The Hyuga Shall Stand Above, In The Heavens!

Land of Water. 

On an island near Kirigakure Village. 

Hitoshi stood with his hands behind his back, his sharp eyes fixed on the distant towering peaks. 

The jagged mountain ranges formed a unique landscape around Kirigakure Village. The mountains not only kept the village shrouded in mist all year round but also acted as a natural barrier against disasters like tsunamis. 

Because of its special location, Kirigakure Village remained isolated and rarely took part in the great ninja wars. This isolation led to a distinct local culture. 

It should have been a paradise for water-style ninjas, but now the air was filled with a faint smell of blood. 

Even long before the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, was controlled by Obito, the village had already earned the nickname "Village of the Bloody Mist." This reputation came from their tradition of sending blood-soaked challenge letters before battles to show their determination. 

Now, however, this land had truly become a living hell. 

*Rustle, rustle...* 

The sound of clothes being adjusted finally stopped as Konan and the goddess of the moon emerged from the nearby forest, both with slightly flushed faces. 

"So, what you really want is to take control of Kirigakure Village?" 

A moment ago, this man had dragged them into experiencing what it meant to surf. 

In all honesty, Konan, who had always been dedicated to improving the Land of Rain, wasn't fond of water. She didn't even like the inland lakes that had formed in her homeland due to constant rain. 

This was her first time truly enjoying herself in the water, and it happened because that man had grabbed her and used his chakra to propel them at high speed over the waves. The experience was exciting, but by the time they reached the island, both Konan and the moon goddess were soaked. 

They had wanted to use chakra to keep the seawater away, but Hitoshi suggested they just relax and have fun, which led to their current situation. 

Thanks to the thrilling ride and their newfound friendship after helping each other change clothes, Konan and the moon goddess temporarily set aside their hostility toward each other. 

"I only plan to replace their Kage. Yagura's behavior is a bit... off, don't you think?" 

Hyuga Hitoshi spoke calmly. Even the island they landed on wasn't chosen at random—he had sensed that soon a new Mizukage candidate would appear. 

"Actually, Yagura..." 

The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, wasn't the true source of the bloody mist's reputation. 

Konan hesitated, unsure of how to explain. 

She and Nagato knew that Yagura had been under the control of the man who called himself Uchiha Madara. It was likely that the orders to oppress the Kekkei Genkai clans had also come from him. 

Frankly, neither she nor Nagato could understand such twisted behavior. Even if the goal was to make the five great nations feel pain, this method seemed excessive. They could only assume that Uchiha Madara had done it as part of his plan to capture the Three-Tails in advance. 

From Konan's perspective, though, turning Yagura into something half-human, half-ghost would only draw more attention. A more effective approach would have been to keep him low-profile and reclusive. 

"I know, he was being controlled." 

Hyuga Hitoshi walked up to Konan. Ignoring her surprised look, he gently straightened the paper flower on her forehead, which had been knocked askew during surfing. 

The intimate gesture made Konan's ears turn bright red, though she tried hard to maintain a calm, indifferent expression. Watching this, the moon goddess standing nearby felt her blood pressure spike. 

"But as a Kage, being controlled by an outsider for so long proves he's unqualified. That alone makes him a joke." 

Especially the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, who always claimed to be a perfect Jinchuriki. 

That's just nonsense. 

Since when did being a perfect Jinchuriki become so worthless? 

A true perfect Jinchuriki can connect with the tailed beast and, when under a Genjutsu, the tailed beast can disrupt the chakra flow to snap the Jinchuriki out of it. 

Unless Obito somehow managed to control Isobu along with Yagura. But seriously, how useless would Isobu have to be to get controlled for years? Even after fighting Itachi and Biwa Juzo under control and getting burned by Amaterasu, it still didn't break free. 

What's even crazier is that after being controlled for so many years, it was only exposed when Ao used a knock-off Byakugan. 

Ridiculous. 

That's Hyuga Hitoshi's opinion of Yagura and the whole Kirigakure Village—either Yagura had weak Genjutsu resistance, or Obito's Genjutsu was insanely strong. 

The most likely reason? Obito used an eye left to him by Uchiha Madara, probably one from a clan member skilled in Genjutsu. 

Of course. 

That doesn't matter now. Yagura's about to be replaced, and Hitoshi has no intention of controlling him like Obito did to take over Kirigakure Village. 

A clear-headed Mizukage is way more useful than a puppet one. 

"That makes sense from your point of view, but…" 

Konan still looked hesitant. 

From Akatsuki's perspective, the masked man controlling Kirigakure Village was definitely a good thing. What Hitoshi was doing now was essentially stealing resources from Akatsuki. 

Would this… 

Would this count as harming Akatsuki's interests? 

Konan's face showed her inner conflict. 

