Chapter 28: The Clans of the Ninja World

Chapter 28: The Clans of the Ninja World

"I didn't expect you to master the Flying Thunder God so quickly."

Minato, having finished his battle first, walked over.

Juzo ultimately didn't survive this mission, unable to change his fate.

As Minato approached the corpse of Fuguki Suikazan, he noticed the Flying Thunder God marking on the body and praised Hyuga Fuji:

"That earlier move—was that the Eight Gates Formation? I heard from Kakashi that you and Gai trained under Dai, but I didn't expect you to be able to open the Sixth Gate."

"And to think you've already combined the Flying Thunder God with taijutsu… At this rate, even I would have trouble facing you."

"Lord Hokage, I can feel the sincerity in your praise, but I don't believe I could be your match."

Hyuga Fuji shook his head, glancing briefly at Juzo's corpse in the distance.

His focus earlier hadn't been entirely on Fuguki Suikazan. Part of his attention had been on Minato's side of the battlefield.

Even with the limitations of the Hidden Mist Technique, Juzo hadn't lasted a full minute against Minato.

The moment Minato activated Sage Mode and his sensory abilities improved, the battle was over in an instant.

As Hyuga Fuji's gaze flicked to the fading orange markings around Minato's eyes, he couldn't help but think to himself:

Didn't someone once say during the Fourth Great Ninja War that they weren't skilled at Sage Mode?

But from the moment Minato entered the battlefield, it was clear to Fuji that natural energy was already blending with Minato's chakra, forming sage chakra.

With his extensive battle experience, Minato had been prepared for the Hidden Mist Technique the instant the battle began.

Hyuga Fuji was certain that even if he hadn't shown up, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen wouldn't have lasted much longer.

At most, Juzo would have been the only one to experience the power of Sage Mode.

As for Minato's praise…

If the two of them fought without using their ultimate techniques, it would likely devolve into a contest of Flying Thunder God teleportation, with neither able to gain the upper hand.

Minato's words were merely modesty tinged with surprise at the power of the Eight Gates. He didn't genuinely believe that Fuji had surpassed him.

Minato recognized Fuji's potential but understood that at just fifteen years old, he hadn't yet reached his peak as a ninja.

As for Fuji hiding his mastery of the Eight Gates, Minato didn't feel the need to investigate.

There were plenty of ninjas in Konoha who kept their true abilities hidden. Even someone like Dai, a mere genin, had left an impression on Minato with his latent strength. Was that a crime?

It was natural for ninjas to conceal their trump cards. In the Hyuga Clan, taijutsu outside of Gentle Fist was often shunned. Fuji's earlier restraint likely stemmed from concerns about the Hyuga main house.

The fact that Fuji was now displaying this ability before Minato signified trust. Overanalyzing it would only harm their relationship.

As they spoke, the effects of the Hidden Mist Technique faded away.

Picking up Samehada from the ground, Hyuga Fuji asked:

"Lord Hokage, what should we do with these ninja swords?"

"The swords…"

Minato glanced around. With the mist gone, his field of vision had cleared. He quickly noticed a severed arm and the remaining Thunder Sword.

"Where's Raiga Kurosuki?"

"I severed one of his arms and marked him with a Flying Thunder God seal. I can…"

Fuji's words trailed off as his brow furrowed, his expression turning serious as if sensing something.

Minato looked puzzled.

"What's wrong?"

Fuji's face grew grave. "I sense the Flying Thunder God mark… inside the village."

Minato froze, his pupils contracting.

…

Root Base

In a dimly lit room, faint flames provided the only light.

Aburame Ryo, deputy leader of Root, confirmed the identity of the corpse on the ground and turned to Danzo, seated at the head of the room. "Lord Danzo, this is Raiga Kurosuki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

Danzo gave a slight nod, then glanced at the kneeling Hyuga ninja beside the corpse and said coldly,

"Stand."

Hyuga Tokuma rose nervously, his head bowed, not daring to meet Danzo's gaze.

"You've done poorly," Danzo said flatly. "I am the leader of Root, the shadow of Konoha. As a member of Konoha, your duty should have been to support the Hokage, not to come to me. However…"

Danzo's tone shifted.

"I admire the abilities of the Hyuga Clan. Your Byakugan possesses irreplaceable advantages in many situations."

"Root has long lacked Hyuga ninjas. I can consider your proposal to bring the branch family into Root, but not now."

With that, Danzo turned and walked into the shadows.

"For now, don't come back. Take that corpse as your spoils of war and present it to the Hokage."

"Yes!" Hyuga Tokuma replied, bowing deeply.

"Ryo, brand him with the Root Seal."

"Understood."

Aburame Ryo turned to Tokuma and said coldly, "Follow me. The Root Seal is derived from the Caged Bird Seal. It won't expose you within the Hyuga Clan."

…

Hokage's Office

In the Hokage's office, Minato repeatedly reviewed Hyuga Tokuma's file as he asked Hyuga Fuji,

"He's a guard for the main house, isn't he? Why was he on the patrol roster?"

"To be precise, he's a future guard," Fuji explained, taking the file from Minato. "He's being trained by the main house to serve as a close guard for the next generation."

"He was a year ahead of me in the Academy. My impression of him was that he was a calm and mature upperclassman. The main house had high expectations for him."

"I see…" Minato frowned.

The current discussion revolved around Raiga Kurosuki.

After Fuji sensed the Flying Thunder God mark inside the village, Minato's first thought was that a spy was involved.

But as he and Fuji followed the trail Raiga hadn't had time to erase, they uncovered an unbelievable conclusion.

A Hyuga ninja had taken Raiga.

This conclusion was based on the evidence left at the last scene of the battle.

That was why Minato had returned to the office to check the day's patrol roster.

As for the two advisors, Minato had temporarily redirected them with the task of dealing with the ninja swords and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's corpses.

"Does the branch family report to the main house before informing the Hokage?" Minato finally asked a question he had long hesitated to voice.

"They do…"

After a pause, Fuji elaborated:

"That falls under the autonomous rights of the ninja clans."

"Since you aren't from a ninja clan, Lord Hokage, you may not be aware that after the First Hokage established that the Hokage had no authority over the internal affairs of the clans, the Second Hokage further clarified the rights of the clans."

"For urgent intelligence or matters involving foreign nations, the clans have no authority to act independently and must report directly to the Hokage. This is their basic obligation as part of Konoha. Otherwise, the Hokage can punish them."

"However, for non-urgent matters involving individual achievements, the clans can deliberate internally before reporting to the Hokage. That's the standard practice."

Fuji's tone hardened.

"But that applies only in peacetime! During wartime, all matters related to the war must be reported immediately by the clans. Any delay would be unacceptable. If the Hyuga Clan is responsible for this, you can directly call them out on it. The other clans will have no objections!"

(End of Chapter)