The Differences Between the Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan

"Idiots!"

Shinichi Hyuga cursed under his breath. No wonder the Uchiha Clan was destined for annihilation.

To be handled so easily—did Fugaku Uchiha truly naively believe that having Uchiha Clan ninjas join the Anbu would serve as a bridge between the two sides?

He was practically handing a blade to the Third Hokage and his cohorts!

In the future, the Uchiha Clan would perish by the very blade Fugaku Uchiha had handed over.

The sycophants within the Uchiha Clan were likely not limited to just one or two individuals.

The mocking smile on Shinichi Hyuga's lips was not hidden in the slightest.

His expression struck Fugaku Uchiha like a thorn piercing his heart.

A dangerous glint appeared in the eyes of the Third Hokage. He had no intention of letting Shinichi Hyuga off; now that his momentum had built up, he wanted to press his advantage during the meeting.

He intended to completely sweep away the destabilizing elements of Konoha.

"Shinichi Hyuga, the recent performance of the Hyuga Clan has been poor. We doubt whether you can be a qualified leader. You need to reflect on yourself properly."

The Third Hokage's weathered, tan face was brimming with high spirits. The siege against the Uchiha Clan had restored the aura of authority he possessed in his younger years.

The Third Hokage's sudden attack plunged the entire conference room back into a tense atmosphere.

Within this tension, many questions began to stir.

Suppressing the Uchiha Clan together was something they had discussed before the meeting, but taking action against the Hyuga Clan was something that had not been communicated beforehand.

The Uchiha Clan was arrogant and overbearing, and their actions conflicted with the interests of many other clans.

For instance, regarding their economic sources, they occupied a quarter of the shops and land within Konoha, making them competitors with other clans in every industry.

Because they handed over the Great Fireball Technique, Majestic Destroyer Flame, and a series of other unique Uchiha Clan fire-style ninjutsu, they had even received special permission from the Second Hokage to pay fewer taxes.

[A Great Clan is a family that possesses a certain degree of autonomy. The extent of this autonomy is determined by what the family contributes.]

This privilege left some competitors feeling unbalanced.

Competition was acceptable, but competing against everyone—and doing so unfairly—had caused the Uchiha Clan to incur public wrath without even realizing it.

These were all traps laid by the Second Hokage throughout his life, which was why so many clans were responding to the call at this meeting.

During this time, Shinichi Hyuga had been studying the various clans of Konoha, which had given him new insights.

He couldn't help but sigh; the Second Hokage was truly a genius!

And the Third Hokage was merely a mediocre man picking up the scraps of others.

Unlike the Uchiha Clan, the Hyuga Clan was overly law-abiding and self-restrained.

Despite being one of the three great ocular jutsu clans, they kept to their own small corner.

They had contributed so much to Konoha, and the sacrifices made by every Branch Family of the Hyuga Clan in every war were an existence that could not be ignored.

Yet, their so-called reward was nothing more than a bit of empty fame.

It was only recently, since Shinichi Hyuga became the clan head, that they had started to become active.

However, this activity involved cooperating with various clans, even going so far as to spread news that they might allow their Kekkei Genkai to flow outside the clan.

Several clans with close ties had already begun cooperating with the Hyuga Clan.

They were even preparing for intermarriage.

The only thing people criticized was that Shinichi Hyuga's position as clan head was not obtained through legitimate means.

But that had nothing to do with these other clans.

It was an internal matter for the Hyuga Clan.

Only a few clans with close ties to the Third Hokage felt uneasy.

They had likely guessed why the Third Hokage was so hostile toward Shinichi Hyuga.

The Third Hokage's resignation this time, while appearing to be a retirement, was actually paving the way for his son, Shinnosuke Sarutobi.

Shinnosuke Sarutobi was now the head of the Anbu, which was the best possible credential; the next step would be to logically become a candidate for Hokage.

Once a vacancy for Hokage appeared, he could step in to fill it.

The prerequisite was that all the clans supported him.

