Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 85 The Bird in the Cage

Despite the oppressive atmosphere, Hiashi Hyuga couldn't help but speak first. After all, this was the Hyuga clan's territory, and as the master, he couldn't let this atmosphere continue.

"I wonder what urgent matter the Hokage has for Hyuga Kanan? Hyuga Kanan hasn't been back for a long time, and his mother's health isn't good right now, so he's eager to see her."

Having served as clan leader for a year, he has grown a lot. He knows that he cannot offend the Konoha leadership, but he also cannot completely abandon the dignity of the Hyuga clan as a prestigious family.

"Oh? Is that so? We're sorry to bother you, but since we're already here, how about we talk to Hyuga Kanan first? It won't take long."

Hiruzen Sarutobi maintained his amiable voice, and although he was answering Hiashi Hyuga's question, his eyes remained fixed on Kanan Hyuga. He wanted to know if Kanan Hyuga's attitude and situation were as he had guessed before deciding on his next move.

When he encountered Danzo on the road, he had already told Danzo to try not to speak and to let him do the talking.

Danzo was pleased with this arrangement, as it allowed him to ascertain the purpose of his hasty visit to Hyuga Kanan through Hiruzen Sarutobi's conversation.

He was convinced that Hiruzen Sarutobi had come to inquire about the entire process and details of his mission against the Mist Ninja, since he had reported that Uchiha Kagami had shielded them from the Mist Ninja's pursuit, was surrounded and killed by them, and his body had fallen into their hands. But now, his right eye held Uchiha Kagami's Mangekyou Sharingan, and he didn't want anyone to know that he had ultimately concealed the fact that Uchiha Kagami had entrusted the Sharingan to him, so that he could return it to the Uchiha clan.

This incident made Danzo somewhat uneasy. After all, secretly hiding the bloodline limits of other clans was a very troublesome matter for Konoha. If the fanatical Uchiha clan found out, it would plunge Konoha into turmoil.

"Damn the Uchiha clan! This clan should be wiped out of Konoha!"

Thinking silently to himself, Danzo recalled the attitude of the Uchiha clan towards him after he returned to Konoha. He couldn't help but feel angry. If Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't disagreed with mobilizing Konoha ninjas to attack the Uchiha clan, he would have definitely wiped out the Uchiha clan.

Hyuga Kanan looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was staring intently at him, and was also a little puzzled. He seemed to have just returned to Konoha and hadn't made any moves yet, so why was this busy Third Hokage in such a hurry to see him?

He didn't believe the Third Hokage had come to see him out of concern for him; he must have some ulterior motive. But what did he, someone who wasn't even a ninja yet, have that would warrant the Hokage's attention?

Hyuga Kanan fell into deep thought. He truly couldn't understand Hiruzen Sarutobi's purpose in acting. He had never paid much attention to the situation in Konoha, nor had he revealed his identity as a cultivator. He shouldn't have attracted the Third Hokage's attention.

If Hyuga Kanan knew that Sarutobi Hiruzen considered him a second Uchiha Madara, he would definitely tell the Hokage that he was overestimating himself. Regardless of whether he had such thoughts, in terms of strength alone, he was currently far behind Uchiha Madara. Madara was someone that required at least his Golden Core stage to deal with, and even then, he might not be a match for him. After all, Madara's bloodline artifact inheritance was close to that of the Sage of Six Paths. Even if he could suppress Madara in strength, if Madara used that near-perfect bloodline artifact in battle, he would have to flee in defeat.

Not to mention his current self, he even has some difficulty dealing with Hiruzen Sarutobi in front of him. Although he is still very confident in his current strength and should be able to suppress Hiruzen Sarutobi, Konoha will not let Hiruzen Sarutobi get away with it.

Especially Sakumo Hatake, who was revered in the ninja world as the White Fang of Konoha, was a master swordsman.

You should know that these sword and saber cultivators are known for their powerful attacks. They may not be as well-rounded as me in other aspects, but in terms of attack, they can absolutely crush me in my current state.

Even without ever having met any of Konoha's White Fangs, one could guess at the sheer strength of the opponent. After all, even Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't get the Sand Village to spread the word that they could abandon their missions without being punished if they encountered him. You have to know that the success rate of a ninja mission is a symbol of a village's strength, but he still issued such an order, proving that he was truly terrified by Konoha's White Fangs.

This alone shows just how terrifying the White Fang of Konoha, who was so loyal to the village, truly was.

Hiruzen Sarutobi may be a tough opponent, but when it comes to attack power and killing efficiency, he falls far short.

Hinata Kanan patted his forehead to clear his mind of those chaotic thoughts before coming back to his senses.

