Hyuga Second Elder Appears

So, these brats mean they're on the same team as that kid, Kawaki Aoba.

Oh, I remember now. I did hear rumors back then about a genius kid who, right before graduation, created a hand-seal-less Lightning Style jutsu.

However, because the power that jutsu could unleash in the hands of other ninja was truly limited, and the requirements for chakra manipulation were so demanding that few could master it, it was only begrudgingly classified as C-rank.

Beyond that, the kid's talent was said to be quite impressive, and he was eventually handpicked by the Hokage to join the team of his youngest son, Sarutobi Asuma.

It seems the genius kid from back then is none other than this Kawaki Aoba standing before me.

These three brats are on the same team now, and their squad leader is none other than Yuhi Shinku.

However, compared to their captain, Yuhi Shinku, what concerned Fugaku more was what that brat Asuma had just said.

Fine, Fugaku had to admit that the status of that brat, Sarutobi Asuma, was still quite useful.

In this matter, the attitude of the Third Hokage had to be taken into account.

Moreover, though he hated to admit it, the truth was that the Third Hokage's direct subordinates were not people the Uchiha could just dispose of at will.

Kawaki Aoba had been assigned by the Third himself to the same team as Asuma; no matter how you looked at it, it seemed like the Third Hokage was cultivating a foundation for his youngest son.

At this moment, as Fugaku sorted out the truth in his mind, his expression darkened.

For the proud Uchiha to be used by a mere brat and then be unable to teach him a lesson—this was truly...

Helpless, Fugaku could only let the three brats leave the Uchiha Police Force.

He had to consider the Third Hokage's reaction; if he didn't let them go, who knew if the next people to come demanding them from the Uchiha Police Force would be the Anbu?

However, what Uchiha Fugaku didn't know was that the only reason Sarutobi Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai had come to the Uchiha Police Force to demand their release was simply because Kawaki Aoba had sent a shadow clone to notify them in advance.

This had absolutely nothing to do with the Third Hokage.

"Aoba, why don't you come stay at my place for a while? After all, the old man is the Hokage; I believe the Hyuga clan wouldn't dare act recklessly there." As soon as the three of them stepped out of the Uchiha Police Force, Asuma spoke up first.

"That's right, Aoba, you should stay at Asuma's place for now. It's definitely much safer there than at your own home." Yuhi Kurenai chimed in from the side.

Kawaki Aoba expressed his gratitude for his two friends' kindness, but he did not agree to Asuma's proposal.

One reason was that Kawaki Aoba didn't want to owe too big a favor, but a more important factor was that he wasn't certain of the Third Hokage's stance at all.

To put it bluntly, he didn't want to gamble, and even if he won the bet, his situation would only be slightly better. Being a rat hiding in its own nest wasn't what he wanted.

As for how to solve this massive trouble right now? Kawaki Aoba already had a plan.

Heh, it's just a pair of Byakugan, isn't it? As of now, not a single member of the Hyuga clan had seen his Byakugan with their own eyes.

On the other side, at the Uchiha Police Force, Fugaku had already selected two of his trusted subordinates and taken the two Hyuga chunin to "pay a visit" to the Hyuga clan.

Fugaku had made up his mind: he would definitely get back at the Hyuga clan for the frustration he had suffered at the hands of that brat, Kawaki Aoba.

After all, the root cause of all this was that damned Byakugan bloodline.

And just as Fugaku was preparing to make things difficult for the Hyuga clan, the Hyuga compound was not exactly peaceful.

"Second Elder, this is all something your subordinate saw with his own eyes. That Kawaki Aoba, along with the Third Hokage's youngest son and the daughter of the jonin Yuhi Shinku, walked out of the Uchiha Police Force in broad daylight. Furthermore, according to the intelligence gathered earlier, Tsubaki and Yu might truly have been taken to the Uchiha Police Force by Kawaki Aoba."

A branch-house jonin of the Hyuga knelt on one knee before the Hyuga Second Elder, reporting the intelligence he had just gathered in full detail.

It turned out that when the Hyuga Second Elder saw that the two subordinates he had sent out were long overdue, he had immediately dispatched his personal guards to investigate, fearing a change in circumstances.

He just hadn't expected to receive such a report.

While cursing his own carelessness, the Hyuga Second Elder also felt a deep sense of unease.

He had arrived at the same conclusion as Uchiha Fugaku: why was Sarutobi Asuma appearing by Kawaki Aoba's side at this time? Had he received instructions from Sarutobi Hiruzen?

As for the matter of the two Hyuga ninja attacking Kawaki Aoba, hadn't that been a minor issue from the start? The worst-case scenario would only be the Hyuga clan being held responsible for poor discipline.

Aside from a blow to their reputation, it was practically painless for them. As for the lives of those two pieces of trash, if they couldn't even handle such a small task, what use were they?

The Hyuga Second Elder paced in his room, pondering what to do next. Letting that brat go was impossible; their Hyuga clan's Byakugan must never be leaked.

"I will go to the Hokage Building myself to meet Sarutobi Hiruzen and ask him what exactly he means by this. As for that brat Kawaki Aoba, you go and watch him yourself. Keep a close eye on him, but do not make a move until you receive my orders." Soon, the Hyuga Second Elder had a plan.

He waved his hand, and the kneeling ninja vanished with a whoosh. If nothing went wrong, he was likely off to monitor Kawaki Aoba as ordered.

The Second Elder's actions were swift and decisive; he set off immediately, intending to go to the Hokage Building to get to the bottom of things.

However, before he could even leave the Hyuga compound, he was drawn by a commotion at the front gate.

Listening carefully, it seemed someone was arguing at the entrance of the Hyuga clan.

Under normal circumstances, the Hyuga Second Elder would have marched over with a stern face to teach them a lesson, but now, he wisely chose to take a detour.

He had no choice; the main gate of the Hyuga was currently being blocked by a few Uchiha.

Although he didn't care about the lives of those two pieces of trash, this matter was indeed a point where the Hyuga were in the wrong, so the Second Elder ultimately chose to slip away. Fortunately, the Hyuga clan had more than one gate, otherwise, he would have truly had to play the part of a wall-jumping ninja today.

The Hyuga Second Elder could barely remember the last time he had traveled like a ninja; that seemed like a very distant memory.

Unlike the current clan head and the Great Elder, who were ninja with plenty of actual combat experience, the Second Elder only possessed strength on paper and had never stepped onto a battlefield.

It was just a pity that the current Hyuga clan head and the Great Elder had both gone to the Fire Capital to visit the nobility, leaving him alone to manage the Hyuga clan for the time being.