Hiashi Hyuga's Horror

Who was Uchiha Mirai?

The hottest top-tier genius of the Uchiha Clan!

During the Third Shinobi War, his reputation had not been inferior even to the Yellow Flash's.

Three years ago, Konoha's opinion of him had taken a sharp turn for the worse, and rumors about him filled every street and alley.

Almost overnight, he had gone from a hero who saved the village to a monster hated by everyone.

Uchiha Mirai had fallen silent from then on, disappearing from public view.

As the head of the Hyuga Clan and one of Konoha's upper ranks, Hiashi Hyuga knew very well that this matter was far more complicated than it appeared on the surface.

Beneath the calm lake lay far too many turbulent currents.

Until not long ago, Hiashi Hyuga had been shocked to hear that Uchiha Mirai had returned.

And the moment he did, the entire Uchiha Police Department went on strike.

Everything pointed to the force of his return.

Three years ago, he had been abandoned by Konoha's higher-ups. Three years later, he had made a comeback.

Tonight, he had saved his daughter Hinata. What was his purpose?

"Go check those corpses."

Hiashi Hyuga gave the order in a low voice.

"Yes."

The guards behind him immediately crouched down to inspect the bodies. They pulled away the black cloths covering the dead shinobi's faces, and the light glinted off the forehead protectors before their eyes.

"Clan Head, they're ninjas from the Cloud Hidden Village!"

Cloud Hidden Village ninjas???

Why had they appeared in Konoha, and why had they abducted his daughter?

Hiashi Hyuga's expression shifted slightly as he realized that this matter was far from simple.

He personally inspected them.

Sure enough, every dead shinobi was from the Cloud Hidden Village!

Moreover, judging from their wounds and the traces of battle, it had been a completely one-sided slaughter. They had not possessed the ability to resist at all.

This made him even more wary of Uchiha Mirai.

"Brother, if I'm not mistaken, there is only one group of Cloud Hidden Village ninjas in Konoha right now."

Behind him, Hizashi spoke with a grave expression.

Hiashi Hyuga had clearly thought of the same thing, and his face darkened in an instant.

"This is troublesome."

The envoys sent by the Cloud Hidden Village to sign the ceasefire agreement had all died here!

If the Cloud Hidden Village used this as a pretext to make trouble, how would Konoha respond?

The most likely outcome was that the Third Hokage would shift the blame onto them and make them appease the Cloud Hidden Village's anger.

Hinata, clutching the hem of Hiashi's robe, sensed the worry emanating from her father and shrank back fearfully.

She did not know what she had done wrong.

Nor did she know what her father was worried about.

She only remembered that after her birthday banquet ended, a servant had escorted her back to her room to rest. Several dark figures had suddenly appeared, knocked out the servant, and stuffed her into a sack.

Then, the red-eyed brother had appeared and saved her...

"Clan Head, this matter may not be without a turning point."

Behind Hiashi Hyuga, a clansman looked at him seriously.

"From beginning to end, it was that Uchiha who killed the Cloud Hidden Village's envoys. It has little to do with us. Even if the Hokage blames us, we can shift the charge onto that Uchiha."

Hiashi Hyuga's gaze flickered uncertainly before he finally let out a complicated sigh.

"It can only be this way."

Uchiha Mirai had saved his daughter. He owed him a debt of gratitude.

Without Uchiha Mirai, he did not dare imagine what might have happened to Hinata.

But this matter concerned the clan's future. As its head, he could only make this choice.

For a moment, his heart was filled with guilt toward Uchiha Mirai.

In all these years, it was the first time he had felt such profound guilt.

The next day.

The rising sun scattered its light over the quiet village.

Villagers who had gone out were shocked to discover that one street was littered with the wreckage of a battle.

There were even five massive craters smashed into the walls, stained with dried, blackened blood.

The unusual scene set the villagers whispering among themselves.

Something must have happened here last night.

Hokage's office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen clenched his pipe between his teeth, his expression grave as he listened to the ANBU agent kneeling on one knee below report.

Suddenly, his expression changed drastically.

"You're saying that all the envoys sent by the Cloud Hidden Village were killed, their bodies left on Konoha's streets?"

The kneeling ANBU gritted his teeth. "Yes. It likely happened around three in the morning. By the time we arrived, every envoy dispatched by the Cloud Hidden Village was already dead."

"Do you know who did it?"

The throbbing veins on Sarutobi Hiruzen's forehead revealed the fury he was struggling to suppress.

They had signed a ceasefire agreement during the day, only for all of the other side's people to die in the streets that very night.

If the Cloud Hidden Village used this as a pretext to make trouble, what could he use to quell their anger?

"Based on our investigation, the Cloud Hidden Village's envoys abducted Hinata of the Hyuga Clan, intending to obtain the power of the Byakugan. Uchiha Mirai happened upon them and killed them all."

"When we arrived, the Hyuga Clan head, Hiashi Hyuga, was already at the scene. Comparing his statement with our investigation of the site, this should be the complete course of events."

The ANBU's voice trembled slightly.

He knew the implications of this matter were too serious to withhold anything.

The Cloud Hidden Village's envoys had abducted Hinata? They had intended to steal the power of the Byakugan?

Sarutobi Hiruzen's brows instantly drew together.

"Where is the investigation report? Bring it to me."

The ANBU pulled a scroll from his robe and handed it to Sarutobi Hiruzen behind the Hokage's desk.

As he read the scroll in his hand, Sarutobi Hiruzen's furrowed brow deepened.

The report was extremely detailed. It recorded the testimonies of Hiashi Hyuga and the other Hyuga Clan ninja present. Its reliability should not have been an issue.

Then the truth of the matter was clear.

The Cloud Hidden Village's envoys had abducted Hinata, only to be discovered and killed by Uchiha Mirai. Hiashi Hyuga and the others had arrived afterward...

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression shifted uncertainly.

If Uchiha Mirai had not been involved, this matter would have been easy to resolve. He could simply shift the blame onto the Hyuga Clan.

From what he knew of the Hyuga Clan, after such a major incident, they would surely make concessions internally and sacrifice their own interests to placate the Cloud Hidden Village's anger.

That way, he would not be affected in the slightest.

Nor would the ceasefire agreement between the Cloud Hidden Village and Konoha be torn up.

But now, Uchiha Mirai had been dragged into it.

The situation had become far more complicated.

The Uchiha Clan was not like the Hyuga Clan. It was utterly impossible to make them surrender their interests to appease the Cloud Hidden Village.

Given the way that bunch of lunatics behaved, it would already be a blessing if they did not charge into the Land of Lightning and cause havoc!

Uchiha Mirai was clearly not Hiashi Hyuga either.

Three years ago, they had exhausted every effort just to barely force him into retirement. Yet the moment he returned three years later, he had caused such a huge disturbance in Konoha.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened.

He had no way of determining how Uchiha Mirai had discovered the Cloud Hidden Village's intentions. Had he truly stumbled upon them by chance, as the report claimed?

At three in the morning, how could he have happened to discover them so coincidentally?

Or had he known their plan all along?

But how had he found out?

Even the ANBU had failed to uncover the intelligence. How had Uchiha Mirai learned of it in advance and happened to lie in wait along the Cloud Hidden Village envoys' escape route?

Sarutobi Hiruzen's thoughts were in utter chaos, his mind like a ball of yarn that had been toyed with by a cat.

Just then, the door to the Hokage's office was suddenly pushed open.

"Hiruzen, have you heard about it?"

"All the Cloud Hidden Village's envoys died in the streets."