章 186: Chapter 186
However, on this matter, Kaito surprisingly flexed his muscles with unprecedented assertiveness. He directly nominated Shisui as the team leader, and his reasoning was exceedingly simple.
"Shisui comes from the Anbu; in terms of combat tactics, I don't think there's anyone better than him.
Furthermore, Shisui possesses the same eyes as I do, and he's even the deputy clan leader of the Uchiha.
I can't think of anyone more suitable for the role of team leader!"
Kaito's words left everyone speechless; upon reflection, it did indeed seem to be the case.
The strength of the Uchiha clan has always been focused on Kaito, but it can't be denied that the Uchihas are rich in talent.
Take Uchiha Shisui, for example. Initially, he was even considered more gifted than Kaito, but it was just that the brilliance Kaito exuded after his awakening overshadowed everything.
This had the effect of subtly pushing Shisui into the background, but the moment people recalled him, it was clear: Shisui was a force to be reckoned with, not inferior to Kaito in the slightest.
"Moreover, besides this Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Fugaku's abilities have never been weak.
Although this guy is extremely low-key, even after facing clan impeachment, he still sits stably in a high position within the family.
Other than attributing it to Clan Leader Kaito's magnanimity, there is also an indispensable factor.
That would be the strength of Elder Fugaku; even Clan Leader Kaito would not dare to act recklessly."
Understanding all these things, there was basically no chance for any alteration or instability in Shisui's position as team leader.
The hastily assembled elite force from the seven major clans, after receiving the documents personally drafted by Jiraiya, immediately set out.
One could say that the Leaf Village had arrived at a somewhat suffocating moment, but the main characters in this delicate situation had changed.
The Uchiha clan, once at the vortex's center, now sat on the sidelines. Kaito, too, could calmly watch the fish in the great pond of the Leaf Village perform to their hearts' content.
The night was melodious, and the Sarutobi clan's territory was utterly silent. Ever since they were relegated to a corner of the village, their nights had become exceptionally desolate.
The Sarutobi clan lived close to the Utatane and Mitokado clans; their territories were interconnected.
Once night fell, people from these three clans would generally not venture outdoors, rendering their territories as quiet as a graveyard.
Yet tonight seemed somewhat different. Asuma was not in his room; instead, he was in a storeroom at the corner of the Sarutobi clan's area.
Inside this storeroom, there were many other ninjas just like him, donned in their shinobi uniforms, all silently waiting.
After what felt like an eternity, Asuma finally stood up. His gaze swept over everyone present, and then he spoke calmly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the fact that we are gathered here tonight, I assume, makes it clear what we are about to undertake.
I have to admit, this is the least desirable course of action for me, the most bloody and cruel one.
Yet this is what we must confront now. We once pressured the Hyuga clan and led the Uchiha into this desperate situation.
We failed, and due to improper actions from my father, we are all embroiled in this mess.
I'd like to apologize on his behalf, but I feel uttering such words now would be meaningless. And as the losers in this equation, we have no right to choose.
Tonight, we must make a final decision, a decision that aligns with the interests of all present, as well as the interests of the Leaf Village.
I trust you understand they are all watching us.
For the Sarutobi clan, for the rebirth of our family, we must act.
And tonight is that moment. I entrust this to all of you."
Having said this, Asuma deeply bowed to everyone in the room.
"Asuma, there's no need for that."
Just then, a middle-aged man stepped forward and spoke tranquilly to Asuma.
"In truth, even without you, we might have gone down this path.
Moreover, without you, we wouldn't have had the conditions we have now, and the price we'd have to pay would be even more severe.
Even the Uchiha and the seven clans might not have spared any of us.
At least we now have an opportunity. At least the Sarutobi clan can carry on, and the Utatane and Mitokado clans also stand a chance.
If anyone should be thanking, it should be me, it should be us. Thank you."
Having said this, the middle-aged man led everyone in the room to bow deeply to Asuma.
After everyone had straightened up, Asuma took a deep breath and turned towards the warehouse exit.
"Let's move, everyone. We save our own clans!"
The sound of footsteps began to echo. In the forests beyond the lands of the Sarutobi, Utatane, and Mitokado clans, countless masked ninjas appeared.
They hid in the dark corners, their eyes coldly sweeping over the ancestral lands of the three clans.
Clearly, these were members of the Anbu, there to prevent anyone from escaping.
Among them were also numerous members of the Inuzuka and Aburame clans, providing intelligence support for Asuma's operation.
In addition to these two families, Kaito and Hyūga Hiashi also arrived at the scene.
Kaito didn't particularly want to come, finding little interest in the matter at hand.
However, he couldn't refuse an invitation from Hyūga Hiashi. The Hyūga clan had contributed significant talent to the security forces.
These talents had become the backbone of the security division, and given the good relations between their clans, Kaito ultimately decided to come.
"Looks like tonight will be quite the feast," Hyūga Hiashi mused, his Byakugan eyes gazing into the distance as he spoke in a neutral tone.
