106-110

Chapter 106: Preparation

Kimimaro, having left the Hyuga compound, suddenly stopped and a smile crept onto his lips.

Hiashi's prying eyes naturally couldn't escape the perception of his Kagura Shingan.

That's why he used that move on Hanabi.

That move was taught to him by Tsunade.

Having followed Tsunade for two years, although not her official disciple, Kimimaro learned a lot from her.

Tsunade's control over strength is second to none in the entire ninja world.

She didn't teach Kimimaro the Strength of a Hundred Seal, but she didn't keep any secrets about the small techniques of controlling strength.

Precise strength control and superb medical ninjutsu, this was the information Kimimaro left for Hiashi Hyuga.

As the head of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi Hyuga possesses sufficient insight and experience. Through these two points, he can come to a conclusion.

That is, Kimimaro's teacher is very likely Tsunade.

Having deduced this, no matter what Hiashi Hyuga's intentions were, he had to restrain himself a bit.

Especially any ill intentions.

After all, the identity of Tsunade's disciple is still quite intimidating to the people of Konoha.

As for why Tsunade's disciple would become a Genin of Otogakure, it didn't matter if Hiashi Hyuga couldn't figure it out for the time being.

After all, Tsunade has disappeared from the ninja world for many years, who knows if she has any connection with Otogakure.

Taking on a disciple on a whim is not something strange for the carefree Tsunade.

Especially given the premise that Konoha wronged Tsunade.

All of this is not inexplicable.

Kimimaro didn't say anything, just gave Hiashi Hyuga information and let him deduce it himself.

And clan heads like Hiashi Hyuga are mostly smart people.

They are more likely to believe the information they deduce themselves, and they will believe it deeply.

"These clan heads are all old foxes. To play with them, you really need to grow a few more eyes."

Kimimaro thought to himself, then walked straight back to the hotel.

Orochimaru had already left Konoha, he didn't need to discuss with anyone before leaving with Hiashi Hyuga.

But he still had to do the superficial work.

He didn't want to leave Hiashi Hyuga with the impression that he had a high status in Otogakure.

Information about himself should be revealed without hesitation, but what shouldn't be revealed should be strictly guarded.

This is the only way to better grasp the initiative.

The medical records are the main reason Kimimaro is following Hiashi Hyuga to the surviving Kaguya clan's land this time.

But since the Kaguya clan fled with the medical records, they must also be carrying the clan's secret objects.

Such as the Kaguya clan's secret techniques and so on.

Kimimaro doesn't mind taking these things with him.

As for the survivors of the Kaguya clan, they are the least interesting to him.

Although Kimimaro admires their courage and will, they are not the same kind of people, and he doesn't want to get too involved.

In short, this trip is adaptable, no big problem.

"Boss, what did the Hyuga clan head ask you to do? Could it be that he wants you to marry into their family?"

Suigetsu's mouth always lacks a door, speaking without thinking.

Kimimaro rolled his eyes, this guy always needs electroshock therapy to be quiet.

He slightly shook his right index finger, and Suigetsu immediately cowered.

"Boss, I was just kidding, hahaha, just kidding."

The white lightning released from this finger has caused Suigetsu a lot of suffering, but unfortunately, he never learns his lesson.

"Your jokes aren't funny."

Kimimaro complained, then called Suigetsu and Jugo to his room.

He briefly explained today's events to the two of them in order to arrange the next steps.

"The day after tomorrow, I will go to the current residence of the Kaguya clan with Hiashi Hyuga, and I should be back in about half a month. During this half month, you two stay in Konoha. Besides not causing trouble, do whatever you want."

"Kimimaro, I'll go with you."

Jugo was worried about Kimimaro going alone, and immediately said.

But Kimimaro directly rejected his request.

"No, my current identity is just an Otogakure Genin, it's not logical to take other Oto ninja with me. Especially to the place where my own clan members take refuge."

"Then I'll quietly follow behind?"

Suigetsu scoffed, "Jugo, you want to tail the Hyuga clan? You're really brave."

Tailing the Hyuga clan is probably one of the most difficult things in the ninja world.

The normal Byakugan's visual range is about one kilometer, and through training, this range can be increased.

