Chapter 307: Saving Hanabi
As Kabuto had anticipated.
The Sixth Hokage, Uchiha Dan, always watched everyone from on high with his Rinnegan, which saw through everything.
The reason he allowed spies like Kabuto to operate in Konoha was simple: he enjoyed watching the chaos.
After all his efforts, Kabuto realised he was just a clown.
Soon, Kakashi from the Anbu and the Uchiha clan members arrived at the scene.
Upon learning that Orochimaru had attacked Sasuke.
"I'll go after him with Chiyoko! This time, we can't let him escape," Tekka declared, drawing his ninja sword, eager to hunt down Orochimaru.
To Tekka, Orochimaru was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, needing to be eliminated before he could strike unexpectedly.
"Wait."
Itachi stepped forward to stop Tekka and Chiyoko, saying, "No need, Tekka. Let Orochimaru go; it's the Sixth Hokage's decision."
"Why... why?"
Tekka was stunned, standing in place, feeling confused.
Sasuke was equally shocked.
From Itachi's words, it seemed everyone knew about Orochimaru's attack except Sasuke.
Itachi glanced at Sasuke, relieved to see he wasn't in immediate danger, then explained:
"The Sixth Hokage said this is a trial. Orochimaru is Sasuke's prey; Sasuke must deal with him personally."
A trial?
Tekka and Chiyoko exchanged glances, now understanding.
Sasuke, after a moment of surprise, stood up despite his pain, his eyes blazing as he swore:
"I, Uchiha Sasuke, will definitely take down Orochimaru and bring his head back to Konoha myself."
Sasuke understood this was a test from his uncle and an opportunity to prove himself.
This time, he couldn't afford to fail.
Fugaku, who had been silent, assessed his younger son's injuries and said sternly:
"Confidence is good, but overconfidence is arrogance and will lead to disaster. Go home and heal first, and familiarize yourself with the Mangekyo Sharingan's power. Orochimaru, after all, was one of Konoha's legendary Sannin and is not easy to deal with."
"Yes, Father."
Sasuke replied, not daring to argue.
"Cousin, let me carry you."
Marisa stepped forward with a smile and squatted down in front of him.
Sasuke felt a bit embarrassed, having his eight-year-old cousin carry him home, but given his current state, he could barely stand, let alone walk.
Sigh.
With a sigh, Sasuke said, "Thank you, Marisa."
He then lay obediently on Marisa's back, letting her carry him.
On the other side, Kakashi ordered the Anbu to take the unconscious Kabuto back for interrogation.
Konoha's interrogation department could extract information from even dead bodies, so getting valuable intel from a living person like Kabuto would be no problem.
No matter how experienced Kabuto was as a spy, once he woke up, he wouldn't be able to resist.
Kabuto's information would undoubtedly help Sasuke better understand Orochimaru's weaknesses, leading to his successful hunt.
The group soon dispersed, leaving two Anbu to clean up the battlefield.
The night grew late.
A long day was finally coming to an end.
However, Konoha seemed destined to remain lively today, as another incident occurred in the village.
This time, it happened in the Hyuga Clan's territory.
The clan leader Hiashi Hyuga's younger daughter—Hanabi Hyuga—had suddenly gone missing.
In the past, this would have been big news.
But today, after so many shocking events, including Marisa winning the Chunin Exam, the meteor shower attacking Konoha, and the Sixth Hokage blowing up the moon, the disappearance of a Konoha girl didn't seem as significant.
Even Hiashi Hyuga, the person involved, didn't have time to address his daughter's disappearance immediately upon hearing the news. Instead, he was busy leading the police force to maintain order in the village.
The next day...
"What exactly happened? Where is Hanabi?"
Marisa knocked on the door of the Hyuga clan, looking shocked as she asked.
Hanabi was her best friend at the Ninja Academy, someone with whom she shared everything. Naturally, Marisa was extremely anxious upon hearing about her friend's disappearance.
"Lady Marisa, please don't worry, follow me."
An elder of the Hyuga clan bowed to Marisa and invited her to the meeting hall.
