Nothing to Worry About~

Did they take it seriously?

Of course they did.

It was more than taking it seriously—it was a thorn in their eye.

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

"If the Uchiha Clan falls today, who do you think Danzo will turn his blade on next?"

Hizashi Hyuga's words sent Hiashi Hyuga into deep thought. Deep down, he simply could not believe it—could Konoha really make a move against the Hyuga Clan?

"Think about it. Once the Uchiha Clan falls, if the Hyuga Clan remains completely unscathed, can we truly stay safe in Konoha's current situation? Even if they do not suppress us the way they suppressed the Uchiha, they will still make sure we suffer a crippling blow."

Hizashi Hyuga earnestly tried to persuade him, while also consoling him. "Even if I had not spoken up for the Uchiha Clan today, the Third would never have allowed the Hyuga Clan to dominate alone. Rather than letting them secretly plot against Yuzuru and target the Hyuga Clan again, it would be better to lay everything out in the open."

"Hand Yuzuru over to the Third, and he will be able to rest easy about the Hyuga Clan. At the same time, we can use this opportunity to show goodwill toward the Uchiha Clan."

"Who knows how far those madmen might go?"

These words secretly alarmed Hiashi Hyuga. He was no fool; he had merely been overly optimistic before. Since the Fourth had taken office, the situation had not exactly flourished, but it had at least remained calm and peaceful. That had caused him to lower his guard somewhat.

But with a gentle nudge from Hizashi Hyuga, he quickly broke free from his habitual way of thinking and realized that Konoha was currently in the midst of a terrifying upheaval.

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

One was a future without the Uchiha Clan.

The other was a future led by the Uchiha Clan.

No matter which it was, the Hyuga Clan could not possibly remain unharmed and peaceful.

Now was the time to place their bets.

Would they stake their chips on the Hokage's side, or on the Uchiha?

"What are you thinking?" Hiashi Hyuga reined in his anger. Sitting in his chair, he rubbed his brow wearily.

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

"I believe the Third will like seeing that we hold different opinions."

Hiashi Hyuga was stunned at first, then burst into laughter. "Right, that is exactly it!"

Yes!

What could better serve Konoha's interests than making it appear that the Hyuga Main House and Branch House were at odds?

If the Uchiha Clan ultimately gained the upper hand, would it not be even safer to have the goodwill Hizashi Hyuga had built up with the Uchiha Clan through betting separately?

It perfectly matched the Hyuga Clan's usual "neutral" stance!

The more Hiashi Hyuga thought about it, the more it fit the current situation. He simply took the initiative and said, "In that case, we might as well go all the way. Once we leave here, I will tell others that I punished you with the Caged Bird for making decisions on your own during the meeting."

Hizashi Hyuga merely nodded, but a chill vaguely rose in his heart—Yuzuru had actually predicted it!?

The reason he had spoken during the meeting, even inviting disaster upon himself and sending Yuzuru Hyuga into the ANBU, was not because of a momentary impulse. Nor was it merely Yuzuru Hyuga showing goodwill and support for the Uchiha Clan.

It was, on a deeper level, an invitation into the trap.

Yuzuru Hyuga had once said with absolute certainty that Hiashi Hyuga was weak by nature, overly indecisive and sentimental. Being affectionate was not bad, nor was kindness, but as the leader of a clan, he lacked a firm position and resolve. He could clearly understand the situation, yet he still feared Konoha and held unrealistic hopes for a beautiful outcome. Thus, in the end, it would be difficult for him to make the right choice.

He and Fugaku Uchiha could be called Konoha's crouching dragon and fledgling phoenix.

As long as the pros and cons were explained and a reason to persuade him was found, he would not refuse. He would cooperate with Hizashi Hyuga in putting on this "act."

At first, Hizashi Hyuga had not entirely believed it.

But now, he truly did.

"Then... Yuzuru, is he all right?" Hiashi Hyuga sighed, and the resentment in his heart over Hizashi acting on his own had vanished.

Hizashi Hyuga only looked at him calmly. "This is his destiny."

"Yes. Destiny."

Thinking of how Hizashi Hyuga had even sent his own son to the Third as a hostage, Hiashi Hyuga could not help feeling conflicted. He patted Hizashi Hyuga on the shoulder. "You have worked hard."

Hizashi Hyuga neither confirmed nor denied it, merely saying, "Since we are doing this, we must do it thoroughly. Starting today, I ask Lord Hiashi to deliberately arrange for some members of the Main House to provoke the Branch House members and create conflicts."

