It'll Be Alright~

Did you even take them seriously?

Of course, I did.

Not only did I take them seriously, but they've become a thorn in my side.

Hizashi Hyuga sighed and looked up. "Lord Hiashi, don't you understand the current situation?"

"If the Uchiha Clan falls today, who will Danzo target next?"

Hizashi's words plunged Hiashi into thought. He couldn't believe it in his heart – could Konoha really make a move against the Hyuga Clan?

"Think about it, if the Uchiha Clan falls and the Hyuga Clan remains unscathed, in Konoha's current state, how could the Hyuga Clan possibly be safe? Even if they don't suppress us like they did the Uchiha, they'll surely cripple us."

Hizashi earnestly persuaded him, adding, "Even if I don't speak up for the Uchiha Clan today, the Third Hokage would never allow our Hyuga Clan to become the sole dominant power. Rather than letting them plot against Yuzuru and target my Hyuga Clan in secret, it's better to bring everything out into the open."

"Hand over Yuzuru to the Third Hokage, and he will be at ease regarding our Hyuga Clan. At the same time, it will be an opportunity to show goodwill to the Uchiha Clan."

"Who knows what those lunatics will do?"

This statement sent a chill down Hiashi's spine. He wasn't stupid, just too optimistic. After the Fourth Hokage took office, the situation wasn't exactly flourishing, but it was peaceful, which had made him let his guard down.

But with Hizashi's subtle guidance, he quickly broke free from his ingrained thinking and realized that Konoha was in the midst of a terrifying upheaval.

Once the Uchiha Clan exploded, Konoha would only have two futures.

One was a future without the Uchiha.

The other was a future dominated by the Uchiha.

In either case, the Hyuga Clan could not remain unscathed or peaceful.

Now was the time to place their bets.

Would they bet on the Hokage's faction or the Uchiha?

"What are your thoughts?" Hiashi suppressed his anger, sitting in his chair and rubbing his temples with a troubled expression.

Hizashi calmly replied, "I will stand with the Uchiha. But Lord Hiashi, you just need to stand with the Hokage, as you did today."

"I believe the Third Hokage will appreciate us having differing opinions."

Hiashi was stunned at first, then burst into laughter. "Exactly! That's the way to do it!"

Yes!

What could be more beneficial to Konoha than showing that the Hyuga Main Family and Branch Family were at odds?

If the Uchiha ultimately gained the upper hand, wouldn't it be even safer to have Hizashi hedge his bets by accumulating goodwill with the Uchiha Clan?

It perfectly aligned with the Hyuga Clan's usual stance of 'neutrality'!

In fact, upon thinking of this and considering the current situation, Hiashi proactively said, "Since that's the case, let's go all the way. After we leave, I will tell everyone that you were disciplined with the Caged Bird technique because you made decisions at the meeting without authorization."

Hizashi merely nodded, a chill creeping into his heart – had Yuzuru really predicted this?!

His speaking up at the meeting, even drawing fire upon himself, and sending Yuzuru to the Anbu, wasn't an impulsive act, nor was it simply Yuzuru showing support for the Uchiha Clan.

It was, on a deeper level, a trap.

Yuzuru had stated with absolute certainty that Hiashi was inherently weak and indecisive. While being sentimental wasn't a bad thing, nor was kindness, as a clan leader, he lacked firm resolve and determination. He could clearly perceive the situation, yet he harbored a misplaced fear and unrealistic hope towards Konoha, making it difficult for him to make the right choice in the end.

He could be considered on par with Fugaku Uchiha as Konoha's "sleeping dragon and phoenix."

As long as the pros and cons were explained and a convincing reason was found, he wouldn't refuse and would cooperate with Hizashi's "act."

At first, Hizashi hadn't fully believed it.

But now, he truly did.

"Is... is Yuzuru alright?" Hiashi sighed, his resentment towards Hizashi for acting on his own dissipating.

Hizashi calmly looked at him. "It is his destiny."

"Yes... destiny."

Thinking of Hizashi, who had even offered his son as a hostage to the Third Hokage, Hiashi's emotions became complex. He patted Hizashi's shoulder. "You've worked hard."

Hizashi remained noncommittal and said, "If we're going to do this, let's do it thoroughly. From today onwards, please intentionally arrange for some members of the Main Family to provoke the Branch Family members, causing conflict."

