At the Hatake Clan residence.
"Naruto, where did my brother run off to this time?"
Kakashi asked.
"No idea. He went out after cooking for me. He didn't say where he was going."
Naruto's words came out muffled as he busily stuffed his face.
"Again?"
Kakashi was a little surprised. He wondered what had gotten into his brother these past two days. Shinichi kept running off without letting anyone know where he was going.
He had actually wanted to remind Shinichi that the Kumogakure Envoy Group had arrived in Konoha. Shinichi had better keep a low profile for the next few days and avoid acting rashly again, lest he bring more trouble home.
But with Shinichi nowhere to be found, Kakashi couldn't be bothered to dwell on it. He might as well concentrate on studying Hatake Swordsmanship!
Indeed, he had already learned Sealing Jutsu and successfully sealed his Sharingan for the time being.
Without the burden of his Sharingan draining vast amounts of chakra, he felt countless times more energetic. His training priorities had changed accordingly, focusing on taijutsu and Hatake Swordsmanship. These days, he often sought out his close friend Guy to train together.
After all, he knew perfectly well that Guy's taijutsu was second to none in Konoha. No one could surpass him.
All in all, Kakashi had already embarked on a path completely different from the one in the original story.
Meanwhile, at the Hyuga Clan compound.
Two figures, one older and one younger, lurked in the shadows, unnoticed.
"Shinichi, do we really have to keep watch over the Hyuga Clan like this every day?"
Shisui asked, puzzled.
Ever since the Kumogakure Envoy Group had arrived in Konoha, Shinichi had made him stake out the Hyuga Clan without telling him what exactly they were supposed to do.
He wasn't trying to complain. Shinichi hadn't been slacking off either. Apart from returning to the Hatake Clan residence at regular intervals to cook for Naruto, he spent almost all his time staking out this place.
"I don't want to do this either!"
Shinichi looked even more frustrated and couldn't help grumbling under his breath, "Who the hell knows when those bastards from Kumogakure will make their move? We can't miss our best chance, so staking out the Hyuga Clan is our safest bet!"
Even though he knew the original plot inside out, that didn't mean he remembered exactly when every event took place.
Since he couldn't be certain, all he could do was lie in wait.
Whoosh!
Just as the pair were about to lose their minds, an unidentified shadow slipped into the Hyuga Clan compound under cover of darkness.
"About fucking time! You're finally here!"
Shinichi's eyes lit up.
At the Hyuga Clan residence.
Inside a spacious room.
Three-year-old Hinata slept soundly, unaware that a pair of wicked hands was about to reach her.
A shadow slowly emerged in the room like a ghost.
"What a cute little brat!"
Matsushita muttered to himself, "Everything is for Kumogakure! Don't blame me. These are the rules of this world!"
To keep little Hinata from waking, he even used a sleeping gas on her.
Konoha is on its guard. There's no way I can get this brat out of the village!
Matsushita silently weighed his options, his gaze growing vicious. But I never intended to escape alive anyway...
After forcibly carrying off the unconscious Hinata, Matsushita didn't head straight out of the Hyuga Clan compound. Instead, he deliberately approached a room lit by candlelight.
What's going on? Why have I felt so uneasy all evening...?
In his study, Hiashi frowned slightly, unable to settle his mind.
His instincts told him something bad was about to happen, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
Whoosh!
Just then, a shadow suddenly flashed past his window.
"Who's there?"
Hiashi's senses were exceptionally sharp. He immediately gave chase, shouting furiously, "How dare you cause trouble in the Hyuga Clan compound!"
The Hyuga Clan head! He's the one!
Seeing Hiashi blocking his path, Matsushita was delighted rather than alarmed.
"Put Hinata down!"
Hiashi deflected the incoming shuriken with Rotation. In the moonlight, he finally saw that the child in Matsushita's arms was his daughter, Hinata. His fury reached its peak, wiping away his reason in an instant!
His chakra erupted!
Hiashi unleashed the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist to its fullest, every strike aimed straight at Matsushita's vital points.
Then Hiashi thrust a finger out in a reverse strike, targeting a fatal pressure point.
Lord Dodai, my mission is complete!
Overjoyed, Matsushita stood motionless, allowing Hiashi to kill him.
"What?!"
His opponent showed no intention of resisting, looking perfectly willing to die.