Hiashi Hyuga is the strongest member of the Hyuga clan today, his Byakugan's vision is at least three kilometers, or even more.

Under these circumstances, it's almost impossible to tail Hiashi Hyuga without being noticed.

"Then..."

Jugo was still thinking of other plans, but Kimimaro said, "Jugo, don't worry. Even if something really happens, I have the ability to protect myself. It's also easier for one person to escape. You know my speed."

Seeing that Kimimaro had said so, Jugo couldn't insist anymore and had to give up.

After instructing Jugo and Suigetsu, there were no other problems.

As for Lee's surgery, there was no rush.

Let alone whether Lee was willing to let Kimimaro perform the surgery, even if he agreed, they would have to wait until Lee's condition improved before they could proceed with the surgery.

It's not too late to wait until he comes back.

At night, Kimimaro sat in his room, sorting out the gains from his trip to Konoha this time.

"Tourist: Kimimaro.

Age: Fifteen.

Kekkei Genkai: Shikotsumyaku, Byakugan.

Weapon Skills: Kirito's Sword Skills, Three Thousand Worlds.

Breaking Paths: White Lightning, Heavenly Shining Ball.

Binding Paths: Restrain, Triple Binding Bite, Crimson Smoke Escape, Heavenly Soaring Net (Obtained from taking a photo with Ino, can search, capture, and send messages to designated groups of people through chakra, equivalent to a server-wide announcement).

Movement Techniques: Shunpo.

Teigu: Gaia Foundation, God's Hand.

Clow Cards: The Sword, The Silent, The Power, The Arrow, The Illusion, The Big (Obtained from taking a photo with Choji, can freely enlarge objects and living beings).

Magic: Telepathy, Shadowmeld (Obtained from taking a photo with Shikamaru, stealth skill, can blend into any shadow).

Ninja World Skills: Shadow Clone, Water Surface Walking, Silent Killing Technique, Seduction Technique, Summoning Technique (Rashomon), Four Violet Flames Formation, Yin Seal (Accumulating), Strength of a Hundred Seal (Incomplete), Gentle Fist, Eight Trigrams Rotation, Demonic Flute: Phantom Sound Chains.

Items: Ice Fang Magatama, Dojutsu Fragment (3/7).

Auxiliary Skills: Insect Raising Technique, Liu Maoxing's Cooking.

Other Abilities: Chakra Thread Stitching, Iron Claw of Dispersed Souls, Eight Sake Cups, Max Level Throwing (Obtained from taking a photo with Tenten, 100% accuracy with ninja tools).

Pet: Pikachu."

Looking at the status panel in front of him, Kimimaro was quite satisfied.

He gained quite a few rewards from this trip to Konoha.

It is indeed the center of the ninja world.

Of course, there are still some important people whose rewards are not easy to reap, so he can only wait for the opportunity.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 107: Jiraiya

The next day, Kimimaro appeared on the streets of Konoha early in the morning.

Tomorrow he would be leaving Konoha with Hiashi Hyuga for a while, so he came out for a walk today, maybe he could get a photo reward.

The photo reward wasn't something Kimimaro thought he could get by just taking a picture with any landmark or person; he needed a system prompt.

No matter how many photos he took with landmarks or people the system didn't recognize, it was useless.

So Kimimaro needed to walk around more, look around more, in order to trigger the system's photo function.

But he had been walking for almost a whole morning and hadn't found a new target yet.

"As expected, you can't force things to happen."

Kimimaro shook his head slightly, but didn't mind.

"Let's eat first."

Looking up and seeing Ichiraku Ramen, Kimimaro didn't hesitate and prepared to go in again to enjoy Konoha's signature delicacy.

But as soon as he entered, he ran into an acquaintance.

"Naruto?"

Kimimaro looked at Naruto who was eating ramen, not too surprised.

During meal times, the probability of Naruto being at Ichiraku Ramen was quite high.

But today he didn't come alone, there was another person beside him.

Ebisu.

Konoha's special Jonin, an elite ninja teacher.

"Kimimaro! You're here for Ichiraku Ramen too? Hehe, you must have fallen in love with Uncle Teuchi's cooking too, right? I told you, this ramen is awesome!"

