Overestimating Himself

Hyuga Hiashi looked down at Uchiha Izuna and couldn't help rolling his eyes at him. "Uchiha Izuna, I've underestimated you. You really do have some tricks up your sleeve!"

"What are you talking about, Clan Head Hiashi? I don't understand. Please explain." Uchiha Izuna raised an eyebrow, looking completely innocent.

Hyuga Hiashi's mouth twitched. You don't understand? You understand better than anyone! He'd better stop chatting with him. The way he pretended not to understand was enough to give him a heart attack!

"I'll support what you want to do with everything I've got, but—" Hyuga Hiashi changed tack. At that "but," Uchiha Izuna's gaze sharpened, and he stared intently at Hyuga Hiashi.

Everyone knew that what came before the "but" was usually nonsense. The words after it were what mattered.

"But the Uchiha and Hyuga clans alone won't be enough. Both clans have considerable influence in Konoha, great strength, and extensive connections. But if you're after that position, you'll need the support of capable officials and scholars."

"So, before making a move, I hope you can win over the Nara Clan. If they agree to get involved, Konoha won't descend into chaos after the coup."

As Hyuga Hiashi spoke, his eyes settled on Uchiha Izuna.

Uchiha Izuna didn't reply. Instead, he fell into thought. It wasn't that he hadn't considered this; he just had no way to reach them. The Uchiha Clan had been away from the center of power for too long.

Aside from the Kurama Clan, there were probably few clans willing to associate with them now—let alone the Nara Clan, the clan in Konoha that best understood how to stay out of trouble!

Hyuga Hiashi understood Uchiha Izuna's concerns. "Tonight, I'll host the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans. Whether you can persuade them is up to you."

"If you can, my Hyuga Clan will lend the Uchiha Clan a hand when the time comes, and help you obtain everything you want." A trace of hatred flashed in Hyuga Hiashi's eyes.

It was hatred for Sarutobi Hiruzen. His own younger brother had been abandoned like a pawn by Sarutobi Hiruzen, and his body had been sent to Kumogakure, leaving him without a proper burial.

That was a deep grudge!

The reason Hyuga Hiashi had suggested that Uchiha Izuna contact the Nara Clan was simply that he hoped Konoha wouldn't fall into chaos after the coup, and that the people could be quickly reassured.

There was one other thing Hyuga Hiashi had lied about: even if Uchiha Izuna failed to win over the Nara Clan that evening, the Hyuga Clan would still join forces with the Uchiha Clan in rebellion.

Hyuga Hiashi had waited too long for this moment. If he hadn't been isolated and without support, he would've taken his men to storm the Sarutobi Compound long ago! Hizashi's death would always be a thorn in his heart!

After hearing Hyuga Hiashi's conditions, Uchiha Izuna's brow relaxed. "All right. In that case, please make the arrangements, Clan Head Hiashi. We need to get some sleep and recover our strength before meeting the three clan heads tonight."

Hyuga Hiashi nodded. Uchiha Izuna might have been only ten, but he was steady and strong. Most importantly, he was young, with a drive to advance. That mattered.

Unlike Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was old now and had lost his ambition. He let Danzo act as his dirty-work man and kept making blunder after blunder. Did he really think nobody knew that he and Danzo had driven Hatake Sakumo to his death?

They only kept quiet because of their power and strength.

Hatake Sakumo had been an exceptionally powerful man, upright and undefeated in battle. Yet Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others had ruined him with rumors, until he couldn't take the pressure and killed himself!

Afterward, Sarutobi Hiruzen had the nerve to call Hatake Sakumo a hero of the village!

Without his tacit approval, how could those rumors ever have spread?

The worst part was that people had even said Hatake Sakumo had already worn half the Hokage Haori, earning him the title "Hokage Half-Sleeve."

Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't even be bothered to think it through. The rumors were obviously a ploy by enemy spies to sow discord. Didn't Sarutobi Hiruzen know that? Of course he did.

But once suspicion took root, it grew and flourished.

Looking back at Hatake Sakumo's career, from his debut to his death, his only failure had been the time Shimura Danzo had set him up. Before that, his mission success rate had been 100 percent!

On top of that, he'd been in his prime, and his strength had already matched Sarutobi Hiruzen's.

Hyuga Hiashi froze. Why am I thinking about all this? But when he thought of Hatake Sakumo, pity flashed in his eyes. Hatake Sakumo's son, Hatake Kakashi, was still working for the enemy.

If Hatake Kakashi learned that his father's death had been caused by Sarutobi Hiruzen's indulgence and Shimura Danzo's scheming, would he go mad?

Uchiha Izuna and the other two were shown to a guest room with three large beds.

After showing them the room, the servant left.

Uchiha Izuna chose the bed at the back and sat down, then called to the other two. "Shisui, Itachi, come over a moment. About tonight, here's what I'm thinking..."

Uchiha Itachi's pupils contracted. "W-would that really work? Izuna, you're not joking, are you?" He couldn't believe Uchiha Izuna had come up with such a plan!

Uchiha Shisui frowned too. "Isn't that going too far? What if it fails and they hold a grudge against us..."

"It won't, it won't. Don't worry. Smart people will know what to do." Uchiha Izuna smiled.

He looked toward the door, seeming eager for night to fall. Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi weren't sleepy, so they took out their kunai and started sparring at the Hyuga training ground.

Uchiha Izuna, meanwhile, slept soundly on the bed as he waited for night to come.

Hyuga training ground

The Hyuga Clan's ninjas stopped what they were doing and gathered around Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui. Watching them fight—fists landing hard and every blade striking with force—left them fired up!

Some even started cheering. "Nice hit! That slash was awesome, bro!"

"Kick his leg! His leg! Hey, yeah! Look, you've turned the whole fight around!"

The crowd was enthusiastically discussing the fight when the Hyuga Clan's Great Elder suddenly arrived at the training ground.

The atmosphere immediately turned quiet. Most people at the training ground belonged to the Branch Family, since the Main Family didn't need to fight. They only had to stay home and make babies or go out shopping.

The Branch Family ninjas handled all the missions, so the training ground had naturally become their territory.

Still, there were always some shameless old men who weren't very strong themselves but came to the training ground to throw their weight around.

Uchiha Itachi and Shisui exchanged a glance and stopped at the same time. A few young Hyuga women came over with towels. The two accepted them and thanked them.

Several of the young Hyuga women blushed and said it was nothing.

The Great Elder suddenly approached them at the training ground. "You two must be the clan head's guests, right? Heh. I have a grandson about your age. I wonder if I could ask you to spar with him?"

The Hyuga Branch Family ninjas froze, then looked on with scorn. With that good-for-nothing's skills, how could he compare to these two powerhouses?

These two were at least as strong as elite Jonin, and the kind of all-round fighters who had trained in ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, and kenjutsu. Your grandson's only a Chunin. Isn't he just asking for a beating?