Hyuga Kōku forced a bitter smile as he spoke to Danzō.
"We only wished to investigate the death of Hyuga Hizashi. Hyuga Hiashi's words were somewhat extreme, which led to the conflict."
"After all, he was our young clan head."
As for imprisoning Hyuga Arin and coveting his bloodline limit—he did not mention a single word.
"Then have you finished your investigation?" Danzō asked coldly. "May I take my man and leave?"
Kōku hesitated.
He looked at Hyuga Arin standing beside Danzō.
Arin was smiling faintly at him.
Kōku had been present from the very beginning, hidden in the shadows. But he had not expected the situation to spiral completely out of their control.
Most importantly—
Hyuga Arin had broken free from the Caged Bird Seal.
How could they just let him walk away like that?
Seeing the hesitation on Kōku's face, Arin spoke first.
"It seems Elder Kōku still wants to keep me here for a chat. I don't mind."
Black-blue flames rose from his body again, the heat making even Danzō glance sideways.
Kōku's expression grew even more strained.
They had no one capable of subduing Hyuga Arin.
He had completely escaped the Main House's control—and clearly had no intention of "considering the greater good."
Keep him here?
To let him slaughter freely?
He absolutely would.
"No, no. We have finished our inquiry. Arin-kun may leave at any time," Kōku said with difficulty, forcing a smile.
Arin shot him a provocative look.
This wasn't over.
"Move," Danzō ordered.
Hyuga Arin followed behind the Root members and exited through the main gate.
Once they were gone, Hyuga Hiashi sat up from the ground.
The moment he realized he could not subdue Arin, he had chosen to feign unconsciousness.
"How could you let him leave like that?!" he shouted angrily at Kōku.
This was no longer about the bloodline limit.
Two Main House heirs were dead.
"How will you explain this to Hōkō and Tomi?!"
The two who died were the sons of elders Hyuga Hōkō and Hyuga Tomi—men groomed to inherit elder positions. The two old men had clung to power, while their sons served as hidden pillars of strength.
And now—
They were gone.
Kōku sneered at Hiashi. The man looked hot-tempered, but he was sly to the core.
"Leave him here? So he could turn the clan upside down? Who do we have left that can stand against him? Hyuga Arin is no longer someone we can control."
If Arin were even slightly soft-hearted, perhaps there would have been a chance.
But soft?
Did he look soft?
"We can only guard against him now. From this day forward, no Branch House member is to approach Hyuga Arin without permission."
Kōku sighed deeply.
Even with a strict order—
Would it matter?
"This is a matter of life and death for the Hyuga clan."
Without the Main House—
Would the Hyuga still be the Hyuga?
But first, they had to deal with Hōkō and Tomi.
Both had just lost a son.
…
Walking behind Danzō, Hyuga Arin asked,
"Danzō-sama, when are we making a move on the Uchiha?"
He still lacked quite a few Sharingan.
Danzō stopped abruptly and frowned.
"What nonsense are you talking about? The Uchiha are part of the village. Though they are at odds with Konoha, you cannot be so radical."
Hyuga Arin: "???"
Did that really come from Danzō?
After a moment's hesitation, Arin asked,
"Then can you at least take me to see Root? I've been a member for so long and never even seen the place."
"Let's return to discussing the Uchiha," Danzō said gravely.
Arin rolled his eyes.
What exactly was Danzō afraid of? Why wouldn't he let him see Root?
A Root member who didn't even know where his own headquarters was—wasn't that strange?
After a pause, Danzō said, "As for the Uchiha, you need not concern yourself for now."
It was the first time he had met someone more eager than himself to deal with the Uchiha.
Well—
No surprise. A Hyuga by birth.
"Prepare for the jōnin exam first," Danzō added.
Arin shrugged.
The jōnin exam…
He might not necessarily pass.
The written knowledge was no issue. Despite looking like a bloodthirsty killer, he had consistently ranked in the top ten academically at the Ninja Academy.
The problem was—
Loyalty to the village.
That might trip him up.
"After your jōnin exam, continue with Root missions," Danzō said thoughtfully. "You'll come to Root then."
Arin now had both strength and reputation.
Enough to serve as Danzō's right hand.
Originally, Danzō had placed his hopes on Orochimaru.
But Orochimaru had shown little interest in Root. Only the forbidden techniques hidden within Root had tempted him slightly.
Even so—
Danzō had the feeling Orochimaru would leave once he finished studying them.
As Hiruzen's disciple, Orochimaru was not someone Danzō could easily manipulate.
Without Nawaki's death, Orochimaru had not yet begun obsessing over the meaning of life.
Now he was simply immersed in Konoha's vast library of ninjutsu.
Occasionally he wondered if his lifespan would suffice—
But only occasionally.
Because Hyuga Arin had saved Nawaki, Orochimaru had drifted off his original fate trajectory.
The "Snake Lady" might never appear.
"Then I'll look forward to it," Arin said, slightly excited.
Root—
Konoha's hidden map.
…
Arin was dismissed and returned home.
He immersed himself in books, preparing for the upcoming jōnin exam.
Someone had informed him upon his return from the front lines that he would soon take it.
Unlike the chūnin exam—
Which selected several candidates from many—
The jōnin exam evaluated one candidate at a time.
He knew that part of it included a written test. Beyond strength, jōnin required extensive theoretical knowledge.
Buried in study, Arin did not expect to see Hyuga Natsuna again.
When he stepped out of his room to find something to eat—
He saw her tidying the house.
Hyuga Arin: "???"
"Didn't you go back? Why are you here again?"
She had left so quickly last time, without a word.
And now she had returned just as quietly.
Natsuna gave an awkward laugh.
"An accident. I feel this place suits me better."
Yeah, right.
Arin rolled his eyes. "What actually happened?"
She sighed.
"My grandfather wants me to marry Hyuga Hizashi!!"
So the two brothers were fixated on her, huh?
The older one died—
Now she was to marry the younger brother?!
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