[Bonus Chapter for Powerstones]
Yamanaka Inoichi arrived at the Hyūga clan's ancestral shrine, led by Hyūga Hizashi. All the Branch House elders currently remaining in the compound were gathered there. In the open space in front of the shrine lay the body of Kurama Unkai.
Even as Inoichi arrived, several experienced clan elders were meticulously examining the corpse. Although Kurama Unkai was dead, the Hyūga clan intended to find any physical clues on the assassin, unwilling to place all their hope in the Yamanaka clan's secret Jutsu. Finding the mastermind through physical evidence would be faster and easier.
The assassination attempt on Hyūga Shinichi was the most important matter facing the clan. Furthermore, having learned that the assassin was from the fellow Konoha clan, Kurama,
the Hyūga elders already suspected that a high-ranking Konoha official was moving against the Hyūga. For the clan's survival, this matter had to be thoroughly investigated. They were determined to completely root out the threat to the Hyūga's existence from Konoha.
In the name of the Hyūga, they had not only invited Yamanaka Inoichi to help with the autopsy but had also sent an invitation—a polite "request"—to Kurama Deko, the Kurama clan head, to come to the Hyūga compound to claim the body and explain the situation. If Kurama Deko did not cooperate, the Hyūga would consider him an accomplice.
Taking advantage of Minato Namikaze's presence, the Hyūga clan elders conveyed the clan's will, hoping that if any conflict arose between the Hyūga and the Kurama clan,
the Fourth Hokage would be "understanding." Even before Kurama Deko arrived to explain, the Hyūga had already labeled the Kurama clan as a threat and a target for elimination.
Minato Namikaze could clearly sense the Hyūga clan's determination and believed the Hyūga capable of such an action for their survival. Advisor Danzō himself had nearly been killed outside the Hyūga compound gate.
The minor, declining Kurama clan stood no chance against such a behemoth. Even Minato could only try his best to pacify them, promising to ensure Kurama Deko's full cooperation and urging the Hyūga clan not to act rashly.
With Yamanaka Inoichi's arrival, the tense atmosphere in the shrine eased somewhat. Hizashi, representing Shinichi, briefly recounted Kurama Unkai's identity as the assassin and requested Inoichi to search his memories to find the true mastermind.
Minato Namikaze, also present, entrusted the same task to Inoichi. With requests from both sides, Inoichi sensed the gravity of the situation and, after a long hesitation, finally agreed.
Although the Yamanaka clan was not a major clan, and their inherited secret Jutsu did not provide them with exceptional combat strength, their position in Konoha was quite secure. The Mind Transfer Jutsu(Shintenshin no Jutsu) and related secrets were highly practical interrogation techniques.
Ninjas specializing in this field were highly valued in any ninja village. Furthermore, the Ino–Shika–Chō trio of clans was tightly intertwined, moving in concert within Konoha's political landscape. Coupled with the Sarutobi clan, their combined influence was on par with a major clan like the Hyūga.
They never had to worry about their survival in the village, thus having fewer constraints and less fear of offending the wrong people.
Without any wasted words, Yamanaka Inoichi began performing the secret Jutsu on Kurama Unkai, guarded by numerous Hyūga ninja.
Inoichi's spirit connected to Kurama Unkai's brain. In the mental world, an intricate memory maze appeared before Inoichi's eyes. In the real world, the tightly shut-eyed Inoichi suddenly spoke gravely:
"This fellow's mind is sealed. I will need some time."
Inoichi's words caused the Hyūga clan members to exchange glances, while both Shinichi and Minato registered a look of "I knew it" in their eyes. Both had their own suspects. For people at that level, leaving a seal in a subordinate's mind to prevent being tracked down was a matter of course.
"Focus on breaking the seal. Let me know if you need anything."
Minato was confident in Inoichi's ability as the head of the Analysis Division. Ordinary memory seals would not trouble him.
Shinichi also trusted Inoichi's ability. After all, if he could decipher the seals on the memory of the Rinnegan, the sealing Jutsu of either Hiruzen Sarutobi or Danzō Shimura could not compare to that power.
"I don't require anything. However, if we want to speed things up, we could consider having people with fine control help me break the seal."
Inoichi studied the memory maze before him. Under his Jutsu, a scroll-shaped memory was linked from Kurama Unkai's brain to his hands. As the scroll unfurled, Inoichi rapidly worked to decipher the seal in his mind.
"I will help."