There, Hanabi's sister, Hinata, the Hyuga clan's top genius, Neji, and the clan leader, Hiashi Hyuga, were analysing the information.
"So, Hanabi wasn't just missing, she was kidnapped?"
Hiashi rubbed his forehead, looking exhausted.
He had been working all night without sleep, only returning home to address his daughter's disappearance after restoring order in the village.
"Yes, clan leader. After a night of investigation and search, we have gathered information on the intruder," Neji reported respectfully to Hiashi.
To Neji, the clan leader's willingness to prioritise the village's welfare over his daughter's safety was a commendable sacrifice.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go after them immediately!"
Hiashi slammed the table, shouting sternly, and stood up.
But at that moment, he felt a wave of dizziness and collapsed onto the floor with a thud.
"Clan leader, you're exhausted. You need to rest," advised a concerned Hyuga clan member, worrying about Hiashi's health as he was no longer young.
Seeing this, Marisa pounded her chest with determination and assured Hiashi loudly:
"Uncle Hiashi, you should rest at home. I will definitely bring Hanabi back safely!"
Hearing this, Hiashi's expression changed. He quickly replied:
"No, I can't let you take such a risk, Lady Marisa."
Marisa, the daughter of the Sixth Hokage, had proven her strength by winning the Chunin Exams, silencing all doubters.
It was clear to everyone that this tall, muscular girl might just be the next Hokage of Konoha.
If anything were to happen to Marisa, the consequences for the Hyuga clan would be unimaginable.
"Enough talk, let's go!"
Marisa wasn't interested in pleasantries with Hiashi. She went straight to Hinata and pulled her up, asking her to lead the way.
Hinata blushed, looking helplessly at her father.
Sigh.
Hiashi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Although his daughter was fifteen, she was worlds apart in terms of strength, character, and demeanour from the Hokage's daughter.
Marisa, like her father, was domineering. Once she made a decision, no one could stop her.
Thus.
"Alright, you all will follow Lady Marisa's lead," Hiashi ordered the Hyuga members, giving a special look to Neji.
Neji subtly nodded, understanding the clan leader's message: protect Marisa at all costs, ensuring no harm befalls the Hokage's daughter.
A few hours later.
In a valley on the outskirts of Konoha.
"ORA ORA ORA!"
With her full power and Stand, Star Platinum, Marisa finally destroys the puppet in front of her.
She was covered in tattered clothes, her body full of wounds.
Looking around, Neji, Hinata, and the others were all injured. Several Hyuga ninjas had lost their lives and wouldn't rise again.
Half an hour earlier.
They had tracked the enemy to this place, discovering an abandoned house. As they were about to investigate, they were ambushed by a group of puppets.
After a fierce battle, they finally destroyed all the puppets and won the hard-fought victory.
"Lady Marisa, are you alright?"
Neji, holding his bleeding arm, limped over and asked.
"Don't worry about me. Quickly use your Byakugan to check if Hanabi is nearby," Marisa instructed while wrapping her wounds with bandages.
"Yes."
Neji immediately activated his Byakugan, scanning the surroundings.
Moments later.
"I found her, there's a basement!" Neji shouted, pointing out the entrance to the basement for Marisa.
Boom!
Marisa punched through the basement door, shattering it, and rushed inside. She saw a familiar figure lying on the bed, facing away.
It was Hanabi.
"Hanabi, are you alright?"
Marisa approached the bed, only to find Hanabi unconscious. What shocked her more were the two streaks of blood on Hanabi's cheeks.
Hanabi's Byakugan had been taken.
"Damn it, who did this!"
Seeing her friend's plight, Marisa was furious, clenching her fists as veins bulged on her forehead.
The Hyuga ninjas were equally shocked and enraged.
"Could it be the Sand ninja? The puppets that attacked us seemed like the work of the Sand puppet masters," someone suggested.
"But why? Doesn't Sunagakure have plenty of Byakugan? Isn't that enough?"
Even the usually timid Hinata was furious. Hanabi was her younger sister, and seeing her in such a state broke her heart more than anyone else.
Eight years ago, during the short rule of Danzo over Konoha.