"Would that not put you under enormous pressure?" Hiashi Hyuga found it hard to believe that Hizashi Hyuga could be so ruthless.

The head of the Branch House was still a clan head. If the resentment of those beneath him swelled, Hizashi Hyuga would not be able to stay unaffected either.

Yet Hizashi Hyuga only smiled faintly. "This is my destiny."

Hiashi Hyuga fell silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"Afterward, though, you must still soothe them. The Main House and Branch House are one and the same; all of them are members of the Hyuga Clan. We cannot let this damage the bonds between us."

"Then... should we tell them the truth afterward?" Hizashi Hyuga frowned and asked.

Hiashi Hyuga shook his head and smiled slightly. "Hizashi, you were so calm just now. Why have you become softhearted now? Ordinary shinobi may risk leaking the secret. If we are going to act, we must act it out fully and make Konoha believe it without doubt."

"I understand. I will calm them down."

After saying that, Hizashi Hyuga and Hiashi Hyuga discussed in greater detail how to perform this "internal conflict," then leisurely parted ways. Before leaving, Hizashi gathered himself for a moment and put on a gloomy, dispirited expression, striding away with a dark face.

Hiashi Hyuga likewise put on a look of lingering fury. After looking around the room for a while, he smashed a water cup.

The commotion between the two brothers was noticed by the shinobi and maids standing guard outside. Before long, all kinds of difficult-to-distinguish rumors spread outward, with no small amount of effort from the two parties involved.

Konoha was currently being rebuilt. Countless displaced people had no choice but to stay in shelters or pitch temporary tents on the open land provided by these great clans. With people deliberately spreading it, the news swiftly traveled throughout Konoha as well.

Of course, did this plan truly have no drawbacks?

It did.

The resentment of the Branch House would inevitably rise as a result.

Could Hiashi Hyuga not see the hidden danger?

Of course he could.

He simply did not care.

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

Besides, Hizashi was working with him from within and without.

Nothing to worry about~

So what was Yuzuru Hyuga, the man behind the scenes, doing at this moment?

The answer was simple: actively participating in the reconstruction.

Not only did he go himself, he brought all the Hyuga Branch House members with him. Given his status, and because this matter already aligned with the values of most Konoha shinobi, the Branch House shinobi did not think much of it. Under his leadership, they distributed supplies, dug through ruins, searched for the injured, cleared sites, and rebuilt homes.

Other clans and shinobi were more or less acting under Konoha's orders, so their work was inevitably neither thorough nor complete. But Yuzuru Hyuga fought on the front lines. As the leader, and with Hizashi Hyuga secretly making things easier for him, he sought whatever was lacking and changed plans on the spot whenever something was wrong.

Not enough money? Ask for it. The funds accumulated by the Branch House over many years should be used when needed. Not only that, the Main House had to contribute money too.

They were doing good deeds. Even if it was only for appearances, they still had to hand over the money.

Not enough supplies?

Perfect. As a great clan, they might lack other things, but they certainly had plenty of supplies. Even taking out only a portion of them amounted to an enormous quantity in the eyes of ordinary people.

And so, to everyone's surprise, the always dutiful and quiet Hyuga Clan shone brilliantly in the post-Nine-Tails Incident reconstruction effort. Even the Third had no choice but to publicly praise them. He especially showered high praise upon Yuzuru Hyuga, who had tirelessly worked and run about on the front lines, making himself known everywhere.

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

Uninformed ordinary people praised him endlessly. What a young hero.

But those who understood the game could not help shaking their heads.

Third, as expected of you.

Was that really a reward and commendation?

Not even worth talking about you.

But regardless, the Hyuga Branch House and Yuzuru Hyuga had both stolen the spotlight after the Nine-Tails Incident, unmatched for a time.

Meanwhile, the Uchiha Clan took the blame. They were accused of putting in little effort during the Nine-Tails Incident, and their reputation worsened further.

Once the reconstruction work was on track, with only a few major projects left that required slow progress over time.

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

However, just as he stepped out of his home and prepared to face his coming life in the ANBU, an unexpected figure appeared before him.

It was someone whose appearance alone made one feel chilled to the bone—Orochimaru.

PS: The refreshed NPC Orochimaru has entered the stage. Please recommend, bookmark, and keep reading to unlock the following story.