The cold morning wind swept a few dead leaves into spirals before Konoha's towering wooden gates. The solemn departure procession, gathered for the peace talks, was shattered by a burst of jarringly discordant clamor.
Hyuga Nichirin, pinned to the ground by two Anbu agents like iron pincers, writhed awkwardly.
The Anbu Ninja's restraining technique was exceedingly professional. A cold Kunai pressed tightly against his carotid artery, leaving him afraid to struggle too violently. Yet his ordinarily pampered face had turned the color of liver from fury and humiliation.
"Let me go. Lord Hokage, I refuse to accept this."
He did not struggle, but his mouth was far from idle. He raised his voice and cried out his grievance in an almost shrill tone.
"One of our Hyuga Clan members died, one of our Main Family's elites! Why are we the ones being seized like criminals? Is there no justice left? No rules left in Konoha?"
Hyuga Nichirin's voice was especially grating in front of the open gates. The moment he spoke, the gazes of the major shinobi clan representatives, civilian Ninja, and accompanying Anbu, who had merely been quietly seeing the group off, became subtle.
Low murmurs began to spread through the crowd. The Clan Heads of several great clans, including the Nara Clan, Akimichi Clan, and Yamanaka, exchanged glances, each seeing a trace of doubt and wariness in the others' eyes.
The relationships among shinobi clans were deeply intertwined. As one of Konoha's foremost noble clans, the Hyuga Clan's plight could easily stir a sense of shared dread among the other shinobi clans.
Though they feared Tobirama Senju's authority, if the Hokage truly favored Uchiha Ao without reason, even suppressing the Hyuga Main Family for Uchiha Ao's sake, it would undoubtedly touch the bottom line of every shinobi clan.