Hiashi Hyuga's Candid Admission

The ninjas around the conference table all wore curious expressions, their gazes fixed on Sarutobi Hiruzen at the head of the table.

When Sarutobi Hiruzen had mentioned this "certain reason" earlier, he had glossed over it almost immediately.

They had not even had time to think deeply about what exactly that "certain reason" was.

Only Hiashi Hyuga and the very few ninjas who knew the truth looked slightly unnatural.

Hiashi Hyuga's hand resting on his thigh beneath the table clenched uncontrollably, his palm already soaked with sweat.

This was the first time that, as the head of the Hyuga Clan, he had felt so unsettled.

"What? Third Hokage, are you going to fob us off with 'certain reasons' again?"

Uchiha Mirai chuckled.

"That excuse won't hold up!"

"Hmph! Uchiha Mirai, don't push your luck!"

Danzo glared at him, the fury in his eyes nearly impossible to restrain.

If Sarutobi Hiruzen truly recounted the entire incident exactly as it had happened, how could they continue pressuring the Uchiha?

"No matter what, the fact that you endangered the village's safety cannot be denied. Today, you must pay for what you have done!"

"What familiar wording."

Uchiha Mirai looked out the conference room window. For some reason, a trace of melancholy entered his voice, as though he were recalling something.

"Three years ago, didn't you say the same thing?"

Uchiha Mirai smiled at Danzo across from him.

Though he was smiling, there seemed to be a sharp edge hidden within it, making Danzo feel as though he were sitting on pins and needles, as if he were under some terrifying pressure.

Three years ago???

The ninjas around the conference table stared in astonishment.

Wasn't that...

In an instant, everyone's gaze converged on Uchiha Mirai. He remained calm, quietly watching Danzo.

Three years ago, rumors suddenly spread that Uchiha Mirai was endangering the village.

Within just a few days, the rumors intensified. Every street and alley in Konoha was filled with condemnation of Uchiha Mirai.

Some said his abilities would endanger Konoha—that if he remained, the entire village would eventually be contaminated, and future generations of the village would grow third legs, horns, and such.

Others said Uchiha Mirai was the symbol of calamity, a monster who brought misfortune!

Anyone who approached him would become tainted by misfortune.

Only by driving him away could Konoha escape disaster.

Amid such rumors, Uchiha Mirai, a hero of the Third Shinobi World War, instantly became a criminal in the village.

No matter where he went in Konoha, he could hear countless voices of scorn.

By the time the latest news came out, Uchiha Mirai had withdrawn from public life, relinquished all his positions, and disappeared from the public eye.

Now that they thought about it carefully, that condemnation back then really had come rather strangely.

Most bizarre of all, once Uchiha Mirai withdrew from public life, all the rumors vanished at the same time.

"Third Hokage, please tell us the full course of events."

"Yes, Third Hokage. What exactly is this 'certain reason' you mentioned?"

At the conference table, many ninjas turned their eyes toward Sarutobi Hiruzen at the head.

Their eyes were filled with a desire to know.

Quite a few of them had vaguely noticed that something was wrong.

The rumors about Uchiha Mirai that had appeared in Konoha these past few days were almost identical to those from three years ago. They had both arisen suddenly, then fermented into something terrifying in an extremely short time.

Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent.

He did not know how to begin.

"It was because of my daughter."

Hiashi Hyuga, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke.

Because of Hiashi's daughter???

Some ninjas furrowed their brows and immediately pressed for more.

"Lord Hiashi, please explain more clearly."

Hiashi Hyuga sighed, his eyes filled with endless bitterness.

These past few days had been agonizing for him.

Uchiha Mirai had saved his daughter.

If Uchiha Mirai had not acted, they might not even know where Hinata was now.

But Uchiha Mirai, the man who had shown him such kindness, was actually being condemned by all of Konoha.

It left him deeply troubled by his conscience.

Throughout the meeting, he had wanted to speak out countless times, but had always restrained himself.

Now, he finally decided to remain silent no longer.

"The Cloud Hidden Village's delegation kidnapped my eldest daughter, Hinata, intending to lay hands on the Byakugan bloodline. Uchiha Mirai happened upon them and stepped in to save my daughter..."

"As for what happened afterward, you all already know..."

Hiashi Hyuga let out a long sigh. The boulder that had weighed on his chest finally loosened at this moment.

The meeting room fell into brief silence.

Danzo stared fixedly at Hiashi Hyuga. In his sole remaining left eye, flames of fury seemed to blaze.

That bastard Hiashi!

Hadn't he already warned him?

This absolutely could not be revealed!!!

Yet Hiashi Hyuga paid no attention to his glare. At this moment, he only felt incomparably relieved.

As the head of the Hyuga Clan, he had been raised on aristocratic ideals since childhood.

He could not forgive himself for receiving such a great favor from Uchiha Mirai, only to abandon him and leave him to face such condemnations.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was equally unpleasant.

Hiashi Hyuga had revealed everything.

Even if he wanted to steer the conflict now, it would likely be difficult to achieve any effect.

Hiashi, oh Hiashi!

Was your so-called aristocratic dignity really that important?

Would you even turn a blind eye to the benefits I promised you?

"So that was what happened..."

A ninja sighed meaningfully.

His eyes held a profound look.

The expressions of the other ninja had changed to varying degrees as well. At the very least, the hostility they initially held toward Uchiha Mirai was gone from their eyes.

Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly felt that the way the ninja around the conference table looked at him had changed.

"Third Hokage, why didn't you bring up something this important from the start?"

"The Cloud Hidden Village intended to seize Konoha's bloodline limit, yet Konoha is supposed to seek peace with them? The more I think about it, the more humiliating it feels!"

"Exactly! Third Hokage, did you know about this?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's feelings became complicated.

What had originally been a meeting to pressure Uchiha Mirai had somehow turned into an interrogation of him.

Hiashi! You've ruined my plans!

"What does any of that matter?" Danzo snorted coldly. "The urgent matter is how to deal with the Cloud Hidden Village. I assume none of you want war to descend upon us again, do you?"

"How is it irrelevant? There is a fundamental difference between actively meeting them in battle and humiliatingly trying to curry favor!"

"If we don't know the role the Cloud Hidden Village played in this matter, how can we decide what attitude to take toward them?"

The one who spoke was Choza Akimichi.

His rough palm pressed against the conference table. His massive frame lent his voice an imposing authority, while his eagle-sharp eyes fixed on Danzo.

Choza Akimichi was from the same generation as Sarutobi Hiruzen. In terms of prestige, he was in no way inferior to Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage.

"Elder Choza is right!"

"If the Cloud Hidden Village plotted against Konoha's bloodline limit and we still take the initiative to back down, wouldn't that make us the laughingstock of the other ninja villages?"

"If they want war, then we'll give them war! Let those Cloud Ninja brutes have a taste of our strength!"

Choza Akimichi's words stirred a wave of unrest through the meeting room.

Danzo's expression suddenly darkened.

By now, the situation had completely exceeded his expectations.