Night lay deep over the courtyard of the Hyuga Clan Compound.
Watching Xuanye suddenly barge into the courtyard, Uchiha Itachi stood at the back of the squad with deeply mixed feelings.
A thunderclap out of a clear sky.
There was no better phrase to describe his captain.
Uchiha Itachi privately reckoned that Xuanye had the most commanding presence of anyone he had ever met.
He wondered who was more overbearing: Xuanye or the legendary Madara Uchiha of the Warring States Period.
After letting his thoughts wander for a while, Uchiha Itachi quickly collected himself and stood properly in formation.
At that moment, Xuanye was looking at Hyuga Hiashi, who stood in the middle of the courtyard.
This scene looked awfully familiar.
Right now, Hiashi must have desperately wanted someone to stand up and say a fair word on his behalf, right?
Just like the White Fang of Konoha, whom the village's rumors had once driven into a corner.
Beside him, Uchiha Cong was exceptionally quick on the uptake. The moment he saw the captain stop, he pulled out a cigarette and handed it over, then lit it with a fire stick.
Xuanye took a deep drag and slowly exhaled white smoke.
Completely ignoring Hiruzen Sarutobi's murderous gaze beside him, he strode up to Hyuga Hiashi and patted the clan head's shoulder.
"The Hyuga Clan owns plenty of businesses. Every month, you're the biggest contributor to our Konoha Military Police Force's public security management fees."
"Since you've paid, you're our Konoha Military Police Force's most loyal clients, and you deserve our full protection."
That was entirely true.
Initially, the Hyuga Clan had thought highly of itself and looked down on the Uchiha-run Konoha Military Police Force, fiercely resisting the protection payments.
But rules were rules.
Every business on the street had paid. Was it reasonable for only the Hyuga Clan's shops to refuse?
Xuanye hadn't even needed to personally find fault with them. The other merchants who had paid would band together to squeeze them out.
Left with no choice, the Hyuga Clan had obediently paid up. As the payments continued, they had ended up becoming the biggest financial contributor in the village.
"Go on, tell me. What injustice did you suffer tonight?"
Xuanye planted a foot on the head of the Kumogakure ninja's corpse on the ground, shook out the white Justice Cape behind him, and declared:
"With this captain here, no one's going to falsely accuse you today! Our Konoha Military Police Force will absolutely live up to the Justice Capes we wear!"
Looking at the overbearing man protecting him, Hyuga Hiashi felt a jumble of emotions.
Before today, if someone had told him that when disaster struck the Hyuga Clan, a member of their bitter rivals, the Uchiha Clan, would stand up to back him, he would have taken it as a joke.
But now he believed it, and even felt a powerful surge of gratitude.
Xuanye knew exactly what tonight's farce was about.
Kumogakure had sent an envoy mission to Konoha under the pretext of peace talks, while secretly sending someone to infiltrate the Hyuga Clan Compound at midnight, intending to abduct Hinata Hyuga and seize the Byakugan.
Instead, the scheme had backfired, and their leader had been killed by a single palm strike from Hyuga Hiashi.
Not only had the Kumogakure Envoy Mission refused to admit fault, but they had turned the accusation around, demanding that Konoha hand over the Hyuga Clan Head to pay with his life, or face war.
In the original course of events, the weakness and concessions of Konoha High Command had forced Hyuga Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi Hyuga, to step forward and kill himself to take the blame. Neji Hyuga had consequently borne the pain of losing his father from childhood and grown full of resentment toward the Main Family.
Afterward, Hiruzen Sarutobi had even sanctimoniously declared that Hizashi Hyuga had willingly sacrificed himself for the village's peace, a hero who had inherited the Will of Fire.
What utter bullshit!
Who would want to die when they could live perfectly well?
Even if Hizashi Hyuga really had gone willingly to his death, it had been to protect his brother and the Hyuga Main Family. What the hell did that have to do with your Konoha High Command's Will of Fire?
Wasn't it because you higher-ups couldn't withstand Kumogakure's pressure and forced him to his death?
The Hokage of the greatest village in the Shinobi World had actually needed to force one of his own villagers to die in exchange for so-called peace. How utterly spineless!
A robber came to steal and was beaten to death, yet his accomplices not only escaped punishment but forced the victim to commit suicide in apology.
Xuanye turned to glance at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his eyes full of mockery.
He really couldn't bring himself to do something so spineless that it set a new low.