But his action finally drew the attention of Hyuga Hiashi, who had been preoccupied with complicated thoughts, to Hyuga Kanan's clean forehead. He then remembered that Hyuga Kanan should have had the Caged Bird Seal inscribed on his forehead when he was very young. How come the Caged Bird Seal has disappeared now? After observing Hyuga Hiashi's astonished expression, Sarutobi Hiruzen also recalled that when Hyuga Kanan returned his headband to him, there was the Caged Bird Seal unique to the Hyuga clan on his forehead. Now, his forehead was spotless, without a trace of the Caged Bird Seal.

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi was even more nervous than Hiashi Hyuga. If Kanan Hyuga could break the Caged Bird Seal, he would gain the loyalty of most of the Hyuga clan. If he then launched an attack on Konoha, it wouldn't be Kanan's action alone; he would have to bring along most of the Hyuga branch family members.

That basically means that most of the Hyuga family members will join, since the Hyuga clan only has a few members from the main family, and the rest are members of the branch family.

Hiruzen Sarutobi even had the urge to take action now and eliminate Hyuga Kanan, denying him any opportunity to contact other members of the Hyuga clan.

Seeing the change in the expressions of the two people in front of him, Hyuga Kanan knew what they were thinking, but he didn't want to explain anything.

In Hyuga Kanan's view, this was no big deal. He wasn't the only one without the Caged Bird Seal; many other elders of the main family didn't have it either.

He completely forgot that the Caged Bird Seal had existed for over a thousand years. If it could be easily broken, why would those ninjas envy the Hyuga clan? He could simply capture a member of the Hyuga clan and break the Caged Bird Seal, whether by acquiring the Byakugan himself or using the seal as a breeding ground. Not all members of the Hyuga clan were powerful.

However, over the course of a thousand years, there have been countless attempts to capture and study these targets, but all of them ultimately came to nothing, yielding nothing in return.

At this moment, Hyuga Hiashi broke out in a cold sweat. He knew that if Hyuga Kanan really found a way to break the Caged Bird Seal, then the Hyuga clan would be in turmoil. Not all of the branch family members accepted this kind of bondage; most of them only obeyed the main family's orders because they were threatened by the Caged Bird Seal.

"Jianan, you, you've figured out a way to break the curse on the caged bird?"

With a slightly trembling voice, Hiashi asked Hyuga Kanan, his gaze fixed on him. He finally understood why the elders of the main family resented Hyuga Kanan so much.

"No, I only managed to remove my own Caged Bird Seal after making a breakthrough. I probably can't help others remove it. Of course, if you give me a good study of the other person's Caged Bird Seal, there is a slight chance that I can remove it, but the probability is not high, and it would take a lot of time. I have no interest in doing that."

Hyuga Kanan truthfully explained that this was a trivial matter for him, and he genuinely didn't have time to research how to break cursed seals for others. He barely had enough time for his own training, so how could he possibly spend time helping clansmen he didn't even know? If Hyuga Hizashi asked for his help, he could spend some time helping him research his Caged Bird Seal, although with enough time and effort, the chances of breaking it were still quite high.

However, based on Hyuga Kanan's understanding of his second brother, he knew that the other brother would not ask him for help to remove the curse mark on his forehead once he knew it would take a lot of time.

After all, if we're talking about who knows him best in the entire ninja world, then Hyuga Hizashi is definitely the one.

Hyuga Hizashi was well aware of Hyuga Kanan's behavior and habits, knowing that Kanan was always training and seemed to be in a great hurry, unwilling to waste a single moment. Although Hyuga Hizashi didn't know what his younger brother was training for or why he was in such a rush, he hadn't mentioned it to anyone else.

It can be said that Hyuga Hizashi is a perfect family member who puts all his heart and soul into his family. He always gives to his family and never asks for anything in return.

Perhaps in his heart, this is what family is all about.

Even a cultivator like Hyuga Kanan, who is detached from emotions, thoroughly enjoys being family with such a person. Whenever Hyuga Hizashi makes a request, Hyuga Kanan will do his best to fulfill it.

But Hyuga Kanan understood that Hyuga Hizashi would never bother someone who would interfere with their family. Even for someone like Kanan, an outcast in the Hyuga clan, Hizashi would visit him whenever he had time, afraid that Kanan would be lonely in the past.

In Hyuga Kanan's heart, the only people in the entire ninja world he cared about were his mother and his second brother, Hizashi. Everyone else was just a passing cloud to him, and he didn't care about them at all. Even his eldest brother, who had become the clan leader, was just a stranger with whom Hyuga Kanan had blood ties.

Hiashi Hyuga, who was silently relieved, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was next to him, also relaxed their thoughts slightly. They knew that such an extremely proud person would never stoop to lying.

But Danzo, who was standing nearby, finally couldn't hold back any longer. In his eyes, this factor that could potentially cause turmoil in the Hyuga clan should be in his own hands. How could he let it go so easily?