Should I report this to Uchiha Madara? 

No… Should I discuss it with Nagato first before reporting? 

But what if Nagato decides to make Hitoshi face the wrath of a god? What would I do then? Whose side should I be on? 

Nagato is my comrade. 

But… it's Hyuga Hitoshi we're talking about here. 

Besides, Kirigakure Village belongs to Uchiha Madara, not really to Akatsuki, right? 

A lot of people have already died in the Bloody Mist. And back then, Kirigakure Village didn't seem to be involved in the attack on the Land of Rain… I can't be sure since it's so long ago, but let's assume they weren't involved. 

If we can give Kirigakure Village a new leader, maybe fewer people will die. 

Could this be a way to bring peace to Kirigakure Village in some sense? 

Konan's sharp mind raced as she tried to find excuses for herself to stand by and do nothing. 

She was really torn. 

Meanwhile, both the Goddess of the Rabbit Belt hanging from Hitoshi's waist and Hitoshi himself had the same expression, silently watching Konan's shifting emotions. 

But it really wasn't necessary. 

In the end, just as Konan was about to convince herself, Hitoshi spoke. 

"Relax, this has nothing to do with you or Akatsuki. Uchiha Obito—no, Uchiha Madara willingly handed Kirigakure Village over to me." 

You've got to be kidding. 

Konan didn't believe a word of it. That was Uchiha Madara they were talking about. Even though there were doubts about his identity, judging by how he acted, he wasn't the type to give up power so easily. 

"You don't believe me?" 

Hitoshi raised an eyebrow. 

"Heh." 

Konan gave a slight smile. She didn't respond, but her expression said it all. 

"Let's make a bet."

Hyuga Hitoshi, the clan leader, spoke slowly. This was something the Akatsuki's White Tiger had brought to his doorstep.

"Sure."

She didn't even ask what the bet was about, as in her mind, Hyuga Hitoshi wasn't the type of person who would use a bet to pressure women.

Hyuga Hitoshi thought that her judgment was spot on.

However, from the very beginning, this bet was not fair, though Konan didn't realize that.

After signaling Konan to keep her eyes wide open, Hyuga Hitoshi took two steps forward and stood in an open space.

Then, Hyuga Hitoshi took a deep breath, his gaze suddenly sharp, and he assumed a horse stance, directing his punch at the space in front of him.

Boom!

The explosive sound reached far, causing Konan to frown and cover her ears. But the next moment, a look of shock appeared in her eyes.

The space where he had punched suddenly became unstable. Under the assault of violent chakra, a visible "space crack" appeared!

Immediately after, the man who had shattered the space stretched out his large hand and forcefully grabbed someone from within. A masked man was strangely pulled out and slammed to the ground.

Konan saw it clearly. The masked man was the one who claimed to be the leader of the Rinnegan, Uchiha Madara!

A single punch had shattered space!

Even Nagato, with the Rinnegan, couldn't do this. At this moment, Konan felt a deep respect for the man's powerful abilities. Under Hyuga Hitoshi's exaggerated display, her attraction to strength was reignited, making her already complicated feelings for him even more ambiguous.

Konan even had a feeling that it might have been a better idea to call Hyuga Hitoshi an angel, or a divine messenger, rather than Nagato.

But...

A space crack?

That wasn't really the case. Hyuga Hitoshi had just made it look like that to impress Konan. Maybe when his teleportation technique improved further and he mastered Kaguya's Tenseigan and the Yomotsu Hirasaka, he could really achieve this. But for now, it was still a bit lacking.

However, if he could absorb the power of the God Tree with the Golden Wheel Tenseigan, maybe he could truly shatter space ahead of time.

As for earlier...

He had simply used a teleportation coordinate to pull Obito from another location.

"You son of a..."

Konan's shock was just the beginning.

When Obito, who had been slammed to the ground, instinctively tried to use Kamui to escape but failed, he finally realized who had grabbed him.

It was Hyuga Hitoshi!

It was the man who had taken Rin right in front of him!

His reason slowly faded, and Obito's eyes instantly turned red.

If this man had just taken Rin away, that would have been one thing. But that day, after he had just stabilized his injuries and left the Kamui space, Black Zetsu had returned and shared a devastating piece of news.

Black Zetsu, with a friendly tone, told him that Nohara Rin had been revived by Hyuga Hitoshi, and not just any revival—she was truly alive and well.

But that wasn't all. Black Zetsu, smiling slightly at Obito's anxious gaze, continued to tell him that yes, it was Hyuga Hitoshi who had revived Rin, and Hyuga Hitoshi had barely any energy loss. Moreover, Hyuga Hitoshi had gained Rin's affection. Rin had even said she would dedicate her life to him, promising never to marry anyone but Hyuga Hitoshi, and had immediately thrown herself into his arms.