Naruto greeted him enthusiastically, while Ebisu pushed up his sunglasses and looked at Kimimaro with a scrutinizing gaze.

He knew Kimimaro.

His outstanding performance in the second round of the Chunin Exams gave Kimimaro some fame in Konoha.

Ninjas like Ebisu who were engaged in education knew even more clearly.

"Looking at you, it seems the injuries on your body have all healed."

Kimimaro made some small talk.

"Yeah, yeah, they're all healed. I'm much stronger than Sasuke, that guy is still lying in the hospital. But Kakashi-sensei is really biased, saying he'll train Sasuke individually later and throw me to this pervert..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Naruto's mouth was covered by Ebisu.

"How many times have I told you! Don't tell others I'm a pervert! I'm Konoha's elite teacher! Not a pervert!"

Ebisu muttered in Naruto's ear, although his voice was low, it carried a hint of desperation.

Of course, Kimimaro still heard it.

Because his hearing was very good.

"I know, I know, I just forgot."

Naruto pushed Ebisu's hand away and retorted.

Ebisu breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "Hurry up and eat, I'll guide your training later."

Naruto looked at Ebisu suspiciously, then at Kimimaro, and suddenly had an idea.

"Kimimaro, are you busy today?"

"I don't have anything important to do, what's up?"

"Great!"

Naruto put his arm around Kimimaro's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Let me tell you, Kakashi-sensei is going to train Sasuke and threw me to this guy.

But I don't think this guy is very strong, so can you come train with me for a while and see if this guy is teaching me nonsense? I believe in your strength, you can definitely see through this guy's true abilities."

Naruto spoke softly, but Ebisu still heard it.

His eyebrows twitched slightly, obviously a little annoyed.

But who let him be defeated by Naruto's Sexy Technique before, leaving the impression of a perverted weakling, which led to this distrust.

Although he was annoyed, he was also helpless.

When Kakashi asked him to guide Naruto, he actually wanted to refuse.

But thinking of his student Konohamaru recognizing Naruto and taking him as his role model, and training even harder, he couldn't help but become interested in this so-called demon fox.

What was so special about Naruto that Konohamaru recognized him so much.

If it weren't for this, even if Kakashi asked him, he, the Konoha elite teacher, might not agree to come and guide Naruto.

His hourly rate was very expensive, this kind of guidance, he needed to charge extra.

Kimimaro was a little surprised, he didn't expect Naruto to make such a request.

But, since he had nothing to do, going along seemed like he could meet the legendary Pervy Sage, Jiraiya.

What reason was there to disagree?

"No problem."

"Great!"

Seeing Kimimaro agree, Naruto immediately showed joy.

Although Ebisu was dissatisfied, he didn't say anything.

It was just ordinary Genin guidance, he wasn't afraid of the Otogakure Genin stealing it.

And from the information, Kimimaro's strength didn't need to steal such simple Genin guidance.

Half an hour later.

Hot spring.

Ebisu was guiding Naruto in water walking training.

Although Naruto looked a little struggling, he made progress with each practice.

Kimimaro narrowed his eyes slightly and saw that he had an extra seal on his body.

It should be the "gift" Orochimaru left for Naruto, the Five Elements Seal.

This seal made the chakra in Naruto's body extremely chaotic.

His already not-so-good chakra control became even worse.

If this seal wasn't undone, Naruto probably wouldn't be able to complete this training.

After taking a look, Kimimaro lost interest and glanced elsewhere.

Suddenly, his gaze stopped.

Because he saw a person, this person was his target this time.

Long white hair, a perverted back, it was enough to prove this person's identity.

The Pervy Sage, Jiraiya, one of the Sannin of Konoha, on par with Tsunade and Orochimaru.

At this moment, he was staring at the women's bathhouse, occasionally letting out strange laughter.

Kimimaro reached out his finger, lightly tapped Ebisu's shoulder, and said, "There seems to be a colleague of yours over there."

Ebisu was taken aback and turned his head to look.

"There's actually such a shameless person in this world? I will never allow you to do such a disgraceful thing!"

Ebisu instantly rushed over, wanting to knock down this peeping pervert directly.

