Scapegoat Danzo

Konoha.

The streets and alleys were filled with joy. One reason was that the Land of Lightning and Konoha had finally signed a peace treaty. The other was a huge piece of gossip: the Hyuga clan, the Konoha's Second Noble Clan Hyuga Clan Konoha, had split up.

For ordinary civilians and ninjas, this was an absolutely huge bombshell.

Hokage Building, the envoy from the Land of Lightning could only swallow his frustration. There was nothing he could do; Konoha had already said that their unauthorized intrusion Hyuga Clan the Land of Lightning's territory had been the catalyst for the Hyuga Split, and it was already a good thing that they hadn't pursued the Land of Lightning's responsibility.

Adding to this Konoha's series of deployments on the border, and the fact that Orochimaru had appeared there, the Raikage reluctantly chose to sign a peace treaty as soon as possible. After all, Konoha and Kumogakure were the last places that wanted to go to war, but the other ninja villages were more than happy for these two major villages to fight.

Within the cheerful village, there was one place that exuded a depressing and sorrowful atmosphere, standing in stark contrast to the rest of the village.

The Hyuga Clan.

Inside a solemn and ancient house, one could see all the elites of the Hyuga Clan Main Family, while outside the door, a whole group of the Hyuga Clan ninjas knelt on the ground.

Inside the room, the Great Elder had been angrily berating the Third Hokage in the Hokage Meeting Room yesterday was now lying on a sickbed.

Yesterday she had a rosy complexion, but overnight she looked like she was terminally ill and looked haggard, with a hoarse and weak cough echoing listlessly in the room.

"Great Elder!"

Inside the room, the Hyuga Clan ninjas looked sadly at their Great Elder, an ancestor who had existed since the founding of Konoha. They never expected that after surviving Third Shinobi World War and experiencing so much, he would fall like this.

The Great Elder, lying weakly on his sickbed, looked at the members of the Main Family with a pale and sorrowful expression. "Everyone," he said, "I'm afraid I won't make it this time. I've failed my ancestors, watching helplessly as the Hyuga Clan has come to this."

"Great Elder, please don't say that."

"Waaah, Great Elder, you'll be alright."

For a moment, someone in the room uttered a low, mournful sound, while others tried to comfort the oldest elder of the Hyuga Clan. But at this moment, the Great Elder seemed to be experiencing a final burst of energy before death, and he slowly rose to his feet. Amidst the concern of the crowd, he stared intently at Hyuga Hiashi.

"Hiashi! The Hyuga Clan's division is not your fault, you don't need to blame yourself. This is fate. I estimate I can't hold on any longer, leaving you with a Hiashi."

Seeing that the Great Elder was practically giving his last words, Hyuga Hiashi also said in a sorrowful voice, "Great Elder, Hiashi will definitely restore the glory of the Hyuga Clan!"

A hoarse laugh echoed in the room. In his final moments, the Great Elder exuded the fierce power of his prime. With a glare, the servants on either side of him quickly made way.

"The Caged Bird is like a deep chasm that has separated the Main Family and Branch Families of the Hyuga Clan. It is also the beginning of the Hyuga Clan's conflicts. Even if the Root this time, as long as someone breaks the Caged Bird in the future, the Hyuga Clan will face the same situation again."

"I am so glad! Do you know that?" At this moment, the Great Elder looked around at everyone, and two lines of tears streamed down his cloudy eyes. "I have spent countless days and nights in fear and worry. If the Caged Bird were to disappear one day, what would become of the Hyuga Clan!"

"Rivers of blood! Countless times I've awoke from nightmares to find the Hyuga Compound stained with blood!"

"So I am thankful! The nightmare has finally arrived, but the rivers of blood have not yet flowed!" The Great Elder looked at everyone and said in a hoarse, deep voice, "You must remember! Now that the Caged Bird has disappeared, the feud between the Main Family and the Branch Family must end in your generation! Never pass it on to the next generation. I do not want to see the final decline of the Hyuga Clan at the hands of our own people."

"The Main Family Branch Family! They are all our Hyuga brothers and sisters, flesh and blood!"

Seeing the Great Elder still worrying about the future of the Hyuga Clan, Hyuga Hiashi showed a sorrowful expression and stepped forward to support the Great Elder, saying, "Great Elder, rest assured, I will definitely revitalize the Hyuga Clan in the future and will never repeat the same mistakes."

