The Hyuga Shall Stand Above, In The Heavens!

In the same night sky...

Some people were desperately rushing to return to their country, while others were peacefully asleep, holding onto Tsunade, who was addicted to gambling.

But some were secretly sorrowful.

---

Land of Fire.

Konohagakure.

The scene gradually zoomed in, and the once prosperous ninja village, founded by the First Hokage and repeatedly expanded, now echoed with cries of despair. Countless people wept as they searched through the ruins for their family and friends.

Those who had managed to survive the battlefield, lucky enough to be alive when the three-nation alliance was formed, were supposed to be the fortunate ones. But this fortune had turned into misfortune.

At least on the battlefield, those who died had the chance for a pension, but those killed by the statues summoned by Hyuga Hitoshi had no time to create any value in their deaths.

They died in vain!

It was hard to imagine the kind of night they had gone through.

Especially when the statue was destroyed time and time again, only to reassemble and rise again, a sense of hopelessness began to take hold.

The disaster of the Nine-Tails was still fresh in people's memories, but at least the Nine-Tails only rampaged through the village for a while before the Third Hokage drove it away. The area devastated by the Nine-Tails was limited, and while people feared it, most of the deaths were among the ninjas.

But that statue was even more ruthless than the Nine-Tails!

As long as the target was not someone the statue was instructed to spare, anyone who dared stand in its way would be crushed without mercy.

Looking down from the sky, the scale of the devastation required for rebuilding was far beyond the Nine-Tails' rampage, especially with the completely collapsed Hokage Rock and the ancestral lands of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, which had become total disaster zones.

It was as if the Sarutobi and Shimura clans had some deep-seated grudge with that statue. It drove its body directly into the earth, even digging up the Sarutobi clan's ancestral shrine where the Third Hokage once stood. It even dug up Sarutobi's ancestral tomb and threw the coffin lid into the air.

It really scattered the ashes!

If it weren't for Fugaku and the Uchiha clan stepping in, the unrelenting statue might have killed everyone present!

Even so, after the great battle, Konohagakure was completely transformed. Under the faint light of night, the village, now utterly destroyed and unrecognizable, exuded a grim and lifeless atmosphere. 

Collapsed houses crushed countless people who tried to escape the disaster. Nearly every participating ninja was injured, and those who weren't on the list of combatants but still tried to protect the village faced death or serious harm. 

After the war, familiar faces became noticeably fewer. 

Surviving this disaster left the living numb. 

After all... 

For Konohagakure, for its villagers and ninjas, this was nothing but an unwarranted catastrophe. 

It seemed... 

This could have been avoided. 

Thinking back carefully, recalling it in detail—when the rogue ninja Tsunade held onto that man, he simply looked down calmly before slowly leaving. 

Who tried to stop him?! 

Suddenly, several gazes turned toward Jiraiya. Among them was even a civilian ninja Jiraiya had risked his life to save. 

"You've destroyed the village, the blood and sweat of our predecessors..." 

Unaware of the severity of the situation, Jiraiya clenched his fists tightly. He looked around at the ruins and the villagers crying over the corpses of their loved ones, his teeth grinding in anger. 

If he had even a shred of admiration for Hyuga Hitoshi before, it had now turned into an undying hatred! 

Perhaps, just for this moment, the man who once persuaded others to let go of hatred and understand one another couldn't comprehend Hyuga Hitoshi at all. 

"That bastard! He ruined everything!" 

With tears in his eyes after a night of fierce battle, Jiraiya placed all the blame on Hyuga Hitoshi. He was a demon, the sinner who brought disaster to Konohagakure! 

In the end, Jiraiya wasn't Uzumaki Naruto. He was merely a man guided by a toad, tasked with finding the reincarnation of Asura. But you could always believe in Asura—believe that even without Jiraiya's guidance, Naruto would likely forgive Nagato, who destroyed Konohagakure. 

But while Naruto could forgive, Jiraiya couldn't. He demanded others to let go of hatred, yet he couldn't do the same himself. At this moment, the once-mighty sage seemed like nothing more than a clown lost in confusion. 

"Are you trying to make me laugh to death?" 

Konohagakure's only savior, the Mangekyo wielder Fugaku, father of Itachi, sneered. With a face full of disdain, he glanced at Jiraiya, then shifted his gaze to the old village leader and the clan heads who had just fought alongside him. 

"Isn't it us, the ones who can't even protect our clansmen, who caused this outcome?!" 

