It turned out to be…
The messenger from the Cloud Village had visited Konoha.
Sarutobi Hiruzen personally received them.
Some wealthy families from Konoha also attended—and naturally, so did the Hyūga clan.
Hiashi had no sons, only Hinata and Hanabi. Since Hinata was older, Hiashi took her along.
After all, it was a banquet, and it could give Hinata some insight into the ways of the world.
Unexpectedly, the Cloud Village acted during the event. They kidnapped Hinata as she was leaving the party. Then, someone used a secret technique to transform into Hinata, confusing Konoha's watchers.
Hiashi's expression turned pale as he whispered, "Then… the Hinata in the room is a Cloud Village ninja?"
His eyes blazed with fury.
As a member of the Hyūga clan, he had Byakugan. His daughter had been kidnapped right before his eyes—a disgrace!
Hiashi's temper flared. He stood immediately, intending to strike the Cloud Village ninja disguised as Hinata.
Naruto interjected just in time: "If I were you, I wouldn't do that."
Hiashi stopped and said in a deep voice: "Uzumaki Naruto… you saved Hinata. Our clan owes you a favor. But this is an internal matter of the Hyūga clan. You should not interfere."
Though young, Naruto was respected. After all, he had successfully rescued Hinata—even if the power of the Nine-Tails had aided him.
If not for the Hyūga tradition forbidding women to marry outside the clan, Hiashi might have followed the momentum of Naruto and Hinata. But tradition was tradition, and Hiashi could not break it easily.
As Hiashi prepared to strike the Cloud Village ninja, Naruto said something shocking: "If you don't want those around you to die, it's best not to act impulsively."
Hinata tugged at Naruto's clothes from behind, nervous. Her father was strict and serious; she had never seen anyone oppose him. Now, there was a confrontation between Naruto and Hiashi. Hinata did not want to see conflict between her family and Naruto.
Naruto noticed her anxiety and gently rubbed her head. "Don't worry, Hinata."
For some reason, hearing those words eased Hinata's tension.
Hiashi watched Naruto interact with his daughter and his expression hardened. Anger and seriousness radiated from him as he said, "Hinata, go find your mother. Uzumaki Naruto and I will handle this."
"I…" Hinata lowered her head, hesitant, unable to meet Hiashi's stern gaze.
Hiashi narrowed his eyes. He was wary—Hinata had never disobeyed him before, yet now she had for Naruto's sake. But there were more pressing matters. Hiashi turned his attention to Naruto.
Naruto remained calm under the pressure. Before Hiashi could speak further, Naruto said, "Have you forgotten what happened a few years ago?"
Hiashi's Byakugan eyes narrowed sharply. Uzumaki Naruto… how could he know that?
Naruto pressed on: "Sarutobi Hiruzen is old. Without ironclad evidence, he will let you handle this matter yourself. Currently, he does not want to offend the Cloud Village—the Land of Lightning."
Those words weighed heavily on Hiashi. As the Hyūga clan leader, he was neither hawk nor dove in Konoha politics—he only considered his family. Yet anyone who threatened those close to him would face his wrath.
Hiashi recalled how his younger brother Hizashi had died because he trusted Hiruzen to handle matters with the Cloud Village. That memory stung.
Now, years later, Hiashi's impulsive nature had resurfaced.
Hiashi's expression softened. "Thank you for the reminder, Naruto."
With Naruto's words in mind, Hiashi returned to the house and sat down, his demeanor shifting from impulsive to calm.
After a moment, he said: "Capture that Cloud Village ninja and use the Yamanaka clan to investigate their memories. This matter will be made public later. With irrefutable evidence, even if Hiruzen does not want to offend the Cloud Village, he must consider the feelings of the village."
Few knew what had happened before. Hiruzen had allowed Hiashi to handle it himself. After suffering loss, Hiashi had been dissatisfied with Hiruzen. Now, he had a chance to correct it.
Hiashi looked at Naruto, seeming to value his opinion. Naruto considered the plan feasible but shook his head.
"As long as you have hard evidence, this cannot be made public," Naruto said. "It's too radical and could cause Hiruzen's policies to target the Hyūga clan."
Hiashi understood. "Hmph… when people get old, they should retire instead of constantly fighting among themselves," he muttered, venting his frustration with Hiruzen.
"The most important thing now," Naruto said, "is to control the Cloud Village ninja disguised as Hinata."
Just then, movement came from behind. A Cloud Village ninja, tied up, was escorted by three to five Hyūga members.
Hiashi's face clouded over. Murderous intent radiated from him, terrifying all who saw him.
The captured Cloud ninja, lying on the ground, looked at Hiashi with arrogance. "It's useless to be angry! Your Hokage is no longer a ninja hero; he is a coward. He wouldn't dare offend the Cloud Village. If you want this matter to escalate, let me go. Then the Cloud Village can demand compensation from your clan, and it will be over."
Even after being exposed, the Cloud Village ninja remained arrogant.
Hiashi's expression darkened. Fists clenched, veins bulging. He felt an uncontrollable urge to kill.
When had the Hyūga clan ever been treated with such disrespect?
But as clan leader, Hiashi restrained himself. Anger would not dictate his actions.
And then… a sound in the sky.
Whoosh~
Boom!
Everyone turned to Naruto in shock.
Naruto said calmly: "It's just to prevent suicide."
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