"Father, I just saw Genya."
Asuma Sarutobi walked into the Hokage's office, his expression dark, his tone heavy with resentment.
He then recounted everything that had just happened with Genya, detailing each moment.
The more he spoke, the more openly his hatred for Genya surfaced, each word seeming to force its way through his clenched teeth.
Hiruzen Sarutobi listened to Asuma's account, and his expression gradually shifted from solemn to furious. His face, already lined with wrinkles, contorted further in anger.
"The Uchiha Clan!" Hiruzen slammed his hand on the desk, making the documents scatter and rattle.
His eyes blazed with rage as his thoughts raced, recalling the recent losses suffered by the Sarutobi family, all of which seemed to have some connection to the Uchiha.
Even the chaos caused by Atsukara in Konoha seemed to carry faint traces of Uchiha involvement, especially that Genya Uchiha, who had become a thorn in his side.
In Hiruzen's mind, they all deserved to die, yet they never reflected on their actions. If he had not repeatedly felt the urge to kill members of the Uchiha clan and Genya in particular, his own clan members would not have died in vain.
"Father, the Uchiha clan can't be left in Konoha. The Second Hokage was right; the Uchiha are born evil!" Asuma said, fanning the flames beside his furious father.
Just thinking about Genya Uchiha's playful, mocking expression stirred an uncontrollable murderous intent in him.
To Asuma, Genya was utterly detestable, and the entire Uchiha clan deserved to die.
"Rest assured…" Hiruzen took a deep breath, trying to calm the fire within him. After a few puffs from his kiseru, he spoke slowly, "Once this Chunin Exam is over, we will deal with the Uchiha clan!"
At this moment, in Hiruzen's mind, the Uchiha had become a major threat to Konoha, and Atsukara remained an equally bitter obstruction.
If he didn't take action to stop it, his position as Hokage might truly be challenged by the Uchiha clan.
He calculated silently in his mind. Once the Chunin Exams were over, the research on the Reanimation Jutsu should finally be complete.
At that time, he would summon the Second Hokage through the Reanimation Jutsu. With the Second Hokage's hatred toward the Uchiha clan, he would undoubtedly assist in annihilating them.
Moreover, even if those reanimated had objections in their hearts, they could only obey the summoner's command and had no control over their own actions.
Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face twisted into a sinister smile, which looked especially menacing under the dim light.
Time passed quietly, day by day.
After the turmoil involving the Hyuga clan, Konoha seemed to return to its usual calm on the surface.
Genya also resumed his normal life, dedicating himself to training.
On ordinary days, he occasionally took on simple missions. Aside from that, he had no complicated affairs, which allowed him to relax and focus entirely on waiting for the Chunin Exams.
He didn't need to prepare much for the exams, because Orochimaru had already been eagerly laying his plans behind the scenes, and everything was steadily progressing according to schedule.
Meanwhile, the Hyuga clan gradually began to recover. Those from the main family who had persecuted the branch family were now blind, with broken bones and severe injuries that would require a long time to heal.
During this period, Neji stayed by his mother's side, taking meticulous care of her.
Because he devoted all his energy to his mother, he had no time for other matters, so he did not bring the branch family members to be freed from the "caged bird" seal. That matter was temporarily put on hold.
At this moment, Konoha appeared peaceful and calm. Villagers lived their daily lives, and the ninja carried out their missions in order.
Yet beneath this calm surface, hidden currents flowed, and a massive storm was quietly brewing.
The Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.
"You're saying the Hyuga main family has been almost entirely wiped out?" Raikage Ai looked at the intelligence report in his hands. The moment he read the first line, he couldn't help but exclaim, his face full of shock.
Even the usually calm and composed Dodai now wore a dark expression, his brows tightly furrowed, lost in thought.
"Who made the move?" After a long silence, Hideki, who had been quietly observing nearby, finally spoke.
He was extremely familiar with Konoha and naturally had some understanding of certain events.
But now, Hideki's expression was grim. Although he had been separated from Genya for some time, recalling his experiences with Genya that day still made his body tremble slightly.
Genya was incredibly powerful, and the words he had spoken sent shivers down one's spine.
In Hideki's mind, Uchiha Genya was a terrifying presence. And that "Atsukara" organization—every member who had surfaced so far was like a monster, inspiring fear.
"It's Hyuga Neji!" Raikage Ai said again, looking at the letter.
As he spoke, memories of when Konoha had produced such a elite jonin—capable of nearly destroying the main Hyuga family—kept flashing in his mind.
It was said that even Sarutobi Hiruzen had tried to intervene back then but had failed.
"Hyuga Neji?" Dodai frowned, searching his memory for that name.
"Neji isn't a veteran ninja who has long matured, he's a new graduate," Hideki's mind raced as he turned to Dodai and continued.
"This might be connected to you. He is the son of the man who took Hyuga Hiashi's place and died!"
"Hizashi's child?" Dodai's frown deepened, a complicated emotion stirring in his heart.
"Yes, and—he even has some connection with Uchiha Genya," Hideki wanted to continue, but his words suddenly stopped. His eyes flicked toward Raikage Ai with caution.
Ever since Genya had been released, Hideki had informed Raikage Ai of Genya's demands, and Ai had smashed the entire office in anger.
Since then, Raikage Ai harbored deep hatred for Uchiha Genya and the Atsukara organization, wishing he could tear Genya to pieces.
"Rip~" At that moment, Raikage Ai suddenly tore the letter in his hands after seeing something on it, roaring in anger. "Atsukara organization… again it's Atsukara!"
His voice echoed through the room, filled with endless anger.
In recent days, he had sent people to investigate Uchiha Genya and Atsukara, but they had found nothing.
Even now, many in Konoha still believed that Genya was just an Uchiha waste who could only perform basic ninjutsu.
Was Genya hiding too well, or was there another reason?
"Hey, what's wrong?" Dodai frowned as he watched, unable to understand why Raikage Ai was so furious.
"Yo, yo, yo…" At that moment, Killer B, who had somehow grown a bit thinner, hummed his unique rap and carelessly pushed the door open.
****
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