The two main-house Hyuga probably realized the camp's shinobi didn't like them. With Kirigakure coveting the Byakugan, their clan had already warned them to keep a low profile.
So the pair rarely showed themselves, staying holed up in their tent while Branch-House Hyuga delivered their meals and clothes.
"Asana, can those two even use the Caged Bird Seal?" Uchiha En asked.
"No, but one of them carries some protective charm the main house left behind; I don't know exactly what it does," Asana replied.
"Caged Bird? That jutsu the main house uses to 'protect' you branch members?" Yamanaka Teruzuki asked.
"Protect? It's control! What kind of Family 'protects' its people like this?" Uchiha En rolled his eyes.
"Still, thanks to Caged Bird, other Villages don't dare target branch Byakugan. That sounds like protection to me."
"From that angle it does shelter branch members, but—" Asana cut off, spotting Orochimaru entering the main-house tent below.
"Was that Lord Orochimaru just now?"
"Yeah."
"Lord Orochimaru pays social calls to the Hyuga main house?" Teruzuki wondered aloud.
"I've never heard of him visiting them before," Asana answered.
Something felt off to En; Orochimaru disliked the main house—he wouldn't approach them without reason.
Had Kirigakure launched a new scheme to steal the Byakugan?
After a few minutes Orochimaru emerged with the two main-house Hyuga in tow.
"Should we follow?" Teruzuki asked.
"Of course. Our mission is to guard them—can't let them out of sight." En hurried after them.
Asana and Teruzuki followed.
They trailed Orochimaru and the main-house pair to Orochimaru's tent.
"You three, come inside," Orochimaru called.
The trio exchanged glances and stepped in.
En immediately noticed a stretcher on the ground, covered by a white sheet.
Their squad leader, Aburame Shibi, stood to the left; Uchiha Mei to his right. Beside them were Akimichi Choza and Nara Shikaku—no Akimichi member nor the branch-house Hyuga Jonin were present.
The body on the stretcher had to be either the Akimichi or the Hyuga Jonin.
While En wondered, Orochimaru told the two main-house Hyuga, "This is your branch Jonin. He died confirming the Fourth Mizukage's arrival time. Identify him."
The pair lifted the sheet: a corpse cleaved in half.
"Lord Orochimaru, he is ours," they confirmed.
"Then he's yours. Choza, your clan's Jonin also met an accident; Shibi will brief you."
Shibi nodded. "After receiving the mission to track the Fourth Mizukage, we slipped past the front lines toward the Kirigakure camp.
We split up to stay hidden, using my insects and the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Transfer Jutsu to communicate.
We lurked near their camp for over twenty days without detection.
Uchiha Mei even killed an inconspicuous Kirigakure Genin, stole his identity, and infiltrated to gather intel.
Thanks to him we mapped the Mizukage's likely route.
We decided to watch the only road he could take—closer to our camp, easier to withdraw from.
We scattered again and waited.
Two days later twenty masked Kirigakure Anbu escorted a boy barely into his teens toward their camp.
The child's Chakra rivaled Lady Tsunade's, and the Anbu flanked him tightly—clearly the Fourth Mizukage, though his youth made me hesitate.
That hesitation cost us: a sensor among the Anbu detected the Akimichi Jonin.
The boy—no, Yagura the Fourth—acted instantly, summoning a colossal Waterfall Jutsu without a drop of water nearby, exposing us all.
We fought a fighting retreat, but twenty Anbu plus Yagura overwhelmed six of us.
The Hyuga Jonin, singled out for his Byakugan, was bisected by Yagura's Water Release.
The Akimichi Jonin swallowed his clan's secret pill, became a giant, and held off every Anbu alone.
Uchiha Mei blocked Yagura, telling me to escape while he stalled the Mizukage.
When we regrouped, Mei's right eye had turned ashen—price of a forbidden jutsu.
That was our mission."
Silence fell over the tent.
Finally Orochimaru asked, "How strong is Yagura?"
"Only Mei fought him directly; he'd know best."
All eyes turned to Uchiha Mei.
Mei spoke gravely, "Yagura's Water Release is formidable—he can unleash large-scale jutsu without water, and his unique techniques caught me off guard."
Yesterday something came up so only one chapter. I won't bore you with details—just enjoy the read; no negativity from me.
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