It was a blow to the heart.

It was laughable. His mother had abandoned him, and now everyone else seemed to be taking away what was left of his life. After delivering this "celebratory" news to Obito, Black Zetsu disappeared underground, not even bothering to watch Obito lose control.

Yes.

In Obito's eyes, the dead Rin was the real Rin.

Because Rin, who is still alive, makes Obito feel that the world isn't fake, which completely contradicts his goal of destroying the world. Especially since Rin, who is alive, likes someone else, this is something Obito cannot accept! 

Now, his hatred for Hyuga Hitoshi has reached its peak. If he weren't the reincarnation of Indra, he might have been so enraged that he would have awakened Yin Release and activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan without a second thought. 

When enemies meet, they are especially hostile, but sadly, Obito has no ability to fight back. 

Kamui failed to activate, and the strong man directly pinned Obito to the ground before throwing a punch at his recently healed half-body! 

Boom! 

The island, though not very large, trembled violently. The strong shaking spread in all directions, causing the entire island to sink a little from Hyuga Hitoshi's punch. The surrounding seawater also spread out in all directions! 

But that was just a single punch. Hyuga Hitoshi's attack had only just begun! 

Bang! 

"Do you agree?" 

Boom! 

"Huh? Do you agree?" 

Boom boom boom! 

"Will you give it to me?" 

Splash~ 

"I'm asking you!" 

? 

The intense shaking spread out, and this scene felt very familiar to Konan, almost like when she and Kakuzu went to assist Sasori of the Red Sand. 

But the difference now was that, from a safe distance, Konan was stunned by the sight. She could barely speak. 

Was that Uchiha Madara? 

The Uchiha Madara who seemed to live in a world of illusions, appearing and disappearing like a ghost?! 

But why was it that the man, in front of Hyuga Hitoshi, was like an ant, powerless to resist? 

Seeing this scene in person was a huge shock to Konan, and her mind couldn't calm down. 

She even came to a disturbing realization through these thoughts. 

If the leader of the Rinnegan, Uchiha Madara, was such a weakling, were the Akatsuki members really being guided by the right person? 

In other words... 

He isn't the real Uchiha Madara, nor is he the leader of the Rinnegan. 

Then, what is his real purpose in guiding Nagato to become what he is today? 

For a moment, Konan's pupils shrank, and a chilling realization hit her. 

"Wait a minute..." 

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted. 

Konan looked up and saw the masked man, the behind-the-scenes leader of the Akatsuki, trembling as he patted the ground. 

Hyuga Hitoshi also frowned and stopped the beating. 

"Did you agree?" 

What am I agreeing to? 

Obito gasped in frustration, blood flowing constantly from the cracks in his mask. 

"You should at least tell me what I'm agreeing to! And before you hit me, at least tell me why you're hitting me!" 

How should I respond to this? 

I don't deserve this beating! 

Even when interrogating a criminal, you should give some kind of hint, right? 

He had been in Madara's Tomb Hill, thinking about what orders to give Mizukage so that they could join the attack on the Sun God Kingdom, or whether he should wait for Hyuga Hitoshi to reveal himself in Konoha, then directly lead Kirigakure Village into battle. 

Yes, now he fully understood the power of the Byakugan. In fact, he was already planning to wait for the invasion to end and then look for two good Byakugan to transplant to see the effects. 

But before he could even start making plans, Hyuga Hitoshi grabbed him and beat him up, and now he wouldn't even tell him why. 

"Agreeing or not doesn't matter much. I just thought you needed a good beating. And are you really sure this beating is so unfair? You didn't have any evil plans against Hyuga in your head?" 

Hyuga Hitoshi calmly shook his fist. 

"But since you brought it up, let me just say it clearly." 

He stretched out his hand, pointing towards the distant Kirigakure Village, which had been hit by a small-scale tsunami. 

"Originally, I didn't need to ask you, but I've always been straightforward in what I do." 

Well, at least he should explain it to Konan. This is about working closely with her, so he couldn't be careless. After a brief explanation, Hyuga Hitoshi turned his head slightly towards Obito. 

"From now on, that place belongs to me. Do you have a problem with that?" 

The sound of crashing waves echoed in the background, the sea pounding against the mountain peaks, with water splashing onto their faces. 

Just like Obito's cold heart. 

There was nothing to be done. Hitoshi's punch was too powerful. Even though he had pulled back, it still triggered a chain reaction of earthquakes. But it seemed that Kirigakure Village wouldn't be affected much. After all, they had gotten used to tsunamis over the years. 

When Obito, struggling, looked in the direction Hyuga Hitoshi pointed, a heavy feeling sank in his chest, and a fierce expression appeared on his face under the mask. 

Just as expected. 

This man has set his sights on his Kirigakure Village! 

