"But this time, things aren't nearly that simple." Li let out a soft sigh, and Hinata frowned upon hearing him. "Think about it. Although Shinnosuke is the Hokage's son in Konoha, neither the Hokage nor Shinnosuke himself ever made a big deal of it publicly. After what happened before, his strength is hardly worth mentioning. Bafeng Riyue's move this time doesn't seem to be entirely due to a personal grudge. Even if it were, without someone above him giving orders, I don't think he'd dare do this. And the person above him must be that old bastard Danzo. But is Danzo really going to tear all pretense apart with the Third Hokage now? I don't think Shinnosuke is his true objective."
"You mean they're after your life?" Hinata's eyes widened abruptly.
"Hmph, these idiots never understand that making themselves stronger is the only eternal path. In the end, schemes like this merely waste their own strength." Li spoke with a hint of mockery on his face.
Hinata slowly nodded. "If that's the case, then your clan must have thought of this as well, right?"
Li gave a hum of acknowledgment. This time, the Third Elder had actually given him a hint. The pass he had given Li beforehand had been meant to tell him to stay away from this place. Everyone's attention was now focused on Li—whether they were people within the clan or outsiders, every one of them wanted to gain something from him, or send him into an abyss of eternal damnation.
The Third Elder's intention had been for Li to leave the clan and hide. Even at this point, Li could leave the village early and create a time gap between himself and the pursuit forces.
But the Great Elder did not think that way. His intentions