Chapter 127: Priorities and Consequences
In Konoha, the entanglement between family clans and village interests was deeply complex. Various families of different scale and strength had their own unique needs and positions. Take, for instance, the mid-sized clans like the Ino–Shika–Chō trio: their interests were tightly bound to the village leadership, making them both a cornerstone of Konoha's structure and steadfast supporters of the Hokage's line. Within the village's major institutions—ANBU, the Police Force, general military units, and even Danzo's clandestine Root division—their presence was deeply embedded.
Strictly speaking, even the Sarutobi Clan, to which the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi belonged, was at this level—arguably less renowned than the Ino–Shika–Chō trio. Hiruzen's exceptional talent had been the primary factor elevating his clan's prestige.
Other clans at this tier included the insect-controlling Aburame, the dog-handling Inuzuka, and the now-fading Kurama clan of genjutsu users. While they didn't have as strong a presence as the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, they typically supported the Hokage's leadership and rarely came into direct conflict with village affairs.
Of course, Konoha's most renowned clans—the Senju and Uchiha—had dominated since the Warring States period. As spiritual heirs of the Sage of Six Paths' body and eyes, their bloodlines and unique jutsu had long outclassed most others. With Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama uniting to found Konoha, the village's position as a shinobi superpower was practically inevitable.
The Senju clan faded from the spotlight after the Second Hokage, Tobirama, and quietly assimilated into the general fabric of the village. The Uchiha, on the other hand, took control of the Police Force—an immensely influential department. To the coalition of other clans and the multitude of civilian shinobi, this was seen as a blatant usurpation of village resources and power, breeding resentment.
This conflict of interest directly influenced struggles over the Hokage position, which remained firmly within the Senju-affiliated lineage: from the brothers Hashirama and Tobirama, to their student Hiruzen as the Third Hokage, to Minato (Hiruzen's grandstudent) as the Fourth, Tsunade (Hiruzen's student) as the Fifth, Kakashi (Minato's student) as the Sixth, and Naruto (Kakashi's student and Minato's son) as the Seventh. The connections were an intricate web of master-apprentice relationships that never truly strayed from the Senju line.
Despite producing many gifted individuals, the Uchiha clan never truly reached the Hokage seat. Uchiha Kagami—Tobirama's student—died young. Uchiha Fugaku, head of the clan and father of Itachi and Sasuke, was certainly qualified in terms of strength and influence. However, he lost his edge after taking on clan duties, and it remains unclear if he ever awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. He might've had enough strength to compete politically, but he was overshadowed by the legendary Sannin and the genius of the Fourth Hokage. In a village that already disliked the arrogant Uchiha, Fugaku stood little chance.
Their misfortunes didn't stop there. Just as a new generation of talent emerged, Obito was ensnared by Madara, Shisui's tragic death crushed hopes, and Itachi was sacrificed for political stability. Sasuke, the reincarnation of Indra, was left an orphan, manipulated at every step. The Uchiha clan, despite holding the best cards, lost everything in a spectacular collapse—a textbook example of hubris and miscalculation, indirectly cementing Danzo's fearsome reputation as "Konoha's Darkness."
With the Senju hidden away and the Uchiha nearly extinct, only one great clan remained standing—none other than the Hyūga. Once overshadowed, the Hyūga now bore the burden of being Konoha's most prestigious surviving clan. Outsiders and younger clan members viewed this as a badge of honor. But to Hiashi, caught in the center of it all, the truth was far more dangerous.
He still remembered how, years ago, a diplomatic incident with Kumo led to the death of his brother, Hizashi, in his place. Outsiders saw it as Konoha's cowardice. Few considered the reality—that the village's higher-ups might've used it as a test, to probe the Hyūga's loyalty and cut them down a peg. Hiashi, forced to watch his brother die for political convenience, swore that he would never allow history to repeat itself.
The Uchiha's destruction had increased the pressure on the Hyūga. It pushed them to be more cautious, to participate more visibly in village life. Hiashi even sent his eldest daughter, Hinata, to the Academy for formal ninja training—a move that was, until then, beneath the status of Hyūga nobility. Why would a clan that had perfected the Gentle Fist for centuries need a Chūnin teacher?
