Ninja Ice House

Chapter 564 Emotional Card

Two nights later, a crescent moon hung in the sky, moving through the thin clouds.

During this period, the villagers of Konoha and the outsiders who were temporarily making a living here basically knew that the village was going to do something big tonight: adjust the protective barrier that had protected the village for many years.

The last upgrade was a few years ago during the "Konoha Crush Plan," when the Sand and Sound spies directly infiltrated the interior, which was quite embarrassing.

Then there was the Nine-Tails' attack on the village more than a decade ago, which resulted in the death of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and devastating losses to the village.

If we trace it back further, we would have to go back to the time when the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, was still alive, which is even further back in time.

Every major upheaval occurs because of a massive storm or war that exposes vulnerabilities that necessitate upgrades.

This time was different; they encountered almost no major problems. If one had to point out something, it was that Jiraiya returned severely injured, but this had little to do with the village's defensive barrier.

Although the villagers showed some curiosity, they only spread gossip in the marketplace and did not touch on the key issues.

As for avoiding going out at night, if you notice anything unusual, do not act rashly; protect yourself or report it to the higher-ups in Konoha.

Generally speaking, the villagers of Konoha, including the Konoha ninja, are mostly obedient to the Hokage's orders. Occasionally, some may be curious or frightened, and even if they cause some disturbances, they won't cause any major problems.

During this period, those who still insist on "wandering" outside are basically not normal people; they are either spies from other villages or villains with ulterior motives.

These people will be controlled by the patrolling secret agents until the operation to rescue Jiraiya is completely over, at which point they will be interrogated and the mastermind will be found.

At the Hyuga family's old residence, Hyuga Neji, whose relationship with the main family had improved after reconciliation, tidied his ninja tool bag and gently exhaled towards the light-filled inner room at the back of the corridor, saying:

"I'm going."

Soon, the voice of Hiashi Hyuga, Higa's uncle, came through.

"Be careful, protect yourself, and while you're at it, take good care of Hinata!"

"I see!"

"You... never mind, go ahead. That daughter of the Gushan family is truly extraordinary..."

"Yes! Master, please take care as well."

With that, Hyuga Neji strode out the door with steady steps.

After a long while, a soft sigh accompanied by the sound of the wind brought a murmured monologue.

"I've already said, just call him Uncle..."

The Hyuga family has undergone significant changes in the past year or two. Although the conflicts between the main family and the branch family, as well as many long-standing problems from the past, still exist, with the support of the Furusugi family, Hyuga Hiashi, as the head of the family, has been able to take action on some "minor issues."

While fundamental issues should not be easily changed, minor, minor problems can now be addressed.

A genius like Hyuga Neji is rare even in the entire Hyuga clan; one might not appear in two or three hundred years. Hyuga Hiashi admitted that he was far inferior to his nephew Hyuga Neji at the same age, and as for his two daughters, they were even less comparable.

Whether it's Gentle Fist or Byakugan, the Hyuga clan hasn't seen much change or improvement in hundreds of years. It's quite surprising that the genius Hyuga Neji has been able to unleash the power of both, and even take them a step further.

Privately, Hiashi Hyuga also hinted that he could remove the "Caged Bird" curse mark from Neji Hyuga's head.

Unfortunately, before any objection to the division of the family could be heard, Hyuga Neji himself refused.

In Neji Hyuga's words, the cursed seal has become a part of his life, both a shackle and a hurdle to overcome.

After establishing connections with the Furusugi family, Hyuga Neji quickly realized that the so-called "crisis" consisted of "danger" and "opportunity," which complemented each other. If he couldn't withstand the test, the subsequent opportunities would be out of his reach.

It's not that there's only one path to improvement in the future, but rather that there's a path right in front of us, so why not take it, and why go the long way around instead of the one that's right in front of us?

After learning a great deal about the Otsutsuki clan and the Tenseigan on the moon, Hyuga Neji realized that the Byakugan and Gentle Fist were not the limits of the Hyuga clan, nor were they his own limits.

Faced with the powerful Tenseigan, the so-called cursed seal "Caged Bird" is a joke and poses no threat whatsoever.

With a broader perspective and a better understanding of the world, Neji Hyuga's mindset completely changed.

They walked unhurriedly through the neighborhood where the Hyuga family's old residence was located. After turning the corner, a group of people, led by two teenagers, were already waiting.

"So slow. Although they weren't late, they didn't arrive early to show respect or importance."

Kaguya Kimimaro's slightly displeased and cold words came over, but Hyuga Neji's calm face showed no reaction. Instead, he tried to smooth things over by saying:

"Alright, the timing is just right. Let's go. Karin's side is almost ready."

Kaguya Kimimaro glanced at Haku but didn't object, and took the lead.

Hyuga Neji activated his Byakugan, following along while observing his surroundings.

"Don't mind him, he wasn't targeting you."

“I know him. I met him back in the ‘King of Fighters’ challenge. Whether he was good or bad, he treats everyone the same, except for the Gushan tribe…”

"Ok!"

"You... count as half a?"

"Cough cough..."

He cleared his throat lightly to hide his embarrassment, and replied slowly and deliberately.

"I guess you could say it's a case of loving the house because of the dog. We joined Gushan around the same time, but he was a bit more pure-hearted..."

How could he not be pure? He's all alone, the only one left in the vast Kaguya clan, while Haku has parents, siblings, and family. Their mindsets and lifestyles are completely different.

"Putting all that aside, when will those ample protective pillars around us be fully set up?"

"The dome can only be built after Yakumo's side officially begins construction."

"All right!"

In the darkness of night, a dozen or so pillar-like beams of light rose from the ground in Konoha Village. These beams were not dark in color and were inconspicuous in the dim light of the night, easily overlooked by the average person. However, they were very obvious to those with chakra perception.

In Hyuga Neji's Byakugan, it was as dazzling as a full moon hanging high in the dark night sky.

Hyuga Neji, suppressing his Byakugan and conserving his chakra to prepare for later, calmly asked:

"Our main task is to fight... to fight according to orders. As for how to do it, that's your responsibility as our agent, isn't it?"

"Yes, Kimimaro's mission is to obey Karin's orders. Karin instructed him to follow my commands during the battle..."

"That's it!"

In terms of absolute strength and fighting instinct, Kaguya Kimimaro is definitely the strongest among her peers, at most one of them. But in other aspects, it's hard to say. The calm Haku is better at taking charge of the overall situation.

"The strongest fighter on this side of the village is Naruto Uzumaki..."

"he?"

Hyuga Neji frowned slightly.

"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's destructive power is certainly sufficient, but Naruto's potential for 'unpredictability' is too great, which might easily cause the plan to go awry..."

"We need this ninja who is 'first in unpredictability' to break the deadlock when the planned steps don't work. After all, he is Jiraiya-sama's last disciple."

If things get really difficult, then we have no choice but to play the emotional card.