Pot Kage?
The atmosphere in Konoha seemed to have changed drastically overnight, with countless Anbu Ninja leaping about in the streets and alleys, searching for any suspicious individuals.
Ordinary civilians had no right to know such confidential information, at least not until things were 'satisfactorily' resolved. However, they could still sense the atmosphere shifting rapidly; the streets and alleys had become much quieter...
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage Building, the Cloud Shinobi delegation and the Konoha F4 were on the verge of conflict, with undercurrents swirling between their verbal sparring...
"Hand over the culprit! This happened on our Cloud Shinobi first day in Konoha! Konoha must give us an explanation! Otherwise, war will break out! There's no point in continuing peace talks!"
"Hmph, the Cloud Shinobi delegation has been plotting against Konoha since their Byakugan first day Konoha. I suspect the peace talks are a pretense, their true intention is to sabotage us! The Cloud Shinobi owe Konoha an explanation!"
Although Elders Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were not known for their martial prowess, they had cultivated their skills in Konoha politics for decades and were quite adept at wrangling. Shimura Danzō remained silent, watching the various performances of the Cloud Shinobi delegation with a gloomy expression. Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, pondering how to properly handle this matter.
Everyone knew perfectly well that the Cloud Shinobi envoy had indeed plotted to kill Byakugan, but they hadn't caught him in the act, leaving only a corpse behind.
Only Hyuga Hiashi, the head of the Hyuga Clan, was present at the scene. The Cloud Shinobi White Fang not admit to empty words, but after the Anbu's investigation, it was found that the Cloud Shinobi envoy was killed with a single blow. A Kunai pierced his neck directly. The killer's method was extremely skilled, and no distinctive Ninjutsu marks were left behind.
Based solely on the wound, Hyuga Hiashi cannot dispel suspicion. After all, as a Jonin skilled in Taijutsu, he could easily have been killed in a single blow by the Cloud Shinobi's carelessness...
"This is troublesome..." Hiruzen Sarutobi was in a real bind. The Hyuga Clan Main Family lost its Byakugan, and the Hyuga Clan needed Konoha to retrieve Byakugan, otherwise the Cloud Shinobi Hyuga Clan would likely be very dissatisfied. Meanwhile, the Cloud Shinobi were twisting the facts and demanding an explanation from Konoha, but Konoha was currently in a period of decline and could no longer afford the costs of war...
War is absolutely out of the question, at least in Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind. The bottom line for negotiation is that war must not break out, and the bottom line of peace must not be crossed...
' Hyuga Hiashi shouldn't be lying... If he's not the murderer... then where did Hinata Hyuga go? Could there be a third party involved?' In the chaotic meeting room, the Cloud Shinobi envoy and Mitokado Homura were arguing fiercely, while Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned in thought, his gaze involuntarily falling on Shimura Danzō...
'Besides Hyuga Hiashi, Root was the first to discover it...' It wasn't that Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't trust his partner of decades; it was just that Danzo had repeatedly done things that he couldn't believe over the years...
Even before that, they had planned to assassinate him...
"If this is the attitude of the Cloud Shinobi, then please leave! Konoha has never been afraid of war!" Shimura Danzō suddenly stood up, glaring fiercely at the Cloud Shinobi envoy with murderous intent in his eyes, and slammed the door shut as he left.
As the renowned hawk leader of Konoha, the Cloud Shinobi naturally recognized this second most powerful figure in Konoha. A slight glint in their eyes told everyone that the argument with Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu was merely an appetizer; the real decision-maker in this negotiation was Hiruzen Sarutobi...
Could Shimura Danzō's attitude just now be seen as a statement on behalf of Hiruzen Sarutobi? Or was it a test of the Cloud Shinobi's bottom line? Lost in thought, the Cloud Shinobi envoy fell silent. For a moment, the entire conference room was quiet, everyone lost in their own thoughts...
"Lord Hokage, can we interpret Lord Hokage 'Shimura attitude just now as yours?" After a moment's thought, the Cloud Shinobi envoy tentatively asked.
The Cloud Shinobi's internal affairs have been severely damaged by years of war, leaving the people impoverished. Since the Third Shinobi World War, the Cloud Shinobi has never been at peace. Even though every Cloud Shinobi is incredibly capable, the situation can no longer be sustained. The calls for peace within the country are growing louder, and the Raikage naturally cannot ignore them...