"I want to confirm the culprit with my own eyes."
Shinichi spoke up and sat cross-legged next to Inoichi. On the other side, Minato Namikaze also quietly moved to Inoichi's other side, speaking softly: "Inoichi, I will join you."
Hearing the voices, Inoichi, sensing their presence, extended his hands and grasped both Shinichi's and Minato's wrists.
The two men felt their vision darken, and their consciousness appeared in a strange mental space. Before them was Kurama Unkai's brain. Inoichi performed a hand seal, and two more scrolls linked out from the brain. Minato and Shinichi placed their hands on the ends of the scrolls, and the pages began to scroll rapidly down.
After an unknown period, the memory maze covering the brain dissipated, and the figures of the three men began to rapidly scroll through Kurama Unkai's past actions. One day of life could take up to half an hour to review. The crucial clue could be hidden anywhere in his daily life.
Time passed moment by moment as the three silently reviewed Kurama Unkai's life.
Going backward from the moment of his death by the Cursed Seal, they saw him fighting the Hyūga ninja, feeling his internal terror; they saw him working with the artisans, seemingly enjoying the happiness of a simple life; they saw him living alone, keeping cats and dogs, appearing to be a young man with a caring heart.
As a person's life unfolded before them like a painting, Shinichi and the others could tangibly touch his thoughts and his personality. Humans were the most complex of creatures. Hyūga Shinichi silently reviewed the man's life, his emotions inevitably influenced.
He had originally thought he was attacking a simple assassin or villain. However, after truly understanding the man, a sense of guilt over taking a life arose deep within him. Although the man was not killed by Shinichi's attack, but by the Cursed Seal in his heart, that sense of guilt lingered in Shinichi's mind.
As time passed, the man's memories became less coherent. Perhaps due to his death, his memories started to become fragmented. The older the memories, the more fragmented they were. However, at the same time, the speed at which Shinichi and the others reviewed them drastically increased.
After an unknown duration, the crucial clue they were searching for finally appeared. It was a dark underground space.
Although the actual location might have been filtered by the subject's memory, the darkness reflected Kurama Unkai's internal distress. A drawing of Shinichi, marked with a large red "X," appeared in Kurama Unkai's hand. Undoubtedly, this was what Shinichi and the others were looking for.
However, to their disappointment, Kurama Unkai kept his head down, and only a hoarse, low voice reached his mind. That voice was unlike anyone they knew.
But through Kurama Unkai's memory, they could feel his apprehension and fear toward the owner of the voice.
Without a doubt, the voice was also filtered by Kurama Unkai's memory. While others might hear a different voice, to Kurama Unkai, the voice sounded husky and low. His reverence and fear warped the things he perceived through his five senses.
It was like hating a person intensely; everything they did would be despised. Even if they simply said hello, you wouldn't feel they were being kind. Such deeply held beliefs could distort a person's five senses.
The mastermind hid in the darkness, and Shinichi and the others couldn't identify him by voice alone. However, as they quickly reviewed more of the memories, they found other clues. Kurama Unkai's early life seemed bleak, and his life was monotonous: endless training and missions.
Judging by the uniforms of his comrades, this man was a product of the Anbu! One thing was certain: he was a product of the Anbu.
As the memory review deepened, Shinichi pieced together further information, leading him to the desired answer. Kurama Unkai had undergone training in his youth.
The training involved over thirty concurrent Anbu candidates, with a style that forced the children to fight each other until only four remained, deemed "qualified." Such brutal training was unlike the regime of the Hokage's direct Anbu forces. This individual... was a Root ninja.
Having obtained the answer he sought, Shinichi silently disengaged from Inoichi's hand and withdrew from the mental space. Looking up at the sunlight, the negative emotions Shinichi had absorbed from Kurama Unkai's bleak life were swept away.
"The mastermind is Danzō Shimura."
The answer Hyūga Shinichi provided stunned the clan members. Just as they were looking skeptical, Minato Namikaze also withdrew from Kurama Unkai's mental world. Coming to Shinichi's side, he gently patted the boy's shoulder and solemnly promised:
"I will ensure the Hyūga clan receives a satisfactory resolution to this matter."
"Shinichi, entrust this to me, okay?"
Minato had already witnessed the Hyūga clan's strength. Although he also suspected Danzō was the mastermind, at this time of impending war, Minato absolutely could not allow the Hyūga clan and Root to erupt into a large-scale conflict. Internal war was something he could never permit.
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