Naruto: Reborn with the Tenseigan

Why does he think he can refuse?

The village needs the puppets you made, so you should obediently contribute them and offer their secrets to the village.

"That's enough, Koharu."

The Third Hokage, growing weary of her ranting, interrupted her.

"Getting angry doesn't solve anything. If the puppets Takashi made are truly as Orochimaru described, then we must get them under our control."

"How are we supposed to do that?"

Koharu Utatane said angrily, "Tsunade is definitely not going to support us, and that kid Hyuga Takashi has already refused to hand over the puppets."

Having the puppets is one thing, but the real value lies in understanding their core secrets—that's what real control means. Otherwise, it's just about having the puppets to use for a while.

Compared to using the puppets temporarily, the Third Hokage and others were clearly interested in gaining control over the secrets behind them.

Only by doing that could the village create more puppets continuously, without having to rely on Takashi.

As for anything else, the the village elders didn't care. Since Hyuga Takashi could make these puppets, he surely held the core secrets. As long as they obtained those secrets, they could create similar puppets too.

"I'll figure something out."

The Third Hokage exhaled heavily, smoke filling the Hokage's office.

It clearly wouldn't work to ask Tsunade. They had directly asked Takashi to contribute his puppets and their secrets, and he outright refused. Thus, they would have to try another approach.

Like the Hyuga Clan.

That night, the Third Hokage once again found himself at the Hyuga Clan's grounds, all because of Takashi.

The last time he came was to give a warning to the Hyuga Clan.

This time, however, his intention was to use the Hyuga Clan to obtain the puppets and their secrets.

The Third Hokage couldn't guarantee much, but he was confident that if a member of the Hyuga main family got involved, Takashi, no matter how unwilling, would obediently hand over what they wanted.

After all, the fate of the branch family was in the hands of the main family. Whether they would offend Tsunade as a result, leading her to cause a scene, the Third Hokage no longer cared.

The value of the puppets was too great. So great, in fact, that the Third Hokage was willing to risk offending Tsunade in order to control them.

No one knew what the Third Hokage promised the Hyuga Clan Leader or what they discussed, but by the next day, the Hyuga Clan had dispatched a team to join the reinforcements heading to the frontline camp.

And within the team sent by the Hyuga Clan, there was a member from the main family.

With the main family stepping in, the plan was to pressure Takashi. If he remained obstinate, they would resort to using the Caged Bird Curse Seal.

As for the Hyuga Clan's cooperation, the Third Hokage promised them considerable benefits.

Knowing that Takashi held the secrets to a special type of puppet that even tempted the village leadership, it would be untrue to say the Hyuga Clan wasn't tempted. However, they were unwilling to offend the Third Hokage and the entire elders council for it.

If the village elders targeted them, life for the Hyuga Clan would become difficult.

Just look at the Uchiha Clan. The tactics used on the Uchiha could easily be used on the Hyuga as well.

Thus, the Hyuga Clan Leader agreed to the Third Hokage's request.

Neither Tsunade nor Takashi knew about any of this. Even though Tsunade was now the Head of the Anbu, the restructuring of the Anbu made it difficult to keep control of everything. Moreover, the Third Hokage had gone to the Hyuga Clan grounds alone, without taking anyone along, not even members of the Anbu.

He did this to prevent any Anbu member from reporting back to Tsunade.

The Third Hokage had made all the preparations. Once the Hyuga Clan succeeded, he would offer some compensation to appease Tsunade.

He believed that no matter how angry Tsunade was, she wouldn't make too much trouble during a time of war.

Two days later, the reinforcement team arrived at the camp.

Once the reinforcement team reached the camp, the Hyuga Clan team quickly separated from the others and headed toward the medical unit.

Inside the medical unit's exclusive resting area, Takashi was reading a book he had taken from Orochimaru, thoroughly absorbed in it.

Creak!

The door to the resting area was pushed open, and several figures stood in the doorway.

Takashi instinctively looked up.

Well, well!

This was definitely directed at him.

With just one glance, Takashi could tell they were here for him.

A team from his clan, led by a member of the main family.

If members of the main family appeared on the battlefield, it certainly wasn't for the war itself; on the contrary, they were the ones who would hide away.

If they weren't here for the war, the reason was already obvious.

Hyuga Seishi, expressionless, walked into the resting area, followed by the branch family members who closed the door behind them.

It was easier to handle things with the door closed.

"Hyuga Takashi, why do you not rise and salute?"

Hyuga Seishi arrogantly entered the resting area, only to find that Takashi remained motionless, not even attempting to stand, which made his anger flare up.

When a branch family member encountered a main family member, they were supposed to rise, salute, and greet them—it was clan law!

Are you stupid?

"Sorry, I don't have that habit," Takashi said with a mocking gaze, as if looking at a fool.

You're just a branch family member, and you dare look at me with those eyes?

Hyuga Seishi was stunned.

Once he regained his senses, his pale face flushed between shades of green and purple in fury.

He had to teach this kid a lesson.

Being used to looking down on others, Hyuga Seishi had never met such a disrespectful and bold branch family member, and he couldn't bear the loss of face.

Thus, he decided to make Takashi suffer first, and once Takashi was obedient, he'd complete the task the clan leader had given him.

The Caged Bird Curse Seal was used by the main family to control the branch family, and all main family members knew how to use it to command those from the branch family.

"Kneel!"

Just as Hyuga Seishi tried to activate the Caged Bird Curse Seal to teach Takashi a lesson, he suddenly heard the word "kneel."

Just as he raised his hand, he found his body frozen.

The members of the branch family team were similarly paralyzed.

An invisible pressure filled the resting area, as though a giant hand were squeezing them. Hyuga Seishi and his men felt their bodies unable to move, their eyes widening in terror as if they had seen some monstrous creature.

Thud!!!

Under the increasing pressure, Hyuga Seishi and the guards of the small squad all knelt on the ground.

Takashi's slender fingers wrapped around Hyuga Seishi's neck, lifting him off the ground.

Holding him up by the neck, Takashi smiled mockingly and said:

"As expected, the members of the main family have gotten lazy. Useless people like you are only fit to live comfortably under the protection of the main family."