"He's just a Kumogakure ninja. Haven't enough of them died already?" Kiyosuke looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and said coldly,
"They don't even bother to hide their intentions. They're just using this as an excuse to gain something from us."
Whether they succeeded or failed in this attempt, Kumogakure stood to benefit either way.
If they succeeded, they'd get their hands on the precious Byakugan.
If they failed, they could still find a way to profit from the incident.
After all, one of their ninja died in the village—surely Konoha had to be held accountable.
"I understand that, of course. If we don't handle this well, it could lead to war."
Hiruzen let out a long sigh.
"If Konoha were to go to war now, it would cripple us."
So young… too hot-blooded.
At that moment, Danzō spoke up.
"Hiruzen, Kumogakure has stated that the one who killed their ninja used the Hyūga's Gentle Fist.They're demanding we give them an explanation."
Kumogakure made it clear: hand over the culprit and they'd let it go.
Otherwise, the peace treaty would be void, and the fighting would resume.
After Kiyosuke brought the corpse back, Hiruzen had ordered it returned to Kumogakure.
That decision made Kiyosuke think the old man had lost his mind.
Why give them a weapon to use against us?
If it were him, he would've just made the body disappear.
The ninja went missing—what did it have to do with Konoha?
Why hand the body back?
He narrowed his eyes.
So this old man was trying to put pressure on the Hyūga Clan—keep them from getting too full of themselves.
In recent years, the Hyūga had grown even more arrogant than the Uchiha.
They were flaunting the title of "Konoha's foremost clan" without restraint.
The Uchiha, under Uchiha Fugaku's suppression, had been acting more discreetly lately, even managing to repair their reputation somewhat.
But no one looked at the Hyūga with the same caution.
A little warning was in order—to remind them of their place.
This old bastard was truly devious.
"I was the one who killed him. And these bastards really have the nerve to act like this?"
Kiyosuke scoffed.
Still, these muscle-brained fools weren't all completely useless.
"This isn't the time for that kind of talk," Hiruzen said with a shake of his head.
"What matters now is how we handle Kumogakure. Now is not the time for war."
That much was true.
Konoha had just come out of the Third Great Ninja War.
Then came the Nine-Tails' rampage, Orochimaru's betrayal...
The village's strength had plummeted.
If war broke out again, few in the village would be able to fight.
Even if they won, it would be a pyrrhic victory.
And Konoha's enemies weren't limited to just Kumogakure.
If there was profit to be had, that old man from Iwagakure would jump in too.
Hyūga Hiashi's face was grim.
Hiruzen tried to reassure him.
"Hiashi, don't worry. The Hyūga are part of the village. We won't let them succeed."
Danzō suddenly stepped in.
"Sarutobi is thinking about the village. We can't allow Kumogakure to threaten us.We must not let them lead us by the nose."
Hiashi shook his head and said,
"If my sacrifice can bring peace to Konoha, I'm willing to accept it."
"Wait, Hiashi! Don't make such a rash decision!"
The former head of the Hyūga Main Family spoke up.
"The Hyūga's kekkei genkai is incredibly precious. Protecting it has always been the Main Family's duty."
"But I can't allow the village to be dragged into war because of us."
"I understand how you feel, but this is exactly why the Branch Family system exists."
Finally, someone who had been silent until now stepped forward—Hyūga Hizashi, Hiashi's twin brother.
Their father spoke with heavy emotion.
"This is a painful decision. If there were another way, I wouldn't even consider it. But… for the village and the Hyūga clan, We'll hand over Hizashi's corpse in your place. He's already agreed to this."
Hizashi and Hiashi were twins.
Hizashi was born just moments later, making him the younger brother, and thus part of the Branch Family.
He had always resented his fate—lamented both his own and his son's future.
He harbored hatred toward the Main Family, but never toward his brother.
After all, they were brothers.
Kumogakure demanded the body of the "culprit"—Hyūga Hiashi—not because they cared about justice, but because they wanted the Byakugan of the Main Family.
All they needed was a corpse.
So offering up Hizashi, who bore the Caged Bird Seal and looked identical to Hiashi,was the most pragmatic solution.
"No!"
Hiashi couldn't bear to watch his brother march to his death.
He would never agree to this.
"Hiashi, this is the fate of the Main Family—and of the Branch Family. The Main Family exists to protect the bloodline. The Branch Family exists to protect the Main. This is the Hyūga's fate. It has always been this way."
Hiashi clenched his teeth.
Hizashi smiled.
"What's this? The usually resolute Hiashi-sama is hesitating?"
"This decision can't be made so lightly!"
Hizashi suddenly threw a punch—
But it was stopped midair, caught by a hand.
It was Kiyosuke.
He smiled and said,
"Hizashi, come on. Konoha's not that desperate yet, is it?"
Everyone turned to look at him.
Kiyosuke continued,
"Konoha hasn't fallen so far that we'd hand over our own. Today they ask for the head of the Hyūga clan leader. Tomorrow, they'll demand the Uchiha clan leader. And the day after that, the Hokage.Are we just going to hand them over one by one? Once you give them what they want, there's no going back."
Danzō sneered.
"If you hadn't killed that guy, none of this would've happened!"
He was redirecting all the blame toward Kiyosuke.
Of course, the Hyūga brothers weren't fools.
They cursed Danzō inwardly.
Even at a time like this, he was trying to use them as pawns.
Hiruzen asked,
"Kiyosuke, do you have a solution?"
"Just deny everything. Say we don't know anything."
"You think they're that stupid?"
"Exactly. That Kumogakure ninja went out drinking, got too happy about the peace treaty,and accidentally stumbled into a ditch and died. What does that have to do with us? The Hyūga were busy celebrating their young lady's birthday. Who had the time to kill someone? Clearly it's their fault for not watching their comrade properly."
You shameless bastard!
You're the real killer here!
"Such a lousy excuse won't convince anyone."
"All we need is plausible deniability. Hiashi-sama, as a show of condolence, please send them a top-quality coffin."
"Not a problem! The Hyūga will provide the finest coffin available!"
As expected, the Third had grown soft.
No wonder Uchiha Fugaku considered Kiyosuke the best candidate for Hokage.
Now this was someone with a spine!
"This could lead to war," Hiruzen said, frowning.
"And what do you suggest?"
Kiyosuke stared at him, voice heavy.
"Are you going to sacrifice one of your own for a peace that's not guaranteed? When did Konoha become so weak, Hokage-sama?"
Even Danzō turned to look at him.
Though he despised this brat, he had to admit—
Kiyosuke was right.
Konoha couldn't afford to show weakness.
It was just as they feared—
Konoha had grown soft under Hiruzen's leadership.
Maybe it was time to hand over the Hokage's mantle.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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