The Trend of the Times

"Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms?"

Since the Hyuga Clan had let Neji go, he had been living with Siming in the Senju Clan. Officially, he had joined the Anbu, but in reality, he followed Siming as a free agent to learn.

Uchiha Siming stroked his chin, waiting for a moment.

[Ding! The disciple wants to improve—how could you let him down? Please have Lord Hashirama negotiate with the Hyuga Clan, make them understand that the Main Family and Branch Family are one whole, that the Branch Family is not a tool in the Main Family's hands, but blood-bound kin!]

[Quest: Teach Hyuga Neji the Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!]

[Quest Reward: Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!]

Uchiha Siming broke into a brilliant smile.

"Don't worry, Neji. Leave it to me!"

Holy shit!

Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi exchanged a glance, catching the sheer disbelief in each other's eyes.

No way?

He can even teach this?

If memory served, the Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms was currently only mastered by the Hyuga Main Family. What was Uchiha Siming going to use to teach it?

But before they could figure it out, they saw Uchiha Siming continue: "Still, Neji, I don't think the Eight Trigrams Palm is necessarily the best fit for the Hyuga Clan. You have the Byakugan with its extreme range."

"Instead of being an offensive ninja, have you ever thought about becoming a long-range assassin?"

He rubbed his chin, offering the suggestion.

He'd take the system reward as it came.

But with the Byakugan's long-range power and locking ability, it was practically a hawk's eye—and one with X-ray vision at that. If he shifted to long-range assassination, it would undoubtedly suit the Byakugan better.

Just like Kaguya Otsutsuki locking on with her Byakugan and using All-Killing Ash Bones.

"Long-range assassination?"

Hyuga Neji paused, lost in thought.

"Of course, that doesn't mean you should abandon the Eight Trigrams Palm. You can do both. After all, the Eight Trigrams Palm requires precise control, so long-range assassination won't interfere with your training."

Siming gave his advice.

In the end, it was Neji's decision.

Neji's eyes flickered, and he nodded firmly: "I understand, teacher. I'll think it over carefully."

Just then.

A sharp sound of air being cut rang out!

"Siming, big brother, this is bad!"

Itachi's figure appeared in an instant. Even though he always presented himself as calm, there was an undeniable panic in his eyes now: "The Hyuga Clan, together with the Yamanaka Clan and the Aburame Clan, are pressuring our Uchiha Clan in the Hokage's office!"

"The Hyuga Clan is because you, big brother, broke into their clan grounds before and disrupted their Clan Tournament."

"As for the Yamanaka Clan and the Aburame Clan, it's because their ninja dogs traced the last place Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Toru's scents disappeared... to our Uchiha Clan!"

In an instant.

Uchiha Siming understood the whole story.

The Yamanaka and Aburame Clans were after the disappearance of Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Toru.

The Hyuga Clan was just stirring the pot because they had a grudge against him.

Asuma, Kurenai, and Hyuga Neji's expressions shifted.

Three clans ganging up on them?

In Konoha's hundred-plus years since its founding, such a thing had never happened. A flicker of worry rose in their hearts.

"Teacher, it's all my fault. If it weren't for me..."

Hyuga Neji hung his head in dejection.

Before he could finish, Uchiha Siming waved a hand to cut him off and let out a scoff: "So what? Do they have proof that our Uchiha Clan did it? I could just as easily say Shimura Danzō stole our Uchiha Clan's Sharingan."

"Huh?"

The group was stunned.

What did Shimura Danzō have to do with this?

"Don't worry."

Uchiha Siming stood up, unconcerned: "The real players haven't shown up yet. These are just small fry. We don't need to worry about the Yamanaka and Aburame Clans. On Konoha's chessboard, the Ino-Shika-Cho can't dictate the game."

"Come on, let's go take a look first."

With that.

Their figures moved like two shadows, melting into the forest in the blink of an eye, vanishing without a trace.

Hokage Building.

Office.

Hyuga Hiashi, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Aburame Shibi sat in the Hokage's office in silence. The once-spacious room now felt cramped, the light dimmed as if weighed down by the tension.

"So, all three of you are lodging complaints against the Uchiha Clan?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, asking calmly.

"That's right, Lord Hokage!"

Before the other two could speak, Hyuga Hiashi seized the initiative, his voice urgent: "Uchiha Siming, a member of the Uchiha Clan, trespassed into the Hyuga Clan and even disrupted our Clan Tournament!"

"If this matter goes unresolved, how can the authority of our great clans be upheld?"

"Lord Hokage, since the founding of Konoha, the First Hokage declared that everyone in the village is family. But likewise, even the Hokage must respect the autonomy of each clan!"

"The Uchiha Clan's actions now are breaking the rules set by the First Hokage!"

He spoke too quickly.

Yamanaka Inoichi and Aburame Shibi barely had time to react, a flicker of surprise in their eyes.

Hyuga Hiashi's expression remained calm, carrying an air of lofty indifference.

At this point, aside from the Uchiha and Sarutobi Clans, no other clan in Konoha was worth the Hyuga Clan's regard.

"Heh."

A clear, mocking laugh rang out. Uchiha Siming, Uchiha Itachi, and Uchiha Fugaku appeared in the Hokage's office in an instant, the already dim light growing even more oppressive.

"The Hyuga Clan's authority?"

Uchiha Fugaku let out a cold sneer.

"Since when do the defeated have dignity?"

At those words, Hyuga Hiashi's face shifted. Yamanaka Inoichi and Aburame Shibi watched the scene unfold, understanding dawning in their eyes as they turned their gazes toward the handsome, composed Uchiha Siming.

They had heard rumors about the conflict between the Uchiha and Hyuga Clans.

But hearing it now confirmed that Uchiha Siming's defeat of Hyuga Hiashi was no fabrication.

"Uchiha Fugaku! Don't push too far!"

Hyuga Hiashi's expression turned as cold as ice:

"Konoha is not your Uchiha Clan's private property. If you break the village's rules, the Uchiha will pay the price. And furthermore, your clan is suspected of murdering Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Toru!"

"Lord Hokage, I urge you to investigate!"

As he spoke.

He shifted the focus back onto the Yamanaka and Aburame Clans.

Yamanaka Inoichi and Aburame Shibi exchanged a glance, silently cursing Hyuga Hiashi for being a sly old fox.

"The Hyuga Clan Head speaks the truth."

Yamanaka Inoichi had golden hair and blue eyes, his cheeks slightly sunken. Yet his broad face kept him from looking gaunt or sinister, instead lending him a rugged resolve. His voice was low and steady.

"Please, Uchiha Clan Head, provide a reasonable explanation."

"The Ninja Dogs have confirmed that the scents of Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Toru last vanished within Uchiha territory. If you cannot give us a satisfactory answer, then we ask Lord Hokage to authorize a full investigation of the Uchiha Clan."

His tone was calm.

But carried an unyielding determination.

In an instant, the cards were on the table!

Uchiha Fugaku's expression shifted, his breath catching. The evidence Yamanaka Inoichi presented was impossible to sidestep. Facing a top-tier intelligence ninja, even he found it difficult to parry the verbal assault!