Will You Accept Being a Dog, Hiashi? (Please Read On)

Will You Accept Being a Dog, Hiashi? (Please Read On)

"But if this is how it goes, then once we fail, all our previous efforts will have been wasted. He's planning to make the Uchiha clan and Konoha completely irreconcilable!"

Although Itachi's opinion of Bai Ye had improved somewhat after their last conversation,

facing the current situation, he still did not truly agree with Bai Ye's approach.

At the very least, the Uchiha clan should not be pushed into complete opposition against Konoha.

By now, everyone in Konoha knew that Bai Ye intended to reclaim the land that had originally stood at the very center of Konoha. But all that land had already been divided up among the other clans.

Moreover, rumors had spread that the Elder Council had agreed, on the condition that Ino-Shika-Cho and the Hyuga clan returned the land. Only then would it all be given back.

But the Hyuga clan would never return it, so the entire village was waiting to see one side make a fool of itself.

Most people, however, were waiting to see the Uchiha clan become a laughingstock. Guided by public opinion, and with the Uchiha clan's own arrogance, plenty of people naturally hoped to see them fall flat on their faces.

"Do you have a better solution? Back then, no matter how hard we tried, the clansmen simply wouldn't accept it."

Shisui finally understood it now. He had tried every possible method back then, yet in the eyes of the clansmen, he was a traitor who was completely unacceptable.

But Bai Ye's current suicidal approach would drag the entire clan into Hell if it failed.

Yet the clansmen happened to respond to this. Clearly, they had been suppressed for far too long. There was simply no way they would follow the path Itachi and Shisui had designed for them.

If they would, then they would not be members of the Uchiha clan!

"Let's see what Bai Ye does. Don't forget, Bai Ye is the clan head!"

Shisui's gaze flickered, and in the end, he chose to suppress his own thoughts for the time being.

Unless absolutely necessary, he would not use the ocular technique Kotoamatsukami.

He had always believed this technique could change the Uchiha clan's circumstances. But using Kotoamatsukami on Bai Ye now would already be useless.

The news had spread throughout Konoha. Making Bai Ye stop now would instead turn the Uchiha clan into Konoha's laughingstock. So he could not stop Bai Ye from acting. To keep the Uchiha clan from becoming a joke, he might even have to stake his own Kotoamatsukami in the end?

Shisui was different from Itachi. He was kindhearted, but not extreme. He did not want anything to happen to the Uchiha clan either.

"Then let's wait and see."

Itachi had no other solution either. He could only watch to see how Bai Ye would handle this.

Meanwhile, within the Hyuga clan,

after learning the full story, the Main House was holding a meeting. Hiashi Hyuga stood surrounded by a group of elders. Some looked calm, while others were agitated. Some even wanted to see the Uchiha clan make fools of themselves.

The Uchiha clan actually wanted the Hyuga clan to return the land? How could that possibly happen?

"Hiashi, you know what to do, right?"

Seeing Hiashi's expression, the elders quickly asked.

"I do. But isn't that land rather useless to us?"

"Even if it's useless, we cannot return it to the Uchiha clan!"

An elder blew his beard and glared as he spoke. They could choose not to use the land, but that did not mean they would give it to the Uchiha clan just because the Uchiha clan asked for it.

The Hyuga clan had originally lived in this area, and after the reconstruction following the disaster, they naturally remained here. Konoha had simply also granted them some land that had originally belonged to the Uchiha clan.

With the mindset that there was no reason to refuse free land, the Hyuga clan took it all over. But because that land lay on the outskirts of the Hyuga clan's territory, hardly anyone lived there.

So it had been left abandoned all this time. But that did not mean they would return it to the Uchiha clan. More importantly, the two clans had always competed over which was the number one ocular technique clan.

"Of course, if they want the land, then they must acknowledge that the Hyuga clan is the number one ocular technique clan!"

This was perfect. They could use that as their reason. Once the Uchiha clan admitted it, they would lose face. Even if the Hyuga clan returned the land afterward, they would not lose any dignity.

"Hiashi, what do you plan to do?"

The elders looked to Hiashi. As for how exactly to handle this matter, they still had to see what he decided.

