The Kumogakure's envoys, accompanied by Konoha's Anbu, hurried towards the Hyuga Clan's compound. The morning mist was thick as spilled rice porridge. The dew underfoot crackled with each step, crisp as crushed ice shards.
Makoto stood extremely far away, arms crossed, watching the 'come to the door to pick a fight' script he had directed himself, a hint of an amused smile playing on his lips.
The lead Kumogakure's Shinobi was interesting, her skin was dark like polished obsidian, but her eyes were bright enough to sting… this was purely a scene of 'little haters' stirring trouble.
The gate of the Hyuga Clan's compound was shut tight, like a welded iron plate. The bronze rust on the door rings showed green in the morning mist, exuding a stubborn, keep-out aura.
"Open up!"
The voice of the Kumogakure's Kunoichi, Mabui, suddenly exploded, crisp as a wind chime hitting ice, carrying bone-chilling anger.
The birds under the eaves scattered with a 'flutter', their wings churning and shattering the morning mist.
She was deliberately here to pick a fight, her steps carrying the momentum to stomp flat the threshold.
But the Hyuga's gate seemed rooted, showing no movement for a long time.
In the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen used his Telescope Technique. The image of the Hyuga Clan's gate in the Crystal Ball made his brows knit into knots.
He took several deep drags from his pipe, the bowl glowing red, then thumped it against the ashtray, sparks flying and dying.
An Anbu appeared out from the shadows, like a stone without a shadow.
"Call Danzo and the two elders over," Hiruzen's voice was heavy as waterlogged wood.
At the Hyuga Clan's gate.
Mabui, seeing the gate remain unopened for so long, raised an eyebrow and shot a glance at the Kumogakure's Shinobi beside her.
That Shinobi clenched his fist, Chakra humming with lightning sparks. It looked like he was about to dismantle the gate.
"Wait!"
A white-haired Anbu stepped between them, hand on his sword hilt, his tone still carrying a hint of mediation: "The Hyuga Clan has always been non-confrontational, they probably wouldn't..."
The white-haired Anbu's member was about to say more when Mabui interrupted.
"Probably?" Mabui said furiously, "If our man is dead in the Hyuga Clan's compound, we will definitely hold Konoha accountable!"
As the words fell, she took half a step forward. Her long leg cut a sharp line in the morning mist.
The Kumogakure's symbol on her forehead protector gleamed coldly in the newly risen morning light.
"You're the Hokage's direct Anbu, right? Your words represent the Sandaime Hokage's intention? Does he want to shield the murderer?"
On this trip, Mabui fully represented the Raikage and didn't give Hiruzen any respect at all.
Hearing this, the white-haired Anbu's member pressed his lips together and said no more, just shot a look at his companion. That Anbu understood, turned, and raced off towards the Hokage Tower.
Just then, the Hyuga Clan's gate creaked open a crack.
The Hyuga Clan's Main Family's Great Elder blocked the doorway behind it, his knuckles white.
Seeing this group, he suddenly straightened his hunched back, his voice hard as if squeezed from stone.
"Who gave you permission to block the Hyuga Clan's gate? The Hyuga Clan's territory, can you Kumogakure just enter as you please? Is this provoking Konoha? How can this be allowed?"
"Provoking?" Mabui sneered. "Our man is missing on your premises, and you talk to me about provoking?"
"Without evidence, don't slander us!" The Great Elder shouted, his voice extremely unyielding, but the hand hidden in his sleeve shook like a sieve.
'I hadn't found a scapegoat yet, so why were these people showing up like a death warrant?' The Hyuga Clan's Great Elder knew they would come, but he didn't expect it this quickly.
The current Hyuga Clan's Clan Head, Hyuga Hiashi, stood half a step behind the Great Elder, the whites of his eyes gleaming coldly in the morning light, like a bottomless lake.
He didn't utter a word from start to finish.
"Without evidence?" Mabui suddenly raised her voice, the air seemed to freeze, "Our Sensory Ninjutsu isn't wrong. He's inside!"
"Or has he already been murdered by you Hyuga?"
As the words fell, Mabui advanced another step, almost pressing against the gate barrier, "Do you Hyuga want to represent Konoha and start a war with our Kumogakure?"
These words were like a red-hot branding iron thrown into ice water. A sizzle seemed to scorch the surroundings into instant dead silence, only the light sound of dew dripping from grass blades remaining, ticking on the ground like a countdown.
The white-haired Anbu's member, watching Mabui repeatedly slapping on labels fiercely, couldn't help but recall Makoto, who had rebuked Danzo in front of the Hokage Tower before.
In the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen stared at the Hyuga Clan's Great Elder's blustering but weak appearance in the Crystal Ball, his expression growing uglier. Judging by the Great Elder's reaction, he knew something was probably wrong.
He snorted coldly, his pipe knocking against the edge of the desk.
'I never expected that at this critical moment, neither Danzo nor the Uchiha were causing trouble, but instead your Hyuga Clan jumped out to cause trouble. It seemed they needed a good talking-to.'
'I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, hated it the most when people placed clan's interests above Konoha's interests.'
"Have the Kumogakure's envoys return to the Hokage Tower first," Hiruzen instructed a newly appeared Anbu beside him, "Tell them the Hokage will personally oversee the search for their leader."
The Anbu received the order, his figure flashing away without a trace, racing off towards the Hyuga Clan's compound.
The stalemate at the Hyuga Clan's entrance continued. The faces of several Main Family's elders were almost unable to maintain composure, and even the usually most steady ones frowned deeply.
Judging from the Hyuga Clan's Great Elder's reaction, this was clearly a major disaster, one that could pierce through Konoha.
If it were just their own clan's internal matter, behind closed doors, it would be up to them. But involving Konoha made it difficult...
Not long after, the Anbu from the Hokage Tower arrived. Addressing the Kumogakure's envoys led by Mabui, he said:
"The Hokage requests your presence at the Hokage Tower for detailed discussions. Regarding the whereabouts of your delegation's leader, Hokage-sama will personally supervise the investigation. We hope this won't damage the harmony between Konoha and Kumogakure."
Mabui glanced at the Hyuga Clan's Great Elder, a cold smirk curling her lips, and threw out: "It better be so!"
With these words, she led the Kumogakure's people away, turning towards the Hokage Tower.
Anyway, regardless of who in the Hyuga Clan killed him, they would first firmly pin this blame on the Hyuga Clan's head.
Their Kumogakure had come to kidnap in the first place, so investigating too thoroughly wouldn't be good for them.
The morning mist gradually dispersed.
Sunlight spilled like gold onto the Hyuga Clan's compound's name plaque. The characters 'Hyuga' were illuminated stark white, carrying an indescribable chill.
The Hyuga Clan's Great Elder, seeing this scene, felt his head go numb. He thought hard about who was the one framed him...
This was purely like yellow mud falling into his crotch. It's not shit, but looks like shit...
The Great Elder's legs were trembling. The cold sweat on his back had soaked through his undershirt, clinging to him, cold and clammy.
The other Main Family's elders kept their distance from the Great Elder, afraid this matter would stick to them. It fully illustrated the truth of the saying: 'When one side is in trouble, the other sides avoid it.'