Looking at the young clan leader, Hyuga Hiashi, the Great Elder smiled, but then looked at everyone with worry in his eyes. It was clear that there was still hatred in the Main Family, and they hated the Branch Family for causing the clan's decline.

"You all need to remember this! The Hyuga Clan's division wasn't caused by the Branch Family splitting up, but Shimura Danzō that old scoundrel Shimura Danzo's scheming against our Hyuga Clan! You hate the Branch Family? Then how many Hyuga Clan will be left if war breaks out? If any of you still hate the Branch Family in the future, then you will be a sinner against the Hyuga Clan! Only by becoming strong and revitalizing the Hyuga Clan can we succeed. Your target is Shimura Danzō! You are the ones who plot against Hyuga from behind!"

The Great Elder's grief-stricken roar echoed within the house, clearly audible to all the family disciples outside. His voice was filled with a deep-seated hatred.

"Master! Hizashi Hyuga is here!"

"What!" Just then, someone reported with a grim and worried expression, causing everyone to gasp in surprise. At the same time, anger rose in the eyes of countless people, because it was the Branch Family that led to this situation.

"Shut up!"

At this moment, the seemingly deflated Great Elder weakly roared at everyone. After the tiger's lingering power intimidated everyone, he weakly raised his hand towards the Outer Path, "The Hizashi was invited by me! Summon him! Summon the Hizashi in!"

Ta-da~

In the oppressive and somber atmosphere, a figure slowly appeared in everyone's sight. Under countless gazes, there was hatred, anger, frustration, and helplessness. Under the gaze of various complex expressions, Hizashi Hyuga calmly and slowly walked into the house.

"Greetings, Great Elder!"

Approaching him, Hizashi Hyuga sincerely bowed deeply, while the Great Elder, frail on his bed and leaning on the armrest for support, showed no anger under the incredulous gazes of everyone; instead, he smiled.

"Hizashi, you've arrived. Hehe, alright, come here."

With a weak voice, Hizashi Hyuga respectfully approached, appearing on either side of the Great Elder alongside Hiashi.

"Hehe, this matter of Hizashi is not your fault. If it were me, I'm afraid I wouldn't have handled it as well as you. Although you've left the Hyuga Branch Family, you're still part of the Hyuga clan. Don't tarnish the reputation of the Hyuga Clan in the future."

At this moment, the Great Elder resembled a kind old man, and with a weak smile, he held Hizashi's hand and placed it together with Hiashi's.

"Hiashi! Hizashi! Before the separation of the Main Family and the Branch Family, I hope you will remember that you are still blood relatives. I hope that the hatred between the Main Family and the Branch Family can end in your generation."

Under the Great Elder's expectant gaze, Hizashi Hyuga and Hiashi were moved, and they both nodded solemnly in the end.

"Hehe, very well. Although the Hyuga Clan split under my rule, we are still one family."

With a hoarse smile, the Hyuga Clan's Great Elder slowly took out a scroll from his robes and, trembling, handed it to Hizashi in front of everyone. "Hizashi, I am not qualified to judge the rights and wrongs of the Main Family and the Branch Family. This is a secret technique of the Main Family's Gentle Fist. Today, I will pass it on to your Branch Family. I hope you will remember that the blood of the Hyuga flows in our veins, and you must never disgrace the Hyuga Clan."

"Great Elder!"

They tolerated the fact that the Great Elder chose not to cause trouble with the Branch Family, but when they saw that the Main Family's secret scrolls had been handed over to the Branch Family, some members of the Main Family were filled with disbelief and looked at the scene angrily.

The Great Elder, however, ignored their anger. He turned around and took out his token of authority from his Great Elder, placing it in Hiashi's hand. He said in a hoarse and weak voice, "Hiashi, I've left you with a mess. From now Hyuga, the Hyuga clan is in your hands. I'm handing over my authority as the Great Elder to the clan head. I hope the clan head will revitalize the Hyuga!"

Although the Hyuga Clan has many elders, among the elders with real power, only this old man can shake the position of the clan head. As a result, when he was handed over to Hyuga Hiashi, the Hyuga Clan will truly be under Hiashi's control from now on.

"Great Elder!"

Hizashi Hyuga held the scroll in his hand, tears welling up in his eyes. After setting aside their hatred, they were indeed connected by blood.

A mournful cry echoed throughout the Hyuga Clan.

The Great Elder, the Hyuga Tiger, has finally passed away, his illustrious life coming to an end. Although his life was not perfect in the end, he had done everything he could.

