When he saw the newcomer, Hama felt his bones turn to ice—his very soul plunged into an infinite abyss of hell.
He struggled desperately, barely regaining partial control of his body.
"Who are you?"
Without hesitation, he voiced the question that had been tormenting him.
The man before him was almost certainly more oppressive than the green-suited security captain.
Before Satori Hyūga, it felt like gazing into an eternal void—utterly powerless to resist.
"Haha, I forgot to introduce myself," the other man said casually. "My name is Satori Hyūga. You came here looking for me."
Satori sifted effortlessly through Hama's mind, swiftly uncovering his purpose.
Satori was mildly astonished at capturing someone of this caliber.
This man was a rogue from one of the films. Who would have thought he'd sneak into Umbrella Corporation and fall right into Satori's hands?
That made three already.
Satori would've claimed it wasn't on purpose—if fate hadn't kept delivering them to him.
Hama widened his eyes involuntarily, instinctively raising his head to study Satori up and down.
Yet no matter how he studied him, he simply didn't look like a mere child.
It made him question whether the Daimyo's intelligence was flawed, or if there was an error in what they'd learned from Konoha.
But regardless, according to their information, this person shouldn't be an adult.
Instantly, Hama—the radical faction member—laid the blame at the feet of Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Suddenly recalling something, he declared confidently, "So you're Hiruzen Sarutobi's hidden ace! That old fox sure knew how to bury secrets!"
"What is Konoha planning? Are you trying to rebel against the Daimyo?"
Hama shot Satori a furious glare, his tone growing sharper with anger.
"I was sent by the Daimyo himself to investigate Umbrella Corporation. The Daimyo knows about my arrival—release me immediately!"
"Fail to release me, and when the Daimyo unleashes retribution, you Leaf ninja won't survive it."
He believed that invoking the Daimyo's name would make Satori fear and submit.
After all, the Daimyo was supreme and noble beyond compare—ninja could only kneel upon hearing his name.
Observing Hama's arrogant posturing behind borrowed authority, Satori broke into scornful laughter.
"Is being a Daimyo's lapdog really that fulfilling?"
Satori's deep, jet-black eyes gleamed with eerie light as he gazed intently at Hama.
That eerie gaze sent ice down his spine, a freezing tremor crawling from his soles to the top of his skull.
He felt like things were spiraling beyond his control—heading toward the worst possible outcome.
Seeing Hama's discomfort, Satori offered a smile—comforting in appearance, hollow in intent.
"Don't worry, Hama. I'll definitely send you back completely unharmed and safe."
After scanning Hama's memories, Satori emerged richer by exactly what he sought.
Hama had achieved an extremely high mastery over Earth Release transformation and nature changes.
He had even devised a rudimentary form of the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu.
For someone capable of such advanced jutsu innovation, Satori had no intention of ending his life—he would surely set him free.
With Hama standing in stunned disbelief, Satori Hyūga used the Tenseigan to twist and reshape Hama's soul and consciousness.
Within moments, the once-radical Hama became a loyal servant of Satori Hyūga.
"Prostrate yourself before your master," as Hama knelt at Satori's feet, bowing low and respectfully addressing him.
Seeing this former enemy now humbly kneeling and showing deep respect, Satori felt an unusual sense of satisfaction.
Acquired: One Special Talent
"Anda, return to the Daimyo's court for now and await my orders."
"If you get the chance, lure either the Daimyo or members of the Twelve Guardian Ninja here to meet me."
After hearing Satori's instructions, Hama immediately bowed deeply in agreement.
Soon after, under Satori's arrangement, Hama returned to the Daimyo's residence and met with the Daimyo himself.
Upon seeing Hama's return, the Daimyo called for him at once and inquired about the situation.
"Anda, did you eliminate him?"
A flash of murderous intent crossed his eyes, though on the surface he remained calm and composed.
"Your Grace, Hyūga Satori is guarded by many elite ninja. I never found the right opportunity to strike."
"However, Satori was surprisingly eager and respectful upon hearing Your Grace wished to meet him."
The Daimyo nodded slightly, clearly satisfied.
No wonder he's from the Hyūga Clan—naturally obedient and disciplined.
Among the nobility of the Land of Fire, the Hyūga maintained deep ties with the Daimyo, being part of the ruling class.
Hama continued, "Your Grace, would you like me to secretly arrange a meeting between you two for discussions?"
The Daimyo waved his fan with a calm, knowing smile.
"No need. After all, this is Konoha. Everything here is under the ever-watchful gaze of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"It might not be easy to keep a private meeting with Hyūga Satori hidden from that old fox."
Upon hearing the Daimyo's refusal, a glimmer of coldness flashed through Hama's eyes.
He had hoped to bring the Daimyo to his true master and allow Satori to take control—but the plan had failed.
Since the Daimyo could not be lured, perhaps some members of the Twelve Guardian Ninja could be instead.
Unaware that betrayal was festering within his ranks, the seated Daimyo remained confident in his trusted commanders.
After leaving the Daimyo's residence, Hama set his sights on several key figures.
These were five influential members of the radical faction within the Twelve Guardian Ninja—the backbone of the faction.
Being fellow radicals, Hama already had good relations with them, making betrayal come naturally.
Before long, Hama invited them out under the pretense of experiencing Konoha's local customs—with a visit to a popular massage parlor for relaxation and fun.
Meanwhile, Satori had been waiting patiently, ready to act once Hama gave the signal.
With inside help, the five were swiftly subdued.
With these five captured, Satori now controlled half of the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
As he looked at the six kneeling captives by his side, Satori issued new orders.
Might as well go all the way.
Controlling just half of the Twelve Guardian Ninja was hardly impressive.
Moreover, among the moderates, Satori particularly desired a powerful technique known as [Lightning Release: Thunder God Flash].
This was a joint ninjutsu technique executed by the "Lightning Four," capable of razing Konoha to the ground.
As a combined technique, Satori Hyūga found it quite fascinating.
If Lightning Release could work, then so could other chakra natures.
Add in multi-element fusion, and experimenting with Kekkei Mora was definitely worth a shot.
Under Satori Hyūga's orders, the radical faction chose a ninja named Ao Vine to go and recruit new members.
Ao Vine was actually fairly neutral within the radicals and had a decent relationship with a member of the moderate faction.
The moment he set out, he feigned defection to the moderates, claiming that Konoha had changed too much and their old beliefs were misguided.
Hearing this, the moderate faction member assumed Ao Vine must have been deeply shaken and agreed to come over for a massage bath, while also talking about Ao Vine's potential membership in the moderate faction.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>