I Don't Care

"A life for a life is a reasonable demand." Nukai scanned the crowd unhurriedly, as if victory were already in his grasp. "Why must everyone be so agitated?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's silence only made the Kumogakure delegation more smug, the smiles on their faces growing increasingly pronounced.

Hiashi Hyuga merely watched the Third Hokage. Even though this concerned his own life and the very foundation of the entire Hyuga Clan, he said nothing, choosing only to wait.

Just then, a crisp, furious voice rang out, shattering the suffocating silence.

"Enough!"

Tsunade stepped past Sarutobi Hiruzen and walked up to Nukai, her amber eyes burning with intense rage.

"You pieces of trash, you are truly shameless to the extreme!"

"What kind of bullshit peace treaty is this? To put it plainly, you're just trying to loot a burning house! What do you think Konoha is? A soft persimmon you can squeeze however you like?!"

Nukai's expression shifted; he had not expected anyone to tear off the mask so directly.

The listeners took note, as her words seemed to insult another "soft persimmon" as well.

"Last time it was the Uzumaki bloodline, this time it's the Byakugan. You bunch of bandits really are incorrigible! I'm telling you, go back and tell your Raikage: what exactly does your Kumogakure think it is?"

The faces of the Kumogakure delegation turned ugly. Nukai could not afford to back down; otherwise, would his companion's death not have been in vain?

"Lady Tsunade, we only want an explanation... Can you bear the consequences of war?"

"Bear them?" Tsunade sneered. "What a grand display of arrogance. Don't try to scare me here. The consequences of war are equal for all. You should go back and ask your Raikage if he can bear them."

Nukai gritted his teeth and said, "Lady Tsunade, I am asking you."

Tsunade raised a hand to cover her mouth, a faint "pfft" sound seemingly escaping through her fingers.

"I can give you the answer right now: I don't care."

"I alone can represent Konoha, and I can represent the Land of Fire. But you—can you represent the Raikage, represent Kumogakure, and represent the Land of Lightning to tell me that you don't care either?"

An invisible pressure radiated from her, making it difficult for the Kumogakure delegation to breathe. This was not the work of chakra, but the sheer weight of her words.

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a complex mix of emotions. If he continued to hesitate now that things had reached this point, Konoha's prestige would be wiped out, and he, as Hokage, would lose the trust of everyone.

He took a step forward, standing before them all, and in this moment, he found a trace of his younger self.

Sarutobi Hiruzen mourned briefly in his heart before saying, "People of Kumogakure, Konoha cannot agree to your demands. The ones who should be showing sincerity and proving they have no intention of inciting war... are you!"

In an instant, Nukai's face turned deathly pale.

They had never anticipated this situation. According to the intelligence Lord Raikage had received, Konoha was at its weakest: the Sannin had left the village, the Fourth Hokage had sacrificed himself, and the village had just endured the Nine-Tails Incident. They should never have dared to start a war.

Yet, Tsunade, who should not have been here, had suddenly appeared and taken such a hardline stance, and even the Third Hokage was...

This... this wasn't right... Things were not supposed to be like this!

Cold sweat began to bead on Nukai's forehead. If Konoha truly still had the strength to fight, then Kumogakure's plan had failed completely. Worse, if they returned empty-handed, no matter how righteous Lord Raikage was, there would be no good outcome for them.

Just as the Kumogakure delegation found themselves in a dilemma, something even more desperate occurred.

As the "involved party," Hiashi Hyuga was the first to step forward and declare his stance: "Lord Hokage, Lady Tsunade, no matter what, the Hyuga Clan is willing to fight to the death for Konoha! The Hyuga are a part of Konoha, and any enemy who dares to offend the village must be prepared to pay the price!"

Nara Shikaku followed immediately: "The Ino-Shika-Cho are the same."

Fugaku Uchiha would not let such a golden opportunity pass: "The Uchiha are also a part of Konoha. If Kumogakure wants to fight, our Uchiha Clan is willing to charge to the front!"

One after another, the various clans of Konoha expressed their stance, regardless of size. Their voices left the Kumogakure delegation nearly suffocated.

Nukai's face grew increasingly unsightly. He looked around, his panic intensifying.

He was not Tsunade; he could not say things like "I can represent the Raikage's attitude and represent Kumogakure."

Nukai managed to force a smile: "Since Konoha's stance is so firm, we have nothing more to say. However, I hope Konoha does not regret today's decision. We will return now to report to Lord Raikage."

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out," Tsunade said coldly. "Remember to relay my words to your Raikage exactly as I said them."

The Kumogakure delegation left in disgrace under the watchful eyes of the crowd, after which Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered the Anbu to follow them, ensuring they were escorted all the way out of Konoha.

Once the Kumogakure delegation had completely departed, Hiashi Hyuga walked up to Tsunade and bowed deeply.

"Lady Tsunade, thank you for speaking up for the Hyuga Clan."

"I wasn't speaking up for you," Tsunade waved her hand. "The Hyuga are a part of Konoha, and I am a ninja of Konoha. That is all."

That is all.

Hiashi Hyuga's expression was complex, and Fugaku Uchiha felt much the same.

Perhaps only Tsunade, as a member of the Senju Clan, could say such things, but... the Senju Clan had disappeared because of it. Was this... truly worth it?

In a corner not far away, two small figures were celebrating their victory.

Kiyonari Hyuga and Hinata Hyuga stood together; they had remained quietly in the corner, witnessing the entire process.

When the Kumogakure delegation left, Hinata excitedly reached out her palm and high-fived Kiyonari.

"Yay!"

But even in her joy, a hint of worry remained hidden in Hinata's eyes.

She knew this was only the first stage of victory. Although the threat from Kumogakure was temporarily resolved, another enemy was waiting for her: the pedantic members of the Hyuga main branch.

Although Konoha was currently free of conflict under the leadership of Lady Tsunade, as long as the threat of war from Kumogakure remained, those people would never let Uncle Hizashi go.

Hinata gazed at Kiyonari's profile, secretly clenching her fist until it looked like a round little bun.

Kiyonari noticed the change in Hinata's expression and asked with concern, "Hinata, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Hinata shook her head; this time, she did not intend to drag Kiyonari into this.

This was an internal dispute within the Hyuga Clan, and the one who should step forward was herself, the heir to the Main Branch!