Senju…
The moment Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi heard the name, his thoughts immediately jumped to a former student—Tsunade.
With her strength, driving back a unit from Kumogakure would be no challenge at all. But ever since losing Dan and Nawaki, Tsunade had been crippled by severe hemophobia and had left the village years ago.
"Hiashi," Hiruzen said after a brief silence. Once the nurse left, he asked the Hyūga clan head for details.
"Yes," Hiashi replied with a nod, recounting everything that had happened during his pursuit.
When he described the sheer scale of the destruction in the border forest, both Hiruzen and Danzō Shimura were visibly stunned.
"You didn't spot anyone suspicious?" Danzō asked sharply. Could it really have been Tsunade who saved Hinata?
"No," Hiashi shook his head. For the Byakugan-wielding Hyūga clan, even the darkest night posed no obstacle to their vision. If someone suspicious had been nearby, they wouldn't have gone unnoticed.
"Hmm," Danzō murmured, nodding slightly. In any case, Hinata wasn't seriously injured. Once she woke up, perhaps they'd get the truth.
But beyond identifying Hinata's savior, the situation itself was dangerously delicate.
Konoha and Kumogakure had only recently formed an alliance—and now this incident. If handled poorly, it could spark another conflict. And right now, the village could not afford a war.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was gone. The Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, Naruto, not only had no control over its power—he didn't even know he was the jinchūriki.
The Uchiha clan's unrest was another brewing storm.
Konoha needed stability.
"Hiashi, I want the Hyūga clan to take responsibility for today's… altercation," Danzō said, locking eyes with him and speaking in a low, weighty voice.
"Danzō, what is the meaning of this?" Hiruzen's tone immediately sharpened.
"It's simple," Danzō explained. "The Kumogakure leader abducted the Hyūga clan's young lady. The clan head encountered them during the escape, engaged them, and the enemy died in the fight. As for what happened at the border—no one knows."
Based on Hiashi's account, the kidnappers were already dead. This version of events would distance the village itself from the incident.
It would be seen as the Hyūga clan—acting independently and without the village leadership's knowledge—accidentally killing Kumogakure shinobi.
Nothing to do with Konoha officially.
"Danzō, how could you—" Hiruzen could see the calculation in Danzō's words. This maneuver would make the Hyūga clan a shield, absorbing any retaliation between the two villages.
"I understand," Hiashi said before Hiruzen could argue further. As clan head, he knew exactly what Danzō was implying. After a deep breath, he agreed.
"Hiashi…" Hiruzen frowned, unwilling for either Danzō or Hiashi to make such a hasty decision.
But Danzō was unmoved. He stood from his seat. "Hiruzen, Hinata needs rest. We're done here."
"Danzō!" Hiruzen barked, but could only watch as the man disappeared through the doorway. Sighing helplessly, he turned to Hiashi.
"There will be another way. Take good care of Hinata."
"I will, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen left the ward as well, shaking his head.
Danzō hadn't gone far. He was standing just around the corner in the hospital corridor, as if waiting for Hiruzen to follow.
"Danzō," Hiruzen said, his face dark. "How could you push all of this onto the Hyūga?"
"Isn't that why you called me here?" Danzō's voice was cold, emotionless. "We both know the alliance with Kumogakure is too important to jeopardize—even if their goal in this was the Byakugan."
"We can't openly accuse them. The Uchiha are unstable. We've lost Minato, and our jinchūriki—"
At the mention of the Uchiha, Hiruzen's expression tightened.
"Homura and Koharu will support me," Danzō said firmly.
His plan was clear: since the enemy had targeted the Byakugan, Hizashi could be disguised as Hiashi and handed over to Kumogakure, with the Byakugan sealed.
The Hyūga branch family existed to protect the main family. Their sacrifice would be for the village.
Everything—Always—For the village.
"No, Danzō," Hiruzen said firmly. "This time I'll find another way. Both the Hyūga and the Uchiha—there will be another solution."
Inside, Hiruzen sighed. The real reason he'd called Danzō here today had been to suggest that he take the blame for this incident. He hadn't expected Danzō to dump it directly onto the Hyūga instead.
"If you're worried, I'll handle it," Danzō pressed, his tone unyielding.
When it came to the Uchiha issue, Hiruzen had promised many times to find a solution—yet in the end, nothing ever changed.
"Let's speak of this later, Danzō," Hiruzen said, cutting off the argument.
For now, there was something equally important—finding out exactly who had saved Hinata.
Privately, Hiruzen hoped it had been Tsunade. He was growing old, and with Minato gone, the village needed a successor.
Just as Hiruzen and Danzō were about to leave the hospital, Hiashi hurried out from Hinata's room.
"Lord Third—Hinata is awake," Hiashi reported.
"She's awake?"
"Who was it that saved her?" Danzō asked immediately. Compared to Hinata's condition, the identity of her rescuer was what interested him most.
"It was… someone who called himself Senju," Hiashi said, his eyes widening in disbelief. "A black-haired boy…"
"A boy?"
Hiruzen and Danzō exchanged a shocked look.
Not Tsunade.
A boy.
Could it be… Senju Haruto?
The name flashed unbidden through Hiruzen's mind, only for him to quickly shake his head. Impossible.
He'd been to the Senju compound before. Haruto was a boy with no talent for the shinobi arts—he hadn't even been able to get into the Ninja Academy.
To say he had saved Hinata… and destroyed the forest at the border?
That was unthinkable.
Meanwhile, Senju Haruto had already returned to the Senju compound, ready to rest before heading to the Ninja Academy tomorrow to check in.
"By now, the Third Hokage should know I was the one who saved Hinata," Haruto mused, estimating the time.
The name Senju, combined with the fact that it was a boy—Hiruzen would have no reason not to come and test him.
And that was exactly what Haruto wanted.