Naruto The Thunder Calamity

It had to be admitted that Uchiha Madara had a significant advantage over Raijin and the mysterious ninja when it came to gathering intelligence. 

For instance, neither Raijin nor the mysterious ninja had discovered that the Three-Tails had already appeared. 

But Madara was already nearing the location of the Three-Tails. 

At this time, Raijin was with Otsutsuki Toneri, picking out suitable Byakugan within the Hyuga clan. 

"Can this kind of seal be undone?" 

Otsutsuki Toneri frowned slightly and asked Raijin beside him. 

He had his eye on a particular Byakugan, but it had a strange seal on it. 

"Can it be undone?" 

Raijin turned to Hyuga Koji nearby and asked. 

"To be honest, the Caged Bird seal wasn't designed to be undone from the start, so..." 

"I see." 

Raijin nodded and then turned to Otsutsuki Toneri. 

"Which one do you want?" 

"That one." 

Otsutsuki Toneri pointed to someone, and when Raijin followed his finger, a faint, helpless smile appeared on his face. 

It all came back full circle. 

Raijin clasped his hands behind his back and walked over to Hyuga Yang. 

"Are you willing to give up your Byakugan?" 

Danzo had once made a similar proposal, but Raijin hadn't thought much of the Hyuga clan back then, so he dismissed it. 

But now, in pursuit of the Tenseigan, the issue had resurfaced in front of Raijin. 

"Do I have a choice?" 

Hyuga Yang gave a bitter smile. 

As someone who had taken third place in the same exams as Raijin, Hyuga Yang understood one thing very clearly. 

He and Raijin, along with Tsunade and Orochimaru, no longer belonged to the same world. 

They were like birds soaring freely in the sky. 

And he? 

He was nothing more than a caged bird, gazing longingly at their flight. 

"Of course, you have a choice." 

Raijin chuckled and, after a moment of thought, said to Hyuga Yang: 

"That said, I think giving up your Byakugan might be the better choice." 

"What do you mean?" 

Hyuga Yang asked calmly, his tone emotionless. 

There was no tension in him, no waves in his heart. 

After all, it was just death. 

And for someone like him, wasn't death a form of release? 

"Before you give up your Byakugan, the Caged Bird seal will be removed. Afterward, the Konohagakure hospital will arrange a pair of ordinary eyes for you. They won't have any special abilities, but they'll let you see." 

"Really?" 

The moment Raijin finished speaking, Hyuga Yang's head snapped up to look at him. 

His eyes locked on Raijin's, unblinking. 

In that moment, Hyuga Yang felt the scent of freedom, so close it was almost tangible. 

So close. 

"Is that all it takes to satisfy you?" 

Raijin chuckled softly, asking Hyuga Yang. 

"Afterward, your teacher will pass on senjutsu to you, and you'll be responsible for passing this inheritance down to the Hyuga clan." 

After a pause, Raijin continued: 

When Danzo had previously suggested targeting the Hyuga clan, Raijin had rejected the idea. 

Because after Raijin's refusal, Danzo didn't dare to act against the Hyuga clan on his own. 

Without the Root organization and relying solely on the Shimura clan, any scheme Danzo devised—whether in the shadows or openly—would be easily crushed by the Hyuga. 

As an ancient and prestigious clan dating back to the Warring States era, the Hyuga might not be held in high regard by the Uchiha, but that disdain was unique to the Uchiha. 

As for the Senju... 

They were a clan of love, and a clan of love wouldn't look down on others. 

The Hyuga Clan, in some ways, holds a relatively high position in the unspoken "status hierarchy" of the ninja clans in Konohagakure. 

To the Hyuga, there are only two clans that matter: the Senju and the Uchiha. As for the rest? 

They're all simply called "that clan." 

Even though Danzo would love to act against the Hyuga, he doesn't have the ability to do so. 

After all, the current Hokage is not his old war buddy. 

As the Third Hokage, Tsunade is neither weak nor reliant on Danzo to serve as her shadow. 

In fact, Tsunade doesn't need a shadow at all. 

Is there any problem that can't be solved with honesty and strength? 

If there is… well, then it's time to go to war! 

So not only did Danzo avoid making a move against the Hyuga, but he also refrained from passing Sage Techniques to Hyuga Yang. 

