The Third's gaze swept over the faces of his clansmen. Years of experience told him that these people weren't as impartial as Shinnosuke Sarutobi had claimed.
Whenever they carried out missions, all kinds of things interfered with their judgment.
Personal ties, self-interest—even he, the Hokage, couldn't avoid them. How could these people?
"Damn Shinichi Hyuga!"
The Third cursed inwardly.
He should have retired with honor and pulled the strings behind the scenes, controlling all of Konoha. Now Shinichi Hyuga had ruined everything.
He had even driven a wedge between him and Minato Namikaze.
"Clan Head, isn't fifty million ryō a little too much? The clan is in the middle of another expansion, and things may get a little tight."
The Great Elder of the Sarutobi Clan had sweat beading across his face. Clenching his fists, he asked tentatively.
His usual job was to coordinate the Sarutobi Clan's development.
That money had already been allocated, and Sarutobi Hiruzen had approved the plans. Redirecting it now would cause problems.
The Great Elder's words drew the attention of every Sarutobi clansman.
He spoke for what many of them were thinking. In their eyes, that money was rightfully theirs.
And now they had to give it up for people who were already dead?
How could they accept that?
"Expansion? Put it on hold! We'll have to scale back this time." Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled bitterly, recalling the map Shinichi Hyuga had shown them.
The map showed that the Sarutobi Clan's influence already covered a quarter of Konoha.
In his eyes, the map was inaccurate.
But to the other ninja clans, the Sarutobi Clan had become too dangerous.
It had infiltrated every corner of Konoha and controlled its supplies.
After a series of mergers and acquisitions, the clan owned as many shops as the Uchiha Clan.
Weapons for ninja, tools for civilians,
and institutions like the Konoha Ninja Academy and Konoha Hospital, which held little formal power but wielded considerable influence.
The Sarutobi Clan had its hand in all of them.
The Sarutobi Clan was the real thief of Konoha.
Those had once been the things Sarutobi Hiruzen was most proud of. Through them, he could influence public opinion.
Now that Shinichi Hyuga had laid everything bare, the other ninja clans wouldn't let the Sarutobi Clan continue controlling Konoha's supplies.
They wouldn't stand by while one clan held Konoha's very survival in its hands. Konoha belonged to everyone, not just the Sarutobi Clan.
They would unite and steadily weaken his influence.
"Then... should I lead the Anbu and take Shinichi Hyuga into custody?" Shinnosuke Sarutobi's expression darkened. It all started with that bastard, Shinichi Hyuga.
He remembered the Hyuga Clan meeting. His father had sent him to take Shinichi Hyuga into custody,
but Orochimaru had stopped him. It had been the perfect opportunity, and he'd backed down!
"It's too late for that. Once he became head of the Hyuga Clan, those methods stopped working!
"One last time, have every civilian with ties to us publicly condemn Shinichi Hyuga. Tell them that because of his actions, the Daimyo cut Konoha's funding by five hundred million ryō. Send people to his door and put pressure on him."
The Third gripped his pipe without realizing it, cracking its handle in his hand.
Even now, he still wanted to use his old methods to pressure Shinichi Hyuga.
"You, get in touch with your old comrades. Make sure they stay on our side. Go!"
The Third put his pipe away, hiding how shaken he was.
The once-mighty Shinobi Hero could only rage helplessly.
After everyone had left, he took out a list and began making notes, planning the investigation into the mission records.
His brow furrowed tighter and tighter, the wrinkles on his face bunching together.
The clan heads of the various families across the Ninja World returned home.
The first thing they did was look for the original map from when Konoha was founded.
The two maps Shinichi Hyuga had shown them that day had taken root in their minds. They couldn't get them out of their heads.
Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju had been thoughtful, at least.
When Konoha was founded, to commemorate the moment, they had included a map of the village. They had also
listed every clan in detail. Fifty-seven ninja clans had joined Konoha, settling in some of the richest land in the Ninja World.
By now, Konoha had grown ever more powerful.
Whenever they opened that map, they couldn't help but feel uneasy.
They didn't have a map of Konoha as it stood now, but the village had already taken shape in their minds.
They began comparing it with their memories of Konoha's history.
"Extinction!"
Shinichi Hyuga's words echoed in their minds.
Twenty-three ninja clans had been wiped out. The Senju Clan had declined and voluntarily merged into Konoha.
The downfall of those clans had created a monster.
A monster even more terrifying than the Uchiha Clan, one that controlled every corner of Konoha.
From ninja promotions to food, drink, and every other aspect of daily life.
They no longer revered the Third as they once had.
One by one, they began thinking about an audit of the records of wartime accomplishments.
The Hyuga Clan's training ground.
The young members of the Hyuga Clan had gathered together, each handling a bow and arrows. Archery would be a required part of their training from now on.
They would apply the Byakugan's penetrating vision to weapons used in battle.
Some of them still didn't take it seriously, convinced that ninjutsu was what really mattered.
But Shinichi Hyuga was about to teach them a lesson.
Shinichi Hyuga stood on the demonstration platform.
He held a bow, with a quiver of twelve arrows on his back.
He straightened his body and planted his feet firmly, aiming at a human-shaped target at the edge of the training ground, five hundred paces away.
Kunai and Shuriken, the ninja's usual concealed weapons, couldn't inflict much damage.
He nocked an arrow and drew the bow.
This time, he relied solely on the strength of his body.
He felt as though he and the bow in his hands had become one.
Whoosh~
Whoosh~
Whoosh~
He fired in quick succession.
Three arrows struck the target in the head, throat, and heart.
Then chakra gathered in his body. He fired another arrow, which pierced straight through the target.
The arrow buried itself in the ground, leaving only a hole behind.
He lowered the bow and fiddled with it a few times.
"It's a little too light! Have the craftsmen keep working on bows with a longer range. Also, go to the Land of Artisans and find out how far they've gotten with firearms."
Shinichi Hyuga turned to the Third Elder and said.
The Hyuga Clan's future lay in long-range attacks.
Now that he had Usopp's talent, his marksmanship and hands-on skills were exceptional.
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