Forming a Team to Act

"You bastard, Kawaki Aoba, where is your Byakugan?"

As Kawaki Aoba pushed the door open and entered, the three people in the room all turned their heads toward him. However, the one whose emotions were the most volatile was undoubtedly the Hyuga Second Elder.

The Byakugan's bloodline limit was the exclusive property of the Hyuga Clan. Upon seeing that a pair of eyes that had already been awakened had vanished into thin air, how could the Hyuga Second Elder not be furious?

Looking at Kawaki Aoba, he remained expressionless in the face of the Hyuga Second Elder's aggressive reprimand, speaking with extreme calm: "Byakugan? What Byakugan? I don't understand what you're talking about. Furthermore, this is the office of the Hokage; please do not shout in here.

If you ask why, it is because making a scene here is a sign of disrespect toward the Hokage."

While feigning ignorance, Kawaki Aoba also silently apologized to the yet-to-be-born Aburame Shino: Sorry, I'm going to go ahead and register your speech habit as my own.

"You damned brat, I am the Second Elder of the Hyuga Clan, and I am asking you: where have your eyes gone?" Perhaps realizing the impropriety of the setting, the Hyuga Second Elder reined in his temper, though he still questioned Kawaki Aoba once more.

Kawaki Aoba shook his head: "So you are the Second Elder of the Hyuga Clan. However, even if you ask me such bizarre questions, I wouldn't know the answer. Besides, as far as I know, isn't the Byakugan the bloodline limit of your Hyuga Clan? What does that have to do with an outsider like me? I am just an ordinary Konoha ninja."

Although Shimura Danzo had no good intentions, Kawaki Aoba had to admit that the method the man had provided was extremely effective.

As long as there was no evidence, he could simply deny everything. And as long as he denied it, the fact that the Hyuga Clan had injured and blinded a fellow village ninja without cause would remain an ironclad truth.

That was right—Kawaki Aoba's eyes had been blinded by those two Hyuga ninjas earlier, a fact he and his two companions beside him firmly believed.

Thinking of this, a note of anger crept into Kawaki Aoba's tone: "However, the Hyuga Second Elder has come at the perfect time. I, too, have a matter concerning your clan. Lord Hokage, as a member of Konoha, I would like to request that you seek justice for me from the Hyuga Clan."

As Kawaki Aoba's words fell, even the Hyuga Second Elder's expression froze in astonishment.

Seek justice? What kind of justice could a brat like you possibly seek? The Hyuga Clan reclaiming its own Byakugan was a matter of natural law; even the Hokage could not stop it.

It was a pity that Kawaki Aoba could not hear the Hyuga Second Elder's inner thoughts, or he surely would have sighed at how naive the old thief was.

"Lord Hokage, the situation is as follows..." Kawaki Aoba then vividly recounted how he had been ambushed by two despicable and shameless Hyuga ninjas, resulting in his eye injury.

Of course, there was a fair amount of artistic embellishment during the description. In short, according to Kawaki Aoba, those two Hyuga ninjas were lawless to the extreme, showing absolutely no regard for the rules of Konoha.

The corners of the mouths of Kawaki Aoba's two companions twitched. They had discussed this privately before coming, but hearing the embellished version from Kawaki Aoba now, the two, who hadn't experienced much in life, still felt it was a bit over the top.

On the contrary, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo, that pair of old cronies, listened very intently, as if what Kawaki Aoba said were the absolute truth.

Shimura Danzo, in particular, saw his expression grow increasingly gloomy as the story progressed.

"Bastard! To openly attack a comrade within the village—do they have no regard for the village at all? What do they take the Will of Fire to be?" As he spoke, Danzo slammed his cane heavily against the floor, producing a dull thud.

Kawaki Aoba: ...

Although he knew Danzo was acting, could someone tell him why hearing the words "Will of Fire" come out of Danzo's mouth felt so incredibly awkward?

He couldn't help but feel that shouldn't have been his line.

However, Danzo's performance was far from over. He turned his head and glared unkindly at the Hyuga Second Elder with his one remaining eye:

"A fine Hyuga Clan, a fine prestigious family with a thousand-year legacy! Attacking a comrade without cause—is this the family conduct of your Hyuga Clan? If you are this rampant within the village, what comrade would dare entrust their back or their life to a Hyuga ninja when out on a mission? Hyuga Second Elder, as the Hokage's advisor, I must demand an explanation from your clan."

Hyuga Second Elder: ...

What just happened?

If he remembered correctly, he was the one who was supposed to be furious about the missing Byakugan, and he was the one who was supposed to be demanding an explanation from the Hokage.

But could someone tell him how, in the span of just a few sentences, he had gone from the one demanding an explanation to the one being demanded of? And by the Hokage's advisor, no less, in such a tone?

Judging by Danzo's words, this was no longer a matter of a few individuals or a single family, but a question of trust between the Hyuga Clan and the village.

A conflict and rift between a clan and the village—wasn't that supposed to be the Uchiha Clan's script? Why was it suddenly being applied to them?

The situation had shifted so suddenly that the Hyuga Second Elder was completely bewildered.

But before he could figure out what to do, Sarutobi Hiruzen, acting as Hokage, seized the opportunity to step in and support him.

"Enough, Danzo. Do not speak recklessly without evidence. The Hyuga Clan is a great family with a thousand-year history; the strictness of their family rules is known to all. I believe you are aware of this. As the Hokage's advisor, how can you easily jump to conclusions based on one person's word?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's words allowed the Hyuga Second Elder to breathe a sigh of relief, and his original intention to step forward and explain himself faded away.

At the same time, he felt a surge of goodwill toward Sarutobi Hiruzen.

It seemed Sarutobi Hiruzen was quite sensible as Hokage; at the very least, he knew who to choose between the Hyuga Clan and a mere brat.

However, before the Hyuga Second Elder could enjoy the feeling for long, Sarutobi Hiruzen's next words made him realize just how "impartial" the Hokage could be.

"However, although there is no evidence, Kawaki Aoba's injuries are right here and cannot be faked. So, Kawaki Aoba, do you have any proof that the injuries to your eyes were caused by ninjas from the Hyuga Clan?"