Naruto: Fooling the Ninja World, I'm Hailed as a Savior

"..."

Seeing the figure in black robes appear and gently extend a hand to place a light orb into Hiashi's chest, Hyuga Hizashi's pupils constricted. Especially seeing Hyuga Hiashi completely unable to resist, his entire body frozen in place, only the fear in his Byakugan proving his consciousness, he couldn't help but feel a chill from such a bizarre technique.

"My Lord."

He respectfully lowered his head, paused, and then pursed his somewhat dry lips. "May I ask, My Lord, how do you intend to deal with Hyuga Hiashi now?"

The black figure present here was naturally Hyuga Kawa, who had been lying in ambush, while the one outside was merely a shadow clone. The plan had proceeded with perilous ease. Under the assault of countless complex emotions, Hyuga Hiashi hadn't noticed him at all and was effortlessly taken control of.

"It seems you still can't bear to kill him?" Hyuga Kawa looked deeply at Hizashi.

"No, no," Hyuga Hizashi quickly shook his head, explaining, "I'm not familiar with Hyuga Hiashi's habits and behavior, so I was worried my disguise might have flaws. If it affected your plan…"

Hyuga Kawa didn't mind his subtle self-interest. He withdrew his hand from Hyuga Hiashi's chest. Ignoring Hyuga Hizashi's uncertain gaze, he unbandaged Hyuga Hiashi's forehead and handed it to Hizashi, speaking calmly, "Take off your forehead protector and put it on him. Use the bandage to cover your cursed seal."

Hyuga Hizashi finally noticed the scar on Hiashi's forehead. Countless conjectures surged into his mind, filling him with dread. At this moment, Hyuga Hiashi, whose consciousness still lingered, also gradually realized what Hizashi and the black-robed figure behind him intended to do.

This guy actually wants Hyuga Hizashi to replace him?!

Hyuga Hiashi's pupils trembled slightly. An icy chill almost consumed him.

When did this all begin? Who exactly is this guy? From the Hidden Cloud Village or something else? Could it be that even the Hidden Cloud ninja cutting his forehead with a kunai was part of this plan?!

If that Hidden Cloud ninja hadn't cut his forehead, he wouldn't have wrapped the wound with a bandage, and Hizashi wouldn't be able to use that bandage to perfectly conceal the Caged Bird seal on his own forehead… The more Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hizashi thought about it, the more terrified they became. However, the latter felt more post-shock relief and gratitude, grateful that he had been discerning enough to choose the right path.

This was no longer just a conspiracy. This was outright manipulation, treating them like marionettes. Everyone, including the Hidden Cloud Village, Konoha's higher-ups, and the Hyuga clan, was being played in the palm of this person's hand.

"Don't worry, he'll only enter a state of suspended animation."

Only after Hizashi tied the forehead protector onto Hiashi's head did Hyuga Kawa calmly reply, "His consciousness is still active, but his body is no longer under his control. He has become my 'puppet'."

Hearing this, Hyuga Hizashi, who was using the bandage to cover his cursed seal, paused. But he quickly thought of something else and felt a chill in his heart. Didn't this mean that if he lost his value, this Lord could personally control Hyuga Hiashi at any moment to replace him?

"But," Hyuga Hizashi hesitated, "the Hidden Cloud Village…?"

"That is not for you to worry about," Hyuga Kawa interrupted before he could finish. "You only need to play your role well."

With that, he extended two fingers. Chakra surged through his body, and with a chakra scalpel, he gouged out Hiashi's eyes.

Pfft.

Two bloody Byakugan were gouged out, and Hyuga Kawa put them into his robes. With these, plus the eyes from the Main House member he tricked Orochimaru into killing earlier, Hyuga Kawa now possessed three Byakugan.

However, the Caged Bird seal destroyed the brain nerves connected to the Byakugan, not the Branch House Byakugan itself. After activating the seal, the Byakugan would be blinded but wouldn't disappear. This was also why Hyuga Higo and the others were so confident that the Hidden Cloud Village wouldn't discover the truth too early.

