Izuna moved like a shadow through the dense forest in the southern region of the Land of Fire, heading towards Hyuga Castle.
After years of war, the Warring States Period was finally shifting, but Izuna had his own agenda.
"Black Zetsu... you must have left something behind."
He had spent countless hours analyzing the strange gaps in history, particularly the secrets of the Hyuga Clan.
If Black Zetsu could infiltrate Hyuga Castle unnoticed, despite the clan's Byakugan-enhanced security, then something wasn't right.
"There's more to this than meets the eye."
As Izuna closed in on Hyuga Castle, he felt something—a sudden sharpness, like being watched from afar.
"Tsk... their scouts are already on me?"
Without hesitation, he vanished.
Far away, a Hyuga scout perched in a high tree frowned, his Byakugan scanning the area.
"Strange... I swear I saw something."
But there was nothing.
Izuna reappeared 100 meters away, clutching a kunai marked with the Flying Thunder God seal.
"Damn those eyes... even from 20 miles away, they can track movements."
He knew infiltrating Hyuga Castle would be even harder than expected.
The Byakugan wasn't just a visual ability—it gave the Hyuga Clan an almost impenetrable defense.
"I can't make a single mistake."
After an hour of careful maneuvering, Izuna finally arrived at the castle's outer perimeter.
"They've rebuilt it... but not completely."
Unlike before, Hyuga Castle now looked more like a massive village.
It was still in the reconstruction phase, after being leveled during the battle between himself, Hashirama, and Hyuga Tenzong.
But even in its current state, the defensive barrier around the castle was intact.
"A sensory barrier… just like Konoha's."
If he entered recklessly, the barrier team would immediately detect him.
Izuna wasn't an expert in barrier ninjutsu, unlike Mito, who excelled in sealing techniques.
But—
"I have my own methods."
He formed a seal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In an instant, dozens of shadow clones appeared around him.
Each transformed into a different ninja, disguising themselves as scouts, mercenaries, and civilians.
"Scatter."
The clones rushed forward, breaching the barrier from multiple directions.
The Hyuga barrier team immediately reacted.
"Intruders detected! East Gate—twelve targets!"
"South Gate—twenty hostiles detected!"
"Southeast—combat has begun!"
Panic spread through the guards as they rushed in all directions to intercept the "attackers."
Meanwhile—
Izuna slipped in unnoticed.
He merged with the chaos, blending into the distraction he created.
Once past the barrier, Izuna wasted no time.
He navigated through the city, avoiding guards and patrols.
His destination—
The Clan Leader's Residence.
Despite the war, the Hyuga Clan's high-ranking members had left their homes behind to fight on the front lines.
Only a few protectors remained.
"I need to hurry."
Izuna scaled the rooftops, using his Sharingan to scout the area.
From his vantage point, he spotted something strange—
A mountain directly behind the residence, considered sacred ground by the Hyuga Clan.
"Their ancestral birthplace... this is where I need to go."
Its significance reminded him of the Uchiha Stone Tablet, which contained the secrets of their clan's past.
Was this Hyuga's version of that?
He had to find out.
But first—
He needed to search the Clan Leader's quarters.
Izuna slipped through a window and into the empty chambers of Hyuga Chisato, the newly appointed clan leader.
The young leader had joined the battlefield, leaving his quarters unguarded.
Perfect.
Izuna immediately began searching.
He opened drawers, examined scrolls, and searched for anything unusual.
But everything seemed normal—
End of the Chapter.
Patreon.com/YeQingtian 250+ Chapters.
Update Schedule: 7 Chapter/week.
Every 300 Power Stones+1 (5 ⭐ Review)
= 1 Chapter+1Chapter
By voting with [power stones], you can easily get double the number of chapters