Konoha: Start from untying the caged bird

Page 166

As soon as one of the two barrier-wielding ninjas accompanying the old man finished speaking, Hyuga Yuzuru's eyes flashed with a faint blue light. He used Flying Thunder God Technique to return to the coordinates of the Hyuga clan, and then used Body Flicker to rush away at full speed. Unfortunately, he saw nothing among the Uchiha clan members.

With his blue eyes fully activated, Hyuga Yuzuru's field of vision expanded again and again—five kilometers, ten kilometers, twenty kilometers... until he could see the scene outside Konoha Village from within Konoha's territory. Only then did he vaguely see a 'familiar person' dressed in a black robe and wearing a mask, fleeing at high speed.

The opponent moved extremely fast. After leaving Konoha Village, he sank straight into the ground. This time, Obito was obviously prepared and made full preparations to be discovered. After sinking into the ground, the chakra reaction disappeared. Hyuga Yuzuru can see through things, but if the enemy has no chakra reaction and is moving at high speed in a concealed manner, he can only rely on what he can see with his naked eye to observe.

Obito's ability to move while hidden in the ground demonstrates his profound understanding of Hyuga Yuzuru. Hyuga Yuzuru's eyes can see through the ground, where there is no light source and only blurry outlines can be seen. He uses Kamui to move within this alternate dimension without leaving a trace, passing through trees and rocks without hindrance.

During this time, he used a transformation technique to blur his own shape, which can be described as an unparalleled escape technique, and he was extremely careful.

Hyuga Yuzuru was certain that the other side didn't even know he had returned and had begun hunting him down.

This action was purely Obito's way of taking precautions, and it was extremely cautious.

After chasing for a while, Hinata Yuzuru had to stop with a furrowed brow.

This was the first time he had lost track of someone. Or rather, it wasn't even that he had lost track of them; the other person was already quite far away. If he were to maintain such a distance while chasing after them, he might not be able to catch up.

It must be admitted that even if Obito had not obtained the Ten-Tails and become a Six Paths level powerhouse, his strength in the ninja world would not be underestimated.

Hyuga Yuzuru created a shadow clone, which continued to chase after Obito. However, whether this predictive, thorough search could catch Obito was an unknown with little chance.

He then used Flying Thunder God Technique to return to Konoha and asked directly, "What did the other party do at the Uchiha clan?"

"The investigation is still ongoing, and there has been no reply yet."

The ninja from the barrier team looked ashamed and bowed his head, saying, "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, the opponent was extremely fast. By the time we detected the unusual chakra traces and found the opponent, they had already left."

He can conceal his chakra in strange ways and even use teleportation-like techniques to cross barriers. I'm very sorry!

Hyuga Yuzuru shook his head: "It's not your fault."

"The opponent can hide their chakra reaction by hiding in another dimension, and the barrier will never be able to detect them... The fact that they left traces inside the Uchiha clan's territory means that they used ninjutsu inside the Uchiha clan's territory."

We must quickly ascertain whether anyone has been injured or gone missing as a result.

Hyuga Yuzuru gave his instructions calmly and unhurriedly, and his composed attitude calmed the ninjas in the barrier team down considerably.

“The village’s secret agents have all been out there recently, so your presence is especially crucial. This time, the response was quick enough; just keep it up.”

Instead of blaming the other party, Hyuga Yuzuru comforted him, saying, "In the entire ninja world, there is probably only one person with such abilities as him. The other party is most likely the Konoha rogue ninja Uchiha Obito. If we find the same chakra reaction next time, we can deal with it based on his information."

"Yes, Lord Hokage!" the members of the barrier team responded immediately.

Hyuga Yuzuru nodded, but instead of sitting down, he stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of his office, gazing thoughtfully out of the village with his hands behind his back, quietly waiting for news to return.

The news came quickly from the Uchiha clan.

"It's the parents of Jonin Uchiha Izumi...who have gone missing."

Hinata Yuzuru's expression changed slightly.

"Be on high alert."

As soon as he finished speaking, he used Flying Thunder God Technique to fly directly towards the Flying Thunder God Kunai coordinates in Uchiha Izumi's hand. However, as soon as he landed, he subconsciously looked away.

"who..."

The fist, accompanied by a strong gust of wind, stopped in front of him. Uchiha Izumi, who was clutching his upper body with one hand and clenching his fist in astonishment with the other, turned bright red on the face. He stared at the man who had suddenly appeared in front of him and even stammered for a moment.

"Yuzuru-sama, what's wrong!?"

She tightly covered her upper body with her arms, but even so, a large expanse of fair skin was still difficult to conceal. Hyuga Yuzuru tried his best to restrain his Byakugan from taking advantage of its 360-degree field of vision at this moment, and whispered, "Put your clothes on first. There are special circumstances. Your parents... have been captured by Uchiha Obito."

As soon as she finished speaking, the blush on Uchiha Izumi's face vanished instantly. Her eyes were somewhat glazed, as if she was processing the news. After her brain processed what had happened, she didn't even bother to hide herself anymore, and her voice rose: "What!?"

