing the opportunity to belittle the twin brother using his status from the main branch.

Both Hiashi and Hizashi gritted their teeth at the blatant insult but remained silent, knowing that challenging the family rules would only lead to more trouble.

"In that case, you shouldn't have invited us branch members in the first place. You could have just made a decision and informed us. Why bother with all this drama?" The elder Hyuga from the branch family, familiar to Kazuki and with a special status within the family, spoke up, expressing his discontent openly. He felt that such behavior would only harm the Hyuga clan in the long run.

"Enough! We are here to discuss important matters about the future of our clan, not to fight like petty children. If you have any disagreements, settle them later. This is not the time or place," the Grand Elder finally intervened, putting an end to the squabbling. He didn't want the two sides to continue bickering, knowing that ultimately, regardless of disagreements, the branch family couldn't escape the influence of the main branch.

"Is there a way we can negotiate and persuade the Nara clan to give up their bijuu willingly? I'm sure Tsunade-sama would have no issues if the Nara clan willingly relinquished their bijuu," suggested an elder from the main branch. While most understood the underlying meaning behind the elder's words, the reality was far from simple negotiation and persuasion.

"Do you have a death wish? Trying to force the Nara clan? Your head must have been kicked by a donkey. Have you forgotten what Tsunade-sama declared? The fuinjutsu grandmaster is a Nara, and not just that, the Nara prodigy is Tsunade-sama's student. Trying to antagonize the Nara under such conditions is beyond foolish," Hiashi spat furiously. He couldn't comprehend how the elders could entertain such reckless ideas that would surely lead to the clan's downfall.

"Tsk, the Nara Prodigy. Hiashi, did you know that we might not be in this position if your little princess hadn't been so useless? I at least hope that your next child is worthy of the Hyuga name," Kenshi mocked, referring to Hinata. It was common knowledge within the clan that the grand elder had personally approached Tsunade years ago, when Hinata was about three years old, to take her under her tutelage.

As a favor, Tsunade had given little Hinata a chance, but ultimately rejected her for certain reasons, choosing the Nara child as her student instead. This rejection had been a sore point for Hiashi, despite it being years since the incident. He knew the true reason for Hinata's rejection: his daughter lacked the resolve to become an exceptional kunoichi.

Hiashi's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing through Kenshi with a mix of anger and disappointment. "You dare insult my daughter, Kenshi? You may be from the main branch like me, but that does not give you the right to disrespect my family."

Kenshi chuckled condescendingly. "I speak only the truth, Hiashi. Your sentimentality blinds you. The future of our clan rests on the strength and capability of our heirs. As it stands, your daughter has proven herself to be lacking in both."

Kenshi's words cut through the tension like a blade, his voice dripping with scorn and disdain. "At least if she had a decent amount of talent, we could have offered her as a bride to the Nara Prodigy and gained some benefits in exchange. But we all know that by offering the current Hyuga princess, who lacks talent, the Nara might see it as an insult—as if we are throwing away unwanted trash at them."

His callous remark echoed in the room, eliciting murmurs of agreement from some of the other elders. They shared Kenshi's sentiment, believing that Hinata's perceived inadequacy would only serve to tarnish the clan's reputation.

Hiashi's expression hardened, and his fists clenched in anger at the blatant disrespect directed towards his daughter. He struggled to maintain his composure, his patience wearing thin in the face of such callousness.

"Enough, Kenshi." Hiashi's voice was low, but it carried a weight of authority. "Your words are unwarranted and disrespectful. Regardless of her abilities, Hinata is still a member of our clan and deserves our respect."

Kenshi merely scoffed, unfazed by Hiashi's admonishment. "Respect must be earned, Hiashi. And your daughter has done nothing to earn it."

As Kenshi's words hung heavy in the air, it became evident that they echoed the sentiments of the majority of the Hyuga main branch members. Some among them were well aware that Hiashi had already given up on nurturing Hinata and had pinned all his hopes on his younger daughter, Hanabi Hyuga.

Hizashi, seated behind Hiashi, placed his hands on his brother's shoulder, holding him back. He understood the delicate balance Hiashi needed to maintain as the clan head. Any rash action now could threaten his position, especially considering that everything Kenshi had stated was simply a fact.

Before Hiashi could lose control, another elder intervened, trying to diffuse the tension. "Enough, both of you. We are here to find a solution, not to bicker amongst ourselves. The situation with the bijuu needs to be addressed pragmatically. Does anyone have any viable suggestions?"

The room fell silent for a moment as the members of the Hyuga clan pondered the dilemma. It was clear that forcibly taking the bijuu from the Nara clan was not an option. They needed a more diplomatic approach.