"A feast is an overstatement, but it does serve to remove certain dissatisfactions and grievances from our hearts," Kaito replied, equally unemotional. He couldn't see as far, but that didn't concern him.
"The matters of these three clans can be left to Asuma and his people. But if anyone escapes, that's when the Anbu will take action.
Ruthless individuals will be killed without question, and those of unclear identity will be captured. It's quite a ruthless strategy."
"Compared to you Uchihas, this doesn't seem overly cruel, does it?" Hyūga Hiashi arched an eyebrow, speaking with a tinge of amusement.
"Indeed, it's not. But I am the victor, and that is enough."
Kaito turned his gaze towards Hyūga Hiashi, and at that moment, a slight smile appeared on his face.
"Those who once bit me are either in paradise now or have been thoroughly exiled and are essentially awaiting death.
Their clans have been broken under my heel; their survival is at my whim.
Hyūga clan leader, sometimes one has to look beyond the surface, at the tangible gains, don't you think?"
Kaito's words rendered Hyūga Hiashi silent. Eventually, he could only nod in reluctant agreement.
Although Kaito appeared to have spared these people, the humiliation and punishment he bestowed upon them might as well have killed them. Kaito's decisiveness and ruthlessness are precisely why even a prodigy like Shisui disappeared under his dazzling aura.
Thinking of his own past hardships and current hesitations in dealing with clan matters, Hyūga Hiashi couldn't help but sigh lightly.
He suddenly felt that he might indeed be inferior to this younger man.
As the two fell silent, tranquility once again enveloped the dark forest.
The entire woodland grew hushed, with only the ceaseless chirping of summer cicadas remaining.
After entering the clan territory, Asuma waved back at the ninjas following him and then glanced to his left.
Three Sarutobi ninjas were hiding in the dark shadows, the first hidden sentinels at the entrance.
Seeing it was him, they immediately showed caution; Asuma's stance was not aligned with theirs.
In these extremists' eyes, Asuma had betrayed all three clans!
"Asuma, why are you wandering outside at this hour?" said the foremost Sarutobi ninja, his tone distinctly hostile.
"What I do, do I need to report to you?" Asuma slowly walked towards them, speaking with deliberate pace.
"You traitor, I wonder how your father would feel in the afterlife, knowing you've made such a choice."
Another Sarutobi ninja spat out angrily. But once he opened his mouth, he couldn't say another word.
Asuma, less than five meters away, suddenly unleashed a teleportation technique. Before the incredulous eyes of the Sarutobi ninja, he watched as a kunai plunged into his heart.
Blood flowed along the blade, dripping drop by drop.
He wanted to say something else, but no sound could escape his lips. The last thing he saw was Asuma's face, frigid to the extreme.
Thud!
The Sarutobi ninja collapsed, so abruptly that neither he nor his companions had expected it.
Yet those guarding the clan entrance were no fools.
The moment they saw their comrade fall, the other two ninjas reacted instantaneously, unsheathing their long swords from behind. With angry glares, they lunged at Asuma almost in unison.
Regrettably, Asuma was faster. His hands conjured chakra blades unique to him.
A light blue chakra, infused with the essence of Wind Style, materialized. In less than a second, they crossed paths, and not even the clash of weapons was heard.
The two Sarutobi clan ninjas fell to the ground, disbelief etched on their faces, each throat adorned with a line of blood. Fresh blood seeped slowly.
Asuma looked at the trio, their eyes wide in terror and yet filled with deep rage, now lifeless.
He couldn't help but tremble slightly; even a sense of nausea gripped him.
After all, he had killed his own kinsmen, people he had known since childhood. Such extreme perversion left him profoundly uncomfortable.
He knew Uchiha Itachi had undertaken similar missions; knew too that Itachi had volunteered for them.
But he couldn't fathom how Itachi could willingly go through with such tasks. Such acts were almost too hard to accept.
"Uchiha Itachi must no longer be human, for no human could be this detached!"
Asuma took deep breaths, readjusting himself. It took him quite a while to get used to the stench of blood.
His grip on his chakra blades tightened. He knew there was no reason, no excuse for him to back out. He could only see this through to the end.
"Feelings of kinship no longer bind us; this is a battle of ideologies.
If I win, the clan survives. If I lose, the entire clan faces extinction!"
As he mulled over this, chakra surged through Asuma's body. When he looked at the fallen men, all that was left in his eyes was detachment.
He knew what he should and shouldn't do. For the sake of the clan, he must now eliminate these disruptive elements!
"Take action, everyone."
Asuma whispered commandingly, leading the charge.
"However, do not lay a hand on those who surrender; they are still our clansmen, and we must prepare for the future.
But spare not a single resistor!"
The night of slaughter...had commenced.
"You really don't hold back, do you?"
Atop a rooftop within the Sarutobi clan's grounds, Kaito and Hyuuga Hiashi stood still, peering down.