The first was because he couldn't. 

The second was entirely because Hyuga Yang wasn't up to the task. 

Danzo wasn't stupid. What would he gain by giving Senjutsu to Hyuga Yang? 

Would it lead to a celebration by the Hyuga main family? 

Or would it just push Hyuga Yang into the flames? 

Not passing Senjutsu to Hyuga Yang was a way to protect him. 

After all, Hyuga Yang had no power to resist the main family. 

Senjutsu may be powerful, but they take time to master. 

And the Caged Bird seal doesn't give Hyuga Yang that time. 

A few hand signs and a simple "snap," and Hyuga Yang would be dead. 

Danzo even endured some pressure from the Hyuga Clan over this. 

"Raijin, isn't this… inappropriate?" 

Hyuga Koji hesitated, then quickly asked Raijin. 

He didn't mind lifting the Caged Bird seal for Hyuga Yang. 

After all, Hyuga Yang was going to offer his eyes anyway. 

At worst, they could just kick him out of the clan afterward. 

That way, the clan would gain Sage Techniques without really losing anything. 

But if Senjutsu were going to be passed to the Hyuga Clan through Hyuga Yang? 

That was absolutely unacceptable! 

In stark contrast to Hyuga Koji's reaction was the gleam of hope shining in the eyes of all the branch family members present. 

"It's very appropriate," Raijin said, turning to Hyuga Koji. 

"This really isn't appropriate…" 

Hyuga Koji pressed his lips together, forcing himself to speak. 

Giving this kind of power to a branch family member would spell disaster for the main family—and especially for him, the head of the main family. 

No matter how strong Raijin was or how much authority he held, Hyuga Koji had no choice but to stand up and stop what was about to happen. 

"Are you questioning me, Koji?" 

Raijin clasped his hands behind his back, smiling calmly at Hyuga Koji. 

"I wouldn't dare." 

Determination flickered in Hyuga Koji's eyes as he responded. 

"But if Raijin-sama insists on doing this, then our Hyuga Clan will refuse the Senjutsu." 

The stakes were clear: no matter the cost, the main family's absolute control over the branch family had to be preserved. 

Otherwise, the Hyuga Clan would descend into chaos. 

Birds locked in cages for years, decades—even lifetimes—would not forgive the one who built the cage if they were ever freed. Hyuga Koji didn't need to think hard to know what would happen. 

"I disagree." 

Hyuga Kyoji, Koji's younger brother, stepped forward and declared boldly. 

"Shut up!" 

Hyuga Koji spun around instantly, glaring fiercely at Hyuga Kyoji in the distance. 

"If the head of the main family dares to make decisions that harm the future of the Hyuga clan, all the branch families will immediately launch an attack on the main family." 

Hyuga Kyoji tilted his chin slightly and stared coldly at his elder brother, who was born just a year earlier but shared the same parents. 

As Kyoji's words fell, the veins near his Byakugan bulged dramatically as he locked eyes with Hyuga Koji. 

Following Kyoji's lead, all the branch family members activated their Byakugan, glaring fiercely at the nearest main family members. 

The cold killing intent in their eyes was unmistakable. 

Kyoji understood, as did all the branch members. 

They had no chance of defeating the main family. 

However, they also knew that if every branch member perished here, the main family wouldn't last much longer either. 

Without the branch family's protection, the main family alone would struggle to safeguard the invaluable Byakugan. 

This desperate measure was the branch family's only means of standing up to the main family. 

Their only way to establish a balance of power. 

So, even if it meant mutual destruction, even if they feared death, not a single branch member chose to back down. 

This wasn't a personal battle—it was the collective will of an entire group. 

"You should head back for now," Raijin said softly as he glanced at Otsutsuki Toneri. 

"Alright." 

Toneri, indifferent toward the Hyuga clan, left immediately after hearing Raijin's words. 

"What does Koji-sama think?" 

Watching Toneri depart, Raijin turned to Hyuga Koji. 

"Raijin-sama, if the Hyuga clan suffers significant losses because of this, it's probably not something the village would want to see either, right?" 

Koji looked back at Raijin. The solution was simple in his mind: 

Raijin could refuse to pass on the Senjutsu to the Hyuga clan. 