This bastard. 

Boom! 

Another punch slammed into Obito. In pain, he spat blood from his mask and looked at Hyuga Hitoshi, feeling frustrated. He hadn't said anything to disagree, so why was he being hit again? 

"You were just cursing me in your mind, weren't you?" 

Hyuga Hitoshi grinned. His eyes could see right through people's thoughts. 

Is it not okay to curse you in my mind? Obito glared at Hitoshi. 

"No." 

He really can read my thoughts?! 

Obito's heart skipped a beat, and a trace of fear appeared in his eyes as he looked at Hyuga Hitoshi. 

"That's the right look, but just this little bit of fear isn't enough." 

Hyuga Hitoshi nodded slightly. He had always been skilled at taming wild beasts. 

"Kirigakure Village is yours now. Next time, when you hit me, be sure to tell me why." 

Having fully realized the gap in strength, Obito, despite his reluctance, had no choice but to submit. 

He even had to control his emotions, not daring to show any anger, fearing he would get beaten up again by Hyuga Hitoshi. 

Obito didn't consider himself someone who couldn't withstand pain. After all, half of his body had been blown off several times, so he had a lot of experience with this kind of thing. 

But what he couldn't understand was that Hyuga Hitoshi's punches seemed to carry some kind of magic. The pain wasn't just physical—it struck at his soul, a hundred times more painful than having his body torn apart! He was more inclined to believe this was some sort of Byakugan technique. 

At that moment, he admitted that his mindset was cracking! 

He had no idea how Hyuga Hitoshi did it. 

At least for now, at this very moment. 

He didn't want to be an enemy of Hyuga Hitoshi at all, and he couldn't hide the overwhelming fear he felt. 

He finally understood that this man could crush him as easily as crushing an ant, but instead, he didn't kill him—he just tortured and played with him! 

Being his enemy would mean certain death. 

Only Uchiha Madara could deal with a person like him! 

Nagato's Rinnegan, still… 

"Get lost." 

His thoughts were interrupted, and before Obito could understand what was happening, Hyuga Hitoshi had already shoved him back into the Uzumaki and slowly made him disappear. He came and went in a flash, and Obito, completely powerless to resist, looked like a clown. 

With the answer he wanted now in hand, Hyuga Hitoshi smiled slightly and turned to look at the confused Konan. 

See? It's that simple. 

Although Hyuga Hitoshi didn't speak, Konan could tell what he meant. 

Thinking about the bet she lost, Konan's face turned red. There weren't any rules about the contents of the bet, but it seemed like she couldn't refuse any orders. 

Could he push her down? 

Also, before changing clothes, had the water jutsu really cleaned her properly? 

She had heard it would hurt—was that true or just rumors? 

She also wondered if this man would judge girls with lip piercings. If she had known, she would have taken it off. Now, if she went to the bathroom to take it off, would that seem too dramatic? But if she didn't, would he think she was too casual?

Is she going to change her name to Hyuga Konan?

What should the child's name be?

In an instant, she began to overthink, and this series of thoughts caused Hyuga Hitoshi, who had a sharp gaze, to shake his head. However, Hyuga Hitoshi didn't make Konan fulfill her end of the bet. Instead, he looked toward the figure rushing toward them from a distance.

Whoosh~ 

"This is a restricted area of Kirigakure! Leave quickly! Outsiders are not welcome here!"

Two figures suddenly landed in front of Hyuga Hitoshi. Both wore the distinctive Anbu masks, and from their figures, they appeared to be women. However, their breathing seemed disordered, and their tone didn't carry the usual warning used to drive outsiders away. Instead, it felt urgent and pressuring.

The one who spoke was the Anbu female ninja with red-brown, cross-curled hair. When she spoke, the other woman with brown hair beside her nodded and urged them in an anxious tone.

"Leave quickly!"

Upon hearing this, Konan stopped overthinking and returned to her usual cold demeanor, walking over to stand beside Hyuga Hitoshi.

She had realized the issue.

These two were indeed urging them to leave, but the real reason didn't seem to be the usual exclusionary attitude of Kirigakure Village. It felt more like...

"It's too late!"

Whoosh~ 

The sound of thrown weapons cutting through the air came, and the first female Anbu's expression suddenly changed. She pulled out a Kunai and quickly turned, swinging it behind her.

Cling, cling, cling!

Following the direction of the dropped weapons, a few strange bones appeared in the air.

"It's the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai, members of the Kaguya clan!"

Konan's expression grew serious, and she instinctively spread her wings to protect her companions. But, because of a pull from the Goddess of the Rabbit, she was forced to shift and protect Hyuga Hitoshi instead.

Whoosh~

At the same time, several figures appeared in front of them, their faces twisted with madness. Without even asking a question, they launched an immediate attack!

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