"The First Hokage, huh?"
Shisui's gaze also turned to the Hokage Rock, to the face of the Senju who had proposed creating Konoha alongside the Uchiha.
According to the records left behind by his ancestor, Uchiha Kagami, during the First Hokage's era…
The man known as the "God of Shinobi" could suppress Tailed Beasts at will. Under his Wood Style, no one could rival him, except for Uchiha Madara.
At that time, Konoha was undoubtedly the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. It distributed Tailed Beasts to prevent war, and no one dared to defy the First Hokage's decisions.
Power that kept enemies from starting wars. Alliances? They were just scraps of paper.
"Let's go. Who should we visit first?"
Yun smiled. "The Nara Clan. The 'deer' that represents the will of the Ino–Shika–Cho trio: Nara Shikaku."
Nara Clan Grounds
Dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, Shikaku groggily made his way to the living room and poured tea for his two late-night visitors.
Rubbing his eyes, he asked, "So late... is it something urgent from the Hokage?"
Yun didn't touch the tea. Instead, he calmly recounted the entire incident involving the Hyuga clan.
Then he said, "Although Kumogakure's stance isn't officially clear yet, with your intelligence, I think you already know, they won't back down."
Shikaku was now fully awake. He glanced at Shisui, then at Yun.
"And the Uchiha's position?"
Shisui replied, "The Uchiha are also a bloodline clan of Konoha. This scheme from Kumogakure could one day target us, too. That's why... we need to unite."
Shikaku considered this. "If the Uchiha are willing to identify as a part of Konoha's clan alliance, I'm more than happy to support that. But the Hyuga clan has yet to speak out. That's strange."
Yun responded, "The Third Hokage's personal ANBU have surrounded the Hyuga compound. But this wasn't ordered by the Fourth Hokage."
"You should understand what that means. With the Third's personality, the Hyuga will likely be pressured to quietly resolve the matter themselves. So..."
Shikaku understood.
Given the Third Hokage's cautious nature, it was highly likely he would force the Hyuga to handle the situation internally.
Yun's logic made sense.
If Konoha gave in to Kumogakure's demands now, it would only embolden them further. Eventually, all of Konoha's secret techniques and bloodlines would be targeted.
Even if the next attempt was more subtle, being on Kumogakure's radar was already a dangerous sign.
And then there was the Uchiha…
Shikaku sighed. "But there's one more issue. The Third's ANBU are monitoring the Hyuga grounds. Without official orders from the Hokage, our gathering could be misinterpreted as a coup."
He spoke solemnly: "Forgive my bluntness… but no ruler would tolerate such a gathering, even if the goal was righteous."
He stood, preparing to see them out.
Even though he knew not intervening could have consequences, self-preservation wasn't unreasonable.
Without the Fourth's authorization, the mere idea of a coup would linger, and in the future, that suspicion could be a ticking time bomb, destroying entire clans.
And the Nara Clan didn't stand alone; they led the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance. Shikaku represented not only the Nara, but also the Akimichi and Yamanaka.
Knock knock knock
A voice came from the door: "Kakashi, requesting entry."
Upon entering, Kakashi nodded politely to Shikaku. "Sorry for the late disturbance."
Then he turned to Yun. "I've been looking for you. The Hokage wants you and me to escort the Kumogakure envoys to the border at dawn. We'll report the entire incident, gauge their reaction, and return immediately. Also…"
He looked between Shikaku and Yun. "The Hokage told me to pass this along: Use the strength of Konoha's clans to advise the Hyuga not to act rashly. Wait for our report before making any decisions."
"…???"
Yun blinked. "The Fourth Hokage knew I'd come to the Nara Clan?"
Kakashi winked, an action Shikaku didn't miss.
"This concerns the major families of Konoha. Sensei figured you'd come here."
Kakashi turned to Shikaku. "Kumogakure dared to try kidnapping the Hyuga clan heir in our village. The Hatake clan might only have me left, but I believe the Hyuga clan head did nothing wrong in defending his daughter. That's also how Sensei feels."
Shikaku pondered for a moment. Then he looked at both Yun and Shisui.
"Since the Hokage has made his position clear, only one question remains… Can I trust the Uchiha?"
He didn't elaborate, but his meaning was clear; he was referring to the Uchiha's long-standing reputation for instability.
Since Madara, the Uchiha had been known for producing powerful, but often unhinged, shinobi. Even when logic said otherwise, irrationality wasn't out of the question with them.
Who knew what the Uchiha might do next, especially during a sensitive moment like this?
"Huff…"
Yun exhaled and met Shikaku's gaze. "With Uchiha's power, if we stabbed Konoha in the back, the village would suffer devastating losses. The other four great nations wouldn't allow us to survive. They'd tear us apart."
"Loyal clans like the Ino-Shika-Cho might find protection, but a traitorous Uchiha clan? We'd be annihilated."
After Yun finished speaking, Shikaku rose and put on his jōnin vest.
"I'll contact the other two members of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Besides the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, I can also speak with the Inuzuka and Aburame."
"We'll split up. Regroup at the Hyuga compound."
Then Shikaku looked at Yun. "A calm, rational Uchiha won't be a lunatic. With you and Shisui here, I believe the Uchiha will make the right choice."
"But what I fear the most…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but Yun knew what he meant: He feared the Uchiha might be foolish enough to see this as an opportunity for a coup.
A reckless ally would destroy everything.
"Then we'll leave it to you, Clan Leader Nara."
Yun gave a slight bow. The group quickly divided the family visits among themselves.
With a well-respected strategist like Shikaku taking the lead, there was no doubt the Ino-Shika-Cho, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans would at least hear him out.
An hour later, the entrance to the Hyuga compound was crowded with over ten clan leaders from across Konoha.
Uchiha Shisui, as the Uchiha Clan Head and initiator, stepped forward and announced:
"Apologies for the late visit. Please inform the Hyuga Clan Head, eleven of Konoha's clan leaders have come to pay a visit."