The air in the Hokage Office was as still as a slab of lead.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his broad desk, the embers in his pipe flickering on and off. The ink on the scroll before him had only just dried—it was a wanted order. At the very top, four words had been written in vermilion: "S-Rank Rogue Ninja." Below them was a portrait of Hyuga Xiao.
The boy in the portrait had delicate features and gentle eyes, utterly at odds with the murderous atmosphere permeating the office.
"Third Hokage, we cannot hesitate any longer."
Leaning on his cane, Shimura Danzō stood before the window with his back to the others in the office. His voice was low and steady, yet carried an unquestionable pressure. "Hyuga Xiao colluded with Orochimaru, stole the Main House's secret techniques, and killed ANBU members—any one of those crimes would be enough to kill him ten times over. He is still on the run. This is the best time to eliminate him completely."
Hyuga Hiashi stood before the desk, the veins on his forehead twitching faintly.
Three Main House elders stood behind him, all white-haired old men with hawk-like sharpness in their eyes. One of them spoke. "Lord Hokage, Hyuga Xiao not only defected, but also stole the clan's most core secrets. He must be brought back alive—there are things only he knows."
"Alive?" Danzō turned around, his single eye sweeping across the members of the Hyuga Main House. "Are you certain you can capture alive a monster who has awakened a Tenseigan Prototype?"
The temperature in the office plummeted.
Hyuga Hiashi's fingers curled beneath his sleeves, his knuckles cracking softly. He took a deep breath, his voice suppressing some complicated emotion. "The Tenseigan... was originally the power of the Hyuga Clan.