"Don't...don't get agitated."

Hinata Yuzuru glanced at her subconsciously, but quickly looked away and whispered, "My shadow clone is trying to track the other person's whereabouts, but no matter what, what he's doing can only be related to you."

Whatever his purpose may be, he would never allow anything to happen to your parents right now.

Don't worry... As long as there's a chance, even if it's just for a second, I won't let anything happen to them.

Uchiha Izumi opened her mouth wide, but couldn't say a word. Her eyes reddened slightly, but she just clenched her teeth, turned around without saying a word, picked up her clothes from the bathroom door, and hurriedly put them on.

Hinata Yuzuru waited until someone behind her spoke to remind her before turning around to look. At this moment, Izumi's hair was messy and still wet, and the tight-fitting clothes she had hastily put on were even tighter because of the water stains on her body, but she didn't care about any of that. She just took a deep breath and seemed to have calmed down.

"Yuzuru-sama... I understand. You don't need to be so anxious because of me."

"Konoha can live without a father, without a mother, and even without me, but it cannot live without Lord Yuzuru..."

"If there is any danger, please prioritize your own safety."

Uchiha Izumi's voice trembled slightly at first, but in the end, with red eyes, she stared firmly at Hyuga Yuzuru: "I...I'm okay!"

Even so, her fair hands were already clenched into fists, and even deep breaths could not calm her heart.

Hyuga Yuzuru was silent for a moment, then reached out and gently placed his hand on her cheek, cupping it tightly. After a long while, he whispered, "I am first and foremost Hyuga Yuzuru, and only then am I the Fifth Hokage."

Quan lowered his eyes, his lips moved, but after a long while, he couldn't say anything.

Hyuga Yuzuru released his grip, looked at the Flying Thunder God kunai in her hand, and said seriously, "If he comes looking for you, immediately crush the communication crystal, understand?"

Uchiha Izumi nodded gently, tears welling in her red-rimmed eyes, yet stubbornly refusing to fall. She pressed her lips together tightly, taking a deep breath through her nose: "The Chunin Exams can't be a failure... You're right, Obito Uchiha couldn't have captured them without revealing himself, no matter what his purpose was..."

I am ready.

After she finished speaking, she lowered her head and said, "Yuzuru-sama, I'd like to be alone for a while... is that alright?"

"Um..."

Hinata Yuzuru silently turned and left. Before he opened the door, all he could see was Izumi still standing there.

After the door closed, his footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Uchiha Izumi finally couldn't hold on any longer, and leaned against the wall, slowly collapsing to the ground.

She covered her cheek with one hand, her eyes filled with a mixture of grief and indignation, and murmured incomprehensibly, "Why...why me...why did it have to be me..."

Uchiha Obito...

Uchiha Izumi gritted her teeth, but could only weakly slam her fist lightly onto the ground.

What exactly is he trying to do?!

But what Obito Uchiha wanted was very simple.

He hoped to witness firsthand the despair of Uchiha Izumi with his own eyes.

But this was merely a tiny, insignificant ingredient in his plan.

Dozens of kilometers away from the Chunin Exams venue, Obito Uchiha's figure vaguely appeared. The White Zetsu beside him chattered and told him that Hyuga Yuzuru's shadow clone behind him had been shaken off, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Tsk, next time, I'd better not do something like that.

Obito let out a long breath, finally able to slow down and recover from the fatigue of using Kamui at high intensity.

And then, a voice gently sounded in my ear.

"Ah Fei, you..."

"Who exactly is it?"

A calm voice sounded in his ear, and Obito subconsciously stopped in his tracks. He turned his head and saw a hint of fear in the single eye beneath the mask.

A man with short orange hair and a black short stick stuck in his nose was calmly staring at him from a short distance away. The spiral lines in his eyes were now staring coldly into his eyes with a gaze devoid of any emotion.

As he slowly approached, Pain looked at Obito Uchiha in front of him and asked him a different question.

"Or rather... Obito Uchiha, what exactly are you thinking?"

Obito Uchiha's expression changed drastically. He subconsciously wanted to ask something, but when he turned his head, he saw someone he knew very well. This person was behind Pain and slowly revealed himself.

Danzo!?

Chapter 128 The Battle Begins

Obito Uchiha stood silently in place, his one eye beneath the mask showing little emotion. He spread his hands and, in a boastful, Tobi-esque tone, asked, "What are you guys talking about?"

At this moment, Danzo, whose head was wrapped up even more exaggeratedly than that of the Second Tsuchikage, only let out a low laugh.

"Obito Uchiha, Madara Uchiha... Tobi... you have quite a few identities."

Danzo's voice silenced Obito. He narrowed his single eye beneath his mask, staring sharply at the other man. Danzo, however, was also staring at him with a cold gaze, his single eye visible beneath the bandages wrapped around his face.

Obito simply murmured it in a complex voice, tinged with murderous intent.

"Danzo..."

Danzo merely let out a low laugh, looking at him with a mocking gaze, and said, "What? Not planning to keep up the act anymore?"

