It was another night after the attack on Kakashi.
A dignitary from the Land of Fire visited Konoha, and to show his affinity with the people, he granted them special permission to hold a celebration.
And so, that night, all of Konoha was decked out in lanterns and decorations, brimming with festive cheer.
The major clans' compounds, however, were practically deserted, as most ninja ranked Chunin and above had gone to maintain order.
Yes, it was not just the Hyuga Clan, but every clan.
That was the cleverness of the two advisers, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.
They had invited the Land of Fire dignitary to conduct an inspection in advance.
And as an institution subordinate to the Land of Fire, Konoha could not refuse an inspection from its superiors.
In addition, the two advisers used their positions to help Aburame Ryoma plant operatives in the village, plotting to infiltrate the understaffed Hyuga Clan compound during the celebration and strike at Hinata Hyuga!
As long as they quietly took Hinata down before the celebration ended, they could neutralize the strongest fighter in Tsunade's camp and pave the way for their coming coup!
But had no one really seen through their flawless plan?
Shikaku Nara, Konoha's greatest mind, had already suspected the two advisers of harboring ill intentions.
At such a critical juncture, the two had invited a Land of Fire dignitary for an inspection, supposedly to show their superiors Konoha's fresh start after its reconstruction. Shikaku certainly did not believe that nonsense.
He was almost certain that the advisers were about to make their move, and had even deduced from scattered clues that their target was Hinata.
Under these circumstances, a few simple preparations would have been enough to nip their plan in the bud.
But Shikaku chose to give