However, Hiashi knew in his heart that he had understood the unspoken meaning.
A few black-robed figures then followed their instructions and led Hiashi away.
Observing that the two factions of the Hyuga clan now stood starkly apart, Orochimaru issued his next command.
"Take all members of the Hyuga upper management to the interrogation center. As for the others, the remains of the deceased must be identified before they can be buried."
One by one, the clan members were guided away from the area.
The small number of family members who remained behind looked completely lost.
For them, he added a few more directives. "All personnel of the Military Police Force are suspended from duty until further notice. Until then, you are strictly forbidden from leaving the village."
With that said, he turned and departed.
The members of the Branch Family watched as the Anbu began to handle the bodies of their fallen kin, their gazes eventually settling on Yuto.
With the Hyuga's upper echelon gone and the most skilled and experienced members of the Branch Family having fallen victim to the Caged Bird Seal, only Yuto remained. His reputation from the old days was still strong, making him the de facto leader among the survivors.
Yuto shook his head.
"Everyone, calm yourselves. Go and find your families."
The battle had taken place in the main family's compound, but no one knew if the fighting had spilled over into the Branch Family's residential area.
The words shocked them back to their senses, and they followed Yuto away from Training Ground Six.
The state of emergency in Konoha had ended, and civilians were beginning to reappear on the streets, whispering amongst themselves in hushed tones. Since most of the Branch Family members also served in the Police Force, they encountered many familiar villagers along the way.
The gossip was relentless.
"The Third Hokage was truly remarkable. We really misunderstood him before."
"He sacrificed himself for the good of the village. Let his past mistakes be washed away."
Yuto thought to himself that the investigation wasn't even complete yet. Who had started spreading the news of the Third Hokage's heroic sacrifice? How had the rumor reached the street corners so quickly?
Meanwhile, in the Uchiha clan's territory, the compound felt exceptionally empty.
Only a few elders, children, and four security squads, along with a barrier team, remained. The moment trouble had erupted in the village, the Uchiha clan had swiftly organized an evacuation of their non-combatants.
Iori's mother was in poor health and had been unable to leave with the main group. Since Iori was normally responsible for reverse summoning, she was now serving as the clan's emergency liaison.
Not long after the scouts had departed to gather information, Iori made her way to the primary intelligence post. As she expected, an information scroll was already there.
Instead of immediately checking its contents, Iori performed a secret jutsu to summon a crow. She secured the scroll to its leg and sent it on its way.
A short while later, one of the scouts who had gone out returned.
"The word is that one of the four great elders of the Hyuga main family turned traitor. He joined forces with the rogue ninja Danzo and attacked his own clan."
"The number of casualties is still unconfirmed, but we know for sure that Hyuga Hizashi is dead. The Branch Family's losses were extremely heavy."
"Later, in pursuit of Danzo, the Third Hokage chose to sacrifice himself to end the conflict, bringing a heroic end to the struggle."
Iori's brow furrowed. "The news of the Third Hokage's sacrifice is already public?"
The scout nodded. "It's the story everyone is telling. They're calling him the savior of the village."
"The pride of the village, indeed," she murmured.
But Iori immediately sensed that something was wrong. The incident had only just happened, and a final death toll hadn't even been tallied. How could someone already be framing the Third Hokage as a martyr who died for the village? Who was pulling the strings behind the scenes?
For Konoha, the Hyuga clan incident was nothing short of a cataclysmic earthquake. They had not only lost their leader, the Third Hokage, but also most of the advisory council. The entire Military Police Force was essentially crippled.
In response, Orochimaru had first mobilized the Sarutobi clan's numerous hidden units to stabilize the village. He then appointed Sarutobi Asuma as the temporary head of public security and instructed Nara Shikaku to form a special task force. This new unit, composed of elites from the Aburame, Inuzuka, and several other clans, was to fill the vacuum left by the police.
How could this be possible?
The Third Hokage was dead? Danzo too? Even Hyuga Hizashi had perished? And worse, Neji had been blinded!
After processing the news, Kawasaki turned to Itachi with grave seriousness. "I have to return to Konoha at once. You must protect the clan at all costs. Fugaku, you and the Third Elder need to be vigilant against any outside reconnaissance. Don't let anyone get near our people."
"Fugaku, I might have to use Izanagi."
Fugaku's expression turned to one of shock. "Kawasaki, are you serious?"
Kawasaki closed his eyes for a moment. "It should be fine."
A light gleamed in Fugaku's eyes. "Alright. Be careful on your way."
Kawasaki had told him long ago that after learning the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, he would combine it with Izanagi to save people. It was a contingency in case a disaster struck the clan when he wasn't around.
"Please give my regards to Nagato. I won't have time to see him myself."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kawasaki's body dissolved into a puff of smoke and vanished.
…
Within the Uchiha clan's territory, Kawasaki leaped nimbly from a summoning platform.
Iori was already waiting for him below.
"Tell me everything you've learned, in detail."
Iori quickly summarized the intelligence gathered from within Konoha.
The battle had occurred entirely within the Hyuga clan's grounds, with no external witnesses. The specific details of the fight remained unknown. The final outcome, however, was clear: the Third Hokage and Hizashi were dead. Strangely, someone was manipulating public opinion, forcefully crafting the image of the Third as a hero.
Kawasaki was a bit baffled. Only the Sarutobi clan would have the influence to orchestrate such a campaign. Were they trying to use this tragedy to boost their clan's reputation?
He then recalled hearing that Tsunade had returned with a grim expression on her face. Her look had turned even darker when she heard that the Third Hokage and Danzo had taken each other out.
Hmm…
For now, however, Kawasaki wasn't in a hurry to confirm the details with Tsunade. His primary mission was to return to the village and save someone. Everything else could wait.
"Continue gathering more intelligence," he instructed.
After giving the order, Kawasaki slipped away and infiltrated Konoha. Once inside, he noticed that the Hyuga guards who normally patrolled the streets were nowhere to be seen. In their place, Anbu agents were maintaining order.
Anticipating that he might one day need to return, Orochimaru had left a secret meeting point for Kawasaki. He followed the directions to the hidden location. It wasn't long before Karin sensed his arrival and immediately reported it to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru was completely absorbed in his work, dissecting the head of a Hyuga clan member to study the structure of the Caged Bird Seal within.
Hearing Karin's report, he didn't even look up. "Just bring him here. I'm too busy to be disturbed right now."
Seeing Orochimaru's intense focus, Karin said no more and quickly led Kawasaki to him.