Though the Hyūga had no intention of becoming enemies of Konoha like the Uchiha, when it came to matters of clan interest, they wouldn't back down. Danzo's desire to suppress noble clans and centralize power in the Hokage's hands represented a growing political fault line—one separating powerful families like the Hyūga from the coalition of smaller clans and civilians aligned with the Hokage faction.
Hiashi had once considered making changes, but with the rigid traditions of the clan—especially the Main and Branch House divisions—it was a slow, painful process. Still, nothing had gone terribly wrong… until now.
And then came the revelation. That Mizuki—a civilian-born Chūnin—possessed the terrifying power of the Rinnegan, even temporarily.
'So geniuses… don't just belong to their side after all…'
Hiashi's heart burned with the memory of that Rinnegan's power. After years of waiting, he might've finally found the key to changing everything.
…
Meanwhile, Mizuki had been nervously awaiting a knock at his door—perhaps from ANBU agents come to verify his account. But when lunch came and went with no disturbance, he finally began to relax.
What he got instead was a visit from his fiancée, Chihiro Tsubaki.
"Tsubaki, you're here early?" Mizuki asked as she walked in carrying a large bag of groceries.
"You're injured again?" she asked, setting the bag down and stepping close. Her hand ran over the thick bandages on his left shoulder and chest. His body was covered in wounds, some of which he'd tried to clean up quickly, but there was only so much he could hide.
Tsubaki's gentle fingers touched his shoulder. "You got hurt badly again, didn't you? Did you use the universal potion?"
She was one of the few people who knew more than most about the effects—and risks—of the potion. The last time Mizuki came back from the Land of Waves, it had nearly killed him. This time, at least, it didn't seem quite as bad.
"I didn't use much," Mizuki said reassuringly. "Look, I'm fine now."
Tsubaki didn't argue. She brushed her hand through his hair—now clearly streaked with aged white strands—and said softly, "Your hair's gone pale again. Was it that dangerous?"
'So the hair gave it away…' Mizuki thought with a bitter smile. Hiding the toll of the potion from someone this close to him was impossible.
"Sorry to worry you," he said, drawing her into a gentle embrace. "But it's almost over. I'll be fine."
Mizuki's hair had always been silver, but now it had a dull whiteness, like someone far older. To a stranger, the change might be subtle. To Tsubaki, it was glaringly obvious.
"Mizuki, can your body still hold out?" she asked worriedly. "Should we ask the village for help?"
"There's still time," he answered, though he knew better than anyone how dangerous things had become. If he went through another high-intensity battle or used even a bit more potion, he might not live to see the next Chūnin Exams.
"And if you need me," she said firmly, "Promise you'll ask."
"I will. When have I ever lied to you?"
Despite being from two very different worlds—Tsubaki the academic, Mizuki the shinobi—they'd always trusted each other implicitly. He never lied to her. Everyone needed someone they could be fully honest with.
They changed the subject. Tsubaki updated him on the village's recent developments and progress on the potion experiments.
"You made progress on chakra separation?" Mizuki asked, surprised.
"Yes," she said happily. "That purple-black chakra you gave me is unstable—far more than any chakra I've ever seen. It didn't split into two or three parts like you thought… It split into five."
"Five?" Mizuki echoed. That was unexpected. He had assumed the mixture was a combination of physical, spiritual, and natural energy. Was there something else involved? Yet his curse mark hadn't reacted at all…
"I can't focus on it right now," Mizuki admitted. "My clone got exposed. Once I finish making a new 'Number Two' clone, I'll revisit it."
Some achievements were important but not urgent. He needed to prioritize what mattered now.
"And the primary samples?" he asked.
"All sealed and preserved," she confirmed.
That was critical. Cells could only divide a limited number of times. Once a clone was grown from them, their viability dropped. A second clone from the same line would be far weaker. Mizuki had learned that the hard way: using degraded Sasuke DNA and his potion to create another clone hadn't worked. Even if he infused it with the Curse Mark's chakra, it couldn't awaken the Rinnegan—its body collapsed before it could even handle the Mangekyō.
"People might come to steal the potion or the research," Mizuki warned. "Keep it safe—but above all, keep yourself safe. If anything feels off, abandon everything else and run."
"I will," she promised. "You be careful too."
---
Read up to 20 chapter ahead of time on patreon.com/Legendryweeb
{please give this novel 5 Star review and power stone}
*Thank you*