Nara Shikaku quickly arranged the remaining defenses.
The current goal was simple: stall.
As long as the Cloud Village couldn't break in, Hiyasu and Minato would have more time to stir things up behind enemy lines.
This time was different from the Second Great Ninja War.
Back then, Konoha needed a breakthrough point.
This time, they had plenty of time. They could play with the Cloud Village slowly.
A dangerous glint flashed in Nara Shikaku's eyes.
"Shikaku, Shikaku."
"Jiraiya-sama, why are you here?"
Nara Shikaku was puzzled.
Jiraiya-sama didn't seem like someone who would discuss work with him—otherwise, why would he have handed everything over?
"Shikaku, I couldn't say this when Hiyasu was here."
"He's not here now. Go ahead."
…Couldn't you phrase that a bit more tactfully?
Jiraiya's face darkened.
"Well… do you know that everyone Hiyasu took with him, except Minato, are all branch members of the Hyūga?"
"I know. What about it? Aren't they now collectively called the New Hyūga Clan?"
Nara Shikaku replied.
Jiraiya carefully checked whether anyone was nearby, then pulled the tent flap closed.
Nara Shikaku's body tensed.
That move… that setup…
Jiraiya-sama, don't tell me—
Nara Shikaku instinctively leaned back a little.
"Shikaku, I'll be honest with you. With the Caged Bird Seal carved into their foreheads, no matter how tough they act, the branch family is still the branch family. They're fine for support, but putting them on the front lines and placing high expectations on them? That's absolutely out of the question."
That was Jiraiya's impression.
On the battlefield and during missions, the Hyūga branch members were like puppets—doing whatever they were told, but lacking that desperate fighting spirit. Even when cornered, they never showed any intent to fight to the death. It felt… off, like they had already given up on living.
This mission—deep behind enemy lines—could turn into a desperate situation at any moment. In that state, those Hyūga branch members would only drag down Minato, Hiyasu, and Hizashi.
That was why he came to find Nara Shikaku.
Although he had taught Hiyasu and Hizashi before, his main task had been… gathering material—no, searching for the Child of Prophecy.
So he had never paid attention to changes within the Hyūga branch family.
On top of that, he had only just returned to Konoha after five years away in the ninja world—gathering material—no, searching for the Child of Prophecy—and was immediately dragged to this battlefield.
So in his eyes, this so-called "New Hyūga Clan" was just a stubborn excuse from the branch family.
Nara Shikaku fell into memory.
A few years ago, when the Hyūga first began to change—
A lunch between himself, Hiyasu, Aburame Shiken, and Uchiha Kamito.
The familiar Akimichi barbecue restaurant.
There were only four of them, so they took a private room.
As valued customers, they were always treated with care no matter the number.
Uchiha Kamito said, "Aren't you making things too complicated? If you just remove that green mark on your foreheads, wouldn't everything be solved?"
Nara Shikaku nodded in agreement.
To him, the Caged Bird Seal was indeed a hidden time bomb within the Hyūga Clan.
Their decline would inevitably stem from it.
But Hiyasu merely scoffed.
Aburame Shiken said nothing. Every family has its own burdens—everyone has done things others don't understand.
After a cold laugh, Hiyasu said,
"The Caged Bird disappears… and then what? If people start seeing Byakugan eyes everywhere, won't they start thinking about getting one for themselves to play with?"
Nara Shikaku's hand paused mid-lift.
So there was that angle too.
"Then just become stronger. Look at the Sharingan of the Uchiha—who would dare to steal it?"
Uchiha Kamito said indifferently. If anyone dared carve a seal onto his forehead, he'd kill them without hesitation.
Aburame Shiken didn't oppose Hiyasu, but if anyone tried something like that on him, he definitely wouldn't let it go.
"The Hyūga are born with the Byakugan. Once they reach a certain age, it awakens naturally—fast at five or six, slow by eleven or twelve. At that age, how strong can they possibly become?"
"…Right."
Even Uchiha Kamito was momentarily speechless.
He himself wasn't weak at that age, but you couldn't expect every Hyūga child to be like him.
If they were, what would even be the point? The entire ninja world would belong to the Hyūga.
"The Byakugan's awakening rate isn't 100%, but it's at least 99%. One Hyūga has two Byakugan—do you know how much that's worth? On the black market, a usable Byakugan goes for ten million ryo. One Hyūga is worth twenty million. Without the Caged Bird, the Hyūga would've been wiped out long ago."
"The Caged Bird's greatest function is linking the Byakugan's nerves to the seal, preventing the eyes from being removed. With it, the Hyūga are no different from ordinary people—and no longer worth twenty million. So tell me… should the Caged Bird exist?"
Hiyasu spoke calmly, stating the cruelest reality of the Hyūga Clan.
The Caged Bird divided the clan from within.
But without it, the Hyūga would become prey—like a piece of meat everyone wanted.
"Damn."
Aburame Shiken raised his cup and clinked it with Hiyasu's.
"I was wrong. I apologize. I'll finish this whole bottle."
Uchiha Kamito picked up a bottle and drained it in one go.
That was bold.
But Nara Shikaku, holding just a cup, was stunned.
You down a bottle—that's bold. What am I supposed to do with this cup?
From now on, it's better to apologize early.
Hiyasu noticed and clinked cups with him.
"Actually, you don't need to. And besides, hasn't the Hyūga Clan improved now? I just didn't expect that the thing that caused Hideki's clan to decline would become the lifeline of the Hyūga."
"Marks… something so fiery. If they'd just made it look better, given it some meaning, how could it have turned into the hidden danger of the Hyūga Clan?"
Hiyasu complained.
Some hot-blooded background music seemed to play.
A group of people proudly revealed the marks on their bodies, shouting:
"We are… the tail of—!"
Wouldn't the Hyūga Clan be invincible like that?
Fortunately, it wasn't too late. There was still hope.
...
The memory ended.
Nara Shikaku gave Jiraiya a confident smile.
"The New Hyūga Clan will definitely not disappoint you, Jiraiya-sama."
Jiraiya was stunned.
Had the Hyūga really changed? So much must have happened in Konoha these past years.
Nara Shikaku continued,
"They're a group who found a sliver of light in the darkness."
What kind of people have the strongest combat power and the firmest will?
Slaves who can gain freedom if they win.
Prisoners who can erase their crimes if they win.
Farmers who can gain land if they win.
"I could have endured the darkness—but why let me see the light? And once I've seen it… I'll do anything to seize it."