Chapter 218 - Defying the Forehead Seal.
[Chapter Size: 2500 Words.]
Third Person POV
Konoha, Year 41.
...
...
Minato stayed with Hanabi, Kushina, Tsuna, and Mikoto at the beach until the time limit, just before the village's ninjas alerted the Hokage about the disappearance of the Nine-Tails jinchuuriki. Meanwhile, they continued studying the Hyuuga symbol.
A week had passed since that event, and Minato kept training with his companions, maintaining Mikoto and Hanabi as his team members while Kushina and Tsuna continued learning more about the Hyuuga secret.
On this day, Minato went to the Hokage's office to give his response to the proposal the village leader had made to him.
"So, have you decided?" the Hokage asked, looking at Minato, who stood before him with Mikoto and Hanabi on either side, both wearing headbands and Jōnin uniforms.
"Yes, we will join the Anbu squad." Minato gave his answer, deciding to enter Konoha's special forces.
"Great..." The Hokage was certainly pleased with this. After all, having Minato closer would allow him to better understand the village's prodigy.
"It will be great to have you as capable ninjas in the special forces squads. You can start tomorrow. Here are some instructions on what you'll need, along with the meeting location where you'll report to the ninja responsible for you." The Hokage paused as he handed over three scrolls before continuing.
"Anyway, welcome to the Anbu squads. Some of your companions, with whom Minato has already worked, will be in your team as well, allowing you to adapt easily to the new mission dynamics—something you already did with the team you served with during the war." He spoke, and Minato nodded, knowing that, without a doubt, they would be the members of the Phantom Squad.
He just wasn't sure exactly who would be there, since all of them had worked in Anbu squads and survived the war. Some had even been members before that team was formed.
With that, Minato and the others were about to leave when the Hokage stopped him.
"Minato, if you can stay a little longer, I'd like to speak with you alone—just for a few seconds," the Hokage requested as the two girls exited. Minato simply nodded at them to wait outside.
The Hokage remained silent for a moment before speaking again, watching Minato closely.
"You certainly are quite enigmatic," he commented. Minato wasn't sure what exactly he meant, but the Hokage continued.
"You are an influential ninja in the village and very powerful. Everyone acknowledges your strength. But I must say, what surprises me the most is how you managed to take an Uchiha away from her clan." He made it clear that he knew about Minato and Mikoto.
"It wasn't a choice the clan accepted easily, but in the end, it seems they won't be bothered by it," Minato commented.
"I saw that you went to the Uchiha clan a week ago… So, I assume you resolved that matter," the Hokage noted.
"Yes." Minato responded, his tone not particularly friendly, already understanding where the Hokage was heading with this.
"I also received a request from the Hyuuga clan to remove Hanabi from your team. She is a Leaf ninja, but she is also a member of the branch family, and the clan has a certain level of influence in coordinating its own ninjas, even their movements." The Hokage paused.
"But you didn't accept," Minato stated, looking directly at the Hokage. After all, if that were the case, Hanabi wouldn't even be here.
"No, I didn't accept," he admitted and continued. "I told them I would think about it, but I must say, I was surprised in the end—seeing the girl here, with you, presenting herself to join the Anbu." The Hokage observed Minato with a suspicious look.
He realized that the Hokage was noticing his growing influence in the village, even more so because he was connected to women from powerful clans. Minato wasn't too surprised by the Hokage's reaction, but he also knew that the man wasn't pleased with it.
After all, he could see Minato forming a unique network of allies—something like a Senju-Uchiha-Uzumaki-Hyuuga connection—and that was certainly giving the elders a headache.
"Hanabi is my comrade. I hope to continue working with her, even if her clan is dissatisfied with it," Minato finally said, as the Hokage nodded in silence.
"Alright, I'll do what I can to help you with that. After all, it's not every generation that we have a ninja like her. She strays a bit from the clan's norms, especially by becoming so strong at such a young age."
The Hokage paused before continuing.
"Her long-range jutsus are certainly very advantageous when combined with her eyes. Unfortunately, the clan doesn't seem to see that. But, in any case, I'll try to help you."
In the end, Minato simply nodded without any further reaction. Then, he left the Hokage's building and met up with his three companions before heading back to his apartment.
