A person's beliefs are difficult to change. Shinji didn't argue with him about this matter, but instead calmly said: "Lord Hizashi, Konoha will win this war."
Hizashi looked at Shinji with disappointment in his eyes.
He felt that Shinji's insight was too shallow; even with his assumed cleverness, he was unable to see the obvious situation, still blindly believing in the village.
Even Iroha, Tokuma, and Tetsu, literal children, had gone to the front lines. Konoha had no future left.
Hizashi replied indifferently: "Is that so."
"Lord Hizashi doesn't believe me?"
"Do you know how many times greater Iwagakure's military strength is compared to our Konoha now?"
Shinji countered with another question: "What about if we add Sunagakure to our camp?"
Hizashi's eyes flickered slightly: "Sunagakure won't come to help our Konoha. Lord Orochimaru cannot persuade them."
Many people in the village knew about Orochimaru going to the Land of Wind to secure allies, but most weren't optimistic about it.
Since the Third Kazekage's disappearance, Sunagakure had been in internal turmoil and had no energy to care about others' affairs.
At this point, Shinji continued: "Then what if we add Kumogakure, the Hidden Rain, and the Hidden Grass?"
Hizashi was stunned: "What did you say?"
Shinji said: "Lord Orochimaru didn't just go to seek help from Sunagakure alone. He also approached Kumogakure, the Hidden Rain Village, and the Hidden Grass Village. If they all participate in this war, could they help us turn the tide for Konoha?"
Hizashi's brows furrowed tightly as he questioned: "On what grounds? Why would these villages help us?"
Shinji replied: "In the current situation, a single village might not want to provoke Iwagakure. But if we can make each village believe the other three have already agreed to move against Iwa, wouldn't that work? Lord Orochimaru is skilled at this kind of thing."
Hizashi questioned skeptically: "Do you think the other villages are fools?"
Shinji slowly shook his head: "They might guess the truth, but none of these four would want to see Iwagakure become too powerful. They would actually hope others believe they'll take action.
"Lord Orochimaru will serve as the focal point between them."
Hizashi frowned in silence, seemingly doubting the truthfulness of Shinji's words.
This plan seemed too wishful. How could the leaders and Kages of those villages so easily wade into these troubled waters?
Seeing this, Shinji offered another piece of information: "Doesn't Lord Hizashi know? The Fourth Kazekage has taken office, it's the early-famed Magnet Release user Rasa. The Fourth Raikage has also taken office, he's the Third Raikage's son."
Hizashi indeed didn't know of this news.
These two villages had closed their borders after withdrawing from the war.
In the current shinobi world where information was scarce, outsiders found it difficult to know what was happening inside.
Shinji only knew this because he was familiar with the original story.
Hizashi's gaze flickered for a long while before finally asking Shinji another question: "What if none of them take action and we ultimately lose?"
Shinji replied: "There is no 'what if'!"
In the dimness, he looked directly at Hizashi, the green mark on his forehead still conspicuous.
"I'm just asking you to make a choice, Lord Hizashi. Leave or stay."
Leave, taking a few people to pursue his dream of becoming the head family.
If Konoha truly won this war, they would be labeled as rogue ninjas, not just traitors to Konoha, but also viewed as a disgrace by their own clan.
His father would definitely do that! He would absolutely announce to everyone that Hizashi had defected voluntarily!
This man, who only cared about the clan and not family bonds, who could heartlessly designate him as a branch family member from childhood and brand him with this seal, was now begging him to take on the responsibility of continuing the clan, while casually abandoning his older brother.
But if Konoha ultimately lost, they could still survive.
Find a place to hide their identities and continue the clan, then find ways to rebuild Konoha, relying on just them... just him and three women.
The vision was beautiful.
When his father told him these things, he painted the future as incredibly promising.
And Hizashi, long burdened by the caged bird seal, had lost sight of the obvious once his freedom seemed imminent.
How could they possibly hope to rebuild Konoha with just a stud and three breeding tools?
Even the possibility of reviving the Hyuga clan seemed extremely distant.
Their special eyes could easily become the target of some power in this chaotic shinobi world.
He would be killed, and Ayari and the others would likewise be reduced to tools, with the Byakugan falling into the hands of outsiders.
Would Takaguya not have foreseen this outcome?
But besides this desperate gamble, there was nothing left for them to do.
The Hyuga's fate had always been tied to Konoha.
Now, trying to break away wasn't so simple.
Or perhaps, continue to stay in this cage, continue to be this caged bird.
If Konoha won the war, everything would remain as before.
If Konoha lost, he would perish along with it.
The Hyuga branch family members could only find release and freedom at the moment of death.
Dying for the village was the ideology instilled in them since childhood. Hizashi didn't feel much resistance to this fate.
Although it was the end, he would still attain freedom, wouldn't he?
Hizashi didn't question or refute Shinji further. He understood the importance of this information. He pondered for a long time, looking at Shinji before him, when a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
'This child…'
His eyes were as black as ink, making it impossible to see what lay within.
'Would he also have ambitions, obsessions?'
Hizashi suddenly asked Shinji: "Regarding Hitomi's death..."
On the day they discovered Hyuga Hitomi had been killed, he saw traces of a snake's trail in Hitomi's room.
Investigation also revealed that Shinji had been seen with Orochimaru's student, Mitarashi Anko, the day before.
Many things seemed to make sense at the moment, this child. This child was backed by Orochimaru.
At the time, he only suspected this, without concrete evidence.
Moreover, he deliberately didn't expose this matter.
It was something for the main family to worry about, and he wanted to see his older brother's furious reaction.
Shinji responded indifferently: "Isn't the killer of senior Hitomi still unidentified? I feel pain and anger about this."
Hizashi knew better.
Given Shinji's current relationship with Orochimaru, Hizashi certainly wouldn't believe that Hitomi's death had nothing to do with him.
What Orochimaru wanted those Byakugan for, Hizashi didn't know, nor did he care.
What concerned him was that Shinji had given all of Hyuga's stored Byakugan to Orochimaru to avoid the eye transplant and the subsequent caged bird seal.
Hizashi looked at the ray of light coming through the gap in the curtains, which seemed harsh in this dim hospital room.
Having said all that needed to be said, Shinji directly made his farewell.
As Shinji was about to leave, Hizashi called out to stop him.
"Shinji."
"Do you long for freedom as well?"
Shinji calmly replied: "I want to be a bird. With food to fill my stomach, trees for shelter, skies to roam freely, and companions who understand my heart."
He then asked in return: "What does Lord Hizashi want to be? A wild dog?"
The room fell into dead silence.