Hinata Hyuga Kidnapped! The Cloud Village Envoy's Conspiracy

"What?!"

Minato shot up from his seat, his gentle expression vanishing instantly, replaced by sharp killing intent.

"Report!"

The Anbu ninja knelt on one knee, his voice urgent: "Half an hour ago, the Hyuga compound was attacked. The perpetrators were extremely professional, bypassing all patrols and infiltrating the Hyuga main house directly. Lord Hyuga Hiashi injured one intruder on the spot, but their accomplice took advantage of the chaos to abduct Miss Hinata."

"According to Lord Hiashi's description, the attacker used Lightning Style ninjutsu, suspected to be from Cloud Village."

The atmosphere in the office plummeted to freezing point.

Danzo snorted, a sneer flashing in his single eye: "I told you long ago that Cloud Village has wolfish ambitions. Minato, are you still going to accept their peace treaty?"

Fugaku's face also darkened. He recalled three days ago, Madara had sent someone to warn him—Cloud Village would make a move while Konoha was weak. At the time, he thought it was directed at the Uchiha clan, but he hadn't expected the target to be the Hyuga. Those brutes from Cloud Village had long coveted Konoha's kekkei genkai.

"Immediately seal all entrances and exits of the village!" Minato's voice was icy, completely unlike the gentle Fourth Hokage he usually was. "Notify all Anbu to search for suspicious individuals with all their might. Also—" He turned to Fugaku: "Fugaku, I'll trouble you to lead the Uchiha Military Police Force to cooperate with the Anbu. Now is precisely the time when the Sharingan's insight is needed."

Fugaku nodded and said, "I'll make the arrangements now."

"Wait." Danzo suddenly spoke, his voice grim, "Minato, have you considered that the timing of this incident is too coincidental?"

"The Cloud Village envoy arrived in Konoha yesterday, and today the Hyuga are attacked. This is either a probe by Cloud Village, or..." He paused, his single eye sweeping over everyone present: "...someone deliberately wants to sabotage Konoha's peace talks with Cloud Village."

Minato's brow furrowed. Danzo was right. The timing was indeed too coincidental.

"No matter who it is, let's rescue Hinata first." Minato took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Shikaku, go inform Hyuga Hiashi and have him stabilize the clan's emotions. If this matter is not handled well, it could easily trigger a diplomatic incident."

"Yes!" Nara Shikaku took his orders and left.

Just then, another Anbu ninja appeared: "Lord Minato, the leader of the Cloud Village envoy requests an immediate audience. He says... they have important information to provide."

Minato and Danzo exchanged glances. Both saw wariness in the other's eyes. Cloud Village coming to them at this time was definitely not a good thing.

"Let them in." Minato sat back in the Hokage's chair, a gentle smile returning to his face. But those who knew him well understood that beneath this smile lay a thunderous rage ready to erupt at any moment.

A few minutes later.

The leader of the Cloud Village envoy, a burly, dark-skinned middle-aged man, entered the office. He was followed by two guards, both elite Jonin-level powerhouses.

"Esteemed Fourth Hokage, it is a pleasure to meet you." The Cloud Village envoy wore a perfunctory smile, but his eyes constantly scanned everyone in the office. "I am the envoy from Cloud Village, Toroi."

"Lord Toroi."

Minato nodded, not rising from his seat.

"I heard you have important intelligence to provide?"

Toroi's smile faltered.

He hadn't expected Minato to be so direct.

"Yes. Just now, one of our escorts went missing."

Toroi's tone grew serious:

"According to our investigation, he was likely kidnapped by certain... radical elements within Konoha."

"Radical elements?"

Danzo scoffed:

"Lord Toroi, what do you mean by that?"

"I mean nothing else."

Toroi spread his hands, feigning innocence:

"I just want to say that we from Cloud Village came with sincerity. If there are people within Konoha who don't wish to see peace, then there's nothing we can do."

"However..."

His tone shifted, his gaze sharpening:

"I heard something happened to the Hyuga clan as well? What a coincidence."

The atmosphere in the office instantly became incredibly tense.

Minato's smile vanished completely.

"Lord Toroi, what are you implying?"

"I'm not implying anything."

Toroi shrugged:

"I just think, if our person and the Hyuga young lady disappeared at the same time, could it be... the same group of people who did it?"

"After all, a bloodline limit like the Byakugan is worth a fortune on the black market."

Fugaku's Sharingan activated instantly.

He stared intently at Toroi, wishing he could tear the hypocritical man apart on the spot.

But he held back.

Because he knew, this was precisely what the other party wanted.

As soon as the Uchiha or Konoha's higher-ups made a move here, Cloud Village would have an excuse.

"Lord Toroi, please watch your words."