They talked about what they needed to join the Anbu, and Mikoto realized she had nothing since she had left her clan. She needed to buy some extra supplies and took advantage of a discount at the Senju stores—something exclusive to Minato, a privilege he had received since Mito's time.
Once they had finished taking care of everything, they agreed to meet the next day at the designated location, where they would receive their Anbu uniforms, be introduced to their squad, and be assigned their codenames.
Hanabi returned home, where her grandfather watched as she entered. She greeted him:
"Hello, Grandpa."
However, her expression quickly hardened when she saw the dark look in his eyes.
"Hanabi, what have you done?" he murmured, unable to believe that his granddaughter had truly taken this path.
He knew the dangers this would bring her. The clan elders would not be pleased with this decision at all. In fact, they had already come to see him, informing him that Hanabi had enlisted to join the Anbu squad. This would undoubtedly bring trouble for her.
But this time, Hanabi stood firm.
"This is my path, Grandpa. I've decided that I will continue being a ninja of Team 7," she declared with conviction.
"Hanabi, you don't know what you're saying," he tried to insist.
She shook her head.
"It doesn't matter anymore, Grandpa. I am now an Anbu of the Leaf Village. Even if the clan disagrees, I have already made my decision."
She spoke without hesitation. Before, he had always seen her hesitant, uncertain, or even terrified under the pressure of the clan's main family. But this past week, she had changed—spending every day with her friends. Now, there was confidence in her voice.
Tsuna and Kushina were trying to destroy the seal on her forehead, and that gave her a certain hope.
Maybe, one day, she could truly leave the clan and live as she wanted—just as Minato had said she would.
He had promised to protect her, even to appear when she needed him.
Her grandfather was left speechless as she simply shrugged and walked to her room.
Meanwhile...
The Hyuuga clan elders were discussing this very decision at that moment.
After receiving the list of ninjas assigned to the Anbu squads, they had gathered. It was standard procedure for the Hokage to send information about all members to the clan leaders, and the presence of Hanabi's name on that list had caused a major uproar.
"This is outrageous! She actually joined the Anbu squad after everything?" one of the elders murmured, his eyes immediately standing out among the bulging veins that appeared due to his fury.
"That old man!" another one grumbled, referring to Hanabi's grandfather.
"He said his granddaughter would obey and would not violate the clan's rules! The will of the elders must be sovereign! Since when has a branch family member had such audacity?" Other council members murmured in agreement while one of the elders slammed his fist against the floor, outraged.
"We cannot let this happen! The rest of the clan knows that Hanabi, that girl, is violating all of our conduct norms. We cannot allow the branch family to see someone disobeying our rules!" a third elder spoke with indignation.
Hiashi was in the meeting, listening in silence as the elders argued. Though he was being trained to become the next head of the clan, he did not voice any opinion on the matter.
"Enough of this! We will summon her immediately and punish her!" the patriarch decreed.
Everyone agreed, and a messenger was sent to the branch family's house. He found Hanabi's grandfather at the gate. The old man frowned, already knowing what this meant. Deep down, he had been expecting this moment.
"Please, don't do this to her," he pleaded.
"Clan orders, old man. Now step aside! I will summon Hanabi immediately to speak with the elders," the messenger responded harshly.
Hanabi's grandfather could do nothing. He simply lowered his head, letting a tear fall. He was already fearing the worst for his granddaughter, and being unable to protect her was torture.
Hanabi stepped out as soon as she heard the summons. She walked calmly toward the messenger, who watched her with disdain. How dare this girl defy the main family of the clan?
She made her way to the main area, where a large hall awaited her arrival. Several elders were seated, their severe gazes fixed on her. Hanabi remained silent as she reached the center of the hall.
In front of her stood the clan patriarch, a middle-aged man who observed her with a stern expression.
"So, you are Hanabi Hyuuga?" he asked. It was the first time he had ever seen her. After all, he had never been interested in the branch family members.
Hanabi simply nodded, saying nothing.
"You know we spoke with your grandfather, don't you? We requested that he instruct you to leave your current team. And yet, you joined the Anbu squad on your own accord." He continued, his dark gaze piercing through the young girl. "You do realize we will not accept this, correct?"
