Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

The two Hyuga Branch House ninjas didn't dare hide anything, hastily recounting everything that had happened in the village during the four days since Uchiha Taiga's departure in full detail.

They kept their voices low, as if afraid of eavesdroppers, but spoke rapidly, terrified that a slow pace would displease him.

Originally, everyone thought that after everything Uchiha Taiga had done—killing Shimura Danzo, killing Utatane Koharu, killing the Hyuga Main House elders... with all of this, no matter which ninja village it was, he would undoubtedly be branded a Rogue Ninja. He would likely have a bounty on his head and be classified as an S-rank dangerous individual.

The village should have immediately issued a kill order, distributing his portrait to the black markets of various countries with a bounty of at least an astronomical figure.

But the result was unexpected.

Four days had passed, and the village hadn't made a single move regarding this matter.

None of the higher-ups publicly mentioned the incident, the Hokage's office issued no official statements, the ANBU dispatched no pursuit squads, and there wasn't even a bounty poster of him on the black market.

Everything was quiet—abnormally quiet.

It was as if the events of that night were merely a nightmare, and upon waking, everyone pretended it had never happened.

When the two Hyuga ninjas reached this point, their faces showed some hesitation.

As members of the Hyuga Branch House, although their status was low, the Hyuga clan had deep roots in Konoha and their own information channels. The news they received was far more abundant and accurate than that of ordinary villagers.

"According to the information our Hyuga clan received..."

The older ninja carefully weighed his words. "Lord Hokage intends to downplay this matter."

He paused, organizing his thoughts. "After that day, we heard that the wife of the Uchiha clan head, along with several Uchiha elders, had a conversation with Lord Hokage. No one knows the exact details of what was discussed, but we do know that after the talk, Hokage Advisor Mitokado Homura stepped down."

Uchiha Taiga raised an eyebrow.

Mitokado Homura stepped down?

The younger ninja added, "There is news that Lord Hokage has already submitted a resignation request to the Daimyo, explicitly stating his desire to step down from the Hokage position. It's just that this news hasn't spread yet, and the Daimyo hasn't approved it, but our Hyuga clan has largely confirmed this situation."

Uchiha Taiga took a sip of his sake and remained silent.

His expression turned peculiar.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was stepping down, and the village hadn't issued a bounty on him. What were they trying to do?

Downplay it?

Pretend that day's events never happened?

"Elaborate," he said.

The two Hyuga ninjas exchanged glances, unsure of how to explain.

They thought for a moment before the older one finally spoke. "My lord, you have done many things that caused significant losses to the village. But ultimately, if the matter were to be laid out in the open, the village higher-ups would still be in the wrong."

"Lord Shimura Danzo... no, Shimura Danzo attacked you first, attempting to gouge out your eyes. Such a thing cannot be hidden from the public."

He swallowed hard, deliberately omitting the Hyuga clan's involvement in the matter, not daring to anger him.

"This is considered a scandal for the village. If the village truly branded you a Rogue Ninja and issued a bounty, the cause of the incident would inevitably be dug up. Why did Shimura Danzo attack you? Where did the Sharingan on his arm come from? The village has no way to answer these questions."

Taiga listened and gave a slight nod.

The man continued, "Although Lord Hokage called you a Rogue Ninja that day, perhaps out of further consideration afterward, he still hasn't officially finalized it. His intention is likely to leave some leeway."

The older ninja took a deep breath.

"Furthermore, doing this also serves to pacify the people."

"Your departure from the village was caused by Shimura Danzo and the other higher-ups. That is an indisputable fact. With so many ninjas in the village, no one wants to be the next you. If another higher-up targets someone in the village, how should they respond? Lord Hokage's actions are meant to tell everyone that this matter ends here. With the higher-ups either dead or stepping down, it serves as an explanation to the masses."

Uchiha Taiga remained silent for a moment.

Then, he laughed.

It wasn't a loud laugh, but it carried an indescribable underlying meaning.

"Sure enough, as long as you're strong enough and crazy enough, the whole world is full of goodwill."

He set down his sake cup and looked out at the night scenery beyond the window.

"Alright, I understand. You may go back."

He paused.

"I will stay here for two days. Consider it giving your Hyuga clan some face."

The two Hyuga ninjas looked as if they had been granted amnesty. They bowed deeply and quickly vanished into the night.

Taiga naturally understood these things, but hearing it from the two of them still amused him.

Just like that, two days later, the people from the Hyuga clan arrived.

Two squads came, totaling eight people. Leading them was Hyuga Hizashi, the head of the Hyuga Branch House and the twin brother of Hyuga Hiashi.

He walked up to Uchiha Taiga, stopped, and bowed slightly. The seven Branch House ninjas behind him followed suit, their movements perfectly synchronized as if rehearsed countless times.

"My lord."

Hyuga Hizashi's voice was calm, devoid of any discernible emotion.

"We have brought the money you requested."