The Third Hokage was imitating the Second Hokage, intending to select the people who would assist his son.

The Ino-Shika-Cho Clan went without saying; they had always been firm supporters of the Sarutobi Clan and were a major power!

Then there was the Aburame Clan—Shibi Aburame, and the Inuzuka Clan—Hana Inuzuka.

Most importantly, the Hyuga Clan—Hyuga Hiashi.

The heads of these six major clans held significant weight in Konoha.

If they all became members of his son's task force, combined with the influence he had left behind, Shinnosuke Sarutobi would undoubtedly be the next Hokage.

It was just a pity that man proposes, but heaven disposes.

Later, Shinnosuke Sarutobi was accidentally killed in battle against Kumogakure.

This intelligence was somewhat vague; Shinichi Hyuga had deduced it based on Konohamaru's age, as the only major war during that period was the conflict with Kumogakure.

Afterward, the plan was shelved.

Third Hokage turned his sights toward the next generation.

The position of Hokage was to be shifted to Asuma Sarutobi!

The members of Asuma Sarutobi's squad were Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, and Ino Yamanaka, whose fathers were the current heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clan.

Meanwhile, the members of the squad led by Kurenai Yuhi, the woman Asuma Sarutobi secretly loved, were Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and Hinata Hyuga.

With the support of these six major families, along with the Sarutobi Clan itself and their partners, the probability of Asuma Sarutobi ascending to the position of Hokage was ninety-nine percent.

There still remained a one percent chance of an accident.

A series of plans regarding Third Hokage surfaced in Shinichi Hyuga's mind.

Shinichi Hyuga never believed in coincidences.

Are you going to tell me Third Hokage didn't have such intentions?

Impossible; his own grandson was named Konohamaru! That was the ship of Konoha, the hope of Konoha!

Likewise, he did not believe that the consecutive deaths of two of Third Hokage's sons were coincidences either.

Even if the death of Shinnosuke Sarutobi was a coincidence, the death of Asuma Sarutobi was certainly not.

The death of Asuma Sarutobi was merely to pave the way for Naruto Uzumaki.

Furthermore, having been taught by Second Hokage, it was no surprise that Third Hokage's schemes were seen through by others.

They would not secretly interfere with Third Hokage's plans or strike at his sons, but at critical moments, failing to save them was a distinct possibility.

Shinichi Hyuga's gaze was sharp as a hawk's as he swept across the people attending the meeting one by one.

From their expressions, it was easy to determine their attitudes toward him.

Third Hokage and the three elders of the Council of Elders showed no fear of him and were prepared to launch an assault.

As for the other families, even loyal supporters of the Sarutobi Clan like the Ino-Shika-Cho Clan did not immediately show a willingness to act as the vanguard.

They merely stood vaguely behind Third Hokage, creating a sense of pressure.

The heads of the other families avoided Shinichi Hyuga's gaze entirely; they had no desire to participate in such a factional struggle.

They all maintained an attitude of indifference, keeping to themselves.

What surprised Shinichi Hyuga were Minato Namikaze and Fugaku Uchiha.

Minato Namikaze wore a grave expression, clearly having made up his mind, and stood with Third Hokage to exert pressure on him.

He had been completely hoodwinked by Third Hokage!

He believed that the current rise in casualties among Konoha ninja was because the Hyuga Clan was not pulling its weight.

What a laughable notion!

Fugaku Uchiha, on the other hand, was full of schadenfreude, eager to see Shinichi Hyuga make a fool of himself.

He also held a poor impression of Shinichi Hyuga, as the way Shinichi Hyuga had usurped power had created greater instability among the noble clans.

The Uchiha Clan, a family obsessed with internal strife, was seeing the bloodline of madness reawaken.

Some were already secretly gathering strength, preparing to challenge Fugaku Uchiha.

Just a moment ago, Shinichi Hyuga had been watching his misfortune.

Now, it was his turn to watch Shinichi Hyuga's.