Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 441 The Spear of White Eyes, the Sharp Knife on the Silent Battlefield

"Brother,"

Hizashi's voice rang out again, this time with a barely perceptible hint of inquiry, "Shall we make a move?"

Japan did not respond immediately.

His white eyes pierced through the heavy rain and mountains, gazing at the cave in the distance.

The three Sand Village ninjas were gathered around a small campfire. One of them was wringing out his soaked clothes, while the other was dozing against the rock wall.

They knew nothing of the impending death.

"Hizashi."

"exist."

"Do you remember the sentence the Hokage wrote on the title page of the 'Acting Hokage's Handbook' before he set off?"

Hijiri paused slightly, then replied, "I remember. To achieve the greatest victory with the least cost. To strike the enemy's most vulnerable spot with the sharpest blade."

"That's right."

Hiashi turned around, his pure white pupils seemingly emitting a faint light in the darkness.

He looked at his clansmen behind him, who shared the same blood as him. Their young faces showed no fear, only absolute discipline and focus.

This is the future of the Hyuga clan.

This is also the future that the Hokage has pointed out for the Hyuga clan.

He no longer hesitated.

A simple yet decisive attack gesture was drawn in front of him.

The next second, all the Hyuga ninjas, including Hiashi and Hizashi, became blurry at the same time, like ink dripping into water, silently merging into the deeper darkness.

Inside the cave, the campfire crackled and popped.

"Damn this weather!"

A Sand Ninja, wringing out clothes, muttered under his breath, "This rain just won't stop, it's making my bones rot."

"Okay, Mrs. Ni, stop complaining."

The companion leaning against the rock wall said lazily, "Once we finish this mission, we'll get double the money when we get back, enough for you to live happily for several days."

"That's true."

Mrs. Nie smiled, with a look of yearning on her face, "I will definitely..."

His words came to an abrupt end.

A finger, without his noticing, had gently touched the back of his neck.

There was no murderous intent, no whooshing sound, and not even the slightest movement of air.

Nie Tai's smile froze. He felt a gentle yet irresistible force instantly sever all the chakra flow in his body, and his consciousness sank into boundless darkness in an instant.

"Who?!"

The Sand Ninja leaning against the rock wall reacted the fastest. He suddenly opened his eyes, his body tensed instantly, and he was about to leap up.

However, all he saw was a pair of pure white eyes.

Those eyes held no emotion, as calm as a frozen lake, yet they reflected the deepest fear within him.

The next second, a hand gently landed on his chest.

"Peng—"

An invisible force instantly pierced through his body, precisely damaging the nerves and meridians around his heart.

He didn't even feel pain; all his strength was instantly drained, and the light in his eyes quickly dimmed.

Another Sand Ninja on night watch was attacked almost simultaneously.

A white figure slid out of the shadows, its hands moving like butterflies flitting among flowers, tapping him several times.

"Acupressure..."

He only managed to utter those two words before his body stiffened, he collapsed limply, and his life was extinguished.

The entire process takes no more than three seconds.

Three Sand Village ninjas were silently killed before they could even sound an alarm.

Hiashi Hyuga slowly walked into the cave, raindrops dripping from his hair and splashing tiny water droplets on the ground.

He glanced at the three corpses lying on the ground, but showed no reaction.

"Clean up the traces."

He gave the order in a cold voice.

Two Hyuga ninjas immediately stepped forward. One took out a blank scroll and skillfully sealed the three corpses inside. The other used Wind Release to completely erase all scents, footprints, and signs of a struggle from the cave.

For them, this was no longer just a simple battle, but the practice of the art of war as described by the Hokage.

Every step is designed to achieve the highest level of efficiency and perfection.

A few minutes later, the canyon pass returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.

Only a faint whisper of wind lingered in the air, testifying to a textbook-perfect silent assassination that had taken place here.

Hizashi came to Hiashi's side and walked alongside him.

"Their movements are more efficient than before."

There was a hint of barely perceptible approval in Hizashi's voice.

"Because they know why they are fighting."

Hiashi responded calmly, "It's no longer about protecting that cage called the main family, but about protecting the village and my family behind me."

Hiji remained silent for a moment.

He felt the smooth skin on his forehead, where the Caged Bird Curse, which had been branded for generations, had been inescapable for him and countless others from the branch family.

It was his elder brother who, with the support of the Hokage, personally abolished this corrupt system.

From that day on, they were no longer the main family and the branch family; they were simply the Hyuga.

This belated, genuine brotherhood, this sense of trust that allows them to fight side by side without any reservations, makes him feel more grounded than any other force.

"Brother, we are practicing the new ninja way that the Hokage spoke of," Hizashi said softly.

Niji didn't answer, but the slight upturn of his lips said it all.

They continued their trek for nearly half an hour before finally arriving at a hidden cave on the back of a cliff.

After confirming that there were no spying people around, Hyuga Hiashi led everyone into the cave.

The cave was dry and quiet, seemingly a different world from the bleak winds and rain outside.

Hiashi lit a small oil lamp, its dim light illuminating the young and resolute faces of the group.

He finally unrolled the intelligence scroll he had just captured.

The scroll didn't contain any classified information, but rather a map showing some of the supply transport routes for Sunagakure along the border of the Land of Lightning. Several important supply routes and the locations of several transit points were marked with red lines.

Although it was only a missing piece, it was enough for the Vultures.

A young Hyuga clansman remarked in a low voice, "They're still using it..."

"Because they don't trust anyone, especially their allies."

Hyuga Hizashi pointed out incisively, "The alliance between Onoki of Iwagakure, Retsumon of Sunagakure, and Hanzo of Amegakure... is only based on their shared greed, and there is no trust between them."

Hiashi's finger moved slowly across the map, his Byakugan still active, observing everything around him.

"Commander-in-Chief Minato's plan is to decapitate and cripple them. The Uchiha are responsible for distraction and drawing the enemy's attention..."

"And we..."

His finger finally stopped on a path.

That was the closest supply route connecting the frontline Iwagakure troops and the rear Sunagakure supply base.