No matter how many forces were secretly operating against the Hyūga clan, they could always find a solution by leveraging their accumulated prestige and power. The most crucial element was the effective use of their inherent influence.
The enemy was hidden in the dark, but Hyūga Shinichi felt no need to rush to drag them out. By wisely utilizing his own advantages, someone would naturally help him solve the immediate problem.
The Hyūga Main House possessed the enormous advantage of being able to borrow external influence, an advantage others could hardly match.
After receiving Fugaku Uchiha's solemn commitment, Shinichi kept him for lunch. The invitation was not just to solve the immediate crisis.
For the Hyūga to continue thriving in Konoha, a strong, unified Konoha, in Shinichi's view, guaranteed the Hyūga clan's safety better than a crumbling, weak one. Establishing communication made it much easier to deepen the relationship between the two clans.
After seeing off Fugaku Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha settled down at the Hyūga compound. His clothing and belongings would be delivered later by Uchiha clan members. Unlike the treatment given to Kakashi Hatake and Shisui Uchiha, Itachi was not staying as a Konoha ninja, but as the Uchiha Clan Head's son.
Naturally, the Hyūga clan offered him the highest-standard accommodation. His room was located on the west side of the same courtyard as Shinichi, directly across from the previously burned guest room.
The repair artisans typically began work after nine in the morning and left well before dinner in the afternoon. This schedule completely avoided Itachi's rest time and would not disrupt him.
Shinichi's mother, Hanako, was extremely happy to hear that Shinichi "had a friend" staying at the Hyūga compound. Hyūga Shinichi was far more mature than children his age, but Hanako sometimes disliked this maturity in her child.
She often wished Shinichi didn't bear such heavy pressure and could enjoy a relatively normal childhood like other kids. She had rarely seen him with friends his own age; his companions were usually older, elite ninja.
However, Hanako was surprised to learn that Shinichi's friend was Itachi Uchiha. She knew Itachi, as Kushina Uzumaki and Mikoto Uchiha (Fugaku's wife) were close, placing Mikoto in her social circle of confidantes.
It was the first time she realized Shinichi and Itachi knew each other. She didn't press for details, though, and after meeting Itachi, she told him about her friendship with Mikoto, instructing him to feel completely at home at the Hyūga compound.
Around the time Itachi settled into the Hyūga compound, Hiruzen Sarutobi, having left the Hyūga compound, rushed to the Root base to confront Danzō Shimura. As soon as the two deep-thinking old men met, the atmosphere immediately turned cold.
"What do you want, Hiruzen?"
Danzō's tone was dismissive. In private with Hiruzen Sarutobi, he never treated him as a figure with higher authority.
"Does the Hyūga clan incident have anything to do with you?"
Hiruzen didn't hide his suspicions, getting straight to the point.
Hearing Hiruzen mention the Hyūga, Danzō's eyes narrowed, and he countered: "What incident?"
However, with that single question, Danzō's denial crumbled.
"Hmph... What is your Root organization for?!"
"Are you saying you don't know what happened at the Hyūga clan?"
"What kind of joke is that!"
"I won't waste any more words with you. Hand the person over!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi understood Danzō too well, just as Danzō understood him. Moreover, since the Nine-Tails attack, the small council had agreed to monitor every ninja clan in Konoha to ensure maximum village security.
Uchiha was naturally a key target, and the Hyūga were no exception, though the level of surveillance was slightly less intense than on the Uchiha. Danzō's claim of ignorance of the events at the Hyūga compound was an obvious lie.
"..."
Danzō realized his error. His immediate denial had only confirmed Hiruzen Sarutobi's suspicion.
"That was Kurama Unkai of the Kurama clan."
"However... he is no longer in Root. I don't know where he is now. I can't even contact him."
A hint of a smile, almost of pride, crossed Danzō Shimura's face.
"The Kurama clan!" The assassin, being from the Kurama clan, did not entirely surprise Hiruzen; he naturally had his suspicions about their abilities. However, the second half of Danzō's statement made his face change slightly.
"You can't even contact him? How is that possible!"
"Find that fellow and make him stop!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly roared in anger. Danzō Shimura's actions had clearly crossed his boundary. If the Hyūga clan discovered the true mastermind, the current unity in Konoha would instantly fracture.
A Root operative attempting to assassinate a member of the Hyūga Main House... if this news got out, not only would Danzō be unable to remain in the village, but even Hiruzen, the former Hokage, could be implicated. Furthermore, many ninja clans in Konoha already held high suspicion toward the village leadership.
