Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 116: Ensuring Hyuga Fuji's Reign Is Our Mission!

The ninja resurrected by Hyuga Fuji were not limited to the powerful figures; many grassroots Konoha ninjas had also returned.

Kato Dan, who had personally experienced the pain of losing a loved one, deeply understood the anguish of losing family, lovers, or comrades.

Thus, he could empathize with those who, after being resurrected by Hyuga Fuji, chose to pledge their loyalty to him for the sake of their families.

However, some resurrected ninjas intentionally revealed themselves to their former comrades and family members, drawing them into Fuji's cause. This behavior left Kato Dan troubled.

Were they trying to drag others into betraying Konoha as well?

When someone thought they would never see a loved one again, only to have that person reappear before them, albeit in a different form but retaining their memories and soul, how would they react?

Would they report their resurrected loved ones to the higher-ups, claiming someone had used a forbidden resurrection technique?

No, they wouldn't.

Because those who had experienced loss cherished this miraculous reunion too much.

No one knew what fate awaited the resurrected if they were reported.

Would they be taken away for research into resurrection techniques?

Or would they be killed alongside the forbidden technique's user?

Faced with such uncertainty, they avoided such outcomes, keeping silent and choosing to join Hyuga Fuji alongside their resurrected loved ones.

Their family members, lovers, and comrades stood before them, having already died once for Konoha. Why should they let them make such a sacrifice again?

If the road ahead led to hell, this time, they were willing to walk it together.

---

The rumors about resurrection spreading through Konoha were not baseless.

Some ninjas resisted the temptation and tried to report what they saw to the village authorities. However, ninjas loyal to Hyuga Fuji, already embedded in various Konoha departments, acted swiftly.

They intercepted the reports, cast genjutsu on the whistleblowers, and sent them to psychological counselors, who diagnosed them with hallucinations.

Thus, the rumors of resurrected loved ones became just that—rumors.

How many ninjas had never lost someone important to them?

How many could bear to see their resurrected family or friends die again?

If they couldn't, then they surrendered to this new reality.

In the shadows, unseen hands crept silently, spreading through Konoha's branches like a quiet plague.

There was no death, no battle.

No genjutsu, no mind-control techniques.

The people simply smiled and collectively embraced the change, gradually allowing Konoha's leadership to shift unnoticed.

It was… an unsolvable strategy.

Kato Dan stood silently in a corner, his expression grim as he observed the three figures in the room.

With the influx of people from outside merchants and the clearing of the black market, many had entered Konoha—including numerous resurrected ninjas under Hyuga Fuji's command.

And soon, there would likely be even more.

"Proceed with these arrangements," Hyuga Fuji ordered.

The Nara ninja standing before him bowed respectfully and exited the room.

Carrying the documents, the Nara walked down the street, glancing at the Konoha ninjas mingling with their "new friends." Then, silently, he headed home.

Once home, his gaze softened upon seeing his wife cooking in the kitchen.

He still remembered the moment on the battlefield when he saw her fall. He had believed he would never see her again and had sunk into despair. Yet now, this miracle had happened.

Born into the Nara clan, he had always thought himself rational.

But when he realized his wife had been resurrected, he knew he wasn't as composed as he believed.

If this was a dream, he didn't want to wake up.

If it was genjutsu, he was willing to stay trapped in it.

What was so wrong about pretending to sleep?

With resurrected warriors like White Fang guarding Konoha in the shadows and figures like the Three Legendary Sannin, the Hokage, and Hyuga Fuji leading in the open, the village was invincible.

The deceased had returned. The ones they loved were no longer corpses but living, breathing companions.

Konoha had become a utopia, a dreamland of peace craved by everyone in the ninja world.

There was no war, no regret.

Even the scars of loss inflicted by war could be erased entirely.

So what if they entrusted everything to Lord Fuji?

In the past, even in times without war, internal strife within the village persisted. White Fang himself had perished during such a "peaceful" era.

True, absolute peace did not exist. After every war, Konoha's internal conflicts would erode the stability from 100% to 80% or less until another war reset it to zero.

But during Hyuga Fuji's reign, Konoha was under just the right amount of pressure.

Those aware of the resurrected ninjas worked together to keep the secret, fearing its exposure.

Those unaware of the resurrected ninjas maintained their vigilance due to tensions with the Fire Daimyō, the black market, and international relations.

Moreover, unlike the past rivalry between the Third Hokage and Danzo, Fuji and the Fourth Hokage would never truly clash.

The Fourth Hokage ruled openly, while Fuji was the universally recognized power behind the scenes.

Fuji didn't need the Fourth Hokage's approval for his plans; they would execute them on his behalf.

This balance of light and shadow ensured no real conflict at the top.

The world was progressing toward the light, but shadows remained undisturbed. The leadership avoided internal strife.

For Konoha, this 90% peace was the ideal state.

And with Hyuga Fuji even erasing the scars of war, wasn't this a unique, 100% peace?

If this happiness could be maintained, if this miracle could endure, if the next generation could be born into such bliss and this era of prosperity could continue indefinitely, then what wouldn't they sacrifice?

Nara Nobuzumi's heart was resolute.

Ensuring that Fuji-sama continued to reign was the mission of everyone living in this era!

Not even the Hokage, nor Clan Leader Shikaku, could disrupt this!

He, they… would not allow it!

---

"What should we do, Second Hokage?"

After leaving Hyuga Fuji's office, Kato Dan headed to Tobirama's laboratory, his face filled with worry.

"The village's ninjas are gradually aligning themselves with Hyuga Fuji. If this continues, we…"

"Those who have lost something understand its value more deeply," Tobirama interrupted coldly.

For the resurrected, it was easier to let go. Resistance was futile.

Ninjas who had died for the village and returned only to see their loved ones in pain—how could they not understand their own hearts?

Would some still fight for the village? Perhaps.

But many more would think, I've already died once for Konoha. This time, I'll be selfish. I'll live for my family and myself.

They owed Konoha nothing more.

"Hyuga Fuji's resurrection technique isn't like the Edo Tensei. It doesn't desecrate the dead, nor does it control them. To those resurrected, Hyuga Fuji is a god!"

"By following him, their deceased loved ones might also return from the Pure Land. Even if their loved ones die again, they could be resurrected once more.

"A world without war, without sacrifices, without regrets is right in front of them. It's not a dream; it's tangible reality.

"They would never raise their hand against Hyuga Fuji, nor would they allow anyone to stop him from reigning!"

Tobirama's sharp gaze locked onto Kato Dan.

"Do you remember what I told you? Acting against Hyuga Fuji now makes you a traitor to Konoha!"

Kato Dan stared into Tobirama's cold, unyielding eyes, a suffocating pressure overwhelming him.

(Chapter End)