"Captain Xuanye, tonight's incident is a diplomatic dispute. It has nothing to do with you or the Konoha Military Police Force."
Before Hyuga Hiashi could voice his grievances, Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped forward with a grim expression and interrupted, "This matter has escalated to the strategic level between two villages. You have no authority to interfere!"
"Nothing to do with me?"
Xuanye scoffed and waved a casual hand. "Whether this concerns the Konoha Military Police Force isn't for you to decide, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow furrowed tightly. He couldn't understand what trick this brat was about to pull.
Xuanye paid him no attention at all, turning directly toward Atsui, the tense-faced Kumogakure Deputy Envoy standing nearby.
"Just half an hour ago, unidentified ninja launched a night raid on my Private Estate."
At those words, Atsui's heart lurched.
My sister Samui and Lady Yugito Nii!
As the deputy of the Kumogakure Envoy Mission, he knew very well what tonight's real killing move was.
Lady Yugito Nii had taken elite troops to attack this Police Force Captain's residence!
In fact, when he had seen Xuanye appear in the Hyuga Clan Compound completely unscathed earlier, he had already felt an ominous premonition.
"Unfortunately, those thieves had rather bad luck. When they climbed over the wall, I happened to be sitting in the courtyard, drinking tea to settle my stomach."
Xuanye continued in an even tone, "In self-defense, I casually killed a few petty thieves and also captured a little wildcat with two tails."
Casually killed a few and captured a cat!
Those two nonchalant remarks struck Atsui's ears like a bolt from the blue!
He knew better than anyone who had made up the team attacking Xuanye's estate!
Their leader had been Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, who had perfectly mastered her Tailed Beast's power!
In all of Kumogakure, she ranked third, behind only Lord Raikage and Lord Killer B!
And she had fallen into this brat's hands without so much as a sound?!
"Hey, kid from Kumogakure. Tell our Lord Hokage, loud and clear: does tonight's business have anything to do with this captain?"
Xuanye walked forward with a smile and raised his hand to clap Atsui heavily on the shoulder.
Cold sweat streamed down Atsui's forehead. Drawing a deep breath, he gritted his teeth and said loudly, "It does! It has a great deal to do with you! I believe Captain Xuanye is fully qualified to participate with full authority in the subsequent handling of tonight's case involving the killing of the Kumogakure Envoy!"
Beside them, Hiruzen Sarutobi froze completely, his head full of questions.
What were these two talking about in riddles?
Why did he, the Third Hokage himself, feel like an outsider standing here?
"Captain Xuanye, regarding tonight's misunderstanding, our Kumogakure Envoy Mission hopes to sit down and have a proper discussion with you in private."
Forcing down his shock and anger, Atsui stepped forward and spoke quietly.
Compared with his sister Samui, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki's safety directly concerned Kumogakure's strategic foundations. Absolutely nothing could be allowed to happen to her!
If the Two-Tails were lost in Konoha, Kumogakure would suffer a devastating blow!
"You want to talk to me? Who the hell do you think you are?"
Xuanye looked Atsui up and down, undisguised distaste in his eyes.
Atsui trembled with fury, his fists clenched tight, but at the thought of Yugito Nii and his sister, whose fates were unknown, he could only swallow the humiliation.
"This concerns peace between Kumogakure and Konoha. Captain Xuanye, please give us an opportunity to negotiate!"
"No time. This captain has no interest in listening to your rambling right now."
Xuanye let out a lazy yawn.
"Why?!"
Atsui was utterly bewildered. You already have the hostages. Shouldn't you be taking the opportunity to demand an outrageous price and extort Kumogakure now?
Why wouldn't you even talk?
Smack!
A crisp, ringing slap exploded through the courtyard!
Uchiha Cong darted forward, swung his arm in a wide arc, and slapped Atsui across the face so hard that he spun twice on the spot.
"What's with all the whys?! Because our captain's shift is over!"
Pointing straight at Atsui's nose, Uchiha Cong unleashed a torrent of abuse. "Are you fucking blind? Can't you see our captain's so sleepy he's yawning? Whatever bullshit you have to say, save it for tomorrow and take your time saying it in the Konoha Military Police Force Prison! Asking question after question in the middle of the night-aren't you annoying!"
This lackey really knew his stuff.
Xuanye smiled in satisfaction and nodded to Hyuga Hiashi, who was still standing in a daze, then swept his hand outward.
"Dismissed! Shift's over. Go home!"
Before you continue