A Transmigrator’s Story in the Hyuga’s Main Branch

174. The Hyuga’s Defense: When Pride Meets War (3)

Sasuke Sarutobi gradually composed himself after a few moments, his sharp mind reawakening.

As one of the most prominent figures during the last parts of the Warring States period, just before the hidden villages system was established, he had witnessed and experienced far more than most clan patriarchs alive today in a relatively peaceful world.

Unlike the sporadic global conflicts of recent times when truly deadly wars happened only once in a few decades, his time was defined by constant warfare—where the only certainty was death on the battlefield, and even the strongest couldn't escape the odds forever.

From childhood to early adulthood, where most shinobi typically died during the fighting, you fought relentlessly, knowing any battle could be your last.

As the leader of the initially relatively obscure Sarutobi clan, Sasuke personally elevated his family from one of the many similar clans inside the Land of Fire territory to the upper ranks of Konoha's hierarchy during its founding.

He did this using ruthless, cunning, and strategic methods, positioning the Sarutobi just beneath the Uchiha, Senju, and perhaps Hyuga.

The key to his long-term success was paving the way for his exceptionally talented son, Hiruzen, to become the Third Hokage—following two Senju Hokages, no small feat in the highly competitive political landscape of the newly established village.

Looking at his son now, a man in his fifties, standing before him, Sasuke felt a deep sense of satisfaction. He had fathered many children, but all had perished except Hiruzen, the most talented of them all.

Sasuke had poured all his efforts into grooming Hiruzen, just as his own father had done for him after his siblings had fallen.

His son had not only survived but thrived, navigating the dangerous shift from the chaotic Warring States era to the more politically driven era of hidden villages.

The transition from constant war to more strategic forms of conflict required a different kind of leader, and Sasuke had trained Hiruzen to excel in that new world.

Sasuke also made the crucial decision to reconcile with the long-rivaled Shimura clan and be among the first to pledge loyalty to Konoha in a visionary bet.

This earned his clan a favorable position in the eyes of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju, which later helped his political position and his son first to become Tobirama's disciple and later even the next Hokage as a snowball effect.

By steering the more established clans like the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka into positions of influence, Sasuke solidified the Sarutobi's place at the heart of Konoha's power structure.

Now, as he stood face-to-face with his son, Sasuke could see the culmination of his life's work. Hiruzen had truly become the proud leader he had always envisioned, and the Sarutobi clan had cemented itself as one of the most powerful in Konoha.

Sasuke's lifelong plans for his son and clan had succeeded, and despite the circumstances of his resurrection, there was a deep satisfaction in knowing that his efforts had borne fruit.

In the next instance, he nodded firmly, understanding the situation, as Hiruzen explained. His sharp mind quickly pieced together the implications of the technique that had revived him.

"Don't worry, Hiruzen. I understand everything. And if this is truly Tobirama's envisioned final version of the technique, then there's no need for concern.", Sasuke Sarutobi said, his voice calm but focused, "This will allow me to finally bring out my ideal fighting style in this battle."

Sasuke's eyes glinted with realization, "This technique covers my biggest weakness: low chakra stamina. I won't have to worry about chakra expenditure anymore. My unique Fire Release: Blue Flames, the highest and most potent form of fire nature transformation, involving the manipulation of the hottest part of fire on the spectrum, used to drain too much chakra in combat.",

"But now, with the immortality and regeneration granted by Edo Tensei, it perfectly complements my direct, 'reckless' nin-taijutsu fighting style. That means, in this battle, I'll be stronger than I ever was in my real-life prime and by a very wide margin...",

Sasuke had been one of Tobirama's closest subordinates and 'right hands' after Konoha's creation, privy to many of the techniques the man created or envisioned.

He knew intimately how Tobirama had hoped to perfect the Edo Tensei, but it seemed Tobirama had died not long after Sasuke himself during the First Shinobi World War. The technique had remained incomplete, and it was only for Hiruzen's disciple, Orochimaru, to finish it.

'This is perfect...', Sasuke thought, his mind rapidly calculating, 'I won't even need to rely on the other four nature releases in my arsenal. The Blue Flames alone will be enough. Now that they can be fully unleashed without limitation, I can focus purely on their devastating power.', He already calculated the most optimal route to take after judging his new Edo Tensei reality.

The Blue Flames were Sasuke's proudest achievement. It was an advanced, almost alien-like refinement of ordinary Fire Release—so potent, so complex, that it bordered on the difficulty of creating a combined advanced nature release.

But instead of blending elements, Sasuke had pushed the limits of a single element—fire—to extraordinary levels. It had taken him decades of dedicated training to perfect it.

But when Sasuke had finally mastered the Blue Flames, he was hit with the crushing realization that they consumed far too much chakra for sustained combat.

While immensely powerful, the flames could not be used frequently without risking total depletion, which had been his greatest frustration.

Yet now, with the limitless chakra provided by Edo Tensei, his disappointment was turned into pure excitement. His dream shinobi—the one he had always envisioned but never been able to fully become—could finally fight at full strength.

Sasuke's gaze turned toward the Hyuga Patriarch, who hovered in the distance, radiating with increasing power. A solemn but determined look settled on his face. He accepted the challenge before him, knowing that his long-awaited power would soon be unleashed.

