Upon hearing the news of Orochimaru and Hyuga Mirai's defection, Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately made a decision. He declared both of them as S-rank rogue ninjas and issued the highest-level wanted order for their capture.
It was easy to classify Orochimaru as an S-rank rogue ninja, given his power. But Hyuga Mirai, a medical Jonin, being labeled the same, left many other Jonin confused.
Regarding Hyuga Mirai, they were still holding onto the impression of him being an "exceptionally skilled medical Jonin in the war." Even if he had been concealing some of his power, an elite Jonin squad should be enough to bring him back. However, the Third Hokage didn't elaborate much on Mirai's case, and this was also at the request of the Hyuga clan.
The news of breaking the Caged Bird seal was monumental. If other ninja villages learned of it, they would undoubtedly take an interest in Hyuga Mirai. If they obtained the method for breaking the Caged Bird, branch family members would no longer be safe when sent on missions outside the village.
The Caged Bird seal had protected the Hyuga clan's Byakugan for generations, but now that there was a way to break it, other villages would covet the Byakugan, as it was one of the most sought-after kekkei genkai in the ninja world. The three great dojutsu, the Rinnegan, Sharingan, and Byakugan, all had immense value. The Rinnegan was legendary, the Sharingan was exclusive to the Uchiha clan, but the Byakugan could greatly enhance a ninja village's reconnaissance abilities, making it an invaluable asset in wartime.
As for Hyuga Mirai, the Third Hokage chose not to involve the other Jonin in the pursuit. He stated that this matter would be discussed directly with the Hyuga clan.
With Orochimaru's defection, there were only two remaining candidates for the Fourth Hokage. But everyone knew, regardless of war accomplishments or reputation, that Namikaze Minato was far stronger than Uchiha Fugaku.
Fugaku's only advantage over Minato was the backing of the Uchiha clan. However, if all the other ninja villages and Konoha's Jonin supported Minato, even the Uchiha clan would no longer stand a chance in competing with him.
The course of events was clear—the decision for Minato to become the Fourth Hokage was already set in stone. Many clan leaders thought about it briefly and realized they should make nice with the new Hokage once the meeting ended.
However, many of them didn't take the Third Hokage's words seriously. After most of the information was concealed, many believed that Orochimaru and Hyuga Mirai's defections wouldn't have a significant impact on Konoha.
The recent victory in the Shinobi World War had bolstered their confidence. Even though one of the Sannin, Orochimaru, had defected, they still had Jiraiya and Minato, who was about to become the Fourth Hokage. Konoha's strength remained unmatched, and two rogue ninjas wouldn't cause much of a stir.
But when many clan leaders visited Minato's home with gifts, they found that he wasn't in Konoha. As for his whereabouts, Minato might have told Kushina, but she had no intention of revealing it to the visitors, or perhaps she simply forgot amid her own business.
Mount Myoboku
Minato arrived here after Jiraiya had finished his surgery and was out of danger. Using reverse summoning, Minato came to the place where more detailed information could be obtained from the two sages who had fought alongside Jiraiya. There were other reasons as well, which made it urgent for Minato to visit Mount Myoboku.
"Little Minato, are you here to ask about that Byakugan kid?" Fukasaku, one of the two sages, asked slowly.
Minato nodded and replied, "Yes, Fukasaku-sennin. Jiraiya-sensei mentioned something about a prophecy, but only you two know the full details of what happened at the time."
Both the Hyuga branch guards and the ANBU members had a difficult time getting close to the battlefield, so some details were inevitably left out in the reports.
"That Byakugan kid… Even now, thinking back, I'm still shocked," Fukasaku sighed, folding his arms in thought. "A perfect Sage Mode. And unlike the Sage Faces of Ryūchi Cave or Shikotsu Forest, his speed and physical techniques were nearly imperceptible. In all my years, he's the most extraordinary human I've ever seen."
Fukasaku then began recounting the battle's details. This information would be valuable to Konoha, although it may not be entirely comprehensive.
After hearing Fukasaku's description of the battle, Minato fell silent for a moment. He hadn't expected that even the Gamakichi, who had fought alongside Jiraiya for over a decade, had fallen. The toad had helped him multiple times after signing the contract with Mount Myoboku.
"Little Minato," Fukasaku continued, "as for the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage, it's now almost certain that it's connected to that Byakugan kid. However, the person predicted by the Great Toad Sage was supposed to have blue eyes. You'll need to investigate further on that matter."
Minato nodded, "I understand, Fukasaku-sennin."
"Also, the Sage Mode." Fukasaku continued.