To avoid exposure, Hyuga Kawa took out Orochimaru's remaining stock and replaced Hiashi's eyes with a pair of blinded Branch House Byakugan. Hyuga Hizashi witnessed the entire process, feeling increasing awe for Hyuga Kawa's methods, while also harboring a hint of pity for Hiashi.

As the proud head of the Main House, he was now having his Byakugan directly gouged out, then to be replaced by a Branch House member like himself, and finally becoming a puppet with no freedom… At this thought, a sickly flush actually appeared on Hyuga Hizashi's face.

Brother, can you now truly feel the despair and pain of the Branch House?

In fact, Hyuga Hiashi did feel it at that moment: the despair, powerlessness, regret, and agony of having his fate manipulated against his will. Everything that had happened today, the mental shock, almost caused the clan head to collapse. Especially upon hearing that he would remain in this state, Hiashi was frantically and silently pleading in his mind to "kill me." He would rather die at the hands of the Hidden Cloud Village than become a "puppet" against his will.

But it was no longer up to him. The moment he, as the Main House head, decided to abandon Hyuga Hizashi, it was no longer up to him to regret it. Now, Hizashi was merely repeating what he had done to him.

"My Lord."

At this moment, Hyuga Hizashi suddenly knelt, prostrating deeply with his forehead touching the ground, his simple robe spread out on the floor. He respectfully asked, "Forgive my presumption, but I have not yet asked for your esteemed name…" Unlike his previous forced respect for the Main House due to the cursed seal, the kneeling Hyuga Hizashi now genuinely revered this person.

"My esteemed name?"

Hyuga Kawa's gaze lowered slightly, looking down at Hyuga Hizashi kneeling before him. He slowly said, "I haven't used my true name in a long time, but, speaking of which, your Hyuga clan should also be considered my kin."

Hearing this, Hyuga Hizashi, whose gaze had remained lowered, paused. He hadn't expected this Lord to have ties to the Hyuga clan.

"My surname," Hyuga Kawa said softly, "is Otsutsuki."

A stirring, as if from deep within his bloodline, made Hyuga Hizashi lower his head even further. His gaze, however, flickered as he constantly recalled.

The Otsutsuki clan? Is there such a ninja clan in the world? Could they be a hidden clan that doesn't reveal itself?

He didn't doubt Hyuga Kawa's lie in the slightest. In fact, he felt it was his own lack of knowledge and planned to research ancient texts once this matter concluded.

[Ding!]

[Your lie [Otsutsuki Kawa] has been judged as [Substituting One for Another], Hyuga Hizashi experienced an emotional fluctuation, reaching the degree of [Firm Belief], obtaining 1000 Reality Points.]

[Remaining Reality Points: 11651]

Hearing the system prompt in his mind, Hyuga Kawa instinctively raised an eyebrow.

Should I say, as expected of the "Otsutsuki clan"? Just borrowing the surname earned me 1000 points. It seems this lie still has high value.

Click.

The door opened.

Hyuga Hizashi, his expression numb, walked out carrying Hyuga Hiashi's "corpse." In his hand, he held a scroll, and Hiashi's body was covered with a white cloth. Of course, in the eyes of Hyuga Higo, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the others, it was 'Hyuga Hiashi' walking out holding 'Hyuga Hizashi's' corpse.

"Hiashi, have you already destroyed the Byakugan with the cursed seal?" The cautious Hyuga Higo still asked.

Hyuga Hizashi gently placed Hiashi's "corpse" on the ground. He lowered his head and did not answer Hyuga Higo's question, but Hyuga Higo only assumed he was too overwhelmed with grief to respond.

He then bent down, lifted the white cloth from the "corpse," and pried open the eyelids to look at the dull Byakugan. His tense, aged face finally relaxed slightly, and he turned to nod at the Main House elders behind him.

Seeing this, everyone sighed in relief.