Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 111 The Last Concern

Disturbed, Hyuga Kanan lost interest in continuing to explore Konoha and flew towards the Hyuga clan.

Hyuga Kanan decided that he would no longer leave the Hyuga clan's territory and would stay in the clan to accompany his mother and wait for the materials to be collected. Today's battle made him not want to have any further involvement with Konoha.

If I continue to be involved with Konoha, who knows how much more trouble awaits me, which will affect my training time and increase the risk of being exposed.

With Orochimaru as a trading partner, Konoha's advanced knowledge can be gradually acquired through him, eliminating the need to deal with that group of inexplicable people.

Perhaps he truly wasn't suited to stay in Konoha. They always saw Hyuga Kanan as a threat, believing he had ulterior motives towards Konoha. Of course, before, Hyuga Kanan did harbor some ambition regarding the advanced knowledge possessed by Konoha, but it was merely a desire for fair trade. In his mind, everything should be acquired reasonably; plundering violated his principles. Since being able to acquire these things from Orochimaru, Hyuga Kanan had no further ambitions towards Konoha.

However, Konoha could not trust Hyuga Kanan's thoughts. After today's battle, Hyuga Kanan also realized that Konoha was full of suspicion towards him. He also understood that his existence was a trouble for both sides.

It's normal for a powerful person to be wary of Konoha if they're not an official member and don't have a good attitude towards the village.

Therefore, he decided that after accompanying his mother on her final journey, he would leave Konoha forever, so that they would no longer waste their attention on him and avoid causing him trouble. His departure would also put their minds at ease.

During this period, staying home will not cause trouble or worry for either of them, and it will also allow me to stay with my mother with peace of mind.

As Hyuga Kanan glided back into his clan's territory, many members of the Hyuga clan paid him a respectful look. Some of them had witnessed his earlier battle and were seeing this usually aloof individual for the first time. His opponent was someone who had managed to suppress Hatake Sakumo in a one-on-one fight. Hatake Sakumo was considered the pinnacle of Konoha's ninja prowess, known as the "White Fang of Konoha" by other villages; encountering him meant being able to abandon a mission without punishment. The fact that their clan possessed someone whose strength could overpower him filled them with immense excitement.

Hyuga Kanan ignored the clansmen who were looking at him with admiration and went straight to his mother. During his time studying the Hyuga clan's collection, he would spend all his rest time with his mother.

As Hyuga Kanan departed from the sky, the Hyuga clan members below began to discuss. Their clan had long been lacking top-tier shinobi, which was why, despite being a powerful clan, they lacked the confidence to compete with the Uchiha clan for the title of Konoha's strongest clan. Now, they could finally confidently declare that the Hyuga clan was truly Konoha's strongest family.

Hyuga Kanan's mother's health is now very poor. The excessive medical ninjutsu treatment she received during the war when she was young has already depleted her body and consumed too many cell divisions. She is now in a state of near death, and even Hyuga Kanan, a cultivator, is helpless.

Hyuga Kanan's cultivation level is still very low, and he is unable to help his mother reverse this situation. He can only silently accompany her so that she can pass away peacefully.

Hinata Kanan felt a pang of sadness; this was his last attachment to this world. Sadly, he was about to lose it too. But Hinata Kanan believed that as long as he continued to improve his cultivation and quickly comprehend the power of the rules of life and death, he could still resurrect his mother in this world.

But Hyuga Kanan knew that her mother didn't need her to resurrect her in the future; she just wanted her to live harmoniously with the family and to live a united and loving life with them. Furthermore, she hoped to go to the Pure Land as soon as possible to be with Hyuga Kanan's father and not become an obstacle to Hyuga Kanan's training.

As the saying goes, no one knows a child better than their mother. Hyuga Kanan's mother had long noticed his unusual nature and sensed that his relentless training was due to some threat. She knew she would eventually become a burden and a weakness for him, affecting his training progress. Now that her life was nearing its end, she could peacefully accompany her husband, no longer a worry for him, allowing him to train in peace and ensuring her safety.

She had never told Hinata Kanan about it, nor did she want to distract him from these matters.