After all, he was still the Hyuga clan head.

"We won't return it, and we don't need them to acknowledge anything. Since it belongs to the Hyuga clan now, there's naturally no reason to return it to the Uchiha clan. So many years have passed. They say they want it, and we Hyuga have to give it to them?"

Hiashi shook his head. He would not agree to this demand. Although he knew Konoha's higher-ups were using him as a weapon this time, it concerned the Hyuga clan's dignity. He would not hand it over.

"That's right! We absolutely won't give it up!"

They still needed the Uchiha clan's acknowledgment?

Wouldn't failing to take it back prove everything?

The other elders had also made up their minds. No matter what, they would never give it back.

"Clan Head, Uchiha Byakuya has arrived. Do you wish to see him?"

Outside the door, a member of the Hyuga Branch House hurried into the meeting room to report Bai Ye's arrival.

"No. That brat wants to see us, and we have to see him?"

One white-bearded elder blew his beard and glared, thinking that they should leave him waiting for a while first.

Bai Ye was the one begging them now. Leaving him outside would let him know who held the upper hand. Given the Uchiha clan's current situation, Bai Ye surely would not dare offend the Hyuga clan further.

"My apologies for arriving uninvited."

"You bastard, how did you get in?!"

Looking at Bai Ye as he walked in from around the corner, the Three Tomoe spinning in his eyes, the Hyuga elders immediately had a bad feeling.

They quickly stood and looked behind them. Every Hyuga clansman had been controlled by Bai Ye's genjutsu.

This...?!

His Sharingan was actually this powerful?

Although the Hyuga clan was not highly skilled in genjutsu, they had their own methods for resisting it. Yet Bai Ye had controlled all of them with his Sharingan.

If he attacked, did that mean only a handful of people in the entire Hyuga clan could defeat him?

Was this the Sharingan?

But it was not as if they had never fought members of the Uchiha clan before. Why was his Sharingan different from the others'?

"Of course I walked in. Clan Head Hiashi, are you interested in having a proper talk?"

Without any hesitation, Bai Ye found a seat and sat down, then looked at Hiashi.

"With that attitude, do you think the Hyuga clan will cooperate with you?"

"Huh? Cooperation has always been nothing more than an exchange of interests. Since you intended to put me in my place earlier, why are you getting anxious now that I broke through it?"

Before coming here, Bai Ye had already known that the Hyuga clan would never let him in.

So he might as well control them directly with genjutsu. After his Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyo, even when using Three Tomoe, its ocular power was far stronger than before.

"Bai Ye, what exactly do you mean?"

Hiashi stared at Bai Ye with a dark expression. He did not understand. Bai Ye should not have been this reckless.

If he wanted to reclaim the land, provoking him would only make the situation harder to salvage.

So why had Bai Ye chosen to act this way?

"Clan Head Hiashi, I already said it. We need to have a proper discussion about the land beneath our feet. I trust you've heard the rumors in Konoha as well?"

"This is now the Hyuga clan's land, so there is no question of returning it or not. Go back."

Hiashi stated his position directly.

Now that the land had fallen into his hands, there was no way he would hand it over to Bai Ye.

If he returned it to Bai Ye, Hiashi did not even know how the village would talk about the Hyuga clan afterward. Afraid of the Uchiha?

"The Uchiha clan and the Hyuga clan have reached the point where if one falls, the other cannot survive. Yet Clan Head Hiashi still has the mind to fight internal battles with the Uchiha clan!"

As Bai Ye spoke, he looked at the controlled Hyuga Branch House member beside him. "Go pour me a cup of tea."

"Yes!"

Watching this scene, veins bulged on Hiashi's forehead. He glared at Bai Ye, his Byakugan already activated as he prepared to strike at any moment.

He truly could not tolerate Bai Ye's utterly brazen attitude. Was this the Uchiha clan's territory or the Hyuga clan's?

"What do you mean?"

Hiashi forced himself to calm down. "Don't forget, the ones being targeted right now are not us, but your Uchiha clan. Are you planning to offend us as well?"