Hiashi sensed that something was wrong and instinctively tried to pull back. But his strike had already passed the point of no return. He could only watch as the man died by his hand.
Thud.
Matsushita's corpse fell face-down onto the ground. Hiashi immediately caught Hinata, his expression darkening.
Although he still didn't know exactly what was going on, he knew he had fallen into someone's trap!
"Summon the clan elders for a meeting immediately!"
The sounds of fighting had drawn quite a few Hyuga clansmen. After returning Hinata to her room, Hiashi immediately issued his order.
This matter was nowhere near as simple as it seemed. His instincts told him that a dangerous storm would soon descend upon the Hyuga Clan.
The Hyuga Clan elders gathered together, their expressions grim as they looked at Matsushita's corpse.
"I recognize this man. He belongs to the Kumogakure Envoy Group!"
"Those wretched bastards from Kumogakure! I knew they couldn't have come to Konoha simply for an exchange. They must be after our clan's Byakugan!"
"This is a Kumogakure plot against the Hyuga Clan!"
The Hyuga elders were all furious.
Anyone with eyes could see that this wasn't merely a secret conspiracy-it was an overt trap!
This Kumogakure ninja named Matsushita was clearly a sacrificial pawn deliberately sent to his death, all so Kumogakure could smear the Hyuga Clan.
"They planned this in advance. They abducted Hinata to force me to kill him."
Hiashi said gravely, "Kumogakure chose this particular moment, so soon after the Shinobi World War ended. They may well be looking for a pretext to start another war. Regardless, the implications are too far-reaching for the Hyuga Clan to decide this matter alone."
"The clan head is right. We should leave this matter to Lord Hokage..."
"I, too, believe Lord Hokage will see that our Hyuga Clan receives justice!"
The Hyuga elders nodded in agreement.
The Hyuga Clan then immediately sent someone to inform the Third Hokage and awaited his response.
While they waited, Hiashi intended to check on Hinata, who had nearly been abducted.
But just as Hiashi left the meeting hall, an amused voice suddenly reached him. "Your reputation is well deserved, Clan Head Hiashi. To remain so composed after something this serious is truly admirable."
Few people had a voice that made others want to punch them quite like this one. Hiashi certainly remembered it.
"Hatake Shinichi? What are you doing in our Hyuga Clan compound?"
Hiashi asked coldly.
He was in no mood to joke with Shinichi, especially when the man had shown up uninvited. There was no reason for him to be welcoming.
"To tell you the truth, I saw everything that happened to your clan tonight."
Shinichi wasn't offended. With a faint smile, he said, "I only want to ask you one question, Clan Head Hiashi. Do you really believe Lord Hokage will give the Hyuga Clan a satisfactory answer?"
"What do you mean?"
Hiashi's brows knitted tightly.
Those words made no sense. He hadn't forgotten that the Hatake Clan belonged to the Hokage's faction.
Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that Shinichi was taking digs at the Third Hokage.
That didn't add up!
"It seems you're too close to the situation to see it clearly, Clan Head Hiashi!"
Shinichi sighed softly. "In that case, let me break it down for you. Kumogakure's ambitions are ruthless. What happened tonight was clearly an elaborate scheme to seize the Byakugan. If they don't get what they want, they absolutely won't let this go."
"White Fang is dead, and the Sannin have left Konoha one after another. The village looks strong, but it's hollow inside, too weak to withstand a blow. Precisely because the gap in strength between the two sides is so vast, Konoha doesn't dare go to war. Otherwise, what would give Kumogakure the nerve to use such a shameless, overt trap against the Hyuga Clan to seize the Byakugan?"
"The war has only just ended. If you were Lord Hokage, what choice would you make? Would it be more worthwhile to sacrifice one Hyuga clansman, or to grit your teeth, provoke Kumogakure, and start another war? You should know that no one understands better than Lord Hokage that Konoha simply can't afford another war right now..."
The more Shinichi explained, the more alarmed Hiashi became. At some point, fine beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.
There was only one reason: every point Shinichi made struck at the heart of the matter, supported by sound reasoning!
If he were the Third Hokage, he would certainly make the choice that best served the village's interests: sacrifice his life to appease Kumogakure's wrath and snuff out the possibility of war before it could begin!
Before you continue