However, Hyuga Kanan's spiritual sense was quite strong. He had already noticed the expressions and hesitations his mother showed when they were talking. He knew that his mother had noticed some of his situation, but he didn't know how to bring it up with her. Every time he tried to speak, his mother would find various reasons to stop him. Hyuga Kanan guessed what his mother was thinking, and after that, he never mentioned these things again. He just quietly listened to his mother talk about his family and clan.

This had become a consensus between the mother and son, and neither of them mentioned Hyuga Kanan's training again.

Hinata Kanan arrived at the gate of her mother's courtyard. She remained as calm as before, quietly entered the courtyard, and went to her mother, who was resting there. She stayed silently by her side.

The mother was used to Hyuga Kanan's behavior, and simply gave Hyuga Kanan a loving smile as she looked at Hyuga Kanan standing beside her.

No one spoke; they simply stayed quietly in the courtyard. Hinata Kanan had grown accustomed to staying quietly by her mother's side, and her mother had grown accustomed to seeing Hinata Kanan come to her side for a while each day.

The maid who entered immediately spotted Hyuga Kanan standing there, her face lighting up with excitement. She had overheard the clan members' discussion outside and knew what this handsome young master had just done. This battle was a huge boost to the Hyuga clan's morale; she believed that most Konoha ninja would now acknowledge the Hyuga clan as the strongest in Konoha. Even the unruly Uchiha clan would have to admit that the Hyuga clan now held a superior position.

Seeing the maid's excited expression as she looked at her youngest son, Hyuga Kanan's mother guessed that her son had probably done something to excite the clan again. This was good news; it would make her usually aloof son more readily accepted and acknowledged by the clan, and she wouldn't have to worry about future strained relationships between him and the family. Although her son's personality was outwardly cold, she knew it was just a facade. She believed that sooner or later the clan would discover how easy he was to get along with, and then they would forget the past and acknowledge Hyuga Kanan's place in the clan.

"Jianan, what have you been up to again? It seems the family's attitude towards you has changed a lot. This is a good thing, as it will allow you to integrate into the family better."

The woman spoke with a kind smile, her eyes filled with compassion. She understood that everyone, regardless of strength or isolation, needs friends and family to truly feel valued and accepted. Her deepest worry was that after she left, her youngest son would have no one to genuinely acknowledge or care for him, leading to even greater isolation.

Hyuga Kanan didn't say anything upon hearing this, only smiling at his mother. He didn't want to tell her about his conflict with Konoha and cause her worry. His mother had always hoped he could integrate into the clan and Konoha, and if she knew he could no longer integrate properly, she would be even more worried about his situation.

Seeing that Hinata Kanan didn't want to say much, his mother didn't mind. She understood her youngest son very well now and knew that his silence meant he didn't want her to worry. She simply reached out and gently stroked Hinata Kanan's face. Her biggest worry right now was her youngest son; his personality was too cold, and she feared he would be too lonely in the future.

Hinata Kanan felt a touch of warmth in his heart as he felt the caresses on his face and hands. He knew his mother's worries, but to pursue the path of cultivation, one had to endure loneliness and solitude, and in the end, after the passage of time, he would only be left alone.

This is a necessary preparation that anyone who wants to cultivate immortality must make.

Time flowed by amidst this tenderness. During this time, Hyuga Kanan completely abandoned his training and everything else, quietly staying by his mother's side—his final bond. His mother looked at Hyuga Kanan with a smile, as if she had left this world without any regrets.

Hyuga Kanan stood there quietly, reaching out to give his mother's kind face a final, gentle touch, without a trace of sadness on his face.

The surrounding clansmen, witnessing this scene, were at a loss for words. Hiashi and Hizashi, their eyes filled with sorrow, also looked at their younger brother. They had never truly understood him from the beginning. Even Hizashi, who usually cared deeply for his brother, had never truly understood him.

Hyuga Kanan did not appear at the subsequent funeral.

On a tree trunk not far away, Hyuga Kanan watched the funeral procession from afar, silently observing without any expression on his face, as if it had nothing to do with him.

"Jianan-kun, I knew you'd be here!"

Orochimaru's signature husky, magnetic voice appeared behind Hyuga Kanan.

Upon hearing the words, Hyuga Kanan neither answered nor turned her head, continuing to gaze indifferently at the funeral in the distance.