At this stage, the ninja clans and the Hokage system could remain united due to shared interests, but if the survival of a clan was threatened, those families would absolutely turn against them. This was the most crucial and sensitive issue for every clan.
"I already told you, I can't contact him!"
"Since you already know what I'm doing, why would I leave behind any evidence?"
"Don't worry, he will complete the mission cleanly."
"This will only benefit the village, not harm it!"
Danzō's words were pointed, and Hiruzen Sarutobi glared at him. But strangely, he did not question him further. Danzō's words had struck a chord within him.
Yes, is the Hyūga clan being led by Hyūga Shinichi really a good thing for the village in the future?!
If a ninja like Minato Namikaze were a civilian, there would be no need to worry; as non-clan members, they could never use their family power to turn Konoha into their personal property. But the Hyūga were different. If a "Hokage-like" figure emerged from the Hyūga clan, the position of Hokage might become their clan's "personal property" within a few years. This was something Hiruzen Sarutobi could never accept.
The talent displayed by Hyūga Shinichi gave the Hyūga clan the capital to potentially control Konoha. Given time, the Hyūga would inevitably become the undisputed strongest clan in Konoha.
While this might be good for the Hyūga clan, the entire Konoha Village might not accept the consequences. Living under the dominance of a single clan might not affect ordinary people much, but for Konoha's power structure and the other ninja clans, it would be extremely uncomfortable.
Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi understood Danzō, Danzō understood Hiruzen...
"The Uchiha clan will also be involved in Hyūga Shinichi's security efforts."
"If you are caught red-handed, you absolutely cannot remain in the village."
"Take care of yourself."
Hiruzen Sarutobi realized that talking further with Danzō was useless. Shaking his head with a sigh, he left the Root base with a weary back.
Danzō watched Hiruzen's retreating figure, his eyes deep:
"Weakling."
"Indeed, I am braver and think more for Konoha. I am more suited to be the Hokage..."
Danzō Shimura had a fierce obsession with the position of Hokage. Both he and Hiruzen Sarutobi were disciples of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. During a mission to sign a peace treaty with Kumogakure, they were cornered by rogue Kumogakure ninja. The Second Raikage was killed instantly, and Tobirama, his disciples, and subordinates were driven to a desperate situation by the rogue ninja.
When Tobirama chose someone to stay behind and draw the enemy's attention, Danzō faltered. The courageous Hiruzen, who stepped forward, was designated the new Hokage by the Second Hokage.
Since then, Danzō has had countless regrets about why he didn't step forward immediately. He was already preparing himself mentally, so why couldn't he act? Missing the Hokage position was the pain of his life. Consequently, he spent the rest of his life trying to prove that he was braver and more suited to be the Hokage than Hiruzen Sarutobi.
His obsession led him down a deviated path. Hiruzen walked in the light, while Danzō silently protected Konoha in the darkness. Danzō was accustomed to solving problems through subterranean means, but he seemed to have forgotten that to become the Hokage, such methods were forbidden.
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not enlighten Danzō, as his old comrade still had high utility to him. To prevent Danzō from being implicated, he specifically warned him of the Uchiha clan's involvement, urging caution. How much Danzō took to heart remains unknown.
Due to the assassination attempt, the Hyūga compound was once again on high alert. Hyūga Kazutaka was under strict surveillance.
The person in charge of the annex repair work was naturally switched to Shinichi's most trusted subordinate, Hyūga Hizashi. Hizashi was also silently investigating the people Kazutaka had interacted with, and this group of artisans had already entered the Hyūga clan's scope of scrutiny. They began secretly investigating the backgrounds of these individuals.
Kazutaka's social circle was simple, and the investigation difficulty was low. Among his many contacts, the only complete outsiders were these artisans.
Kurama Unkai, disguised as a laborer, showed no signs of abnormality, but as a Root operative, he keenly sensed that the Hyūga clan's attention seemed to be focused on their group. His heart immediately tightened.
"Have I been discovered?"
"If I were discovered, they would have attacked directly."
"Is this surveillance?"
Sensing the Hyūga clan's wariness toward the artisans, Kurama Unkai began to contemplate retreat. The plan could probably not continue. He needed to find another way.
However... as soon as the day's work concluded, he and his team were blocked at the entrance of the Hyūga compound by several Uchiha ninja. Leading the group was Uchiha Fugaku, accompanied by five Uchiha elites behind him.
Undoubtedly... this was a major show of force.
"Come with us. It seems Kurama Unkai is eagerly missing his younger brother!"
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