Meanwhile, Mito Uzumaki quickly assessed the unfolding situation. With her Kagura's Mind Eye—a sensory ability that allowed her to perceive vast distances and chakra signatures in extraordinary detail—she probed the entire village, noting the depleted presence of elites.

'It truly is the Third Shinobi World War...', She realized, sensing the lack of high-ranking shinobi within Konoha.

Her focus then shifted to the Hyuga Patriarch directly in front of them before turning to something far more disturbing: a subtle, otherworldly-like chakra source.

It was unlike anything she had ever encountered, a unique power coming wirelessly from somewhere deep in the Land of Fire, steadily feeding into the Hyuga leader. Her brows furrowed as she contemplated the implications.

Just as Sasuke finished speaking, and before Hiruzen could respond to his father, Mito urgently cut in.

"A large, agitated, and angry group of most Uchiha shinobi, left in the village currently, is on their way here, led by Setsuna...", She began, her voice sharp with urgency, "And there's something else—another powerful singular chakra presence is approaching even faster.",

"He is also in quite an impassionate right now. I vaguely remember his chakra signature from my time alive... He was a rising genius of the Hatake clan at that time. It seems that he quite rose both in terms of power and audacity since he openly feels that negative toward you, Hiruzen, the current Hokage, and the official village leadership right now... or at least your current actions. It seems that there was much more going on than you told us, but yes, we have no time for that as the Hyuga Patriarch in front of us is probably preparing to launch a devastating onslaught on the entire village civilian area as he is on the most unsettled now.",

Her expression darkened as she turned her focus fully to the Hyuga Patriarch, "But more importantly, the Hyuga Patriarch isn't drawing power from his own reserves for this. This isn't some personal technique. He's most likely connected to an external, wireless power source. It's almost like a tailed beast's chakra... But also different—this feels man-made, not natural."

Mito's eyes narrowed, her mind working quickly as she relayed her assessment, "This is the most unique technology I've ever seen. It operates on a frequency of chakras we've never encountered before. We can't disrupt the broadcast unless we either kill him or destroy the source of the power. There's no other way to interrupt it, judging by my current knowledge."

Her analysis, driven by her deep loyalty to Konoha and sharp intellect, showcased the depth of her experience and tactical acumen.

In this crucial moment, Mito demonstrated why she had once been revered as a legendary kunoichi—her mind quick and her insights invaluable in times of war.

"The situation isn't as simple or black and white as you've presented it, Hiruzen. You're withholding important details, and it seems you bear some responsibility for what's happening in the village. If everything were as clear as you say, you would have summoned Hashirama and Tobirama instead of us. You've made considerable mistakes this time..."

Her gaze hardened as she took in the three men standing before her—Hiruzen, Danzo, and Orochimaru—each of them visibly taken aback by her insight, "But I won't hold you accountable right now. We have more urgent matters to deal with...",

She turned her focus back to the Hyuga Patriarch, "For now, let's concentrate on stopping him. I'll be able to pinpoint the location of that power source with more clarity as time goes on and it is used."

Then, with a subtle edge of curiosity, she asked, "Also, why didn't you summon my son?" She knew that her and Hashirama's son was probably stronger than all of them summoned here, barring the legendary Uzumaki Patriarch Asuna, who was also present on the scene. Since they were afraid of Tobirama and Hashirama, then what about him? She felt like he should not be as alarming to them.

The question hung in the air, leaving the three men momentarily speechless. Orochimaru, always calculating, was the first to recover his composure, though inwardly, he marveled at her ability to grasp the situation so quickly and begin formulating key countermeasures.

'Truly a legendary kunoichi... the first jinchuriki, the pride of the Uzumaki clan. The only woman worthy of Hashirama...',

Orochimaru thought, his mind already racing with thoughts of how he could study the external power source that the Hyuga Patriarch was using. The potential of such an energy intrigued him greatly.

Danzo's eyes gleamed as he processed Mito's words. Her ability to locate the mysterious power source opened up new possibilities, and he was already scheming ways to turn that discovery to his advantage.

He wasn't concerned about her piecing together the deeper faults they all shared for Konoha's current state—after all, she wasn't Hashirama. Still, just in case, he had taken certain precautions.

Recently, Danzo commissioned the finest casings for his right arm—the one enhanced with Senju cells and implanted with ten Sharingan.

He used materials that interfered with and twisted chakra perception gathered from across the world.

While he knew he couldn't completely hide his arm's nature from one of the greatest sensors in history, he was confident that the chakra-masking properties of the materials would make it appear far more mysterious and less specific.

Instead of revealing the true composition of Hashirama cells and multiple Sharingan, his arm would present itself as something far more enigmatic to Mito's sensory powers.

Danzo doubted she'd have time to focus on such trivial details in the heat of battle, especially given the pressing threat they faced from the Hyuga Patriarch. And even if she did notice, he was unbothered.

As her Edo Tensei summoner, her very soul was technically under his control, though Danzo preferred to avoid using that mental energy unless necessary.

It would have been far more convenient for him if Mito had retained her autonomy and helped them deal with the Hyuga threat without constant supervision. After that, it doesn't matter if anyone notices his arm, as she would go back to the Pure Land anyway until the 'next mission'.