"Jiraiya's Sage Mode is imperfect, and during battle, he needs both me and Shima to help balance the natural energy within him. Minato, you must continue training in Sage Mode. Otherwise, when facing that Byakugan kid, you'll be at a disadvantage."
"Sage Mode, huh? I understand." Minato said, his expression troubled. While Sage Mode greatly enhances his physical abilities, the biggest improvement is in his ninjutsu. However, Minato isn't a ninjutsu-oriented ninja, and his chakra reserves are just enough to meet the requirements for training in Sage Mode. Though he had trained in Sage Mode before, his chakra levels required a lot of time and effort to utilize it.
Furthermore, Minato's combat style revolves primarily around the Flying Thunder God Technique, so he had gradually set aside Sage Mode training. It seems, though, that now he'll need to pick it back up.
Minato would also need to find ways to increase his chakra reserves if he wanted to reach the most perfect version of Sage Mode.
Having witnessed Hyuga Mirai's Sage Mode firsthand and fought alongside him, Fukasaku took it upon himself to urge Minato to continue his training. To change the prophecy spoken by the Great Toad Sage, it seemed that only the Child of Destiny had a slim chance.
"Lord Mirai!" Ayaka Uzumaki came rushing forward, nearly bouncing in her steps, excited to see Hyuga Mirai.
She had seen at Base 18 that Konoha's people were bullying Lord Mirai. Ayaka had been ready to rush out in her T1 battle armor, intending to take on all of Konoha's forces. But she had been stopped by 18, who clarified that it was Konoha who had been in the wrong. Ayaka reluctantly waited quietly at the base for Mirai to come to her.
After leaving the battlefield near Konoha, Orochimaru's wristwatch transformed, displaying a screen that guided him to a location near the capital of the Land of Fire. This miraculous nanotechnology once again surprised Orochimaru, and his resistance to joining forces with Hyuga Mirai seemed to weaken imperceptibly.
For Orochimaru, surrendering to knowledge wasn't shameful, especially since Hyuga Mirai had surpassed him in almost every aspect. Now, apart from age, Orochimaru had little to use as a comparison.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Ayaka Uzumaki suddenly became alert. Eight golden chains shot out from her back, instantly extending into a distant open space.
"Come out, I've sealed off your escape route!"
Soon, a figure slowly emerged from the ground, trapped within the golden chains.
"Is this the sealing technique unique to the Uzumaki clan? Impressive, it can even create a barrier underground. Truly a capable subordinate of Lord Mirai."
"I—I'm a subordinate of Lord Mirai..." Ayaka Uzumaki chuckled, picking up on the situation.
"Enough, Ayaka, he's one of us—Thats, Orochimaru."
Hearing Mirai's words, Ayaka Uzumaki retracted her golden chains. Though she recognized Orochimaru from observing the battle, she had used the chains to give him a warning, seeing his behavior as suspicious.
"No need to look at me like that, Mirai. I was in the wrong earlier. Consider this my apology. I hope this will be of use to you." Orochimaru, aware that he hadn't handled his warning to Jiraiya well, tossed a scroll to Hyuga Mirai.
Mirai opened the scroll, revealing Orochimaru's modified version of the Edo Tensei technique.
"Orochimaru, you've improved this technique already?" Hyuga Mirai asked, surprised.
"It's thanks to your help, Mirai-sama, and Danzo's," Orochimaru replied with a hoarse chuckle. "I used the chakra generated by the cursed seal and Hashirama's cells to exert dual control over the Edo Tensei body. After dozens of experiments, I finally succeeded."
Mirai, reflecting on the information, asked, "And the test subjects?"
"They were the ones Danzo sent for my research on Wood Release," Orochimaru responded. "It seems his Root organization doesn't have much funding left, so the responsibility of finding subjects was handed over to them. I didn't realize Danzo would pin the blame on me, but it was soon discovered by the ANBU."
"As for the Wood Release experiments, I've reached a stage where I no longer need test subjects. So I used these people to study Edo Tensei. Thankfully, I didn't waste Danzo's hard work." Orochimaru smiled.
Hyuga Mirai, upon hearing Orochimaru's explanation, couldn't help but feel that the future of the shinobi world might turn out differently than he had expected.
"Support from outsiders for experiments is just like this—if they don't see what they want, the cooperation won't last long." Mirai took the scroll from Orochimaru. "Moreover, Danzo barely has any funds left. He's the type who can only support experiments for a short time."
Orochimaru's smile grew wider when he saw Mirai accept the scroll. He also agreed with Mirai's words; every time he had gone to Danzo for funding, it was always slow and uncooperative.
"You're right, Mirai-sama."
(End of Chapter)
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