A Back She Could Rely On

The barrage of questions left Hiashi livid and momentarily speechless.

Many of the watching ninja secretly frowned at those words, their gazes toward Hiashi growing more complicated.

Before Hiashi could retort, Genya softened his tone, though his words grew even sharper.

"Lord Hokage, the very first lesson we learned at the Ninja Academy was the Will of Fire."

Genya's voice echoed through the courtyard, carrying the almost stubborn earnestness unique to a child.

"Where leaves dance, fire burns on. Its light will illuminate the village and cause new leaves to sprout."

"Our teachers taught us to cherish our comrades, protect the village, and safeguard those we hold dear."

He held Hinata's hand tightly, shielding her behind him. The red glow in his eyes seemed to echo the "fire" in his words.

"I, Genya Uchiha, may be young, and my strength may be meager. But the Will of Fire as I understand it is not some lofty ideal to be paid lip service!"

"It should be reflected in every action we take! Standing by while a comrade is bullied is a betrayal of the very word 'comrade'!"

"If we remain unmoved when the weak are hurt, how can we claim to illuminate the village?!"

"Today, I protected Hinata not only because she is my friend, but because I believe that is how I put the Will of Fire into practice!"

"Protecting my comrades and those I cherish, even when I face a powerful clan head and strict clan rules!"

Genya straightened his back, meeting Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze with clear, unwavering eyes.

"If that is wrong, then please tell me, Lord Hokage: what exactly are the Ninja Academy's textbooks teaching us? What truly lies at the heart of the Will of Fire that Konoha preaches?!"

His words rang out with conviction, turning an internal clan dispute into a debate over Konoha's core ideals and how they should be practiced.

As a six-year-old child, he had used the school's most orthodox teachings to defend his intrusion into the Hyuga Clan Compound and his brazen defiance of Hiashi!

His quick thinking and courage deeply shocked everyone present, including Hiruzen Sarutobi and the two Advisors.

Sosuke Uchiha watched his son's back, his eyes filled with approval and pride.

Hyuga Hiashi's expression, meanwhile, grew even uglier. He realized that, for the moment, he could not directly refute this sharp-tongued brat on moral grounds!

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag from his pipe, the smoke obscuring the complicated look in his eyes.

As he watched the Uchiha boy standing proudly amid the ruins, holding the Hyuga Clan Heiress's hand, his thoughts churned.

This child... not only was his strength terrifying, but his intellect and eloquence were astonishing as well.

His words sounded childish and straightforward, but they actually left him room to maneuver. He had even subtly put both me and Konoha in the position of having to answer his questions.

Trouble. Truly an enormous amount of trouble.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's thoughts raced.

The ninja aligned with the Hokage exchanged glances, many wearing conflicted expressions.

They had come wary of a possible Uchiha "provocation" against the Hyuga Clan, yet what they had witnessed was the Hyuga Clan Heiress being injured first, and the Uchiha prodigy stepping forward afterward.

What was more, the doctrine this young prodigy so confidently invoked was none other than the Ninja Academy's most orthodox "Will of Fire"!

That shook their inclination to side with the Hyuga Clan.

Some of the younger ninja even instinctively felt that this Uchiha boy... seemed to have a point.

Was protecting a comrade wrong?

Clan Head Hiashi's attitude toward his daughter really did seem...

The two Advisors, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, wore deep frowns and grim expressions.

Their greater concern was the terrifying strength, precocious mind, and undisguised sharpness Genya Uchiha had displayed.

His words appeared to be an appeal to reason, but in reality, he was challenging the Hyuga Clan Leader's authority and even subtly placing Konoha High Command under scrutiny.

This Uchiha Clan brat was even more troublesome and dangerous than they had anticipated!

The reactions among the Hyuga Clan members were more subtle.

Most members of the branch family lowered their heads in silence, not daring to comment on the Main Family's affairs.

A few Main Family members were furious at Genya's "rudeness" and his "interference in Hyuga Clan affairs," yet they struggled to directly refute his moral arguments.

Especially when they saw Lady Hinata's miserable condition, some of the more softhearted members could not help sighing inwardly.

Meanwhile, on the Uchiha Clan's side-

The members of the Konoha Military Police Force standing behind Sosuke Uchiha unconsciously straightened their backs!

They watched their young clansman, whose presence was astonishing despite his age.

Hearing him refute the Hyuga Clan Leader with clear logic and ringing conviction, even invoking the Hokage's own "Will of Fire" to justify himself, filled them with indescribable excitement and pride!

"Well said!"

"Protecting your comrades is only right!"

"Young Master Genya... is incredible!"

"Now that's a true son of the Uchiha Clan!"

"The Hyuga Clan is in the wrong, yet they still have the nerve to throw their weight around?"

Murmurs spread through the Uchiha crowd. Their eyes burned as they looked at Genya's back with amazement, approval, and a powerful sense of solidarity.

What Genya had done today was not merely for one girl. In an utterly forceful and morally unassailable way, he had given every Uchiha an outlet for the resentment they had long harbored over the village's subtle rejection of them!

Look, our Uchiha prodigy is putting the Will of Fire into practice and protecting his comrades!

What else can you accuse us of?

Sosuke Uchiha's expression remained composed.

His son not only possessed exceptional strength, but had handled this situation brilliantly, deftly turning a personal dispute into a clash of ideals and claiming the moral high ground.

Compared with intimidation through force alone, this was more likely to win sympathy from some neutral observers, while making it harder for High Command to simply condemn his actions as "provocation."

Meanwhile, Hinata Hyuga, whose hand Genya held as he shielded her behind him, had already been utterly overwhelmed by surging emotion.

She listened as Genya fearlessly faced the imposing Lord Hokage, the Advisor, and the father she had always held in awe, arguing her case word by word.

Those words did more than state the facts. He was standing up for her, giving voice to her hurt and suffering!

She had never imagined that anyone would stand so firmly on her side, so bravely resisting the pressure the entire world placed upon her.

Her father's stern, disappointed gaze, the clan's crushing expectations, the frustration of failing in her training, the fear of abuse from her own clansmen...

Before Genya's powerful, ringing words, all those shadows that had weighed on her heart for so long seemed to be largely dispersed by a searing light.

Though he was young, Genya's back seemed extraordinarily tall and dependable. That image etched itself with unmatched clarity into the deepest part of her heart, replacing so much of what had been there.

[Ding! Detected a dramatic elevation in conquest target Hinata Hyuga's emotions. Critical threshold surpassed!]

[Affection +2!]

[Current affection: 100 (Unwavering devotion, no regrets even in death)!]

[Deep bond established! Ultimate gift pack triggered! Claim now?]