Minato's voice was terrifyingly cold:

"This is Konoha, not your Cloud Village."

"Of course, of course."

Toroi quickly apologized, but the smile on his face held no trace of remorse:

"I'm just too worried about our companion. After all, he's a trusted confidant of the Raikage. If anything were to happen to him..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the threat was extremely clear.

Minato took a deep breath.

He finally understood why Danzo had said the timing of this matter was too coincidental.

Cloud Village was forcing him to make a choice.

Either hand over the so-called "radical elements" and admit that someone within Konoha was sabotaging peace.

Or refuse Cloud Village's demands, and let the relationship between the two villages completely break down.

Either choice would be a huge loss for Konoha.

"Lord Toroi, please rest assured."

Minato put on a smile again, but this time, there was a hint of coldness in it:

"Konoha will investigate this matter thoroughly. If it truly was our people, I will definitely give Cloud Village an explanation."

"But similarly, if it was your Cloud Village people who did it..."

He paused, his voice growing colder:

"I hope the Raikage can give me an explanation as well. Remember, Konoha is not to be trifled with!"

Toroi's smile froze completely.

He hadn't expected Minato to be so resolute.

"Then I shall await good news from the Fourth Hokage."

Toroi turned to leave, but as he reached the door, he suddenly looked back.

"By the way, Fourth Hokage. I hear Konoha has had quite a few major incidents lately."

"The Nine-Tails Incident, the rise of the Uchiha clan, and... rumors of the return of that legendary 'Asura,' Uchiha Madara."

"Could these events be leaving Konoha feeling a bit... overstretched?"

With that, he laughed heartily and walked out of the office.

Minato's fists clenched tightly.

He finally understood that the Cloud Village hadn't come for any peace treaty at all.

They were here to test Konoha's bottom line.

"Minato."

Danzo spoke up suddenly.

"I suggest we execute the Cloud Village delegation immediately."

"What?!"

Minato whipped his head around, unable to believe what he had just heard.

"Have you lost your mind? That is a diplomatic delegation! Killing them would be equivalent to declaring war on the Cloud Village!"

"And so what?"

Danzo sneered.

"If the Cloud Village dares to make a move in Konoha, they should be prepared for retaliation. Rather than being led by the nose, it is better to strike first."

"No!"

Minato refused flatly.

"Konoha has just endured the Nine-Tails Incident; we simply do not have the economic capacity to fight another localized war right now."

"Then what do you intend to do?"

Danzo pressed.

"Sit back and watch the Cloud Village crap all over us?"

Minato fell silent.

He knew Danzo was right.

But he also knew that if they really killed the delegation, Konoha would face not only the Cloud Village's revenge but potentially a joint siege if they colluded with other great nations.

Just then, Fugaku spoke up.

"Lord Minato, I have a suggestion."

"Speak."

"Since the Cloud Village claims their people have gone missing, we shall help them look."

Fugaku's Sharingan slowly rotated.

"If we actually find them, we execute them on the spot. If we don't..."

He let out a cold laugh.

"Then it proves the Cloud Village is lying. At that point, we will have reason to suspect that Hinata's disappearance is linked to them."

Minato's eyes lit up.

This was indeed a good plan.

"Good, let's do that."

He turned to the Anbu.

"Notify all search teams immediately to focus their search around the Cloud Village delegation's quarters."

"Also, send someone to keep a close watch on Toroi. Every move he makes must be reported to me."

"Yes!"

The Anbu ninja acknowledged the order and left.

The office fell into silence once again.

Minato sat back in his chair and rubbed his temples.

He finally understood how difficult it was to be Hokage.

Not only did he have to face external threats, but he also had to balance internal conflicts.

And all of this was because of that man—Uchiha Madara.

If he hadn't suddenly appeared during the Nine-Tails Incident, if he hadn't saved him and Kushina, the current situation might be even more complicated. Without the two of them as combatants, Konoha would be even more strapped when facing external threats.

"Madara... what exactly are you trying to do?"

Minato whispered to himself.

Meanwhile.

Outside Konoha Village, inside a hidden cave.

A man in a Black Red-Cloud Robe held a comatose little girl.

The little girl had short, dark blue hair and tear stains on her face.

It was Hinata Hyuga.

"What a hassle."

The man removed his mask, revealing a young, twisted face.

It was Obito Uchiha.

"I originally just wanted to kidnap someone from Cloud Village, but I ended up stumbling upon Cloud Village snatching the Hyuga brat."

He looked at Hinata in his arms, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

But soon, this hesitation was replaced by madness.

"Whatever, it's all to throw Konoha into chaos anyway."

"Lord Madara, didn't you want to watch the show? Then I'll let you watch to your heart's content!"

He picked up Hinata and disappeared into a spatial vortex.