Chapter 23 — The Operation to Suppress the Rebellion Begins
The Flying Thunder God Technique—
a time–space ninjutsu created by the Second Hokage.
By placing a unique seal beforehand, the user can instantly teleport to that location, no matter the distance. In simpler terms, it is instantaneous movement—teleportation that can span entire countries.
It was this very technique that earned Namikaze Minato the legendary title of Konoha's Yellow Flash.
And today, once again, he relied on that same technique to race back and forth across the Hidden Leaf.
After receiving direct orders from the Hokage, he had crossed thousands of kilometers to reach the eastern front—where Hyūga Hiashi and the others were stationed—to deliver the grave news and coordinate their response.
Konoha had long anticipated the need for Minato's mobility in emergencies.
Thus, every field commander across the major fronts—including the eastern one—held a specially marked kunai linked to Minato's teleportation formula.
Orochimaru, as supreme commander of the eastern front, held one such kunai as well.
---
"Father—my eyes… my eyes hurt so much!"
A young man wrapped in bandages cried out in agony, the right side of his face hidden beneath thick white cloth.
He was Hyūga Taisho, the unfortunate Main Branch shinobi whose Byakugan had been stolen by the Mist—a disgrace of the clan, a jōnin in title only.
"Taisho, endure it," Hishō murmured, trying to soothe him. "Once we're back in the village, we'll send you straight to the Konoha Hospital. You'll recover faster there—it's better than suffering out here."
Hiashi watched the scene with a cold, hard stare.
Beside him, Daichi's face twisted with disgust. Though his own son had died by Hyūga Ritsu's hand, he couldn't help but think—had this fool Taisho not acted so recklessly, Ritsu might never have been driven to such extremes.
The mere sight of the boy now filled him with resentment.
---
"Is everyone ready?" Minato asked, glancing around the group.
"All ready," Hiashi replied firmly.
"Then let's depart. Orochimaru-sensei," Minato added with a respectful bow, "I'll be taking them back now."
Orochimaru's serpentine grin widened. "Go on, Minato-kun. I imagine that old man is already getting impatient."
Minato nodded once, then reached out and placed a hand on Hiashi's shoulder.
Following his instructions, the Hyūga linked hands with one another—and in the next heartbeat, all five of them, Minato included, vanished into thin air.
---
Orochimaru watched the space where they'd stood and let out a low chuckle.
"Hyūga… how amusing. A clan that's been stagnant for centuries finally shows signs of life. That Hiruko… he's trained quite an extraordinary disciple."
With a flick of his sleeve and a faint, sly smile, Orochimaru turned and disappeared back into the rain-drenched camp.
He planned to visit Hiruko—to share the news. After all, Minato hadn't said the matter was to be kept secret.
---
Meanwhile — Konoha Village, Hokage Building
The quiet, smoke-filled office suddenly shimmered with chakra light—five figures appeared out of thin air.
"Hokage-sama, I've brought them all."
Minato withdrew the short, trident-shaped kunai he had embedded in the floor—a special variant engraved with his teleportation formula—and slid it back into his pouch. Turning to report, he said firmly, "Hyūga Hiashi, Hyūga Daichi, Hyūga Hishō, and Hyūga Taisho—four members of the Hyūga main family—are all accounted for."
"Good work, Minato."
Hiruzen set down his pipe and gave a weary nod before his eyes moved toward Hiashi.
"Clan Head Hiashi, I trust Minato has briefed you on the situation. What are your thoughts?"
Hiashi bowed deeply, his tone reverent.
"I will follow Hokage-sama's orders without question."
Once, he would never have spoken so humbly.
As the Hyūga clan head, Hiashi had always faced the Hokage with dignity—neither servile nor defiant.
But now… things had changed.
Ritsu's uprising had left the main family powerless to suppress their own branch. Without Konoha's backing, they stood no chance. And when you must beg for help, pride was a luxury you could not afford.
---
"Then let us begin," said Hiruzen, standing from behind his desk.
"Wh—what? Begin now?" Hiashi and the two elders blanched.
"Isn't this a little… too sudden?" Hiashi couldn't help but protest.
"Sudden?" scoffed Danzo Shimura from the sofa, a dark smile twisting his scarred face.
"If you delay any longer, Ritsu will have every branch member eating from his hand. If that boy's method for breaking the Caged-Bird seal spreads, you'll soon have no branch to command at all.
Tell me, Hiashi—do you still think we have time to wait?"
Danzo's words hit home.
Hiashi's lips moved soundlessly before he managed to reply, "Then… let's proceed."
The truth was brutal: he lacked strength, experience, and charisma.
Were it not for the clan's rigid Main-and-Branch hierarchy, he would never have become clan head in the first place.
At twenty-eight, standing before veterans like Hiruzen and Danzo, he was utterly outmatched—pulled along by their will without resistance.
In another timeline, he would one day even allow himself to be manipulated into sacrificing his own brother's life to appease the Cloud.
Truly, a man of tragic weakness.
---
Watching Hiashi now, even Minato could not help but feel disappointed.
This was the man meant to represent one of Konoha's proudest families?
Even Hiruzen, Danzo, and the two senior advisors exchanged silent looks—wordlessly acknowledging that Hiashi would never be capable of standing against Ritsu.
Minato remembered Ritsu's eyes—sharp as lightning, his presence heavier than most jonin twice his age.
Only fifteen, yet already commanding the air around him. Compared to that, Hiashi felt… hollow.
And yet, Hiruzen had already made his decision:
Ritsu would be executed as the ringleader.
Hiashi and the remaining main family would be "restored," and the Hyūga clan returned to "order."
Minato's heart sank. He had hoped that a Hyūga freed from the chains of its archaic system might blossom into something greater—a clan that could finally fulfill its true potential for Konoha.
But he wasn't the Hokage. His opinion was worth only as much as the elders allowed.
Instead, he would be sent as part of the strike force—a symbolic "ally," tasked with helping Hiashi eliminate Ritsu.
The idea of raising his hand against another leaf shinobi—even one gone astray—filled Minato with quiet bitterness.
But orders were orders.
And deep down, he could no longer deny the thought that had begun to take root:
"If I were Hokage… I could do things differently."
---
"C-Clan Head… do we all have to go?"
Hishō held a yellow raincoat in trembling hands, staring nervously at the downpour outside. The rain hammered the glass like drumming war signals.
Before Hiashi could respond, Danzo snapped coldly,
"Your clan's rebellion and you'd rather stay behind? You expect the village to clean up your mess for you? If that's your attitude, perhaps all Hyūga affairs should henceforth be handled in this office!"
His single eye glinted with menace.
Hishō flinched, cowed into silence. Even Taisho, usually brash, shrank back like a scolded child and hurriedly pulled the raincoat over his shoulders—too afraid to even mention his wish to go to the hospital.
---
Moments later—
"Move out."
Hiruzen's voice was quiet but carried the weight of command.
The window swung open. One by one, figures leapt into the storm:
Sarutobi Hiruzen himself at the lead,
Danzo following close behind,
Minato as their swift advance scout,
and the Hyūga elders trailing—the nominal "justification" for the mission.
Advisors Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane remained behind at the Hokage Tower to coordinate in case of any unforeseen developments.
Outside, thunder cracked over the village.
The rain had never fallen heavier—
and for the Hyūga, it was about to wash the blood of one era into the birth of another.