The Hokage Building was brightly lit.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu sat quietly on the sofa in the Hokage's office. Neither said a word, as if they had dozed off. But the moment the office door was quietly pushed open, both looked up, eyes wide, and stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen as he entered.
"Sarutobi, did something go wrong?"
Utatane Koharu asked.
They had known each other for decades. Ordinary people might not have been able to read the emotions on Sarutobi Hiruzen's increasingly aged face, but they could tell he was dispirited and in a poor mood.
"The operation failed!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed and wearily scratched his head.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a glance.
Mitokado Homura turned to Namikaze Minato, who had entered with Sarutobi Hiruzen, and asked, "Minato, what exactly happened? And where's Danzo? Where did he go?"
"Minato, you explain. Let me catch my breath. Getting old really is tiring."
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat down in his chair, picked up his pipe, and began packing it with tobacco, evidently preparing to smoke and relax.
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Minato answered, then turned to the two Hokage Advisors. After thinking for a couple of seconds, he said, "Hyuga Daichi acted recklessly and struck without permission, giving Hyuga Ritsu the chance to rally the Branch House members. Hyuga Ritsu seized the opportunity and killed Hyuga Daichi, then took down Hyuga Hisho and his son, Hyuga Daisho..."
"You didn't stop him?"
Mitokado Homura interrupted, frowning.
"I tried."
"Then why couldn't you stop him?"
Mitokado Homura asked in surprise.
Even he knew how fearsome the Yellow Flash's reputation was. Sarutobi had privately remarked that Minato's abilities surpassed his own—but in Mitokado Homura's view, Sarutobi meant the Third as he was now, aged and past his prime, not the Shinobi Hero who had once dominated the battlefield!
In any case,
there was no reason Minato should have failed after stepping in.
Minato gave a wry smile. Mitokado Homura had certainly placed a lot of faith in him. He said helplessly, "Hyuga Ritsu isn't weak. The Hyuga Clan's first genius didn't earn that reputation through hype. I tried twice and got nowhere. He still managed to kill Hyuga Hisho and his son, Hyuga Daisho."
After speaking,
he glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen, unsure whether he should mention Shikotsumyaku.
"So you couldn't stop him twice, Minato? It seems we underestimated Hyuga Ritsu... What happened next? After Hyuga Ritsu killed those useless members of the Main House, what happened? Was Hyuga Hiashi killed too?"
Mitokado Homura didn't press for details about how Hyuga Ritsu had managed to thwart Minato. Instead, he continued asking about what had happened afterward.
"Hyuga Hiashi is still alive—at least, he was when we left. Hyuga Ritsu stopped as soon as he killed Hyuga Hisho and his son, Hyuga Daisho. The Hyuga Clan's Jonin and Special Jonin also gathered around him. It was clear that the Hyuga Clan's shinobi held him in high regard."
"After that..."
"After that, Danzo and Hyuga Ritsu got into an argument."
Sarutobi Hiruzen took over, puffing on his pipe. "Danzo was furious and nearly broke with Hyuga Ritsu completely. I intervened, so Danzo left in a huff."
"Then why did you stop Danzo, Sarutobi? We agreed that the ringleader had to be eliminated," Utatane Koharu asked.
"But eliminating the ringleader was based on the assumption that Hyuga Ritsu couldn't truly win the Hyuga Clan's support. Killing him wouldn't cause much upheaval in the clan. But Minato just said the Hyuga Clan's Jonin and Special Jonin are devoted to him. Under these circumstances, continuing to kill Hyuga Ritsu would be tantamount to going to war with the Hyuga Clan. I absolutely won't allow that to happen!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen declared, exhaling gray-white smoke.
At his words, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu both frowned. Maintaining stability within the Hyuga Clan was indeed vital. Unlike the volatile Uchiha Clan, the Hyuga Clan was a crucial pillar of the village's strength.
What's more, the Hyuga Clan's overall power had long surpassed the Uchiha Clan's. Their numbers and the number of Jonin were vastly greater. It was only that the Hyuga Clan had rarely produced top-tier fighters, leaving them overshadowed by the Uchiha Clan, which had produced one such expert in nearly every generation.
Come to think of it...
When you really considered it,
the Main House and Branch House system was what held the Hyuga Clan back. The Main House was small, and most of its members were spoiled, while the Branch House members were not only bound by the Caged Bird Seal but were also taught an abridged version of the Gentle Fist: the Thirty-Two Palms. Under those conditions, anyone who could become a top-tier fighter would have to be a monster among monsters!
More precisely, they had already produced such a monster.
Hyuga Ritsu was that monster.
He had blocked Namikaze Minato's attacks twice while killing Hyuga Hisho and Hyuga Daisho, leaving Minato unable to stop him. That was already the skill of a top-tier fighter.
In short, the village couldn't afford the cost of going to war with the Hyuga Clan. Even if the village had the strength to wipe out the clan, what then? The village would be severely weakened. How would it deal with the Mist Ninja harassing it incessantly from the east? How would it defend itself against the Kumo Ninja in the northeast, who hadn't given up and were still itching for a fight?
"If we set a precedent for insubordination, who knows how many ambitious people will follow suit in the future?"
Mitokado Homura sighed.
"We just have to choose the lesser of two evils. The Hyuga Clan absolutely cannot be allowed to descend into chaos."
"Then what do we tell the public? Something this serious happened in the Hyuga Clan. We need an explanation!"
"We'll say that the Hyuga Clan's Main House was tyrannical and cruel, and abused its own people. The village couldn't stand by and watch, so it helped the Hyuga Clan's Branch House overthrow the Main House's rule... Polish that up, then announce it to the public!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen fully adopted the explanation Hyuga Ritsu had offered earlier.
After speaking,
he looked at Minato, his tone warm. "Minato, thanks for your hard work today! Go home and get some rest."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Minato agreed without a word of false modesty and left using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
About five or six seconds later,
hurried footsteps sounded outside. The office door was flung open, and Shimura Danzō strode inside. The moment he entered, he said sharply, "Sarutobi, that naturally evil brat, Hyuga Ritsu, can't be allowed to live! He's a ticking time bomb. We have to find a way to eliminate him!"
"I know."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and said gently, "But we can't act openly. His death must seem entirely reasonable, with no connection to the village whatsoever. He said he was going to the eastern battlefield to reclaim the Byakugan stolen by the Mist Ninja. So he'd better die at their hands!"
Shimura Danzō turned and headed back out as soon as he heard that, leaving only one remark behind: "I'll take care of it!"
On the sofa,
the two Advisors' furrowed brows relaxed. Sarutobi and Danzo were still as in sync as ever, and just as reassuring.
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