But Jiraiya, hearing this, turned around and formed hand seals, and a toad the size of a person appeared beside him with a 'poof'.

"This is..."

Seeing this toad, and then seeing Jiraiya's face, Ebisu recognized this important figure.

But it was too late.

The toad's tongue rolled out, binding the charging Ebisu, and then with a heavy slam, instantly put him to sleep.

One move KO!

"It's really troublesome, you're so loud, if you're discovered, it'll be very troublesome for me."

Jiraiya complained.

Kimimaro looked at the tall white-haired man in front of him, feeling a bit apprehensive.

From him, Kimimaro felt an aura stronger than both Tsunade and Orochimaru.

The Sannin are equally famous, but each has their own strengths.

Tsunade is strong in medical ninjutsu and monstrous strength, Orochimaru is strong in his endless variety of techniques.

And Jiraiya is purely strong in individual combat power.

He is the ceiling of traditional ninja combat power, this aura is naturally beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Of course, ordinary people wouldn't have this feeling, Kimimaro was able to have such a direct feeling because of his Kagura Shingan.

"He defeated the big pervert with one move? Who is this super big pervert?"

Naruto, who had come to his senses, looked shocked.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 108: Golden Sword Lion Beast

Naruto and Kimimaro were observing Jiraiya, while Jiraiya was also sizing them up.

The yellow-haired boy was Naruto Uzumaki, the son of his disciple Minato Namikaze. Even his name was given by Jiraiya.

Jiraiya's presence here was also because of Naruto.

This was not a coincidence, but Jiraiya's arrangement.

He wanted to see how much the person his most proud disciple had placed high hopes on had grown.

If it was about time, he, the guide, should also enter the stage.

The moment Minato entrusted the key to unlocking the Nine-Tails' power to Jiraiya, Jiraiya was destined to be involved with Naruto.

And it was an extremely close relationship.

However, the white-haired boy in front of him was beyond Jiraiya's expectations.

His gaze fell on Kimimaro's forehead, the Otogakure headband revealing his identity.

"A Genin from Otogakure?"

With Jiraiya's status, he naturally wouldn't pay attention to the Chunin Exams, so it was normal for him not to know Kimimaro.

"He seems to have a good relationship with Naruto. Is it genuine? Or is it ulterior motives after knowing Naruto's identity?"

For a moment, many thoughts flashed through Jiraiya's mind.

"Hey! Why did you knock out the Pervy Sage! Who's going to teach me how to train now? Who are you anyway?"

Taking down Ebisu with one move, Naruto was deeply shocked.

His intuition told him that this white-haired pervert in front of him was not simple.

"Hahaha! Good question! I am the Toad Sage, Jiraiya!"

Standing on the toad, Jiraiya did a self-introduction with his toes gripping the ground.

Kimimaro's whole body went numb just watching it.

Man, what a waste of talent not to be an actor.

"Sage? Pervy Sage?"

"Not Pervy Sage! It's Toad Sage!"

Amidst their childish bickering, Naruto wanted to say something more, but Kimimaro stopped him.

"Naruto, this Jiraiya-senpai is a big shot in Konoha."

"Huh? What big shot? He's clearly a big pervert."

Naruto retorted.

"Toad Sage Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha. His strength and prestige are no less than that of the Hokage."

Kimimaro revealed the true identity of the white-haired man in front of them.

Jiraiya glanced at Kimimaro meaningfully.

"Kid, it seems you're more insightful than this yellow-haired boy."

"Really? This Pervy Sage is as strong as Grandpa Third?"

Naruto was even more surprised.

"Otogakure Genin, Kimimaro, greetings, senior."

Kimimaro said respectfully, extending his right hand.

This middle-aged man in front of him, apart from his peeping habit, had almost no flaws. He was a true ninja who adhered to his own ninja way, worthy of his respect.

Seeing Kimimaro's respect, Jiraiya jumped off the toad and naturally shook his hand.

At the same time, the toad turned into smoke and disappeared.

The summoning toad from Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya's signature ninjutsu.

"Hahaha, what a polite kid, much better than this yellow-haired boy."

"Congratulations, tourist, for successfully taking a photo with the character Jiraiya. You have received a reward: a Digimon that can be summoned using the Summoning Technique - Golden Sword Lion Beast."