"Wouldn't that put a lot of pressure on you?" Hiashi couldn't believe Hizashi could be so ruthless.

The head of the Branch Family was still a leader. If resentment brewed among his subordinates, Hizashi wouldn't be able to stay out of it.

Hizashi simply smiled faintly. "It is my destiny."

Hiashi remained silent for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"However, afterwards, you must appease them. The Main Family and Branch Family are one, all members of the Hyuga Clan. We cannot let this damage our kinship."

"So, will you tell them the truth afterward?" Hizashi asked, a furrow in his brow.

Hiashi shook his head and smiled slightly. "Hizashi, you were so calm just now, why are you getting soft now? Ordinary ninjas might risk leaking information. If we're going to act, let's commit to the entire performance, so Konoha believes us completely."

"I understand. I will appease them."

After speaking, Hizashi discussed the details of how to stage this "internal conflict" drama with Hiashi for a few more minutes. Then, he gracefully parted ways with Hiashi. Before leaving, he took a moment to compose himself, adopting a dejected and gloomy demeanor, and quickly departed with a dark expression.

Hiashi, in turn, maintained an appearance of lingering rage, pacing his room and finally smashing a water cup.

The commotion between the two brothers was noticed by the ninjas and maids on guard outside. Before long, all sorts of news, difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood, spread out, including the efforts of the two individuals involved.

Konoha was currently in the process of rebuilding, with countless displaced people having to take shelter in refugee camps or temporary tents provided by these large clans. This news, with intentional dissemination, also spread rapidly within Konoha.

Of course, was there no downside to this plan?

There was.

The resentment of the Branch Family would inevitably surge because of this.

Did Hiashi Hyuga not see the hidden dangers?

Of course he could see them.

It's just that he didn't care.

With the Caged Bird in place, what could they do even if they were dissatisfied?

There was also Hizashi working from the inside.

Everything would be fine~

And what was Yuzuru Hyuga, standing behind the scenes, doing at this time?

The answer was naturally very simple: actively participating in the reconstruction.

Not only did he go himself, but he also brought along the members of the Hyuga Branch Family. With his status, and given that this matter already aligned with the values of most Konoha ninjas, the Branch Family ninjas didn't think much of it. Under his leadership, they distributed supplies, dug through ruins, searched for the injured, cleared sites, and rebuilt their homes.

Other clans or ninjas were more or less following Konoha's orders, and their actions were inevitably not thorough enough or complete enough. Yuzuru Hyuga, however, fought on the front lines. As the leader, and with the tacit convenience given by Hizashi Hyuga, he could find whatever was needed and change plans on the spot if something was wrong.

Not enough money? Yes, the money the Branch Family had saved for many years should be used, and not only that, the Main Family also had to contribute.

Doing good deeds, even if it was just for show, required money to be handed over.

Not enough supplies?

Coincidentally, as a large clan, they had no shortage of supplies, even if they only took a portion. These supplies were a huge amount for ordinary people.

Thus, to everyone's surprise, the usually well-behaved and quiet Hyuga Clan shone brightly during the post-Nine-Tails' Rampage reconstruction efforts. Even the Third Hokage had to publicly praise them, especially Yuzuru Hyuga, who had consistently fought and rushed on the front lines, gaining significant recognition and was highly commended.

He even publicly announced that Yuzuru Hyuga would graduate from the Ninja Academy early without an exam and be awarded a Genin forehead protector.

Uninformed ordinary people marveled at this, thinking him a young hero.

Those in the know, however, couldn't help but shake their heads.

Third Hokage, you truly live up to your reputation.

Was that reward and praise?

You don't even deserve to be mentioned.

But no matter what, the Hyuga Branch Family and Yuzuru Hyuga gained immense fame after the Nine-Tails' Rampage, unmatched for a time.

Meanwhile, the Uchiha Clan bore the brunt of the blame, accused of not putting in their full effort during the Nine-Tails' Rampage, and their reputation suffered further.

When the reconstruction work entered its normal rhythm, with only large projects requiring slow progress over time remaining.

Yuzuru Hyuga was also notified to go to the Hokage's office to personally receive his Konoha forehead protector and... prepare to join the Anbu.

However, just as he was leaving his home, ready to face his impending Anbu life, an unexpected figure appeared before him.

It was a guy whose very appearance made one feel a chill run through their entire body—Orochimaru.