Kawaki Aoba left. He departed from the Hokage Building and, guided by his two companions, headed home. Before leaving, he had also taken a scroll containing Sensory Ninjutsu from the Hokage.
The three of them were quiet on the way home. Kawaki Aoba was reflecting on the cruelty of the Shinobi World. Even away from the battlefield, the lives of ninja—a group defined as tools—weren't as safe as he had imagined.
Especially when caught up in struggles on a higher level. In a simple scheme and confrontation, an Elite Jonin had been lost without anyone quite knowing how it happened. As a guard for the Hyuga Main Family Elder, that man had certainly been Elite Jonin material.
Although the Hyuga Second Elder's stupidity had been largely responsible for the man's death, and Sarutobi Hiruzen had already given him one chance, a loss was still a loss. An Elite Jonin was a valuable asset.
"A vassal's vassal isn't my vassal." That must have been what Sarutobi Hiruzen had been thinking earlier.
Unfortunately, even if Kawaki Aoba wanted to become Sarutobi Hiruzen's subordinate now, the other man might not accept him.
As for his friendship with Sarutobi Asuma, give him a break. Without proving his worth, Kawaki Aoba wasn't irreplaceable. If anything, he had become a burden to Asuma.
A sense of urgency welled up inside Kawaki Aoba. He had to get stronger, and quickly.
His two companions were silent, too. They had witnessed this brutal confrontation firsthand, though it could hardly be called a contest. It must have shaken them deeply.
Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't kept them away from it. Instead, he had let them watch the whole thing unfold. He had probably intended to teach his youngest son a lesson. As for Yuhi Kurenai, she had likely just been allowed to tag along with Yuhi Shinku's approval.
As ninja, learning about the cruelties of the world wouldn't hurt them. The only exception was children thrown onto the battlefield when they were too young, who saw too much death and ended up psychologically warped.
Back in the Hokage's office, after the three children had been sent away, Yuhi Shinku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and another squad of Special Jonin had tactfully taken their leave as well. They left the spacious office to the two old friends.
The Hyuga guard whose brain had been damaged in the accident had also been carried out. They were just waiting for the Hyuga Clan to send someone to collect him.
By then, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō had each received reports from Anbu and Root.
Sarutobi Hiruzen still looked as calm as a still well. Kawaki Aoba's Byakugan didn't seem to concern him much.
Shimura Danzō, on the other hand, looked rather displeased. He and Kawaki Aoba had just worked together so seamlessly that he'd thought Root had handled everything perfectly.
But he hadn't expected his men to arrive a step too late. The kid had already swallowed those Byakugan.
"Hmph. What a waste of a pair of Byakugan. Utterly foolish." Danzō didn't doubt the report's accuracy. He had great faith in Root's surveillance capabilities, and he didn't believe some kid could hide those Byakugan right under Root's noses.
"He's so young, yet he came to the same conclusion as you. And he even had the nerve to gouge out his own eyes. That's already impressive enough. You can't ask for too much," Sarutobi Hiruzen said fairly.
Ever since he had taken notice of Kawaki Aoba just before the boy graduated, he had liked him. His talent as a ninja and his cautious way of thinking both made him an excellent candidate to become Sarutobi Asuma's right-hand man.
His earlier response had been especially flawless.
If Kawaki Aoba truly grew into that kind of person, Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't even mind giving him the position of Hokage Assistant. But...
"A shame." Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up his Pipe again and lit the tobacco.
His gaze drifted to Danzō, and Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes suddenly lit up. He asked tentatively, "Danzō, you saw Aoba's performance just now. I don't need to go on about how exceptional he is, do I? And you know his talent as a ninja. He's lost his eyes, but with proper training, he could still become a rare talent."
Sarutobi Hiruzen had made his meaning perfectly clear: he wanted Kawaki Aoba to join Root. That way, Kawaki Aoba could survive, and Danzō could draw even more of the Hyuga Clan's ire.
Taking it from eighty or ninety percent all the way to a hundred.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's plan was clever, but Danzō wasn't a fool.
"Without his eyes, that kid's become useless. Finding eyes compatible with him won't be easy. Anbu has too much to do already. We don't have the time to waste finding eyes for him.
"Besides, didn't you already give him a scroll on Sensory Ninjutsu? With his talent, becoming an excellent sensor shouldn't be a problem." Danzō was simply making things up.
In the forty-three years since Konoha had been founded, there had been ninja who'd lost their sight in various accidents and managed to get by with Sensory Ninjutsu. But the idea that one could use it to become a ninja capable of taking regular missions again was pure fantasy.
Shimura Danzō was also clear-headed. There was a difference between offending the Hyuga Clan and demanding something valuable enough to make them wince, and offending them so completely that they became lifelong enemies. The choice was obvious.
They had schemed against the Hyuga Clan. If they didn't let the clan vent its anger, things would truly turn into a feud.
Of course, if it had been the Uchiha Clan, that would have been another matter.
The two old friends had their differences, but their conversation remained cordial. With the Hyuga Second Elder involved, the toughest part of the problem had already been dealt with. All they had to do was wait for Xingcun and Huoshu, the two people who truly held power in the Hyuga Clan, to return before making their move.
As long as neither side got too greedy, dividing up the spoils was always a pleasant process for those who profited.
But the one being treated as the spoils and divided up was unlikely to have an easy time.
And that was exactly what happened.
"Bastards! Every last one of them is a damned bastard! Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, and that lackey Yamanaka Inoichi! Who the hell do you think you are? Even if you tied your pathetic Ino-Shika-Cho together, you still wouldn't be fit to stand as equals with our Hyuga Clan! What gave you the nerve to humiliate me like this?
"The worst of all is that brat! You're a member of the Hyuga Clan. How dare you defy me? If I let you keep living, what face would I have left to show in Konoha...?"
Inside a luxurious residence in the Hyuga Clan's compound, furious curses rang out without end, mixed with the clatter of objects being smashed against the floor.
Before you continue