Bodies lay scattered all around the Sarutobi clan's area, fires burned ceaselessly, and the sound of cries was deafening.
Kaito didn't really enjoy such scenes—just like years ago when he and Shisui witnessed a small village destroyed by the Cloud shinobi, it filled him with a similar anger.
Time changes, but some essential things do not.
Of course, Kaito is a man of double standards.
He'd have others do what he couldn't, not that he hasn't acted himself. But there's a difference between doing and watching others do it.
Yet who can deny being a person of double standards?
He was here merely to gauge just how far Asuma could descend.
From what he could see, Asuma was thoroughly resolute; he understood his task well.
But some humanity remained; he had yet spared women and children.
Should that change, Kaito would have to be even more cautious. A man completely detached cannot be trusted.
Just like Uchiha Itachi. Kaito would rather chase him a thousand miles, even prepared to unleash Sasuke to eliminate him, than let Itachi ever return.
Even the trick of placing him in the dark Anbu division, faking his death—Kaito would never resort to it.
Because in his eyes, Uchiha Itachi had utterly lost his humanity, and such a detached man is better off dead.
"Preserving humanity comes at its own cost. After all, I wouldn't wish, nor allow, someone filled with hatred to exist.
What you decide to do next is your own business. From this day on, you will be unifying these three clans."
Kaito thought silently to himself, then rose to his feet and walked towards the exit, while Hyuuga Hiashi slightly turned his head to look at him.
"Leaving already? Not going to stick around to watch?"
"No need. I've seen what I needed to see. That's enough."
Kaito answered placidly, then suddenly chuckled in self-mockery.
"You may find it hard to believe, Clan Head Hiashi, but I really detest scenes like this.
Even though my own hands are drenched in blood, for some reason, I still feel uneasy. Yet, I can endure it, and it won't affect my combat."
"That's a good thing, at least. It means you, Clan Head Kaito, haven't been utterly corroded by war. Scenes like this are hardly uncommon in war."
Hyuuga Hiashi nodded slightly, evidently misunderstanding Kaito, and said quite seriously,
"As it happens, I wish I could still feel that way, like you, Clan Head Kaito.
Regrettably, when I face scenes like this, I've become indifferent, mainly because they are not my people.
You might reconsider your views, Clan Head Kaito; after all, no one here is innocent."
Hearing this, Kaito realized that his expression might have been misunderstood, but he couldn't be bothered to clarify too much.
How could he directly tell Hyuuga Hiashi, 'I don't mind doing it myself, but when I see others do it, I think they're villains'?
Lightly shaking his head, Kaito grinned and said, "Thank you for the advice, Clan Head Hiashi, but have you figured out your own situation?"
The question made Hyuuga Hiashi pause for a moment before letting out a gentle sigh.
That sigh, unmistakably, told Kaito that Hiashi probably wasn't quite prepared yet.
After all, the plan Kaito had shared was extreme to its core. Hiashi intended to make modifications, but some things are just not that easy to execute.
Power, it's like poison—once tasted, some people really can't let go.
Especially when their power wanes and they no longer dominate as they once did, power becomes the only thing propping up their belief that they still stand atop the world of shinobi.
It's hard to say, but the three clans before us, along with that Shimura Danzo, are just like that.
"Some challenges, yes, but I also don't want to go to extremes."
Hyuuga Hiashi let out a slight sigh, and spoke directly.
"Taking action would lead to turmoil, resulting in many deaths. Turning everyone into branch families will lead to opposition from the main family, then rivers of blood will flow again.
I know Clan Head Kaito's plan is correct, but sometimes I prefer to take more neutral measures.
I hope to win more people to my side and garner more support, thereby enabling me to abolish certain things."
"Abolish certain things?" Hearing this, Kaito raised an eyebrow: "You're not planning to abolish the Caged Bird Seal, are you?"
"Was it that easy to guess?"
Hyuuga Hiashi was momentarily surprised, and then a smile bloomed on his face.
"Yes, that is my plan, and it's all very difficult, isn't it?
The main family wouldn't allow it; they would certainly fight to the death to prevent it.
And the branch family members can't resist the main family using the Caged Bird Seal to control them. My situation would become even more difficult."
"Indeed, you may end up being besieged by the main family along with the entire branch family."
Kaito nodded, genuinely surprised that Hyuuga Hiashi would be so audacious. But upon reflection, there were hints of this in the original storyline as well.
Shaking his head, Kaito decided he didn't want to think too much about it right now. He looked at Hyuuga Hiashi quizzically.
"Just, have you considered that, if you succeed, what would happen to your Byakugan once the Caged Bird Seal is gone?"
"Of course, I have considered it."
Hyuuga Hiashi nodded, then looked meaningfully at Kaito.
"The Uchiha don't have the Caged Bird Seal either, yet you're not afraid, are you?
Besides, under such pressure, haven't various prodigies emerged? Such as Shisui, such as yourself!"
//
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