"Fool!"
Shinichi Hyuga cursed under his breath. No wonder the Uchiha Clan would be wiped out.
They'd been dealt with so easily. Did Fugaku Uchiha really naively believe that having Uchiha Clan shinobi join the Anbu would build a bridge between the two sides?
He was handing a weapon to the Third and the others!
In the future, the Uchiha Clan would die by the very weapon Fugaku Uchiha had handed over.
Perhaps there were more members of the Uchiha Clan's Dog Faction than just one or two.
The mocking smile at the corner of Shinichi Hyuga's mouth was completely undisguised.
To Fugaku Uchiha, that smile was like a thorn digging into his heart.
A dangerous smile appeared in the Third's eyes. He had no intention of letting Shinichi Hyuga off. Now that he had the momentum, he wanted to press his advantage at the meeting.
He would completely eliminate Konoha's destabilizing elements.
"Shinichi Hyuga, the Hyuga Clan's recent performance has been poor. We have doubts about whether you can be a capable leader. You need to reflect on this carefully."
The Third's ruddy old face was brimming with confidence. His campaign against the Uchiha Clan had restored the authority he'd wielded in his younger days.
The Third's sudden attack plunged the entire conference room back into a tense atmosphere.
And mixed in with that tension was plenty of confusion.
They'd agreed before the meeting to put pressure on the Uchiha Clan together. But turning against the Hyuga Clan hadn't been discussed in advance.
The Uchiha Clan was domineering, and its actions clashed with the interests of many other clans.
Take their economic interests, for example. They controlled a quarter of Konoha Village's shops and land, and competed with other clans in every industry.
In exchange for handing over the Great Fireball Technique, Majestic Destroyer Flame, and other Fire Release Ninjutsu unique to the Uchiha Clan, they'd also received special permission from the Second to pay lower taxes.
[A powerful clan possesses a certain degree of autonomy. The extent of that autonomy depends on what the clan contributes.]
This privilege had left some of their competitors feeling resentful.
Competition was one thing, but competing with everyone while enjoying an unfair advantage was another. The Uchiha Clan had made enemies of everyone, yet remained oblivious to it.
These were all traps the Second had laid over the course of his life. That was why so many clans were rallying together at this meeting.
Over the past while, Shinichi Hyuga had studied Konoha's various clans, and it had given him a new perspective.
He couldn't help but marvel. The Second really was a genius!
The Third, by contrast, was a mediocre man who merely repeated others' ideas.
Unlike the Uchiha Clan, the Hyuga Clan had been far too submissive.
Though they were one of the Three Great Dojutsu Clans, they'd stayed on their own little patch of land.
The Hyuga Clan had given so much to Konoha. The contributions of every member of the Branch Family in every war had been impossible to overlook.
And what had they received in return? A little empty praise.
It was only recently, after Shinichi Hyuga became clan head, that the Hyuga Clan had started to take an active role.
But their new activity meant working with other clans, even letting it be known that they were willing to share their Kekkei Genkai with outsiders.
Several clans with close ties to them had already partnered with the Hyuga Clan.
They were even preparing for marriages between their families.
The only point people could criticize was that Shinichi Hyuga had become clan head through illegitimate means.
But that had nothing to do with the other clans.
It was an internal matter for the Hyuga Clan.
Only a few clans with close ties to the Third felt uneasy.
They might already have guessed why the Third was so hostile toward Shinichi Hyuga.
The Third's retirement looked like a withdrawal from public life, but everything he did was actually meant to pave the way for his son, Shinnosuke Sarutobi.
Shinnosuke Sarutobi was now the head of the Anbu. That was the perfect qualification for him to become a Hokage candidate next.
Once the Hokage Position became vacant, he'd be able to step in.
That is, if all the clans supported him.
Like the Second, the Third planned to choose his son's aides himself.
The Ino-Shika-Cho Clan went without saying. They'd always been staunch supporters of the Sarutobi Clan, and they were a major clan!
Then there was the Aburame Clan—Shibi Aburame—and the Inuzuka Clan—Hana Inuzuka.
And most important of all, the Hyuga Clan—Hiashi Hyuga.
The heads of these six clans all held considerable influence in Konoha.
If they all became members of his son's mission team, then with the influence he'd leave behind, Shinnosuke Sarutobi would certainly become the next Hokage.
Unfortunately, the best-laid plans often went awry.
Later, Shinnosuke Sarutobi would be killed by accident in a battle against Kumogakure.
The details of this information were vague. Shinichi Hyuga had worked it out from Konohamaru's age; the only major war around that time had been the one against Kumogakure.
After that, the plan was shelved.
The Third turned his attention to the next generation.
The Hokage Position would go to Asuma Sarutobi instead!
Asuma Sarutobi's teammates were Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, and Ino Yamanaka. Their fathers were the current heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clan.
Meanwhile, the teammates of Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi's secret crush, were Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and Hinata Hyuga.
With the support of these six clans, along with the Sarutobi Clan and its partners, Asuma Sarutobi had a ninety-nine percent chance of becoming Hokage.
There was still that one percent chance of something going wrong.
A string of plans involving the Third appeared in Shinichi Hyuga's mind.
Shinichi Hyuga had never believed in coincidences.
Did anyone really think the Third didn't have those ambitions?
Impossible. His grandson was even named Konohamaru! He was the village's ship, the hope of Konoha!
He also didn't believe it was a coincidence that the Third had lost two sons in a row.
Even if Shinnosuke Sarutobi's death had been an accident, Asuma Sarutobi's death wasn't.
Asuma Sarutobi had died simply to clear the way for Naruto Uzumaki.
The Third had been taught by the Second, too. It was no surprise that someone had seen through his schemes.
They wouldn't secretly sabotage the Third's plans or target his sons, but when it mattered, there was a chance they'd stand by and do nothing.
Shinichi Hyuga's eyes swept over the people attending the meeting, sharp as a hawk's.
From their expressions, it was easy to tell how they felt about him.
The Third and the three elders of the Council of Elders weren't afraid of him at all. They were ready to charge straight at him.
The other clans—even the Ino-Shika-Cho Clan, loyal supporters of the Sarutobi Clan—weren't immediately volunteering to lead the charge.
They only stood subtly behind the Third, creating a sense of pressure.
The heads of the other clans avoided Shinichi Hyuga's gaze. They didn't want to get involved in choosing sides.
They all acted as though it had nothing to do with them, preferring to stay out of it.
What surprised Shinichi Hyuga were Minato Namikaze and Fugaku Uchiha.
Minato Namikaze wore a grave expression. He had clearly made up his mind, and he stood with the Third, adding to the pressure on Shinichi.
The Third had completely fooled him!
He believed that the Hyuga Clan's failure to contribute was why Konoha's shinobi were suffering more casualties.
What a ridiculous idea!
Fugaku Uchiha, meanwhile, wore a gleeful expression, eager to see Shinichi Hyuga make a fool of himself.
He had a poor impression of Shinichi Hyuga, too. The way Shinichi had seized power had made the great clans even more unstable.
The Uchiha Clan was a family prone to infighting, and the blood of madness was stirring again.
Some of its members had already begun secretly gathering strength, preparing to challenge Fugaku Uchiha.
Just moments ago, Shinichi Hyuga had been laughing at him.
Now it was his turn to laugh at Shinichi Hyuga.
Before you continue