Golden Sword Lion Beast?

This reward was not bad.

If it weren't inappropriate to use the Summoning Technique here, he would want to release the Golden Sword Lion Beast for a walk right now.

Kimimaro was quite satisfied and smoothly ended the handshake.

"Jiraiya-senpai, you misunderstood Naruto. He's not impolite, it's just that you suddenly attacked and knocked out his instructor, interrupting his training. He's a bit anxious, that's why he seemed rude."

"Exactly, exactly! The Pervy Sage is unconscious, who knows when he'll wake up. I'm the man who's going to pass the Chunin Exams and become Hokage, and now you've messed it all up. How about this, you guide my training from now on?"

Naruto quickly chimed in, his eyes fixed on Jiraiya.

He wasn't stupid.

Taking down Ebisu with one move, even if this strength wasn't as good as the Third Hokage's, it definitely wouldn't be low.

If Jiraiya in front of him could teach him, it would definitely be more promising than following Ebisu.

So, he started to take action.

If an ordinary person said this, Jiraiya would naturally ignore them.

But this person was Naruto, one of the reasons for his return this time.

This request was exactly what he wanted.

However, Jiraiya wouldn't agree so easily. He wanted to test Naruto's level first.

At the same time, he also wanted to see what Kimimaro's background was.

"Why should I care? Not interested."

After saying that, Jiraiya pretended to leave.

Naruto quickly called out, "Wait!"

"I said no means no! Goodbye, kid!"

A gust of wind surged around Jiraiya, and then he leaped up, making several jumps and disappearing from their sight.

Naruto was stunned.

"So cool! Even though he's a big pervert, he's so handsome. Kimimaro, I think he's a better teacher than the Pervy Sage, what do you think?"

"Jiraiya-senpai is naturally not someone ordinary people can compare to."

"By the way, what did you mean by the Legendary Sannin just now?"

Kimimaro felt helpless upon hearing this.

"Naruto, you must not have listened carefully in ninja school, not even knowing the big shots in your own village."

Kimimaro then explained to Naruto what the Legendary Sannin were.

"Wow! So, the Pervy Sage is not only Grandpa Third's disciple but also the Fourth's teacher?"

Naruto was excited.

"That's right."

"Great! I've decided, I must have him guide my training! Let's go after him!"

Naruto was eager to try, but Kimimaro, after getting the reward, lost interest.

"You go after Jiraiya-senpai. Ebisu-senpai is still lying here, I'll take care of him."

"Oh right! I almost forgot about the Pervy Sage. Thanks, Kimimaro. I'll treat you to Ichiraku Ramen later!"

After Naruto finished speaking, he hurried to chase after Jiraiya.

Kimimaro walked over to the unconscious Ebisu and held his hand.

"Successfully took a photo with the character Ebisu. Reward obtained: Max-level teaching ability, able to create the most suitable training plan for those weaker than oneself."

After doing this, Kimimaro gathered his right hand into a sword finger and gently tapped Ebisu's neck.

Ebisu's eyelids twitched slightly, and he slowly woke up.

"What happened to me? Right! That just now was... Lord Jiraiya!"

Ebisu recalled the scene before he fainted and muttered to himself.

Looking around, the place was still the same place, but only Kimimaro was left.

"Kimimaro? Why are you the only one left? Where's Lord Jiraiya? Where's Naruto?"

"Naruto went to chase after Jiraiya-senpai. Do you want to go and see?"

"Of course! Excuse me, I'll go first!"

Ebisu immediately took action and disappeared from Kimimaro's sight.

"He's really in a hurry."

Kimimaro complained and also left the place.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 109: The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter Village

The morning mist hadn't fully lifted at the gates of Konoha.

Hiashi Hyuga, along with three other Hyuga clan members, was already waiting for Kimimaro.

These three were Hiashi's bodyguards, all possessing Jonin-level strength.

The Hyuga clan head always traveled with heavy protection, rivaling even the Hokage's security detail.

Their goal was to safeguard the Byakugan, preventing it from falling into enemy hands.

The previous clan head, due to carelessness, had lost a Byakugan to the Hidden Mist Village.

