Orochimaru, accompanied by Mitarashi Anko, slowly made his way through the gathered crowd.
Naturally, the Hyuga clansmen all recognized one of the Legendary Sannin the moment they saw him. Those standing in the open courtyard automatically stepped aside, clearing a path for him without being told.
In the shinobi world, strength always commanded respect. Even the Hyuga, proud as they were, showed due courtesy and reverence when standing before a man like Orochimaru.
The young Anko was visibly pleased by this. She had long known of the Hyuga as Konoha's most prestigious clan, so seeing them act so deferentially toward her teacher filled her with pride. Straightening her back, she followed Orochimaru with her chest puffed out.
Orochimaru, however, only gave her a faint glance. His golden eyes swept over the smug expression on her face, and he rasped in that low, snake-like voice of his:
"Anko… the Hyuga are not to be taken lightly. Mind your manners."
Chastened by his tone, Anko's smile faded. She looked up at her teacher with something like adoration and nodded earnestly.
"I understand, sensei."
Of course, deep down, she didn't really believe what he said.
In Anko's heart, there wasn't a single shinobi in this world greater than Orochimaru. Not even the Hyuga clan, with all their bloodline prestige, could compare to him.
But even if she didn't agree, she still obeyed—because Orochimaru wasn't just her mentor. He was her idol, her family, and the person she admired most in the world.
Orochimaru, naturally, knew exactly what was going through her head. He didn't particularly care. Whether Anko truly respected the Hyuga or not didn't matter—so long as she acted appropriately in public.
Led by Anko, he approached the ancestral hall just as Hyuga Hiashi emerged, escorting the bereaved families who had come to pay their respects.
As Anko had suspected, even the Hyuga had to show respect to a man of Orochimaru's stature.
"Clan Head Hiashi—pardon my intrusion," Orochimaru said calmly, his hoarse voice carrying a hint of gravity.
Hiashi gave a courteous nod of greeting, and Orochimaru's gaze drifted to the mourning families beside him—their eyes swollen red from crying.
The man who usually wore an unreadable, cold expression actually looked solemn for once. Under the eyes of everyone present, he bowed slightly and murmured,
"…My apologies. I failed to protect my subordinates."
His low, quiet words carried a heavy tone of remorse. That rare hint of guilt from the great Orochimaru was enough to make the grieving families break down completely, their sobs rising even louder.
They were too lost in their grief to respond, so it was Hiashi who stepped forward with a heavy sigh and spoke on their behalf.
"Orochimaru-sama, please don't blame yourself. They were ninja. They understood the risks when they stepped onto the battlefield. Their courage and selflessness will not be forgotten."
"No one wished for such tragedy—but it is not your fault."
"The fact that you've come personally to see them off… the Hyuga are truly grateful."
As he spoke, Hiashi bowed deeply, representing both the Hyuga clan and the bereaved families. Standing just behind him, his brother Hizashi did the same. Even the families, though wracked with sorrow, managed to lower their heads respectfully, expressing their thanks to Orochimaru.
Hearing this, Orochimaru said nothing more. His pale eyes lingered on the eight coffins and the framed photographs placed atop them. After a brief sigh, he accepted a stick of incense from an attendant and stepped forward to offer it, Anko following at his side.
As the incense smoke curled upward, the families' cries once again filled the courtyard.
The other Hyuga present, hearing their clansmen's heart-wrenching sobs, felt their own hearts grow heavy.
In recent years, too many of their people had died. The number of Hyuga who had fallen in the past few years was already comparable to the losses suffered during the fiercest phase of the Third Great Ninja War.
Some had begun to suspect something was amiss, but the clan had already conducted internal investigations—and found nothing unusual.
With no evidence of foul play, all they could do was sigh and lament the cruelty of fate.
What could they do, after all? March to the village elders and protest that their missions were too dangerous?
In wartime, every clan had suffered heavy losses. Compared to some, the Hyuga's situation was still "acceptable." Perhaps only the Uchiha Police Force, who were stationed mainly within the village, had fared a little better—but even they hadn't escaped unscathed.
That Orochimaru, the commander of the frontlines himself, had come personally to mourn their dead—it was, in truth, a great show of respect.
After the incense offering, Orochimaru turned back to Hiashi.
"Clan Head Hiashi," he said after a moment's hesitation, "there is… one more matter I'd like to discuss with you, if you would permit it."
Hiashi's eyes flicked toward Hizashi, the two brothers exchanging a brief glance. Then Hiashi gestured toward a side hall.
"Of course, Orochimaru-sama. Please, this way."
"Anko, wait here," Orochimaru instructed before following the two Hyuga into the side hall.
No one knew what exactly they discussed behind those closed doors—only that the meeting lasted barely ten minutes. When Orochimaru finally emerged, his expression was as calm and inscrutable as ever.
Calling for Anko, he departed the Hyuga compound soon after.
From start to finish, the entire visit hadn't taken long. Yet Hyuga Satoru's pale eyes had followed them the entire time.
Even the private conversation inside the side hall had not escaped his notice. Though he couldn't hear their voices, he didn't need to—he could read lips perfectly.
For the Hyuga, lip reading was a compulsory skill—an indispensable tool in the art of intelligence gathering.
"He's asking our clan to support him and Danzo…"
"In return, he promises to 'look after' Hyuga shinobi on the frontlines."
"Is this an alliance… or a threat?"
Satoru frowned slightly as he digested the meaning behind what he'd seen, his mind racing.
He already knew of Danzo and the council's ongoing effort to confine the jinchuriki. The Hyuga had remained neutral so far, but when the time came for a formal vote, their decision could very well tip the balance.
Up to this point, their quiet support of the Fourth Hokage had been largely personal—a matter of goodwill. But if Orochimaru was now trying to bargain using the lives of Hyuga shinobi as leverage, Satoru could already guess how Hiashi would respond.
Still…
Orochimaru daring to use such a threat meant something else entirely. If word of this conversation ever leaked, it would be disastrous for him politically.
Unless—
"He's confident no one can replace him as commander of the frontlines."
"And honestly… aside from the Fourth Hokage and Jiraiya, there really isn't anyone in Konoha who could."
After a moment's thought, Satoru understood where Orochimaru's confidence came from.
That was the foundation of it all—
Power.
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