"Of course, we're the ones being targeted now. Konoha is targeting us. Once we fall, who will be next? The Hyuga clan has an entire ninja force that obeys no orders and listens only to the Main House. Do you think Konoha can rest easy with your existence?"

Although in the original story, the Hyuga clan never had many problems.

But the Hyuga clan did not know that. Naturally, he could use this to frighten Hiashi.

"Don't forget, when Cloud Ninja kidnapped your daughter, you only killed their ninja. To appease Kumogakure's fury and avoid a war with them, they wanted to hand you over. When all is said and done, you were one of those who could be sacrificed. Konoha has now become the Elder Council's plaything. Do you think that after we fall, they won't target you? Think of Hizashi, who died for you!"

After saying that, Bai Ye spoke no more, instead leaving Hiashi time to think.

No matter how much he said, it was better for Hiashi to think it through himself. Besides, he was not wrong. Bai Ye did not believe Hiashi held no resentment over what Konoha had done back then.

Glancing at Hiashi's constantly shifting expression, Bai Ye calmly drank his tea.

After a while, Hiashi raised his head and looked at Bai Ye. "What exactly do you want?"

He was no longer in a hurry to drive Bai Ye away. How could he not hate them?

Even now, Neji still hated him. But had he wanted to hand Hizashi Hyuga over?

Back then, he had not even understood why Konoha had compromised on the matter.

"I think we are not enemies. We can even be allies. After the Uchiha fall, the Hyuga clan will naturally be the next target. Unless you are willing to be the Hokage's dogs like Ino-Shika-Cho, I don't see how that can be avoided.

"And don't forget, Danzo has always been looking for members of other bloodline clans to join Root. Danzo once researched bloodlines with Orochimaru. When all is said and done, isn't the Hyuga clan afraid of its bloodline leaking out?"

Among all of Konoha, the Hyuga clan feared bloodline leakage the most.

"What can we gain?"

Hiashi looked at Bai Ye, already having an idea in his heart. Trading land they barely needed for the Uchiha clan to stand at the front and bear the pressure did seem rather worthwhile.

Hearing that, a faint smile appeared on Bai Ye's lips. It seemed they were nearly there.

From an omniscient perspective, based on the story, the Hyuga clan would be fine afterward. But Hiashi did not know that. He was worried that Konoha might act against them later. There was precedent for it—the earlier sacrifice of Hizashi Hyuga to Kumogakure was a perfect example.

Right now, Hiashi did not dare gamble. If they dared do this to the Uchiha clan, the Hyuga clan might inevitably face the same fate.

In fact, after the Uchiha clan was exterminated, although the Third Hokage and the others had not directly participated,

the destruction of the Uchiha clan made Konoha's other clans much more obedient. At that point, Hiruzen Sarutobi's control over Konoha reached its peak.

"What you can gain is us, the Uchiha clan, bearing the pressure for you. You can only pray that we do not fall, or you will be next."

"Would Konoha not fear being targeted by the other ninja villages?"

One elder asked unwillingly. Though he did not want to agree with Bai Ye, what Bai Ye said was indeed correct.

But he also believed Konoha would not dare go that far.

After all, doing so would definitely weaken Konoha's strength afterward.

"They can still weaken you, can't they?"

"..."

"Clan Head Hiashi, this land is of no use to you at all. Return it to us instead, and we can stop Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others from becoming so arrogant. Over the years, how many resources have the Sarutobi clan and the Shimura clan swallowed because of their positions?

"Those things never belonged to them in the first place. And the Hokage has held the position for so many years. I think it's about time for someone relatively more fair to take over."

He wanted to replace the Hokage?!

Hiashi abruptly raised his head and stared at Bai Ye.

He understood!

Now, he understood everything!

He finally knew what Bai Ye wanted to do!

He wanted Hiruzen Sarutobi removed from office. Everything he had done now suddenly made sense.

But was he overlooking one problem?

"Do you have the strength for that?"

Hiashi raised his Byakugan and looked at him. But in the next second, where Bai Ye's back faced everyone else and only Hiashi could see, the Three Tomoe transformed into a bizarre pattern. Upon seeing it, Hiashi stared at Bai Ye in shock, unable to say a word for a long moment.