A single stone stirred up waves. 

Fugaku's words were harsh, fundamentally denying them all! 

Even though he was now Konohagakure's savior, he shouldn't have said such things! 

"Isn't that true?" 

Fugaku chuckled coldly, stepping closer to Jiraiya. Facing his competitor for the Hokage position, Fugaku's thoughts became especially clear after showing off. His intelligence had already taken the high ground. 

"Look around you!" 

He pointed to the surroundings. 

"This was just a casual strike from Hitoshi! He even had the energy to evacuate his clansmen and could summon the moon!" 

As if proud of it, Fugaku spat his words at Jiraiya's face. 

"Think about it—if this power belonged to Konohagakure, what kind of scene would that be?" 

Summoning the moon, casually bringing forth creatures rivaling the Nine-Tails, unleashing relentless stone statues, and reflecting Dust Release—if all this power were under Konohagakure's control... 

A harsh and thought-provoking reality was laid before them. 

If they had given even the faintest support to the Hyuga clan when they were being treated unfairly—standing with them, however briefly, as part of Konohagakure and lending them a hand—would things have turned out differently?

That's right.

Hitoshi even said that if the village needed it, he would lead the Hyuga clan to secure victory in the war!

Perhaps he had already begun thinking about leaving back then.

If only people had shown a bit of backbone and the resolve to fight for the village to the end. With the Hyuga clan's formidable strength, victory would have been assured!

But now…

"Now, you've gone and forced them out."

Fugaku stood there with a mocking expression, ignoring the Third Hokage's darkened face, his eyes fixed on the ashamed clan leaders and the conflicted Konohagakure villagers.

Clearly, Fugaku had already swayed everyone's mindset.

"Bullshit!"

Still, not everyone had lost their clarity. Jiraiya angrily pointed around and scolded them on the spot.

"The Hyuga Hitoshi who destroyed the legacy of our predecessors and the Hyuga clan who brought pain to Konohagakure—they never intended to give their all for the village from the start! If they had shown this level of power during the war, the village would have surely supported them and refused to use the Byakugan as a bargaining chip during peace talks."

"Exactly. You said it yourself—*if* they had shown such power. But what would have been the point of that?"

Fugaku let out a cold laugh. Hypocrisy was inevitable, it seemed.

"Are you indirectly admitting that if the village faces problems, it's acceptable to use a lesser clan's Kekkei Genkai as a bargaining chip for peace? Only those with greater value deserve the village's protection?"

This is the harsh reality. Even Jiraiya couldn't refute it.

But when this brutal truth reached the ears of the clan leaders who formed Konohagakure, it only made them feel betrayed. This village wasn't worth their sacrifice.

After all, they could never surpass the Hyuga or display the power of Hyuga Hitoshi. The fact was, in the village's eyes, even a clan with ordinary Byakugan was expendable.

What about them?

They were also part of Konohagakure, shedding blood and sacrificing on the battlefield.

And yet, Jiraiya's words implied they were disposable too?

"Enough, Jiraiya."

The still-young and hot-tempered Inuzuka Tsume interrupted Jiraiya before he could argue further, no longer bothering with formalities.

"If you hadn't insisted on confronting Hyuga Hitoshi and demanding him to release Tsunade, he would've already left by now!"

Her blunt and straightforward words struck right at the heart of the matter, leaving Jiraiya stunned. In that moment, most people silently agreed with her.

"So, when they were about to leave, he suggested asking the hot-tempered Hitoshi to try understanding Tsuchikage and Raikage. Isn't that basically an insult?" 

"I know Hitoshi. He once saved me on the battlefield. If his ideals hadn't been belittled, he wouldn't have gotten so furious. After all, Konohagakure is his home—it raised him. How could he possibly want to destroy it?" 

Since no one knew if Hyuga Hitoshi would ultimately launch the statue, the blame was automatically placed on Jiraiya. 

"Everyone's already left, yet you still insist on having a debate and seeking mutual understanding? So, Jiraiya, do you understand Hitoshi now? Do you understand why he acted as he did? According to your thinking, shouldn't you let go of grudges and find a way to bring the highly valuable and powerful Hyuga Clan back into Konohagakure as allies?" 

"Exactly. When Konohagakure was founded, the First Hokage managed to get Uchiha Madara to let go of his hatred and join the village. Since you are supposed to upholds the Will of Fire, why not take the initiative to reconcile with Hitoshi? Invite them back to Konohagakure! If the First Hokage could do it, surely someone who shares his ideals can achieve the same, right?" 