The Great Elder, who leaned on Hyuga Hiashi's shoulder and closed his eyes, may have had regrets in his final moments, but Hyuga Hiashi's face was filled with shock.

In his final moments, the Great Elder whispered something in his ear.

"You did a good job not to have internal conflicts with the Hyuga clan. Remember! Never attack the Branch Family before you have absolute strength."

It's clear that this Aged Tiger isn't as magnanimous as one might imagine. If he could eliminate the Branch Family without causing serious damage, he would certainly act ruthlessly. However, because taking action would result in mutual destruction, he chose to endure, and he also forced the future Hyuga to do the same.

The day the Main Family rises to power will be the day the Branch Family are destroyed!

Before his death, this Aged Tiger took the blame for the Hyuga Split upon himself, and at the same time did his best to transfer the hatred of the Main Family to Shimura Danzō. Perhaps it was not a perfect ending, but it was a way of bringing his life to a close.

Hizashi Hyuga left amidst the cannibalistic gazes of countless Main Family, carrying away the scroll of the Gentle Fist technique.

The Hokage Building.

"The Hyuga Clan's Great Elder has left."

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, gazed out the window towards the distant Hyuga Clan and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.

"He's gone. Another old friend is gone."

A hint of melancholy flashed deep in his eyes, but Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly composed himself, turned to look at the exhausted Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, and sighed, "Thank you for your hard work."

The two of them have been busy with diplomacy with the Land of Lightning Envoy lately. Although it's not about fighting, they're still really busy.

They were old comrades-in-arms, and both shook their heads. Utatane Koharu couldn't help but frown and say, "Danzo has gone too far this time, interfering in the affairs of the Great Clans. The previous coercion by Root to extract ninjas from the major clans had already caused some dissatisfaction, but this time it's really excessive."

Mitokado Homura nodded in agreement upon hearing this, "That's right. If this isn't handled properly, it could lead to an internal war within the Hyuga Clan, and the village might even lose a major clan because of this. Danzo's actions this time were far too dangerous."

Fortunately, Shimura Danzō didn't come, otherwise he would have been incredibly frustrated. It really had nothing to do with him, so why couldn't he clear his name? But he was also frustrated, blaming everything on Orochimaru. On the other hand, Orochimaru, who had received the news and was preparing to return from the border, just smiled disdainfully. He was ready to sever all ties with Konoha, and as for what his disciple had done, he didn't care at all about using his name.

In the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his two friends and nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right. Danzo has gone too far this time. If not handled properly, it will be a major loss for the village. We must give Danzo a good warning this time."

There are only three people in the office now. They are inseparable and have been partners for many years, so they naturally know each other's thoughts.

Utatane Koharu frowned and said in a deep voice, "Danzo may have made mistakes, but let's put that aside for now. Hiruzen, how do you plan to deal with the Hyuga Branch Family?"

"Indeed, the split within the Hyuga Clan is a good thing for the village. After all, such a powerful Great Clans is a force to be reckoned with, but it's also a double-edged sword," Mitokado Homura said objectively.

While Konoha doesn't have many clans, it doesn't have few either. Clans like Ino-Shika-Cho are powerful, but at least they are under the village's control. However, there are two clans within the village that are practically above all other clans, and even above Konoha's rules.

These two clans are the Uchiha and Hyuga, essentially villages within villages. Konoha has its own rules, but when you return to the clan territories of these two clans, you must abide by their own clan rules, even if you are an outsider.

Even with the extremely high status of these two clans, some ninjas who made mistakes were interrogated according to their own clan rules, rather than Konoha's rules.

"Although Danzo went too far, it must be said that the Hyuga Branch Family is a very good weapon. It not only weakened the Hyuga Clan, but also became an eye, and even a sharp blade, planted in the Uchiha Compound."

After exhaling a puff of smoke Hiruzen Sarutobi said these words, and his acquaintances Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu nodded in agreement. Since things had come to this, they might as well use the Branch Family to help them deal with the Uchiha.

"If that's the case, then Danzo will have to suffer." Utatane Koharu blurted out these words in the blink of an eye. They were all doing this for the sake of the village. Hiruzen Sarutobi Hokage Hat and said quietly, "Yes, since the Branch Family has accepted Root's orders to be stationed on Uchiha Compound, then Danzo will have to suffer."

It's obvious that Danzo is going to take the blame again. They're determined to keep the Hyuga branch Hyuga Branch Family on Uchiha Compound, so someone has to take the fall, and naturally, Danzo is the one they've chosen.