Chp-65: The Worries of the Hokage

Never had he felt so light and free, both physically and mentally.

"So, this is what freedom tastes like."

Hyuga Satoru took a deep breath of the fresh air, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

He tested his Byakugan. Without the oppressive seal, the range extended from 4 kilometres to 5 kilometres, and the 1-degree blind spot was gone.

The seal's mark remained on his forehead, but it was now an empty shell devoid of function.

Even if the main family stood before him now and tried to activate the Caged Bird Seal, Satoru could slap them across the face and show them who's boss.

Once the Yin Release aspect of the Caged Bird Seal on his soul was also removed, the mark on his forehead would completely disappear.

However, Satoru was unsure if the main family would notice something amiss once the Yin Release seal was gone.

After all, the physical Yang Release seal functioned as an execution mechanism, while the soul-bound Yin Release seal acted as a receiver for commands.

Satoru remembered that in the original series, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, when Neji Hyuga was revived through Edo Tensei, his soul was brought back from the Pure Land, and the Caged Bird Seal remained on his forehead.

This suggested that the soul-bound seal might be more stubborn, even impossible to remove after death.

However, Satoru had devised three solutions.

The first was to learn the method for splitting the soul from Orochimaru.

Orochimaru's resilience was due to having split his soul into many fragments, each hidden within numerous seals.

If his main body died, the soul fragments in the seals would resurrect him.

If Satoru learned this technique, he could sever the portion of his soul bearing the Caged Bird Seal.

Simple and effective, though not without significant side effects.

Severing part of his soul would likely impair his mental strength and have other unforeseen negative impacts, making it a last resort.

One major reason Orochimaru became susceptible to genjutsu and other mental attacks later on was due to splitting his soul too many times, severely weakening his mental defences.

The second method was similar to the first but more refined.

The Kato clan's Spirit Transformation Technique allowed a ninja's soul to exist as a spirit. If Satoru mastered this secret technique, he could study the seal from a soul's perspective.

He could then use a method akin to removing the physical seal to strip away the soul-bound one.

Theoretically, it wasn't difficult, but dealing with the soul in practice would be far more challenging than handling the physical Yang Release seal.

The third method was the simplest.

Wait.

With the physical seal rendered useless, it posed no threat to him. Once his electromagnetic power level was high enough, removing the soul-bound seal would be trivial.

Satoru sighed, gazing out the lab window with a faint smile, envisioning the future.

He had no intention of defecting from Konoha; he had too many ties here.

Moreover, he had other plans for the Hyuga clan.

"In the future, I could liberate all the branch members from the Caged Bird Seal and lead a revolution within the Hyuga clan."

Satoru murmured with a smile.

This wasn't a mere fantasy but a tangible future, potentially achievable in a short time.

A Hyuga clan free from the Caged Bird Seal, under his leadership, embracing a liberated ideology and treading the path of Marxism...

What would it be like?

Satoru wondered curiously.

...

Having resolved the pressing issue of the Caged Bird Seal, Satoru felt a tremendous weight lift from his shoulders, making him feel light and carefree.

For the next two days, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to training.

The breakthrough to electromagnetic power level 4 was imminent.

Until a message from the Anbu summoned him to the Hokage's office.

After a brief preparation, Satoru headed to the Hokage's office.

In the Hokage's office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's worried expression vanished as soon as he saw Satoru push open the door, his wrinkled old face breaking into a broad smile.

"Excellent! Very spirited!"

That is the classic opening line.

"It seems you've had a good rest, looking quite rejuvenated."

Satoru thought to himself: Of course I did. These past two days have been the most restful since I came to this world. With the sword hanging over my head gone, how could I not feel at ease?

Of course, he couldn't let the Hokage know these thoughts.

"Hokage-sama, did you call me for a mission?"

"Yes." Hiruzen's smile faded, replaced by a serious and solemn expression.

"My scouts have spotted some hidden Iwa ninjas near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass. Based on their behaviour, it seems they are also scouts."

"I suspect Iwa will have a significant operation soon; otherwise, they wouldn't deploy so many scouts."

"Their counter-reconnaissance abilities are strong, and they can move underground. In this scouting war, we are at a disadvantage."

"So..."

Hiruzen looked up, his gaze heavy as it rested on Satoru.

Satoru took a deep breath and nodded.

"I understand, Hokage-sama. You want me to gather intelligence on their activities?"

"Yes." Hiruzen took a deep breath.

"You possess the Byakugan, making you unparalleled in reconnaissance. Moreover, your long-range techniques should help you escape if things go wrong. You are the ideal candidate."

Then, Hiruzen gave Satoru a deep look, offering a word of caution.

"If you encounter any danger, prioritize your safety. Your survival is the greatest contribution to the village."

"Uh... I understand, Hokage-sama."

Satoru swallowed hard, suddenly feeling a chill down below.

It felt like the Hokage's words had a deeper meaning as if he was being prepped to be a stud.

...

After leaving the Hokage's office, Satoru immediately set out for the border of the Land of Grass.

If the Hokage's intelligence was accurate, Iwa's major operation must be imminent; otherwise, they wouldn't deploy so many scouts.

With the current tense state of the ninja world, conflict could erupt at any moment.

In the event of war, having initial intelligence superiority would give a strategic advantage in the early stages.

This was why the Hokage placed such importance on this intelligence battle, even sending him.

Satoru understood this well, so he treated the mission with utmost seriousness. Konoha being caught off guard in a war would be detrimental to him.

Before long, he reached the designated location.

Finding a concealed spot, he silently activated his Byakugan, scanning the surroundings.

After a while, Satoru's expression grew grim.

The Hokage's report mentioned four Iwa scouts, but within the 5-kilometre range of his Byakugan, he had already detected ten hidden Iwa scouts.

In the bushes, among the grass, and even underground, Iwa scouts were silently monitoring and communicating.

The situation was likely more severe than the Hokage had anticipated.