"Don't joke around. Jiraiya isn't on the same level as the First Hokage. If the First Hokage were alive, the Nine-Tails incident wouldn't have even happened. But look at Jiraiya—where was he during the Nine-Tails attack?" 

"Where else? Probably gathering 'research' in some Brothel. Writing those novels is clearly more important than saving lives." 

"..." 

Voices like these grew louder and louder until they completely drowned out Jiraiya. He stood there, dumbfounded, unable to believe that these were the same friendly villagers and ninjas he had known. When did this once warm and sunny village turn into such a place? 

"So, do you get their point now?" 

Fugaku, looking grim, glanced at Uchiha Satoshi, who subtly nodded at him from a distance, then resumed his tirade. 

No one knew exactly when it began. 

It seemed to start after Fugaku became acquainted with Hyuga Hitoshi and entrusted his wife and children to him. Since then, Fugaku had undergone a transformation, achieving a kind of moral awakening. Now, his ability to wield the power of morality had become second nature. 

Jiraiya, still clinging to his beliefs, argued with Fugaku. But if he had ever experienced the sting of being morally outmatched, he would have stayed silent, like the Third Hokage and Danzo, pretending to be dead to avoid the confrontation. 

They knew better. Even if they tried to steer the conversation in another direction, they couldn't outmaneuver Fugaku, who was in his prime and speaking as the so-called savior of Konohagakure. 

Watching Fugaku dominate the discussion while earning everyone's gratitude, Sarutobi Hiruzen found the scene unsettlingly familiar. But at least this time, he was merely an observer. By keeping a low profile, he might avoid being dragged into trouble by his student. 

It wasn't surprising that Sarutobi seemed disheartened. Just look at what he had been through that night! 

First, there was the suspicion of using a statue to attack the Hokage Rock. Then, as he was ordered to protect the villagers, he failed miserably. Unlike the Nine-Tails, the statue didn't feel pain, and Hamura's spirit mercilessly slaughtered his clansmen right before his eyes. 

That helplessness—watching his people die—left him with internal scars. And what broke him further was his frenzied attack, ignoring Jiraiya's pleas, which led to his summon, the Monkey King Enma, being gravely injured. Enma vomited blood from the brutal fight with Hamura and had to retreat, barely clinging to life. 

There's no such thing as true invincibility. Even if it existed, it wouldn't be in this world. 

Without Enma, Sarutobi was powerless to stop Hamura's spirit and could only watch as one clan member after another was reduced to ash. 

Humans, whether they admit it or not, have an instinct to avoid danger and fear the strong. While cultivators strive to overcome this instinct, forging inner strength, that night proved too much even for Sarutobi's willpower. 

Sadly, most people lack this quality.

So, after witnessing Hyuga Hitoshi's overwhelming power, they could only hide their hatred, silently cursing in their hearts, but not daring to speak of revenge.

This is reality. After all, if that powerful man heard them, and smashed the moon into their faces, how would they explain themselves?

Now, thinking back, they were terrified. The power to control the moon was enough to destroy the entire ninja world!

What kind of existence have they lost?

If Hitoshi had become Hokage, Konohagakure might have been even stronger than in the time of the First Hokage! After all, Hitoshi's temper meant that he wouldn't bow to people; instead, people would have to bow to him!

Yet, they had given up such power.

Everyone was filled with regret, their thoughts cleared, and they realized what they had done.

There is an emotion called regret.

But they knew that even if they tried to recover it now, it was very likely to be in vain.

Konohagakure lost its chance to rise and instead became even weaker.

So now, what they needed was a target for their frustration!

And the one who stopped Hyuga Hitoshi from leaving and "forced" him to act was Jiraiya, making him the perfect outlet for their anger.

But Jiraiya is, after all, Jiraiya.

Some people are destined not to be defeated by setbacks. Instead, they use those setbacks as a form of growth, aiming to do better next time. For such people, the idea of their spirit breaking simply doesn't apply.

That inner determination is undeniable.

Jiraiya is one of those people.

He looked at the crowd around him, attacking him with the harshest words, yet he responded with a gentle smile. What reassured him was that not everyone had lost their sense and attacked him—there were still people in the village who supported him.

It was inevitable for him to feel down.