He raised his hand, and two ninjas stepped forward from behind him, each holding a modest-sized wooden box.

They placed the wooden boxes on the ground and opened the lids.

Neatly stacked inside were bundles of bills, all in denominations of ten thousand ryo.

The two boxes combined amounted to exactly one hundred million ryo.

Uchiha Taiga took a glance, didn't bother counting, and nodded.

He pulled the glass tube from his coat, which contained several Byakugan.

The eyes floated quietly in the preservation fluid, their white irises gleaming with a dim light under the sun.

Hyuga Hizashi took the glass tube, his hands trembling slightly. He lowered his head, staring at the eyes, and remained silent for a few seconds.

Finally, Hizashi took a deep breath and carefully tucked the glass tube into his coat.

"Thank you, my lord."

His voice was slightly hoarse.

Throughout the entire process, the two had almost no unnecessary interaction.

Hizashi stood there, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately, no words came out.

There was something complex in his eyes—perhaps gratitude, perhaps helplessness, or perhaps some other indescribable emotion.

Uchiha Taiga gave him a look but didn't press the matter.

He could guess what Hizashi wanted to say.

As the head of the Hyuga Branch House, Hizashi had lived his entire life in the shadow of the Main House. The Caged Bird seal on his forehead was a shackle he could never break free from.

He probably wanted to ask how Uchiha Taiga possessed the Byakugan, or perhaps if there was a way to break that damned Curse Mark.

But he didn't ask.

And Taiga didn't offer an explanation.

The affairs of the Hyuga clan had nothing to do with him.

"Farewell."

Hizashi bowed once more, then led his men away.

Uchiha Taiga stood at the entrance of the inn, watching their backs disappear at the end of the street. He then withdrew his gaze, looked down at the two boxes of money, closed the lids, picked one up in each hand, and returned to his room.

With ample funds, he had no intention of staying in the Tanzaku Quarters any longer.

He divided the money into several portions, sealing the majority into storage scrolls and keeping only a small amount on him for pocket change. Then, he tossed his shoe to ask for directions once again. This time, the toe pointed north.

He shouldered his backpack, strapped on his ninjato, and walked out of the Tanzaku Quarters.

Heading north, he traveled for over a month.

During this month, he passed through forest after forest, crossed hill after hill, and waded through river after river.

He saw rice paddies rippling in the wind, quiet villages with curling smoke in the twilight, mirror-like lakes shrouded in morning mist, and picturesque mountains bathed in the setting sun.

Sometimes he lodged under the eaves of a farmhouse, sometimes he built a fire and camped in the woods, and sometimes he drank coarse tea at a roadside teahouse, listening to traveling merchants chat about everything under the sun.

A journey without a destination ironically allowed him to see the most beautiful scenery.

Over a month later, he arrived at a new town.

The town wasn't large, but it was bustling.

There were even more pedestrians on the streets than in the Tanzaku Quarters, and the air carried a faint scent of sulfur—the smell of hot springs.

The hot springs here were famous throughout the ninja world. It was said that the water quality was excellent, good for the skin, good for the joints, good for everything.

The town was filled with hot spring inns of all shapes and sizes. Some were magnificently decorated, while others were as simple as a few wooden cabins.

He found an inn that looked decent and prepared to settle in for a good soak.

Although sleeping rough for over a month was nothing to him, a hot bath was always welcome.

He was about to find an inn to stay at, but after taking only a few steps, he paused.

Someone was following him.

It wasn't a cautious tail; they were trailing him blatantly.

Up ahead, someone stood across the street, arms crossed, leaning against a pillar, staring straight at him.

The person had exquisite makeup, a proud and sharp gaze, and a slender yet well-proportioned figure. She had fair skin and long, straight, beige-blonde hair tied into a braid that reached her waist.

She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, but one glance was enough to tell she was a veteran ninja. Despite her delicate and beautiful appearance, she gave off an aura that screamed she was not to be trifled with.

Especially the forehead protector she wore, which clearly stated her identity without the slightest intention of hiding it.

Kumogakure.

And she wasn't an ordinary Kumogakure ninja.

Uchiha Taiga recognized her.

Kumogakure's Jinchuriki—more accurately, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii.

She shouldn't be here in the heartland of the Land of Fire. Especially with her sensitive identity as a Jinchuriki, it was even more inappropriate.

But here she was, standing across the street, leaning against a pillar, watching Uchiha Taiga.

Their gazes collided in midair.

The corners of Yugito Nii's mouth curled up slightly as she stepped toward him.

Her strides weren't large, but each step carried a sense of oppression. The pedestrians on the street instinctively parted to the sides when they saw her.

She stopped in front of Uchiha Taiga. Even though she was slightly shorter than him, she exuded a condescending presence.

"Kid, our Kumogakure has taken a liking to the Kekkei Genkai on your body."

At the same time, Kumogakure ninjas emerged from their surroundings—some stepping out of alleys, others crouching on rooftops—completely surrounding him in the center.