Naruto: Linked to Kaguya, Corrupting the Ninja World

"Hokage-sama, half an hour ago before you arrived..." Hizashi thought for a moment and continued, "No, not even half an hour."

"About ten minutes ago, he came back saying that he had been attacked by unknown ninjas and his companions were killed. He seemed very upset and went to rest immediately after returning."

Hiruzen Sarutobi scoffed inwardly: Oh? So the reason he rushed back before dawn was to leave behind evidence and alter the collective memory in advance.

Seeing Hiruzen's stern expression, Hizashi gave an order to one of the clan members: "Go bring Hiroki here."

Without waiting for invitation, a Hyuga clansman furiously knocked on the door outside Hiroki's bedroom.

"What is it?" Hiroki asked from inside the room.

"The Hokage wants to see you..." The Hyuga briefly repeated the information given by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

After changing clothes, Hiroki re-secured his forehead protector in front of the mirror.

"It's not like it looks nice anyway. Why would I even bother drawing it?" Kaguya couldn't help but speak up.

"I can carve you a nice one, so you won't have to dress up every day. It'll be much more convenient." Kaguya teased.

"..." Hiroki fell speechless.

Not a chance...

Opening the door, Hiroki emotionlessly followed the Hyuga clansman away while holding the client's receipt.

When he heard about the news that Hyuga White Zetsu had been beaten up by Konoha Anbu, he guessed his identity might come under suspicion.

So he let White Zetsu stall for time so that he could complete the mission himself and fabricate an alibi.

He wanted to go along with their plan unless it completely failed, in which case he would use force to eliminate them all at once.

He originally thought Hiruzen would make some demands on the Hyuga Clan based on White Zetsu's corpse.

Now it seems like this decisive action is typical of Danzo Shimura. Hiruzen prefers to wield soft knives and subtle attacks.

If this matter got officially classified as hostile, he'd essentially become a marked man without even needing Hiruzen to act personally—the Hyuga family would willingly handle the cleanup themselves whenever he appeared.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Hiroki stepped into the central plaza.

"Hiroki, Hokage-sama has some doubts about your mission this time. Quickly tell everyone what happened," Hizashi urged.

"On the way back from this mission, we were ambushed by several unknown ninjas. My two companions engaged the enemies in battle while our client worried about potential future trouble and urged me to continue onward with him. With no other choice, I proceeded with him."

"When I returned, I discovered my two companions had already perished. This is the signed mission receipt from our client confirming the mission completion. Originally I planned to submit it at the mission office when daylight came."

As he spoke, Hiroki produced the receipt signed by the client, raising it high for everyone to witness.

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent in contemplation.

Other Hyuga elders also didn't know what to say.

An awkward silence settled over the plaza.

"Hokage-sama, [Transformation Jutsu] is one of the most widespread techniques throughout the Ninja World Continent. Perhaps someone saw Hiroki before and then transformed into his appearance somewhere else afterward, but this proves absolutely nothing," Hiashi spoke up.

"But it's undeniable that Anbu members saw Hiroki Hyuga leave the village and transform into that white thing," said Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiroki had no interest in arguing about why Anbu had been following him. He raised his voice slightly and said, "However, what I'm holding is real too. The client, his companion, and everyone in Galestride witnessed me escorting the client into town."

"Did you really participate in the entire process?" Seeing he seemed to be getting angry, Hiruzen continued calmly, "Perhaps at this very moment, the Hiroki Hyuga here and the person lying on the ground are one and the same."

"If everyone wants evidence, I can show you the memories of those Anbu members. So then, mysterious friend, what can you prove?"

Many members of the Hyuga clan exchanged glances, their eyes shifting between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Hiroki.

Everyone knew that Anbu were specially assigned to do all sorts of dirty, exhausting, and questionable tasks for the Hokage. Their minds contained many secrets of the village.

Now, Hiruzen astoundingly suggested that they could view Anbu members' memories, which naturally led many to believe his words at least partially.

A faint smile flickered across Hiruzen's face as he calmly looked at Hiroki.

If Hiroki refused to do the same, it would appear he had something to hide.

And if he wanted to prove himself through memories, that would be even better—his mind likely contained even more secrets.

Hiroki scoffed inwardly, muttering silently, "Cunning old fox!"

He didn't believe the Anbu lacked security seals designed to prevent information leaks. Even if Hiruzen wanted others to see something, it must have been something already approved for disclosure.

"Hokage-sama, I don't know why you're specifically targeting me!"

"And I also don't know what I should say to convince you that I truly am myself!"

Extremely angry people often flared their nostrils and breathed hard—and right now, Hiroki appeared exactly like that to the members of the Hyuga Clan.

His voice kept rising higher, his emotions intensifying.

"Yes, appearances can be faked. Personalities can be copied. But how could someone fake a cursed seal? Unless they're willing to brand another Caged Bird seal within the Hyuga Clan."

"The Caged Bird seal on my head proves who I am!"

"Hokage-sama, you yourself mentioned there might be imposters within the Hyuga Clan. Then let's use the Caged Bird seal to test everyone!"

"Just now the young lady is here too. Let her activate the cursed seal on each of us. If someone shows no reaction, then they're the fake!"

"Starting from now, we'll test one by one!" he shouted, "Start with me! Young lady, quickly activate the cursed seal!"

Kaguya stayed silent. Why was everyone suddenly putting on such a performance?

Tsunade used to act like that, and now this guy was doing the same thing too.

Although Hiroki still wore a headpiece covering his forehead, not one Hyuga dared try to remove it. Even if someone tried, he could easily stop them.

In the end, any Hyuga marked with the Caged Bird seal would do almost anything to hide the mark on their forehead.

This was not only due to the rules of the Hyuga Clan, but also rooted in their deep sense of shame and feelings of inferiority.

No one would ever walk around with the Caged Bird seal marked on their forehead.

Moreover, he also knew that the members of the Hyuga Clan would absolutely never agree to this proposal.

The Caged Bird was a nightmare for the Branch Family—a thorn lodged deep in their hearts. Nobody wanted their life to be beyond their own control.

The moment they heard his reckless words, the gathered Hyuga members erupted into furious shouts, their outrage even louder than his defiance, yelling,

"Hiroki, calm down!"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

"We can't possibly try something like this!"

"Have you gone mad?! Don't do this!"

"Lady Hinata, don't listen to him!"

...

Even Hizashi's face changed slightly.

The scene exploded into chaos as sharp voices from all sides filled her ears, leaving Hinata frozen in place, visibly unsettled.

Hiroki kept his face blank, but inside, he was grinning.

<><><><><><><><>

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

<><><><><><><><>