Although he didn't know how the other party had verified his identity, Obito already realized many things just from the fact that the other party was with Pain at this moment. He was silent for a moment, looked at Pain who was standing calmly in front of Danzo, and said with a leisurely smile: "So... what brings you here to me?"

Payne stared at him indifferently and said calmly, "I need to figure out what your real purpose is, that's all."

Pain, or rather Nagato, didn't care at all about Obito's true identity or his purpose. The only thing he needed to focus on was whether his plan could be carried out as intended.

Just like Danzo standing beside him, even though he wanted to kill the other party at this moment, as long as the other party could still be of help to his plan, it would not hurt to spare the other party's life for the time being.

"My goal..." Obito Uchiha's laughter, hidden beneath his mask, carried a hint of mockery and madness. He reached out and gently stroked the mask on his cheek, laughing in a teasing voice, "Aren't our goals the same?"

Pain's gaze remained calm as he silently looked at Obito Uchiha, his voice cold: "Then let's continue with the original plan and avoid any unforeseen complications."

Although he didn't utter a single threatening word, his Rinnegan eyes were fixed on Obito Uchiha's single eye like sharp awls. Obito narrowed his eyes, turned to look at Danzo, and let out a few cold laughs: "No problem, I will lure Yuzuru Hyuga away as planned. You can take this opportunity to collect the Tailed Beasts."

Coincidentally, Obito and Pain shared the same opinion.

In any case, the most urgent task at hand is to take this opportunity to collect the Tailed Beasts.

Pain then abruptly spoke up: "Next, you and Danzo will work together—if possible, kill Hyuga Yuzuru."

His growth has become an obstacle to the plan; even if we can't kill him... we must at least keep him occupied.

Obito glanced at Danzo. For some reason, the fact that Danzo was wrapped in bandages made him feel that something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He simply nodded indifferently and said, "Okay."

If problems arise, it would be best if Danzo could cover the retreat.

Since his last encounter with Hyuga Yuzuru, Obito has been unable to gather any further information about him. What kind of power he possesses now, whether he has made any new breakthroughs, and whether his strange Byakugan has undergone any new changes are all unknown.

When Pain heard that Obito had agreed, he turned and left cleanly. He seemed to have no curiosity whatsoever about why Obito was hiding his identity in the Akatsuki organization or why Danzo had become the way he was now.

At this moment, only Obito and Danzo remained, their eyes locked. Obito's lips curled coldly beneath his mask, completely unconcerned about what the other was thinking or what plans he had.

Danzo said in a hoarse voice, "What? It seems you have a lot of problems?"

“No, not at all.” Obito Uchiha turned his head and slowly walked in another direction: “I’m just a little curious that someone like you would dare to provoke Yuzuru Hyuga.”

Upon hearing Hyuga Yuzuru's name, Danzo's eyes contorted with barely suppressed killing intent. A strange, low, indistinct laugh escaped his throat. Without offering further explanation, he simply said, "All you need to do is follow the plan and lure Hyuga Yuzuru out..."

Obito then stopped asking questions.

No matter how many doubts there are, they will all be answered when the plan is implemented, no matter what secrets Danzo is hiding at this moment.

However, after this incident, he probably won't be as comfortable operating within the Akatsuki organization as before.

Obito Uchiha's eyes fell into deep thought, but in the end, the Sharingan in his eye sockets simply rotated calmly.

But in any case, we should be able to collect at least one tailed beast this time.

As long as all the tailed beasts are collected.

Once the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan is launched, everything that's currently troubling me will become meaningless.

A cold wind swept through, rustling the leaves in the forest. Under the pale moonlight, the figure gradually disappeared from sight.

On the other hand, even though Obito Uchiha, that troublemaker, caused some trouble for Yuzuru Hyuga, the Chunin Exams still had to continue at the original pace.

On June 16th, the first round of one-on-one duels was held as scheduled.

The opponents in the competition were all randomly selected by drawing lots, with the five Kage taking turns to draw lots to ensure the fairness and randomness of the draw. The results of the draw were also quite interesting.

In Konoha, all twelve Konoha members were fortunate enough to avoid fighting among themselves. The most noteworthy matches were between Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails' helper, and Gaara, the One-Tail's Jinchuriki, who both encountered relatively weak opponents and did not experience any major setbacks. The first day of the competition came to an end.

However, the draw for the second round of the competition did pique some interest.

Neji Hyuga and Rock Lee, Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata, Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara.

Although the first two matches were internal battles within Konoha, which would be an unfortunate event for most Konoha ninjas, Hyuga Yuzuru found them quite interesting.

At this moment, inside the arena, the five Kage sat at the highest point of the corner stands, dressed in their respective costumes and wearing Kage hats, sitting side by side, quietly watching the progress of the match.

"Fifth Hokage, it seems I need to apologize to you in advance."

Luo Sha said in a teasing voice, "Those three draws were all done by me. From Feng Ying's perspective, it's like I had incredible luck."

Hyuga Yuzuru said leisurely, "Misfortune and fortune are intertwined. Before the results are in, the Fourth Kazekage should not be too happy."