A Clan Above the Village...

Konoha was founded as a ninja village on the strength of the Senju and Uchiha clans.

Later, many other clans joined, including the Sarutobi, Shimura, Hyuga, Ino-Shika-Cho, and Aburame, gradually forming the village as it was today.

From the First's time through the Third Hokage's administration, Konoha continued to grow stronger.

By the time Naruto Uzumaki graduated, more than 12,607 ninjas were registered in the village.

That number didn't include ninjas who had been killed or retired.

In fact, the major clans had long maintained the tradition of not sending all their members to the Ninja Academy, instead training some of their ninjas within the clan.

This practice had existed since the village was founded. Even Senju Tobirama's leading by example and disbanding the Senju Clan back then hadn't managed to change it completely.

Every major clan secretly trained forces loyal to the clan, usually deploying them only in the most desperate circumstances.

Of course, the Shimura Clan had its own, too.

But basically, anyone who met the required standard had been absorbed into Danzo's Root.

And now...

The Hyuga Clan had actually sent out their hidden clan ninjas?

Shimura Danzo's brow furrowed tighter and tighter.

A while ago, the Hyuga Clan had held a celebration, and the Byakugan had been stolen. Sarutobi Hiruzen had even pinned the blame on him. Given the current situation, he could put up with it.

He wouldn't make an issue of it.

But now, what were they plotting in secret?

Wasn't the situation already chaotic enough?

"How strong are they?"

"Reporting to Lord Danzo, it's a four-person squad. Based on our observations, two are Jonin and two are Chunin."

Two Jonin?!

Danzo's eye, which had remained tightly shut, snapped open. A flicker of astonishment crossed it, quickly turning into fierce suspicion and anger.

A single Jonin was enough to hold an important position in the village. In a small ninja village, one could even become its leader.

And Jonin like Orochimaru and Namikaze Minato could sway the course of an entire war.

The fighting on the front lines was raging, yet the Hyuga Clan hadn't sent its clan ninjas to the battlefield. That was one thing. But now they had secretly dispatched Jonin to the Iwagakure war zone?

What exactly were they up to?

Could it be... they were planning to defect?!

"Does Hiruzen know about this?"

"Lord Hokage is unaware."

Terai answered quickly, his expressionless face giving nothing away. "If Lord Danzo hadn't planted informants in the village in advance, no one would have noticed the Hyuga Clan's actions this time."

"No one would have noticed..."

Danzo repeated the words under his breath, a storm of suspicion brewing within him.

Could the theft of the Byakugan, and the failure to catch the culprit, have made the Hyuga Clan resent the village?

No...

A terrible theory began to take shape in Danzo's mind.

The Hyuga Clan wouldn't be so foolish.

Unless...

Unless they were certain the village would lose this war...

Then they would prepare an escape route in advance, sending their clan Jonin to make secret contact with Ōnoki and offer their allegiance.

"A clan above the village..."

Danzo slowly uttered the words, his tone icy.

That was only the information his Root had accidentally intercepted.

If the Hyuga Clan was doing this, what about the other clans?

Could they be thinking the same way?

"Keep every major clan in the village under close surveillance. Don't let the slightest suspicious movement slip by."

"Especially the Hyuga Clan!"

"Yes!"

Terai lowered his head in acknowledgment, then vanished from the Hokage's office in a flash.

Danzo slowly rose and walked to the window.

The streets were much quieter than usual. His gaze swept over the sparse pedestrians and settled on the children playing "ninja" in an empty lot in the distance. For a moment, his expression grew distant.

Once, he and Sarutobi Hiruzen had run around and played just like them, rivals and comrades alike...

"Hiruzen, you're Konoha basking in the sunlight, while I'm the Root buried in darkness..."

"If anyone tries to overthrow the village..."

"Let them try."

Just as his thoughts roiled, a steady knock came from outside the door.

Knock, knock...

"Come in."

"Lord Hokage, Qinglan's squad has returned from its mission and is here to report."

"This is..."

Hyuga Qinglan pushed the door open and instinctively bowed to the figure with his back to the entrance as he began his report. But when the other man turned around, he froze for a moment.

"What? Surprised to see me?"

Danzo turned around, his tone even.

Yet Hyuga Qinglan still detected a faint trace of hostility in his voice.

What was going on?

"No, Lord Danzo."

Hyuga Qinglan was confused, but showed nothing on his face. He gently set the two people he was carrying down on the floor, then bowed.

"These are Cloud Village ninjas my squad captured while escorting the Son of the Daimyo. I've already reported the details to Lord Hokage."

"Is that so?"

Danzo glanced toward the shadows in the office. A shadow shifted almost imperceptibly.

He slowly sat back in the Hokage's chair and fixed his gaze on Hyuga Qinglan. "Then report the full details again."

Seeing Hyuga Qinglan hesitate, Danzo added, "I'm Acting Hokage now. You needn't hesitate."

"Yes... It happened like this..."

Hyuga Qinglan answered in a low voice and smoothly recounted the mission from beginning to end, while his mind raced.

"Danzo seems to be hostile toward me..."

"Or, to be precise, is that hostility directed at the Hyuga Clan?"

What was going on?

If Hyuga Hiashi had grown hostile toward Danzo because he suspected him of killing Hyuga Tianyun, that would have made sense.

After all, Hyuga Tianyun had been killed by Orochimaru using Wind Release: Vacuum Wave, a signature technique of Danzo's.

Hyuga Hiashi might not know whether Orochimaru had done it deliberately, but judging by the result, he had probably assumed Danzo was behind it.

But Danzo being hostile toward the Hyuga Clan in return was baffling.

Could Hyuga Hiashi have been afraid to openly strike at Danzo, but made some moves in secret that had prompted Danzo's current attitude?

Hyuga Qinglan discreetly studied Danzo's expression, while keeping an eye on the presence in the shadows out of the corner of his eye.

If that was the case, it would make sense.

Still, this was good. With the two sides keeping each other in check, he'd find it easier to fish in troubled waters.

"That's what happened, Lord Danzo."

After finishing his report, Hyuga Qinglan stood quietly and waited.

"Good..."

Shimura Danzo studied Hyuga Qinglan for a moment, then took the mission document he handed over, stamped it, and put it away.

"Thanks for your hard work on this mission. Go back and get some rest."

"Yes!"

Hyuga Qinglan glanced at Shaziyi, unconscious on the floor, and Dekai, whose expression was frozen. Then he bowed and left.

"Ryoma, what do you think?"

Only after Hyuga Qinglan had disappeared completely did Danzo speak. "Was he lying?"

"Lord Danzo, the insects tell me Hyuga Qinglan's emotions were very steady. He was surprised for a moment at first, but showed no other changes."

"He didn't seem to be lying."

Aburame Ryoma emerged quietly from the shadows and answered calmly.

"I see..."

Danzo tapped the desk lightly with his fingers, recalling every detail of Qinglan's report.

Leading a squad into an encounter with a Cloud Village team and successfully capturing two of them clearly showed that Hyuga Qinglan had considerable strength and decisiveness.

He was strong enough, and came from the Branch Family... The question was whether he'd ever been oppressed by the Hyuga Main Family.

If so... he might become a useful pawn for keeping watch on the Hyuga Clan from within.

"Take the two Cloud Village prisoners to the Torture and Interrogation Force. Make sure you get every last piece of information from them."

"Also, pull Hyuga Qinglan's full file and bring it to me."

"Yes."

Aburame Ryoma bowed in acknowledgment, then faded back into the shadows.

Danzo sat alone in his chair, gazing out the window toward the Hyuga Clan's compound.

He remained motionless for a long time.