If that happened, the branch family would have no choice but to accept the situation, even if they were dissatisfied. 

The main family would then have the time they needed to gradually deal with the branch family. 

"Hmm... the village has always refrained from interfering in the internal conflicts of ninja clans. I believe you understands that." 

Raijin replied calmly to Koji. 

"But I also don't want to see the Hyuga clan fall into decline. As a dojutsu on par with the Sharingan and Rinnegan, the Byakugan holds great strategic importance." 

Pausing for a moment, Raijin continued. 

"However, I've already made the rules clear. If I'm taking Hyuga Yang's Byakugan, I must offer something of equal value in exchange. So, my promise to Hyuga Yang will not change." 

Raijin glanced at Hyuga Yang and spoke slowly. 

"That said, I won't allow the branch family to retaliate against the main family unchecked. After all, such actions would ultimately weaken the village's strength." 

He turned back to Koji. 

"So, if you are willing to trust me, I can promise that Konohagakure's Police Force will ensure the personal safety of the Hyuga main family in the future." 

"This..." 

Koji froze for a moment, his expression uncertain. 

Truthfully, he didn't like Raijin's arrangement. 

In Koji's view, the best solution would be for Raijin to teach the Senjutsu directly to the main family. 

After all, the main family were the ones enjoying the most benefits in the current structure of the Hyuga clan. 

If the branch family gained control over the Sage Arts, it would mean the main family would have to give up some of their privileges. 

For those who had been benefiting for years, giving up even a portion of their advantages was more painful than death. 

But... 

Raijin's dilemma was clear. 

If there wasn't a result, the branch family would definitely not agree. 

Even if the result didn't meet their expectations, the branch family still wouldn't accept it. 

After being controlled for so many years, now catching a glimpse of freedom, Hyuga Koji couldn't fully empathize with the branch family's feelings. 

But he could more or less guess their determination. 

This really was... a tough situation. 

As Hyuga Koji wrestled with his thoughts, the situation in the ninja world was also shifting on its own. 

"Roar!" 

The unique roar of a tailed beast echoed. 

An Anbu member nearby froze for a moment before rushing toward the source of the sound. 

At the same time, without any hesitation, he threw a Flying Thunder God Kunai. 

Senju Osamu had given clear orders: as soon as the sound of a tailed beast was heard, Uchiha Raijin was to be summoned immediately. 

After all, the inherent danger of the tailed beast aside, its appearance often heralded the presence of Uchiha Madara or that mysterious ninja. 

---

"I don't have time to deal with this right now. We'll talk when I get back." 

Raijin frowned slightly and said this to the Hyuga clan members before disappearing in an instant. 

Watching Raijin vanish, Hyuga Koji silently glanced at his younger brother. 

---

"Long time no see, Madara-senpai." 

Standing on a tree, Raijin gazed at Uchiha Madara in the distance. 

Between them stood the recently revived Three-Tails, Isobu. 

Raijin didn't act recklessly. 

Even though taking down the Three-Tails would be easy, doing so would undoubtedly provoke an immediate and fierce attack from Uchiha Madara. 

Similarly, Madara didn't make a move either. 

Even Isobu seemed to sense the overwhelming pressure from both Raijin and Madara, choosing to remain still. 

In truth, tailed beasts weren't fools. 

On the contrary, their intelligence was quite high—at least comparable to that of some ninjas. 

One pair of Rinnegan, one pair of golden Mangekyou Sharingan. 

The former needed no explanation. 

The latter... 

Although its specifics were unknown, it was clearly more powerful than regular Mangekyou. 

As for Isobu, it knew it couldn't even contend with Mangekyou. 

Understanding that its fate might not end well, Isobu opted to lie on the ground and leave its destiny to chance. 

At worst, it could die again. 

No big deal. 

"Long time no see. You've grown stronger," Madara said, looking at Raijin's eyes. 

During the previous attack on Konohagakure, Madara hadn't stayed until the end. 

So, this was his first time seeing Raijin's new Sharingan. 

"I had no choice. you are too strong, and that mysterious ninja is too strong as well. I had to push myself to keep up," Raijin said, shrugging as he spoke to Uchiha Madara. 

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