Hyuga Hiashi's Hatred

Kurenai and Anko hurriedly got dressed, preparing to leave and go home.

Seeing the two red stains left on the white bedsheet, they tore it apart and each took half.

After they had left,

Senya changed the bedding, lay down, and savored the memories of the night. Including his previous life, it had been more than fifty years since he'd properly gotten any bedtime exercise. He hadn't expected to stay up all night after all these years. What a sin.

He lay in bed and rested, replenishing his strength.

The sun began to sink slowly toward the west.

Senya sat up in bed, made himself a simple meal, and was eating in the living room.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Another bout of knocking. He raised a hand and smacked his forehead.

"No way, again? They looked like they could barely walk..."

He opened the door. White eyes greeted him.

It was someone from the Hyuga Clan. Wait, what did the Hyuga Clan want with him?

"Vice Clan Head Senya, this is a letter from our clan head. He invites you to the Hyuga Clan tonight to discuss some matters."

Senya took the letter the other person handed him, and they turned and left.

Looking at their expressionless face, as cold as a machine, Senya would have suspected they were a Root shinobi if not for those distinctive Byakugan.

It seemed the conflict between the Hyuga Clan's Main Family and Branch Family had grown even worse since Hizashi Hyuga's death.

He returned to the living room and sat down, opening the letter sent by Hiashi Hyuga as he ate.

"Vice Clan Head Senya, the Uchiha Clan and Hyuga Clan are both among Konoha's two great dōjutsu clans. There are important matters to discuss tonight. Please be sure to join us for a meal."

That was the entire message, simple and brief.

But Senya immediately understood what Hiashi Hyuga was trying to convey.

At dusk, Senya arrived at the Hyuga Clan's compound wearing a dark blue kimono embroidered with the Uchiha Gunbai on the back.

Senya didn't want to wear something that made him look old, but when he brought it up with Fugaku, Fugaku said that Senya represented the Uchiha Clan at tonight's meeting and had to dress formally. So he had Mikoto Uchiha bring out one of his own kimonos and foist it on Senya.

Senya tried every way he could to refuse, but Uchiha Fugaku stood firm. In the end, Senya had no choice but to agree.

A maid from Hiashi Hyuga's household had been waiting at the entrance to the compound for Senya. When she spotted a handsome young man in a kimono bearing the Uchiha crest, she didn't at first think he could be the Uchiha Clan's vice clan head. He looked far too young.

But when she saw Senya stop there, she realized that the Uchiha Clan's vice clan head really was this young man, who looked barely of age.

She hurried over and bowed.

"Vice Clan Head Senya, I'm Satsuki Hyuga, a maid in the clan head's household. Please follow me."

Following the girl, Senya recalled the expression on her face.

Unlike the nameless messenger who had been expressionless, Satsuki Hyuga seemed much more lively, more like a real person. He couldn't help shaking his head.

He felt a pang of emotion. So these were Konoha's two great dōjutsu clans. They had slowly given so much for the village. The Uchiha had been suppressed by the village and fought back, while the Hyuga had been suppressed and simply submitted, worsening the situation between the Main Family and Branch Family. It was truly ridiculous.

The Will of Fire had once been something more, but now it had become a tool of Third Hiruzen Sarutobi's rule...

In the clan head's residence, Hiashi Hyuga sat by the tea table, waiting for his guest.

"Clan Head, the Uchiha Clan's vice clan head has arrived, as invited."

Satsuki Hyuga bowed, poured the tea, then withdrew.

"I wonder why the Hyuga Clan's head has openly invited me, the Uchiha vice clan head, to visit. Aren't you worried about arousing suspicion from the Konoha High Command?"

After hearing Senya's words, Hiashi Hyuga gave a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.

"The Uchiha Clan still has the courage to resist the village's leadership, but our Hyuga Clan has already compromised with them."

Senya was a little surprised. That didn't make sense. It had been several years since the Konoha High Command forced Hizashi Hyuga to kill himself. Aside from the Cloud Village delegation causing trouble, the Hyuga Clan didn't seem to have had any problems in all those years.

Hiashi Hyuga's words made Senya suspicious. Could Hiruzen and Danzo have made a move against the Hyuga Clan too?

"Shisui Uchiha of the Uchiha Clan jumped into a river and killed himself half a month ago. If nothing unexpected happened, Danzo was behind it."

Senya understood that Hiashi Hyuga was sharing this information to draw the two clans closer. Then it clicked. That old scoundrel Danzo really wasn't behaving...

"It's a shame about Shisui Uchiha's death, but you shouldn't make unfounded accusations, Clan Head Hyuga."

Senya smiled at Hiashi Hyuga, his expression one of cordial concern.

Hiashi Hyuga froze, then understood.

"Vice Clan Head Senya, you don't need to be so wary. The Hyuga Clan has a barrier that blocks observation. The Third's Telescope Technique can't see in here. The ridiculous thing is, the Third only agreed to this barrier ninjutsu shortly before my younger brother died, all to protect the Hyuga Clan."

At that, Hiashi could no longer contain his grief. He pounded the tea table, venting his self-loathing as he remembered those days. He had been forced to watch helplessly as his younger brother died in his place. He hated his own weakness, his clan's weakness, and even more, the incompetence of Hiruzen Sarutobi, that useless Hokage!

Looking at Hiashi Hyuga, Senya was reminded of Shisui Uchiha. It was a shame he hadn't awakened the Mangekyo back then; with the power he had at the time, he couldn't have opposed the Konoha High Command. As things stood now, Senya could only look after himself.

Still, visiting the Hyuga Clan at their invitation had been part of his plans for the future. But now, it seemed that some of Danzo's underhanded actions had forced those plans to move up.

Hiashi Hyuga calmed down and reined in his emotions, then told Senya what had happened in the Hyuga Clan the previous night.

"Danzo came to our Hyuga Clan compound in person last night with Root shinobi. He wanted to take my daughter, Hinata! He said he wanted to bring her back to Root and train her. Danzo used an order from the Third to pressure us. In the end, after the elders discussed it, my younger brother's child, Neji, was taken away instead. I couldn't stand by and let Root take my own daughter. I'm sorry, Hizashi!"

Hiashi, who had only just calmed down, broke down again. Unable to contain his grief and fury, he wept, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes.

Seeing Hiashi on the verge of collapse, Senya began to think. It seemed the changes he had made to Konoha had caused a butterfly effect. Still, it was precisely because of this foolish act by Danzo that the Uchiha and Hyuga would be able to unite more closely.

"Senya, if the Uchiha Clan launches a coup, I'll lead my clan to join you, as the head of the Hyuga Clan. The village has changed. It's rotten and greedy, and the people in charge are pushing us toward a coup!"

When he heard Hiashi say this, Senya was stunned. Good grief, Hiashi Hyuga, you really do save the best for last! Danzo, you old scoundrel, you're something else! You've even driven an honest man like Hiashi this far...