After the Kumo shinobi were released, the allied forces of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans began their return to the Leaf Village.
Of course, they brought along a few "volunteers" for Ryosuke's investigation — including Mabui and the Two-Tails' Jinchuriki.
The official reason? "Assistance in the investigation."
The Fourth Raikage may have been unhappy about it, but he had no power to resist.
Being able to bring back most of the Hidden Cloud shinobi alive was already more than he'd hoped for.
Still, something even more troublesome loomed on the horizon —
The 3-billion-ryo annual ransom payment.
Just thinking about it gave him a migraine.
That move from the Leaf's side had basically gutted half of Kumogakure's annual budget.
It meant the village's public services and benefits would now be slashed in half for the foreseeable future.
It was a serious blow — and deep down, he blamed himself for starting it.
All of this began when he had the arrogant thought of launching a show of force against the Leaf.
At the time, he'd only meant to intimidate them into making concessions during the next treaty negotiation.
But now?
He'd walked right into a political minefield and detonated it himself.
Back in the Konoha camp, Ryosuke, Fugaku, and the Hyuga clan head summoned Mabui.
They interrogated her about the infamous letter — the one that sparked everything.
Was it real?
Mabui confirmed: it absolutely was.
The Hyuga clan head clenched his fists, seething with rage.
According to the Fourth Raikage, Mabui had been unconscious during her captivity and hadn't been held with the Raikage — meaning there was no possibility of collusion or a fabricated story.
And besides — it was impossible for them to plan a "fake confession" from the start.
When Kumogakure launched this attack, they surely hadn't expected to lose.
If they had expected defeat, why go to war at all?
That could only mean one thing:
The contents of the letter were true.
Now came the chilling realization — who from the Konoha high command was behind this plot to frame or provoke the two great clans?
Was it the Third Hokage himself?
Or perhaps the trio of advisors?
Or… that shadowy figure pulling strings in the dark — Shimura Danzo?
He couldn't help but glance at Ryosuke and ask:
"Ryosuke, what do you plan to do?"
Ryosuke paused, then answered with a helpless shrug.
"There's not much we can do. We don't have hard evidence — only that a traitor exists somewhere."
"For now… we let it go."
But in his mind, Ryosuke knew:
Those people wouldn't stop.
Sooner or later, someone would strike at the Uchiha again.
And when they did — it would be obvious who the real culprit was.
The Hyuga clan head took a deep breath and nodded.
If Ryosuke was letting it slide for now, he would too.
But in his heart, a new warning light had turned on.
From now on, I'll keep my guard up around the Konoha leadership.
Otherwise… the next time I die, I might not even know who pulled the trigger.
This incident had taught him a harsh truth:
Even in a time of war — when the very survival of the village is at stake —
There are still people in high positions who care more about their own agenda than the lives of others.
"I'll go inform the clan to begin withdrawing," he said, leaving the command tent.
Once Hiashi had departed, Fugaku finally spoke his mind:
"Ryosuke... it's either the Third Hokage or Danzo behind this."
"Should we strike first?"
Both had motives.
The Hokage's son had been captured — a reason to retaliate against the Uchiha.
Danzo? Well, he'd always been a thorn in their side.
It was Danzo who led the charge to relocate their clan's land in the past.
Fugaku had held back earlier, with the Hyuga clan head present.
But now, he could say what he really thought.
Ryosuke would be the one to lead their clan to new heights.
And the Hokage's seat? That would eventually be theirs.
Ryosuke looked at Fugaku with surprise.
This was the same man who, during the night of the Uchiha massacre, hadn't even activated his Sharingan.
Who had allowed himself — and his wife, Uchiha Mikoto — to die by the hands of their own son.
And now he was proposing a preemptive strike?
Still... this was a good sign.
It meant Fugaku had finally chosen to resist.
Better to fight back than sit and wait for the blade.
Ryosuke shook his head calmly.
"No need."
"If we strike now, we'll lose the moral high ground. It'll look like a rebellion. Even if we have just cause, it'll be twisted into treason."
"But the Uchiha are growing stronger. Eventually, they won't be able to sit still. And that's when we move."
Fugaku took a deep breath and nodded.
He had to admit — Ryosuke was right.
Acting rashly now would only play into their enemies' hands.
Several days later...
The Uchiha and Hyuga clans returned to the village, carrying with them the news of their overwhelming victory.
The entire village was stunned.
From civilians to the ninja clans, everyone had expected a hard-fought war.
Sure, the Uchiha and Hyuga were powerful — the most elite families of Konoha.
But they had gone up against the Hidden Cloud Village.
No one expected them to win so decisively.
They didn't just repel the invaders — they captured all the enemy shinobi.
And, in a show of restraint, they had let them live.
This was proof.
These two clans were unmatched in strength.
From now on, the Hidden Cloud would think twice before ever setting foot in the Land of Fire.
A rare, fragile peace settled over the village.
On one of the streets in Konoha, a small group of villagers gathered, praising the two clans.
Faces lit with joy.
"With families like these protecting us," one man said, "we can truly live in peace."
"If the village is safe, then we civilians can live in peace too."
But where there's joy, there's always someone ready to sour the mood.
A man walking past frowned, clearly irritated by all the praise.
He had always disliked the Uchiha and Hyuga clans.
He scoffed aloud.
"This whole mess started because of them. All they've done is clean up a problem they caused."
"What's there to praise?"
Someone immediately snapped back.
"And who caused the problem in the first place? Wasn't it that treacherous envoy from the Hidden Cloud?"
"They tried to kidnap a Hyuga daughter to steal her Byakugan — they brought the fight to our doorstep. You'd have us just sit back and take it?"
The man argued, still trying to defend his view.
"Even if that's true, there were better ways to resolve this."
"The Third Hokage was right — sacrificing one Hyuga to protect the village and the clan as a whole... wasn't that the smarter choice?"
"How many lives were lost in this war? Wouldn't sacrificing one be better than watching so many die?"
"Now more innocents are dead, and you're still calling this a victory?"
Another villager fired back.
"And what about the Hyuga who was supposed to be sacrificed? Was she not innocent?"
"If that's your solution, how about you offer yourself next time? Go pacify the Hidden Cloud with your life."
The man's face paled.
"W-What does this have to do with me? I'm not from the Hyuga clan — how could I possibly appease the Hidden Cloud?"
Someone else chimed in.
"Don't worry — the ninja can always make you an honorary Hyuga."
"Question is — do you have the guts to be the sacrificial lamb?"
"After all, more Cloud ninja died than we did. You willing to give up your life to balance that scale?"
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