But after the collapse, he stood up again. He believed that these kind-hearted people would eventually understand him and distinguish right from wrong.

But...

Thud!

"He's still smiling at me!" 

An angry woman, whose son and husband had both died, threw an egg right at Jiraiya's face. Caught up in the moment, she seemed to have forgotten that this was the legendary Sannin of Konohagakure.

She just felt repulsed by the man's smile!

Her family had lost loved ones—how could he smile like that?

Once the egg hit, it triggered something. Countless insults were now being thrown at Jiraiya.

Well...

At this moment, even Jiraiya himself noticed that his steadfast belief was wavering. He had gotten ahead of himself with his optimism.

A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes as he finally understood why Tsunade had left the village.

He wasn't the main character after all. When setbacks piled up too much, whether his spirit would stay strong was truly uncertain.

The tragic night would eventually pass.

As the new sunlight shone over the land, Konohagakure, now reduced to rubble, was filled with shouting accusations, angry pain, silent numbness, dried blood on the ground, and bodies that no one cared about. Eventually, all these elements came together to form the most beautiful image in the Land of Fire.

People's joys and sorrows are not shared.

Hyuga Hitoshi had his own understanding of sadness.

But if Hyuga Hitoshi knew what happened in Konohagakure after his departure, he would definitely feel joy.

The moon has its own way of recording whether it is day or night.

So, when Hitoshi, who had worked tirelessly all night, entered the meeting room, calculating the Earth time, it was already well into the day. Tsunade, exhausted, was still sleeping, but the energetic Hitoshi was already starting another round of work.

But this time, it was serious.

At this moment, the large meeting room was already filled with people.

Among them were the heads of the Hyuga clan's various divisions and capable subordinates selected from the Otsutsuki clan.

Standing at the door, Hyuga Hitoshi adjusted the Kaguya on his belt and stepped in, taking his seat at the head of the room while meeting the eyes of his clan members.

"Clan Leader!" 

"Hitoshi-sama."

"Hitoshi-kun."

"....."

The titles weren't quite unified yet, but by the end of this meeting, they would be properly settled. This wasn't a big issue.

Hyuga Hitoshi nodded at his subordinates, then glanced at Mabui, who was listening in.

Even though they had once been enemies, one couldn't deny Mabui's abilities. By now, she must have already gotten the hang of her secretary duties during her morning training sessions with Tsunade.

However, being new to the position, she still had a lot to learn. For now, Uzumaki Reina, who also had secretary skills, was helping her out.

With a look from Hitoshi, Uzumaki Reina understood and began distributing the documents in her hands.

"There are a lot of topics for discussion in today's meeting, but there's one key issue that needs to be addressed first."

Hyuga Hitoshi snapped his fingers. The [Dark Eyes] technique activated, and a map of the ninja world appeared above the meeting room. This was the latest version, improved by him, offering a complete view from every angle.

"As for the clan's bloodline ascension plan and the replacement of the Caged Bird with the Sun Sage Seal, Minister Snake will add more details in his upcoming report, so I won't elaborate on them here."

"Additionally, for the name of the power where the Hyuga and Otsutsuki clans will reside in the future, I currently prefer (Sun God), but feel free to suggest better names (a subtle hint)."

But now, what needed to be confirmed was something else.

Hyuga Hitoshi pointed at the map above.

"There is only one focus in today's meeting, and that is where we will establish roots."

Building a nation, of course, requires a defined territory, otherwise, everything is meaningless.

"My point is that, during the time when our clan's overall strength is improving, we should first determine the preliminary territorial boundaries. I will personally go down to check the specific situation."

"Of course, the final territory will look like this."

Hyuga Hitoshi made a sweeping gesture, turning the entire ninja world into his faction's territory, causing his subordinates to tremble in fear.

"But at the beginning, we don't have that many people, and no matter how big the land is, we can't cover it all. Development takes time."

"So, don't go overboard. It's enough if we can set up a base on the moon. You're responsible for recommending locations, and I'll make the final decision."

With that, the main objective of the meeting was set.

Mabui, who was standing next to Uzumaki Reina, was completely stunned.

He...

He really wants to establish a country!

She looked around and realized that everyone else thought this was completely reasonable.

They ignored what had happened in the Land of Whirlpools and still believed that they could succeed.

This gave Mabui a sense of absurdity.

But then, thinking about his overwhelming power, it almost seemed like it was bound to happen.

Hyuga

Maybe he really could create a miracle?

---

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