"I know you won't," Hanabi replied, lifting her chin, trying to appear strong, though she was slightly nervous.
"And yet, you still insist on defying us?" one of the elders murmured, bewildered.
"She is already challenging us!" another growled in irritation.
"..."
Hanabi kept her gaze fixed on the patriarch, not looking away.
"So, you truly dare to challenge the clan?" he asked, his voice heavy with authority.
"I will forge my own destiny from now on. I will not let the clan manipulate who I will become," she declared firmly. For the first time in her life.
At that moment, the hall fell into complete silence. All the elders were stunned by her boldness.
"So be it, then," the patriarch spoke.
The next moment, he formed a hand seal.
Hanabi suddenly felt dizzy. The seal on her forehead began to burn intensely. A searing pain took over her head, making her instinctively reach for her forehead.
She almost fell to her knees but forced herself to remain standing. Even with the excruciating pain, she looked directly at the patriarch, refusing to avert her gaze.
"I will not let you manipulate my destiny! I will own myself, and I will not allow the main family to control me!" Hanabi growled, her voice filled with fury.
All the elders were initially shocked by her resistance. They had not expected the girl to be so defiant as to ignore the pain of the seal. But that was only the first stage of activation. After all, there were far worse tortures reserved for those who rebelled.
Without hesitation, the patriarch clasped his hands together and swiftly launched the second activation of the seal.
Hanabi screamed at that moment as the pain surged through her. Her head tilted back, her eyes wide in shock from the unbearable agony. But then, time seemed to stop. She remained paralyzed, screaming in agony, while all the elders watched with satisfaction in their motionless states.
Then something unexpected happened.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the room.
Using Hanabi's own seal as a teleportation point, someone materialized at an absurd speed, advancing at the speed of light.
Before the patriarch could even react—before he could even see it coming—a precise kick struck his face with brutal force.
The impact sent him flying backward violently, crashing onto the floor, completely disoriented. The same person who had delivered the blow disappeared in the blink of an eye. He had only appeared long enough to stomp on the patriarch with a speed and precision that no one else could even perceive.
The patriarch had no time to recover from the first attack. Everyone present was stunned.
The elders, who had been watching the punishment of the rebellious young girl with pleasure, were now in shock.
Time seemed to slow down as the patriarch fell backward, his face contorted and crushed. Then, in the next instant, time accelerated with force.
The next moment, the patriarch was hurled against the wall with devastating power. The impact triggered a series of explosions, collapsing part of the surrounding structure.
The Hyuuga who were in the area were left speechless. The walls cracked, and at least five houses nearby were destroyed by the sheer force of the impact.
When the dust settled, everyone could see the patriarch lying among the rubble. His face was covered in blood, his nose broken, his eyes half-open, unconscious.
Silence took over the room.
The elders froze, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Hanabi collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily, still feeling the effects of the seal's activation. But she didn't understand.
"What was that?! Since when does this girl have such an ability?!" one of the elders exclaimed, bewildered, thinking Hanabi had done something.
"She must have done something! Quickly, punish her!" another one bellowed furiously. He brought his hands together to activate the cursed seal once more.
But the moment he started executing the technique, another foot appeared out of nowhere and struck him brutally.
The impact was so powerful that the elder's face was deformed instantly from the kick.
Without even having a chance to react, he was sent flying with a devastating force. His body crashed through five more houses before landing, completely unconscious.
Horror took over the faces of the elders.
The authoritative presence they had intended to maintain while punishing Hanabi was now replaced by pure terror.
Two important members were on the ground, gravely injured, after attempting to use the cursed seal against the girl.
The Hyuuga who were watching the scene furrowed their brows, confused, trying to make sense of what was happening.
Hanabi was still there, struggling to recover from the brutal activation the patriarch had forced upon her.
But, surprisingly, the pain lasted only a second before vanishing, allowing her to finally breathe again.
-------------Nexts Chapters ----------------
Chapter 223 - Kage Meeting 01.
Chapter 228 - Border Mission.
Chapter 238 - Learning the Hatake Swordsmanship.
Chapter 247 - Mastering Sage Mode.
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