Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 145: Wandering Edo Tensei Ninjas

"Lady Kushina, are you really okay?"

"I said I'm fine. How many times do I have to tell you? Just go back already, stop worrying about me."

At the entrance of Minato's home, Kushina impatiently closed the door as Kakashi and Yakumaru exchanged worried glances before reluctantly leaving.

Inside the house, Kushina waited until the sound of their footsteps faded before walking back into the living room. She glanced toward a corner of the room and muttered, "How much longer are you going to hide? Kakashi and Yakumaru are starting to think I've lost my mind."

"It's not the right time for me to appear publicly. If I do, it will disrupt the current political situation in the Land of Fire. Since Lady Tsunade didn't come herself and sent Kakashi and Yakumaru instead, she must have her suspicions. Let's leave things as they are for now."

A gentle voice drifted from the corner.

"And what about me?" Kushina grumbled, puffing up her cheeks in annoyance. "Whenever Kakashi, Yakumaru, or even Mikoto are around, they always look at me with this worried expression whenever I smile. They all think I've gone crazy."

"Well… I'll talk to Lady Tsunade later to ease some of the pressure on you."

"You might as well just show yourself to them for a moment!" Kushina rolled her eyes in exasperation. "And what do you plan to do when the baby is born?"

"…"

Now, that was a problem.

The blond figure hidden in the shadows looked troubled.

…

Away from Minato's house, Kakashi asked Yakumaru, "What do you think?"

"She seems fine. Her emotions are stable," Yakumaru replied.

After the brief exchange, silence fell between the two of them.

Moments later, Yakumaru awkwardly changed the subject. "You're a squad leader in the Anbu now, right? Have you found any information on Fuji?"

Kakashi shook his head, his brows furrowed. "No. But while we haven't located Hyuga Fuji himself, the Edo Tensei ninjas have been quite active."

"Edo Tensei ninjas?"

"Yes, the reanimated ones," Kakashi clarified.

Yakumaru immediately understood, recalling the intelligence Lady Tsunade had shared with him earlier.

When Shikaku's team failed to stop Hyuga Fuji's subordinates from leaving Konoha, the Edo Tensei ninjas had played a significant role.

Facing these resurrected warriors, who had been renowned during their lifetimes, Shikaku had already done well to stabilize the situation. He had even managed to seal three of them.

However, the remaining Edo Tensei ninjas vanished after leaving Konoha. Now, it seemed they were active again, according to Kakashi.

"What are they up to now?" Yakumaru asked.

"We haven't fully determined their purpose yet, and it might not even be Hyuga Fuji giving them orders."

"He's not controlling them?" Yakumaru asked, puzzled.

Kakashi explained, "I worked with the Anbu to capture one of these Edo Tensei ninjas operating in the Land of Fire. According to him, they're acting of their own free will. Hyuga Fuji no longer has control over them."

"What?"

Yakumaru was momentarily stunned before shaking his head in disbelief. "If they've broken free from his control, why did they help those traitors escape from Konoha just a few days ago?"

"The Edo Tensei ninjas who acted in Konoha were only five in number and well-documented. However, none of the Edo Tensei ninjas we've found recently are among those five. According to the one we captured, they fought Hyuga Fuji and somehow broke free of the Edo Tensei's control."

Kakashi's voice grew contemplative. He couldn't help but be thankful that only five Edo Tensei ninjas had acted during the Konoha incident. At the time, Konoha had been in a weakened state. If there had been more reanimated warriors, the village might not have held out.

"…Seriously?" Yakumaru clicked his tongue. "Is there really a way to break free from Edo Tensei?"

Kakashi nodded confidently. "Every jutsu has its flaws, and Edo Tensei is no exception. Lady Tsunade is aware of how it can be undone."

Hearing this, Yakumaru raised an eyebrow and said with a smirk, "So, you're saying that after Fuji left Konoha, some Edo Tensei ninjas learned how to break free and managed to escape his control? That's pretty good news."

Kakashi gave him a flat look. "Not quite. It seems this happened before Fuji left. I can't disclose the specifics without Lady Tsunade's permission."

From what Kakashi had learned from Tsunade, the method to undo Edo Tensei was something left behind by the Second Hokage.

This suggested that Tobirama and Hyuga Fuji had clashed at some point. It was likely after that battle that Tobirama fully joined Fuji's faction.

The Edo Tensei ninjas who had broken free may have done so with Tobirama's help.

Yakumaru's smirk faded. "So, can we use these freed ninjas to track him down?"

"No," Kakashi replied, shaking his head slightly. "They don't know where Fuji is."

"Then why are we even talking about them?" Yakumaru sighed in frustration. "Don't tell me you're planning to recruit them to help us deal with that bastard?"

"Of course not. But I've noticed something strange about their movements. They've been roaming around ancient ruins and places where certain ninja clans used to live before relocating. It's as if they're searching for something."

While Kakashi hadn't been able to extract a clear answer from the Edo Tensei ninja they captured, the locations of their activities suggested a specific objective.

Yakumaru narrowed his eyes. "That is odd. A group of freed ninjas doesn't return to their home villages but instead wanders around, searching for something unknown. Are we sure they've really broken free from Fuji's control?"

"That's what puzzles me too. Perhaps whatever they're searching for is connected to Fuji's whereabouts."

Yakumaru's expression grew serious. "How many of these Edo Tensei ninjas are wandering the ninja world now?"

Kakashi replied, "We've confirmed the presence of four active Edo Tensei ninjas in various regions. But that's definitely not all of them—those are just the ones who've shown themselves."

Who knew when Fuji had started using Edo Tensei? During the Konoha incident, the Edo Tensei ninjas who appeared came from various villages—five in total. Now, there were more than four freed from his control.

How many more remained under his command, or had willingly aligned with him?

It was likely far more than had been revealed so far.

If that were the case, Fuji's forces might already rival those of a major ninja village—an army composed of the strongest individuals in ninja history.

Thinking about it, Kakashi recalled a faintly familiar figure from his past. Pressing his lips together, he continued, "There's one in the Land of Fire, near the old Hyuga clan grounds from before they moved to Konoha."

…

Nagano Shin was once a ninja from a small nation. While not particularly powerful, he had left a minor mark on history. However, because he came from a small country, his deeds were quickly forgotten.

A few months ago, he was resurrected by a Hyuga ninja through Edo Tensei and brought back to the living world.

The Hyuga ninja who summoned him possessed power far beyond his apparent age. Combined with the presence of renowned reanimated warriors under his command, Nagano Shin didn't dare resist and chose to obey Hyuga Fuji's orders.

For months, he drifted aimlessly, following commands with no clear purpose.

Until the Second Hokage made his move.

(End of Chapter)