But the Raikage was unwilling to retreat so easily. On one hand, he wanted to gain some benefits through diplomatic means outside of the war, and the plundering of the Byakugan was both a plan and a test. On the other hand, if Konoha couldn't tolerate it and attacked them, then if the war continued, the outcome would be uncertain...
Now, in the eyes of the Cloud Shinobi envoys, their Byakugan plunder plan has failed, and Konoha seems to have outmaneuvered them, turning the tables and staging the loss of the Hyuga Main House's Byakugan to use it as a pretext to argue with the Cloud Shinobi Ninja...
Whether or not the Byakugan was lost is only known to Konoha itself...
"After years of war, the people of every nation in the Shinobi World are yearning for peace. As the leader elected by the people, we cannot ignore their voices. Seeking the well-being of the people is the duty of every Kage..."
As soon Hiruzen Sarutobi his mouth, the air of a seasoned politician filled the entire conference room, seemingly elevating the entire atmosphere and setting him apart from everyone else present.
Despite the official tone, the Cloud Shinobi envoy still understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's meaning: the bottom line of peace could not be crossed...
"In that case, Konoha should hand over the murderer! Hyuga Hiashi is the murderer of my Cloud Shinobi envoy and the culprit who destroyed the peace of the Shinobi World! I hope you will make the right decision as soon as possible!"
Knowing Konoha's bottom line, the Cloud Shinobi envoy seemed to have gained more confidence. A hint of joy flashed in his eyes, but his tone remained firm. After speaking, he got up to leave.
"Konoha will hand over the murderer... but if the Cloud Shinobi continues to push their luck like this, Konoha is not afraid of war!"
Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's solemn expression, the Cloud Shinobi envoy was taken aback. He knew he couldn't push Konoha too far; too much of a good thing could be bad. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded and led his group out of the meeting room...
"Hiruzen... what murderer are we supposed to hand over? It's clearly not our fault..." Mitokado Homura hadn't questioned Hiruzen Sarutobi earlier, but now that they were behind closed doors, he naturally wanted to get to the bottom of it...
"The Cloud Shinobi are going too far..." Utatane Koharu was also very confused, and the two of them looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Where exactly is Hinata Hyuga now? That's the key to this..." Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at the two of them, his gaze fixed on Shimura Danzō's location. The two of them, as if on the same wavelength, widened their eyes, seemingly understanding something.
"Hiruzen... you mean... the Root?"
"No, this absolutely cannot be made public... How could Danzo do this! What is he trying to do?!"
"It's not certain yet... but I know that even I can't get a definite answer from him..."
The elders of Konoha plotted to seize the bloodline of their clans, using such despicable methods. If this were to be revealed, it would likely cause a huge uproar. In the past, it wasn't uncommon for members of bloodline clans to join Root, even if they were unwilling. Ultimately, it was an open secret, and both sides were aware of it.
But now, using such methods will likely create a climate of fear, causing the various clans of Konoha to harbor different intentions...
Hiruzen Sarutobi's suspicion of Danzo was not mere speculation. After all, Danzo had ample motives. The Hyuga Clan was a powerful clan in Konoha, Root couldn't afford to push them too far. Therefore, Root had never had a Byakugan ninja. The strategic power of the Byakugan was undeniable, and it wasn't impossible that Shimura Danzo, currently focused on eliminating the 'evil Uchiha Clan's Shimura Danzō, was plotting to acquire the Byakugan...
'What's more, Danzo was even willing to assassinate me to become Hokage...' Apart from Kakashi Hatake, no one else knew that Danzo had attempted to assassinate Hiruzen Sarutobi. Hiruzen Sarutobi had never thought of telling Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, but that didn't stop him from thinking that it was more and more likely that Danzo's Root members had taken a dangerous risk and kidnapped Hinata Hyuga...
Aside from Root, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't think of any other faction in Konoha who could have received the information so precisely and cleverly at that exact moment... As for Danzo's opportunistic attempt to shift the blame to the Cloud Shinobi, Hiruzen Sarutobi had to admit it was brilliant; if he hadn't been the one to get this trouble out of him...
"You should understand the consequences if this were to be publicized..." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed deeply, glancing at the two who were still incessantly cursing Danzo.
He longed to buy osmanthus blossoms and share wine, but it would never be the same as the carefree days of his youth. Thinking of the friendship he shared with his friends in his youth, the kind of sworn brothers who would risk their lives for each other, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but sigh.
Well, they've been teammates and buddies for decades, so how many more years can they spend together...?
Let the Hyuga Clan suffer a bit more...