Does My Opinion Matter?

"Torifu, what brings you here? I thought you couldn't be bothered with this sort of thing."

Inside the Hokage Building's conference room, the Third Hokage looked surprised to see Akimichi Torifu seated among the observers.

"I like that kid Hyuga Wuye, so I came to take a look. Can't let anyone bully him."

Akimichi Torifu laughed heartily. "Hiruzen, you're not going to deny me even the right to observe, are you?"

"Of course not."

The Third Hokage shook his head with a smile. "If you didn't dislike handling affairs so much, there would have been a place for you among the senior advisors."

"Torifu?"

The door opened, and Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado entered together.

After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, Danzo walked in, bringing his usual chill with him.

"Hiruzen, how do you intend to handle Hyuga Wuye's situation?" he asked bluntly.

The Third Hokage raised his large pipe to his mouth. "That depends on the Hyuga and Uchiha Clans. As Hokage, I only need to mediate between them."

"Didn't you previously intend to hide him in the Anbu?" Danzo questioned.

"That was before his Sharingan was exposed," the Third Hokage said nonchalantly. "Now, the key is how to settle the conflict between the Hyuga and Uchiha Clans."

Danzo sneered. "Does this conflict really need to be mediated? Do you truly want to mediate it?"

All five present had once been the Second Hokage's disciples, so naturally, they spoke without much restraint.

"It must be mediated!"

Contrary to Danzo's expectations, the Third Hokage said, "Now is absolutely not the time to target the Hyuga and Uchiha Clans. Although they stand somewhat apart from the village's system, they are still vital fighting forces. And the ninja world..."

He narrowed his eyes. "The ninja world has been at peace for too long."

"You're worried about another ninja war? Now that you mention it, there have indeed been far more border conflicts lately, and tensions between the great nations are escalating."

Danzo frowned, burying his unusual thoughts deep within his heart...

They shared prosperity and ruin alike. He had not yet become so deranged that he would disregard the village's safety.

"It will be difficult to make either side give up, especially the Uchiha Clan. They won't possibly let go of a genius who awakened the Sharingan at seven," Homura Mitokado said. "But the Hyuga Clan won't let go either. Even for the sake of a great clan's dignity, they cannot casually hand over one of their own."

Koharu Utatane nodded. "It's very troublesome. And it involves the Nine-Tails jinchuriki. There is too much to consider."

"Can't Uzumaki Kushina and Hyuga Wuye truly be separated?" Danzo frowned. "How hard can it be to sever their bond?"

The Third Hokage gave a bitter smile. "At my request, Hyuga Wuye already left Kushina once. You all saw the result. If not for him, Kushina might have had problems even sealing the Nine-Tails. Now, he is even helping fill the emptiness in her heart."

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado both rubbed their foreheads. "What a headache..."

"How about I take him as my disciple? Using some of Root's methods, I can ensure he remains under control," Danzo suddenly proposed.

Akimichi Torifu could no longer listen. "Danzo, you can't use such methods on Wuye!"

Danzo frowned at him. "This concerns the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, the village's safety, and its future. How can you let personal feelings interfere?"

"Then I should take him as my disciple instead!" Akimichi Torifu said.

"Enough, enough. It won't be that easy," the Third Hokage said, waving a hand. "Neither the Hyuga nor the Uchiha Clan would be willing to let a genius already within their grasp be trained into one of our direct subordinates and then influence their clan in turn."

"The coming ninja war will still require the strength of the two great clans. Unless the ninja world becomes completely stable one day, I cannot demand that they send clan members into the Anbu and look for ways to divide them."

For a moment, the conference room fell silent...

The matter was so thorny that even an old schemer like Danzo had no idea where to begin.

Knock, knock.

At that moment, someone knocked on the conference room door.

"Come in," the Third Hokage called.

Three people entered: Hyuga Naoya, the Hyuga Clan's elder; Uchiha Yuxiong, the Uchiha Clan's elder; and Hyuga Wuye.

"Wuye, come sit beside me."

Akimichi Torifu smiled and waved him over.

"Uncle Torifu!"

After greeting the Third Hokage and the others, Hyuga Wuye happily sat beside Akimichi Torifu...

With him here, at least these eyes probably wouldn't be gouged out.

Hyuga Naoya and Uchiha Yuxiong pulled out chairs and sat at the far end of the conference table.

The Third Hokage spoke gently, with no trace of the headache he had shown earlier.

"He awakened the Sharingan. That makes him a descendant of my Uchiha Clan, and he must acknowledge his ancestry and return to the clan," Uchiha Yuxiong declared without hesitation.

Hyuga Naoya frowned and retorted, "He is a member of my Hyuga Clan. How can he acknowledge the Uchiha Clan as his ancestors?!"

"He awakened the Sharingan!"

"Does awakening the Sharingan make him Uchiha by blood? Who made that rule?"

"..."

With each side firing back at the other, the Hokage's conference room instantly turned into a marketplace.

Knock.

The Third Hokage tapped the table with his pipe. "I called you here to solve the problem, not to listen to you keep arguing!"

"My apologies, Lord Hokage."

Hyuga Naoya fell silent.

"Hmph."

Uchiha Yuxiong wore the arrogant expression typical of the Uchiha Clan.

"Lord Hokage, I do not intend to oppose the Uchiha Clan deliberately. But Hyuga Wuye was raised in the Hyuga Clan, and his mother is unquestionably a member of the Hyuga Clan. How could I possibly allow him to join the Uchiha Clan?"

As he spoke, Hyuga Naoya turned to Uchiha Yuxiong. "You claim he has Uchiha blood, so tell me—who is his father?"

The conference room immediately fell quiet. Even Hyuga Wuye raised his head.

Only Akimichi Torifu, sitting nearby, had a strange expression flash across his face.

Uchiha Yuxiong held it in for a long time before blurting out, "How would I know?!"

Hyuga Naoya mocked, "Then what right do you have to demand that he acknowledge his ancestry and return to the clan?"

"He awakened the Sharingan!"

"Who says the Sharingan can only belong to Uchiha blood?"

"Then tell me, besides the Uchiha Clan, who else can awaken the Sharingan?"

"Isn't Hyuga Wuye one?"

"I—"

Uchiha Yuxiong nearly cursed aloud.

Knock.

The Third Hokage tapped the table again. Only after they quieted down did he say, "You are both elders of ninja clans. How can you keep quarreling in front of a junior?"

Uchiha Yuxiong said coldly, "Because there is nothing to discuss. Hyuga Wuye must change his surname to Uchiha!"

"Heh."

Hyuga Naoya folded his arms, his stance obvious.

"You can argue all you want and still get nowhere. How about I adopt him instead?"

Akimichi Torifu suddenly cut in.

"No!"

"Don't even think about it!"

Hyuga Naoya and Uchiha Yuxiong spoke in unison.

"Perhaps we should ask the person involved what he thinks," the Third Hokage suddenly said, turning to Hyuga Wuye. "Wuye, what do you think?"

"Huh?"

Hyuga Wuye pointed at himself. "Does my opinion matter?"

"Of course. I believe both elders will respect your own wishes," the Third Hokage said firmly.

Hyuga Naoya and Uchiha Yuxiong exchanged a glance and frowned, neither speaking for a moment.

Originally, no one would have cared what Hyuga Wuye thought. But now that they were deadlocked, his own inclination had gained significance...