A Pause, But Not an End

With the Anbu's notification, the Yamanaka clan head and the guard accompanying the Hyuga Second Elder soon arrived at the Hokage's office.

It is worth mentioning that this generation's Yamanaka clan head happened to be an "acquaintance" of Kawaki Aoba.

He was Yamanaka Inoichi, the father of the future Konoha 12 member, Yamanaka Ino.

The current Yamanaka Inoichi looked to be at most in his early twenties. Among his peers in the various ninja clans, even if he wasn't the youngest, he was certainly close to it. It was unexpected that he would be the first to become a clan head.

After hearing the ins and outs of the matter and the reason they had been summoned, Yamanaka Inoichi, as clan head, expressed no objections. He stated that he would comply with everything Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen arranged to bring the truth to light.

As for the Hyuga Second Elder's guard, that man's face had already turned noticeably pale.

Through his Observation Haki, Kawaki Aoba could clearly sense the mixture of sorrow and hatred emanating from the man.

Moreover, although he maintained a stiff-faced and exceptionally respectful appearance, anyone present could see his nervousness.

Kawaki Aoba knew that this was a man destined to be "sacrificed," an innocent soul.

But what could be done? As a member of the Hyuga Branch Family, he was born to live for the sake of the Hyuga Main Family. Furthermore, from his own perspective, the man was a potential enemy, so he could only offer an apology in his heart.

The memory probe began, and Kawaki Aoba witnessed the Yamanaka clan's secret technique for the first time.

Yamanaka Inoichi placed his hand on the top of the Hyuga guard's head, and a steady stream of Yin-natured chakra flowed from his palm into the man's brain.

"Urgh!" The Hyuga guard's expression twisted, as if he were enduring intense pain.

"Relax your body, ease your chakra, and do not resist," Yamanaka Inoichi warned.

The others waited quietly for the results. Sarutobi Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai didn't even dare to breathe loudly, though they watched with unblinking eyes.

However, as time passed, the Hyuga Second Elder noticed something amiss.

He was not entirely ignorant of the Yamanaka clan's Mind Body Switch Technique. Logically speaking, probing only the shallow memories of the past few days shouldn't take this much time, especially when the person being probed was cooperating willingly.

The Hyuga Second Elder realized something was wrong; the entire situation seemed to reek of strangeness from the inside out.

But just at that moment, Yamanaka Inoichi gradually withdrew his Yin-natured chakra. It appeared his secret technique had concluded.

Merely probing one person's shallow memories had actually left this Yamanaka clan head drenched in sweat.

"Lord Hokage, I am not yet fully proficient in my family's secret technique, so I wasted some time. However, I have luckily completed the task. According to the memories I probed, the truth is indeed as the genin Kawaki stated."

As Yamanaka Inoichi's words fell, the Hyuga Second Elder was completely stunned. He stared blankly at Yamanaka Inoichi.

At this moment, no matter how foolish he might be, he realized he had been played—and played by a group, at that.

No wonder he had felt that everything was strange the moment he entered the room; it turned out everyone had colluded to put on a show for him.

Fine. Very fine.

The Hyuga Second Elder gritted his teeth and glared at everyone present.

However, Yamanaka Inoichi dealt him another blow.

"Additionally, Lord Hokage, there is one more matter for which I must beg your pardon. I have been negligent in my training of the family technique, and I have never probed the brain of a jonin before. Due to a momentary lapse, I accidentally caused some damage to this Hyuga ninja's brain while using the technique." Yamanaka Inoichi looked ashamed and mortified.

After pleading his case to the Hokage, he bowed deeply to the Hyuga Second Elder.

This action was like adding fuel to the fire, causing the fury in the Hyuga Second Elder's heart to burn even brighter. Yet, it was also a necessary step; a Hyuga jonin had been lost in such an inexplicable manner, and Yamanaka Inoichi had to provide an explanation, even if it was only on the surface.

"Do you truly take this old man for a fool? To play me like this—do you really think our Hyuga clan is easy to bully?" The Hyuga Second Elder was incensed, pointing a finger in Kawaki Aoba's direction.

"If this damned brat hasn't awakened the Byakugan, how is he worthy of me looking at him directly? You use such methods to frame me, hoping to seize our Hyuga clan's bloodline limit—do you take everyone for idiots?"

As soon as the Hyuga Second Elder uttered these words, the expressions of Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, and Yamanaka Inoichi changed instantly.

Although the three of them knew the truth perfectly well—that the Hyuga Second Elder was indeed being wronged—if he were to drag the matter into the realm of seizing the Hyuga bloodline, the situation would escalate far too much.

Yamanaka Inoichi lowered his head, secretly lamenting in his heart. He shouldn't have been involved in this kind of thing, but the Ino-Shika-Cho clans had already pledged their loyalty to the Hokage; he had no choice.

As for Shimura Danzo, he immediately stepped forward to rebuke him: "Enough! Why you would attack a comrade within the village is the explanation your Hyuga clan owes the village, not something for you to question the village about.

To commit such a grave error and refuse to repent, and then to quibble with the village—is this the attitude your Hyuga clan holds toward Konoha?"

"You... you all..." The Hyuga Second Elder trembled with rage, his finger pointing at everyone one by one, starting with Danzo.

The Hyuga Second Elder opened his mouth, wanting to say something harsh, but Sarutobi Hiruzen did not give him the chance.

"Enough. If this continues, it will benefit neither you nor the Hyuga clan. Go back. When Xingcun and Huoshu return, let them handle this matter."

The Hyuga Second Elder understood Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, but precisely because of that, he was flushed with shame. He felt he had suffered a tremendous insult, yet he was sensible enough to turn and leave.

Because Sarutobi Hiruzen was right; continuing this would not benefit the Hyuga clan. Although the Hyuga were a prestigious family, clashing head-on with the village was clearly an unwise move.

He only had low emotional intelligence; he was not a fool.

Watching the Hyuga Second Elder depart, Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head. Clearly, he had no high opinion of this Second Elder. The Hyuga clan's system destined that it was difficult for the Main Family to produce any truly outstanding members.

It was already a stroke of luck that he hadn't grown up to be someone who thought the world should revolve entirely around himself.