This was considered a great shame by the Hyuga.

Since then, the clan head's security had been significantly increased.

They would rather destroy their own eyes than let the Byakugan be lost again.

"Clan Head, is that boy from the Kaguya clan really coming?" Hiashi Taka worriedly asked.

"Yes, he will," Hiashi confidently replied.

"He's here!" Hiashi Homura, who had been using his Byakugan to observe, spotted Kimimaro's figure.

He was heading their way.

Soon, Kimimaro appeared before the four.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Haha, it's alright. We arrived early. Kimimaro, did you arrange everything with the Sound Village?" Hiashi asked with a gentle smile.

"Yes. The captain agreed, but he asked me to return before the Chunin Exams start."

"Of course. This trip won't interfere with the Chunin Exams."

"Then there's no problem, Hyuga Clan Head. Shall we set off now?"

"Everyone's here, let's go."

The group of five assembled, with Hiashi Homura leading the way, Hiashi Taka and Hiashi Iluha flanking the sides, subtly surrounding Kimimaro and Hiashi in the middle.

This was a common protective formation, but also a common surveillance formation.

Three Jonin as escorts, Kimimaro couldn't help but marvel at the Hyuga clan's wealth and power.

For an ordinary clan, having two Jonin was considered good, but the Hyuga had more than ten.

This so-called "Konoha's number one prestigious clan" might not be entirely accurate, but their power was undeniable.

"Such a force visiting the Kaguya clan seems reasonable, but if they truly wanted to cause trouble, it would be easy. I need to be extra careful on this trip," Kimimaro thought to himself, not fully trusting Hiashi.

It's always better to be cautious.

"Hyuga Clan Head..."

"I'm friends with your father, just call me Uncle Hiashi. Calling me Clan Head sounds too formal."

Trying to get closer? Kimimaro looked at Hiashi's friendly face, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

This guy's behavior was unusual.

The clan head was being so friendly to him?

Instead of feeling closer, Kimimaro became more vigilant.

Something strange was going on.

This Hiashi wasn't acting normal.

"Alright, Uncle Hiashi... where are we going now?"

"To a place called Taketori Village, on the outskirts of the Land of Fire. At our pace, three days should be enough."

Three days to get there?

Round trip, only six days.

But Hiashi had previously said it would take about half a month. What was he planning to do with the remaining nine days?

Kimimaro grew even more suspicious of Hiashi's motives.

"Uncle Hiashi, have you been to Taketori Village before?"

"Yes. Three years ago, I went there once. At that time, the Kaguya clan had emerged from the shadow of the war."

"How many Kaguya clan members are there now?"

"About a hundred. After nearly six years of recuperation, the children from back then have grown up, and new lives are being born."

"Has anyone awakened the Shikotsumyaku?"

"Yes, but they are all suppressing their awakened bloodline limit, wanting to live ordinary lives."

"It's hard to believe that the Kaguya clan, who always took pride in fighting, would give up combat."

Kimimaro felt a bit emotional.

But at the same time, he was also a bit skeptical.

"This is thanks to your father's final command. He told the escaping clan members that if they didn't want to repeat the same mistakes, they should give up fighting and become ordinary people.

It's mostly the Kaguya men who are warlike. The ones who left were women and children, so change is possible. When I went there last time, I also found it hard to believe.

Of course, this is all what they told me."

"I see."

Along the way, the two chatted casually, and Kimimaro learned more about the current situation in Taketori Village.

From Hiashi's words, it seemed that the Kaguya clan in Taketori Village had indeed given up being ninja and were living ordinary lives.

The Hyuga clan's regular visits were simply to maintain the thousand-year friendship between the two clans.

At the same time, the Hyuga also wanted to see if the Kaguya clan needed any help.

If they did, they would offer assistance.

From this information, the Hyuga clan seemed like genuinely good people.

But was it true?

The Hyuga clan had no ulterior motives and wholeheartedly helped this powerless clan?

In this world of intrigue, was there such a purely kind clan?

Kimimaro found it somewhat absurd.

Moreover, the closer they got to Taketori Village, the more he sensed Hiashi's impatience.

He seemed to be anticipating something, yet also worried about something.