To beg for peace, the Hyuga clan was forced to remove the Caged Bird Seal from their members and had a hundred Byakugan taken away by the Four Great Ninja Villages, enduring extreme humiliation.
It wasn't until the Uchiha clan's return that Konoha's ninjas and villagers could finally regain their dignity and live with their heads held high.
The Hyuga clan also avoided becoming a Byakugan storage for the Four Great Ninja Villages.
But today, the same thing happened again, with a clan member's Byakugan taken.
"No, it shouldn't be Sunagakure. They wouldn't dare," Marisa said, frowning, dismissing the Hyuga clan's speculation.
To anger the Hyuga clan for a Byakugan was one thing, but this act would also offend Konoha and the Uchiha clan. The Sunagakure ninjas would have to be insane to do something so foolish.
Although Marisa was still young, her demeanour and way of thinking already reflected that of a leader.
Notably, Dan had never taught her these things.
Such talent was innate.
As it turned out, Marisa was right.
Because Hanabi woke up.
"Ugh..."
She let out a groan and slowly opened her eyes, only to find darkness before her. Just as she was about to reach out, her hands were grabbed by her sister, Hinata.
"Hanabi, don't! Listen to me first..." Hinata was very worried that her sister would be overwhelmed by the pain of losing her eyes.
So Hinata racked her brain, trying to make up a comforting lie to stabilise Hanabi.
Unexpectedly.
"Sis, don't worry about me. I know what happened to me."
Hanabi forced a smile and said weakly, "A guy named Toneri Otsutsuki took my eyes, saying he wanted to get revenge on Konoha."
She then struggled to describe Toneri's appearance to everyone, telling them to be cautious before fainting again.
The accompanying Hyuga medical ninja quickly took out a medical kit to treat Hanabi.
Fortunately.
The person who took Hanabi's eyes didn't harm her further. After some treatment, her condition stabilised.
Seeing this, the Hyuga clan members finally breathed a temporary sigh of relief.
Then.
"Toneri Otsutsuki... what a strange name. Have you heard of it?" Neji repeated the enemy's name, frowning and asking the clan members.
Everyone shook their heads.
This surname had never been heard of in Konoha or the other major ninja villages.
While everyone looked confused, Marisa's expression was shocked.
She had heard the name Otsutsuki before from her troublesome father.
"I'll go find my dad. Leave the rest to me, so no more people get hurt."
Marisa threw this statement to Neji and the others, leaving the stunned Hyuga clan members behind as she hurried away.
Hokage Tower, Hokage's Office.
"Where's my dad? I need to see him immediately!"
Marisa stormed all the way to the office door, pushed aside the Anbu guarding the door, and banged on the door loudly.
"Come in."
A familiar voice came from the office, but it wasn't the Sixth Hokage.
Bam.
Marisa pushed the door open and walked briskly to the desk, urgently asking, "Uncle, where's my dad?"
Vice Hokage Fugaku Uchiha, who was sitting in the chair, was buried under a mountain of paperwork and looked overwhelmed.
In fact.
For the past eight years, Fugaku had spent more time in the Hokage's office than Dan, the actual Hokage.
Dan always managed to shirk his responsibilities.
Even now, after Konoha had just experienced such a huge catastrophe, Dan was absent from work.
"It's Marisa. Hey, you're hurt! Are you okay?"
Seeing his injured niece, Fugaku stood up in surprise and immediately called for medical ninjas.
He then told Marisa that Dan had left Konoha early in the morning for an urgent matter and wouldn't be back for a few days.
"Damn, leaving the village at a time like this... Never mind. Uncle, do you know about the Otsutsuki clan?"
Marisa knew her dad was unreliable, so she shared the information she had with her uncle.
"Toneri Otsutsuki, a survivor from the moon?"
Hearing this, Fugaku's expression became serious. As a high-ranking member of Konoha who had read the Uchiha Stone Tablet, he knew about the Otsutsuki clan on the moon.
He also knew that the Otsutsuki clan, like the Hyuga clan, were descendants of Hamura Otsutsuki.
(End of the chapter)