Naruto: The Branch Family Strikes Back, and Itachi Helps Me Break the Curse Seal

The cheers of victory drown out the bloodshed. Hizashi Hyuga returns alive, but Hyuga Yuzuru knows that peace is only temporary. The Caged Bird Seal is still draining his chakra. He must break the curse mark within a year, but first he has to persuade his stubborn father.

The blood of the Hyuga Branch Family has been shed for far too long, from the battlefield to the clan, from enemies abroad to the main family. There has never been fairness in the list of sacrifices. Hyuga Yuzuru has watched his clansmen die with his own eyes, and has seen the main family remain safely out of harm's way. He begins to lay his plans, showing every member of the branch family another possibility and making his father understand that, rather than wait to be treated as a disposable pawn again, they should smash this cage with their own hands.

After the war ends, Uchiha Itachi returns with the shadows of the battlefield haunting him. Izumi still naively runs over to play with him, and Konoha seems peaceful and prosperous on the surface. But Hyuga Yuzuru knows better than anyone that the Nine-Tails' rampage is imminent, and the rift between the Uchiha and the village will soon be torn wide open. Before he can break his curse mark, he must first rise to a position of sufficient influence. If this decaying village needs new blood, then let it start with the Hyuga Branch Family.

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.