It was a contradictory state.

"It seems this trip to Taketori Village won't be simple."

Three days passed quickly.

Taketori Village was in sight.

"Taketori Village is two kilometers ahead," Hiashi whispered.

Kimimaro looked around. They were in a dense bamboo forest, different from the previous scenery.

Just as he was observing, Hiashi Homura, who was scouting ahead, exclaimed, "Clan Head, something's wrong! Taketori Village is in trouble!"

"What?"

Hiashi was startled, and Kimimaro also frowned.

Byakugan activate!

Including Hiashi, the three Hyuga clan members activated their Byakugan and looked into the distance.

In this situation, Kimimaro didn't dare to activate his Byakugan, but his Kagura Shingan could also sense things.

"This is..."

In his Kagura Shingan's perception, Taketori Village ahead was empty, like a deserted village.

As for other details, his Kagura Shingan couldn't sense them.

The Kagura Shingan couldn't sense beings without chakra, in this aspect, it was inferior to the Byakugan.

"How could this be? The village is empty, but there are bloodstains everywhere? Were they attacked? Let's hurry up and see what's going on!"

Hiashi was shocked and quickened his pace.

Kimimaro followed closely, displaying speed not inferior to the other four.

Soon, the five arrived at Taketori Village.

It was a mess!

There were signs of fighting and bloodstains everywhere.

It looked like a fierce battle had just taken place.

"What happened here? How did it become like this?"

Hiashi looked bewildered, his expression seemed genuine.

Kimimaro reached out his right hand and gently touched the blood on the ground.

"The blood hasn't completely dried yet, the battle must have ended not too long ago. Uncle Hiashi, let's search the surroundings and see if we can find anyone."

"Alright!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 110 Lies

"Byakugan!"

Hiashi Hyuga activated his Byakugan to its fullest extent. As long as there were no obstructions, his vision could cover a radius of three kilometers.

A three-kilometer range was enough to discover many clues.

While Hiashi was searching, Kimimaro's eyes were also scanning the surroundings.

The scene before them was that of a chaotic battle, but he felt something was amiss.

"Found them!"

Just as Kimimaro was lost in thought, Hiashi's voice rang out.

"Two thousand five hundred and fifty meters to the southeast, there are thirteen people moving. It looks like they are from the Kaguya clan. Let's go! Let's go check it out!"

Hiashi tapped his toes and dashed out immediately, followed closely by the other three Hyuga clansmen.

Kimimaro slowed down a bit but didn't fall too far behind.

"Could the scene in front of us be related to Hiashi Hyuga? Is this a play he orchestrated? But judging by his reaction and expression, he's clearly surprised by everything here as well."

With the truth unclear, Kimimaro remained silent for the time being.

When there isn't enough information, don't rush to make judgments, or you can easily fall into misconceptions.

And once you fall into misconceptions, it's hard to make objective and accurate judgments.

Most people just get deeper and deeper into misconceptions, constantly finding seemingly relevant clues to prove their guesses are right.

Kimimaro didn't have this bad habit.

The more bizarre things seemed, the more he understood the importance of staying clear-headed.

A distance of over two thousand meters wasn't too far for them.

On the way, Hiashi frowned slightly.

"Someone has left the main group and is heading towards us."

"Were we discovered?"

Kimimaro asked.

Hiashi shook his head slightly.

"Probably not. I know this person, her name is Kaguya Tsuki, fifteen years old, awakened the Shikotsumyaku, and is the strongest of the younger generation of the Kaguya clan. I was very impressed with her when I visited last time.

She should be returning to the Kaguya village, and our directions happen to coincide. Since she's here, we might as well ask her about the specific situation."

After passing through the surrounding green bamboo forest, Hiashi stopped and looked up.

A pure white bone blade descended from the sky, slashing fiercely towards him!

The attacker was Kaguya Tsuki, and this strike was fast, accurate, and ruthless, showing considerable skill.

But in front of the Byakugan, it couldn't achieve the element of surprise.

Hiashi easily dodged and grabbed her right hand holding the bone blade.

"Bastard! Let go of me!"

Kaguya Tsuki shouted angrily, and white bone spikes were about to erupt from her right hand.

