Meanwhile, at the Hyuga Main Family compound.
Little Hanabi stood before the Grand Elder. The girl, dressed in training clothes, had her skin covered in a mix of new and old minor wounds. Her expression was downcast.
Back when she was close with her older sister, she often dreamed of becoming as gentle and capable as her, and she worked hard toward that goal. But ever since she won their last match, everything seemed to have changed. She hadn't been able to see her sister for a long time.
In truth, she had lost the match that day. Her sister should have been the one to win. Unfortunately, things had developed too quickly. She had become the focus of the clan's training, and her father had grown incredibly busy. She desperately wanted to find her sister and apologize, but now, she didn't have that kind of freedom. She missed her sister dearly.
The Grand Elder pointed out the mistakes Hanabi had made during her recent practice. He then noticed the little girl seemed to be lost in thought.
"Ahem..."
The Grand Elder cleared his throat, and Hanabi immediately snapped out of it.
"I'm very sorry, Grand Elder."
The Grand Elder watched Hanabi quietly. Then he said, "Hinata will be undertaking village missions as a Genin, I presume?"
Hanabi didn't understand why the Grand Elder had suddenly brought this up. But she answered honestly, "Yes."
The Grand Elder crossed his arms and said, "It is a pity. I would never allow someone so useless to become the heir. This is her fate. And your talent far exceeds your sister's. This will be your fate."
"The Uchiha clan is now at the height of its power. We of the Hyuga clan cannot afford to fall behind. All the clan's resources should be dedicated to geniuses like you. Hanabi, for the sake of our Hyuga clan, you must strive to increase your strength."
A nameless rage ignited in Hanabi's heart. She clenched her fists tightly and closed her eyes, hiding her anger from the Grand Elder.
"Yes!"
The Grand Elder was very pleased with Hanabi. The girl had a competitive spirit, far stronger than Hinata's timid nature.
"Continue to work hard."
With that, the Grand Elder left the room. Watching the Grand Elder's retreating figure, Hanabi thought to herself, *It's all because of you people that my sister is so miserable!*
...
After leaving Hanabi's quarters, the Grand Elder made his way to the courtyard of the Fourth Elder, Kaito. Just as he expected, a large crowd was gathered there.
The Fourth Elder was one of the few in the Main Family who had been tempered by the battlefield. In the past, it wasn't unheard of to see members of the Hyuga Main Family in battle. They usually served as commanders, not on the front lines, merely accumulating some merits. Very few actually charged into the fray. After a few trials of blood and fire, the Main Family members had completely withdrawn to the rear. Now, the young members of the Hyuga Main Family had almost no experience with the bloodshed of the battlefield and lacked real combat experience.
Ever since the Fourth Elder Kaito's leg had healed, he had been training within the clan every day. The Hyuga clan now forbade Main Family members from going to the battlefield. They weren't even permitted to undertake dangerous missions. So, Kaito invited clansmen to spar with him daily. He turned no one away who wished to improve themselves.
However, most of the weaker members felt they would just be wasting Kaito's time and stayed away. Therefore, those who sparred with him generally possessed some real skill. An elder willing to spar with you, regardless of whether you were from the Main or Branch Family, was a rare find indeed. Thus, the Fourth Elder Kaito's courtyard was always bustling with people, with members from both the Main and Branch families coming to seek his guidance.
Thwack, thwack, thwack...
With a few sharp sounds, a man named Hyuga Asahi was knocked to the ground. Kaito extended a hand to help him up, and Hyuga Asahi gratefully took it.
Once he was steady on his feet, Asahi bowed and said, "Thank you, Fourth Elder."
Seeing the Grand Elder approach, Kaito waved to the crowd. "Let's take a break, everyone." He then walked over to the clan head. "Well, well, it's a rare sight to see you here, Grand Elder."
The two spoke in low but clear voices as they walked indoors.
"These are all peripheral disciples. Is it worth wasting so much time on them?"
Kaito smiled, unconcerned with such details. "They are also part of the Hyuga clan's future hope. The clan can only prosper when every member is strong."
The Grand Elder just grunted at these words. He knew Kaito had always dedicated himself wholeheartedly to serving the clan. "Do as you see fit."
The Fourth Elder turned and looked back at the crowd sparring in the courtyard. *If I didn't practice with these people, how could I secretly employ those methods?*
A sinister glint flashed in the depths of his eyes.
Kawasaki woke up. He realized the giant bird he was riding had reached a region composed of massive stone mountains. He knew he was about to arrive near the Hidden Stone Village.
Then again, the Hidden Stone Village's geographical location was extremely unique; it was truly difficult to enter without special techniques. It was surrounded by treacherous mountains, making a large-scale invasion an almost impossible task. Only by dispatching a few elite experts could one hope to infiltrate and cause damage from within. However, trying to break through the Tsuchikage's heavily guarded territory alone was no easy feat either.
Before officially entering the mountain range, Kawasaki released his technique and descended to a lower altitude to avoid being detected. With a thought, he cancelled the giant eagle transformation. The colossal creature dissolved into a mass of black liquid and then vanished completely.
He paid it little mind, more curious about how clearly he could observe the village's structure from his current position. He moved to the edge of a cliff and looked down. Wow, what an ingenious design! The outer layer was completely encircled by high mountains, forming a natural barrier, with the village nestled in the depression right below. The houses inside also had a distinct local style—their round roofs looked specifically designed to withstand falling rocks.
Just then, several dark figures leaped out to block his path. "Who dares trespass on our land?"
"I can't believe you actually dared to show your face here, haha!"
Kawasaki revealed a mysterious smile. "Is that so..."
With a shift of his eyes, Kawasaki went all out.
Deidara instantly fainted and collapsed to the ground...
"Big Bro Deidara..."
Kurotsuchi rushed over from behind to support Deidara. The Tsuchikage, Onoki, also floated over.
"Yo, Onoki. You're looking well."
He planned to get on Onoki's good side to settle the matter with Deidara as quickly as possible. Kawasaki was confident that Onoki wouldn't be disappointed by his returning Deidara. The last time they met, he had respectfully called him "Lord Tsuchikage," but now he was using his name directly. It was as if he had suddenly become very familiar with Onoki.