"Tsuki, it's me."

Hiashi called out Kaguya Tsuki's name, and she was visibly stunned, only then recognizing Hiashi's face.

"Lord Hiashi, why is it you?"

Kaguya Tsuki was both surprised and delighted, and immediately stopped her attack.

"Tsuki, what's going on? Did someone attack the Kaguya village?"

"Lord Hiashi, it was the Mist ninja! We don't know how they discovered our location, but they attacked the Kaguya village not long ago. Lady Kui fought desperately, allowing me to escape with some of our clansmen."

As Kaguya Tsuki spoke, her eyes were filled with anger.

"Mist ninja? How is that possible? This place is so hidden, and it's within the Land of Fire. How could the Mist ninja find it?"

Hiashi's face was full of disbelief.

The Mist ninja had been quiet all these years, but their reach had extended this far?

"We don't know how it happened either. If Lady Kui hadn't discovered it in time and organized the remaining able-bodied clansmen to resist, we would probably all be wiped out by now."

"How many of them came? Where are they now?"

Hiashi quickly asked.

"About thirty or so, all with high combat abilities. When I left with everyone, Lady Kui was leading the others in a fierce battle against them.

I originally wanted to fight alongside them, but Lady Kui told me to take the clansmen and leave first, so I had to obey. After bringing the clansmen to a safe place, I was still worried about Lady Kui, so I rushed back, and unexpectedly encountered Lord Hiashi.

Are they no longer in the village?"

Kaguya Tsuki briefly explained the situation, clearly unaware of the current state of the village.

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned grave.

Over thirty Mist ninja, all with high combat abilities, meant they were at least Chunin level or above.

Hiashi was well aware of the current combat strength of the Kaguya clan. The strongest was Lady Kui, whom Kaguya Tsuki had just mentioned.

Although she was only Jonin level, if she fought with her Shikotsumyaku to the death, even Hiashi Hyuga wouldn't dare say he could defeat her.

Besides her, there were about seven others capable of fighting, all around Chunin level.

If they faced thirty Mist ninja, they indeed wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

Recalling the devastation in the village just now, everything made sense.

"Lord Hiashi, you came from the village. What's the situation now?"

Kaguya Tsuki asked worriedly.

"The village is full of traces of fierce battles and bloodstains, but there are no corpses. They were probably all cleaned up by the Mist ninja."

"What? Then Lady Kui wouldn't have..."

Kaguya Tsuki was extremely worried.

"How long has it been since you left?"

"Almost an hour. No, I have to go save Lady Kui!"

Kaguya Tsuki was about to rush back, but Hiashi grabbed her.

"If you go back now, you're just going to die. First, you don't know their exact location, second, you don't know their exact strength, and third, you have no plan. What can you do alone?"

"But..."

"Take me to the rest of your people, and we'll discuss a plan. If the Mist ninja are traveling with your clansmen, they won't be moving too fast. If we prepare well, there's still hope of rescuing them."

"Okay! Lord Hiashi, follow me."

Kaguya Tsuki was distraught and, out of respect for Hiashi Hyuga, followed his instructions.

Kimimaro listened to their conversation the whole time, gathering information but not expressing any opinions.

Kagura's Mind's Eye had been observing the people around him, and he noticed something.

Hiashi wasn't lying, but Kaguya Tsuki was!

Although her acting was flawless, her chakra couldn't lie.

"What's going on?"

Kimimaro had more doubts in his heart but still remained silent.

Led by Kaguya Tsuki, Kimimaro and the four others arrived at a cave and found the remaining twelve members of the Kaguya clan.

Among these twelve, except for an elderly woman, the others were all under fifteen years old.

Clearly, these were the young seedlings of the Kaguya clan.

"Grandma Sachiko, we're saved! Lord Hiashi is here!"

Kaguya Tsuki shouted as soon as she entered the cave.

Upon hearing this, the elderly woman stood up. She originally wanted to scold Kaguya Tsuki for returning, but upon hearing her words, the scolding turned into relief.

"Lord Hiashi! I didn't expect you to come at this time."

Grandma Sachiko said respectfully.

"I didn't expect you to be here either. What's going on? Do you know?"

(End of Chapter)