"The Fourth Hokage… is testing the clan's stance?" Hyūga Daiki asked.
"That's nothing unusual," Hiashi replied calmly. "If a Hokage wants to secure his position, the support of the great ninja clans is indispensable. Hasn't the so-called 'first lady diplomacy' already begun?"
Daiki knew exactly what Hiashi was referring to—the close friendship between the Hokage's wife and the wife of the Uchiha clan head.
He couldn't help but chuckle. "The Uchiha? I'm afraid the Fourth is wasting his effort. They only want one of their own to become Hokage. They won't truly support an outsider."
Hiashi shook his head slightly. "Not necessarily. Fugaku is considered a moderate within the clan. It depends on whether he can suppress the voices of the hardliners."
As he spoke, a trace of melancholy surfaced in his tone. "The Uchiha are drifting farther and farther away from the village. If Fugaku cannot turn things around, then…"
His voice trailed off.
The Senju were already gone. The Uzumaki had long since perished. If even the name Uchiha were to fall, how long could the Hyūga clan continue to exist?
Ancient noble crests were disappearing one by one. The thought sent a chill down Hiashi's spine.
"Since the Fourth Hokage has also taken notice of Yuzuru, how should we respond?" Daiki asked.
If they chose to side with the Fourth, the most direct course would be to execute Yuzuru immediately—cutting ties with Root and Orochimaru in a decisive show of loyalty.
But Hiashi had already made his decision.
"The Inuzuka clan stands behind the Fourth Hokage. Root stands behind the Third. While the situation remains unclear, we must not act rashly."
"But the Fourth has already made a probing move. If we show no response at all, won't that put him in an awkward position?"
Hiashi placed a stone on the board at an unhurried pace. "Find time to meet Inuzuka Tsume. Tell her that we were equally shocked upon learning that Yuzuru had joined Root. That we intended to deal with the matter severely, but that Yuzuru once received instruction from Lady Tsunade, and her stance remains unknown. Under such circumstances, the Hyūga clan cannot act arbitrarily."
"I understand," Daiki replied, sincerely impressed by Hiashi's finesse.
Though both Hyūga Tetsu and Hyūga Yuzuru were connected to Orochimaru, the clan's attitude toward them was entirely different.
Tetsu had openly been a member of Orochimaru's squad. He had to be cut off—anything less would be a blatant slap in the Fourth Hokage's face.
Yuzuru, on the other hand, had worked with Orochimaru in secret. The Hyūga clan could simply pretend ignorance, preserving a measure of goodwill on Orochimaru's side.
"What about marriage?" Hiashi asked. "What are Yuzuru's thoughts?"
"He seems to favor Natsu," Daiki replied after some consideration. "But it's hard to say whether that's his true intention. Judging from his covert dealings with Orochimaru, that boy is far from simple."
Hiashi nodded. "Yes, he's very good at hiding himself. But it doesn't matter. As long as the Caged Bird Seal exists, he remains firmly within my grasp."
"Once my child is born, have Natsu come to serve as an attendant. As for Yuzuru—assign Natsu to him."
"That… isn't that too risky?" Daiki exclaimed in alarm.
"It's fine. The dust hasn't settled yet. Orochimaru is not without hope. If he makes a comeback, Yuzuru will become very important."
With that, Hiashi rose and left.
Watching his retreating figure, Daiki suddenly reached a realization: the upper echelon of the clan did not seem particularly optimistic about Minato.
…
"Yuzuru, you're despicable!"
Walking down the street, Yuzuru suddenly heard a furious shout.
He turned around just in time to see a figure charging toward him.
Brown hair tied into a ponytail, pure white eyes—clearly a member of the Hyūga clan.
Hyūga Tetsu. Of course Yuzuru knew him.
"Take this—Eight Trigrams—huh?"
Yuzuru shifted slightly to the side, easily dodging Tetsu's attack.
He sighed, rubbing his temples. Tetsu was the hot-blooded, simple-minded type—an oddity even among the Hyūga.
"What are you going crazy about this time?" Yuzuru asked, resisting the urge to kick him away.
"You bastard! What underhanded method did you use to make the clan decide to assign Natsu to you?!" Tetsu roared.
"So that's what this is about. Has the clan already made its decision?"
It wasn't strange that Tetsu liked Hyūga Natsu. Among branch family members of their age, many held feelings for her.
Probably because she was pretty—and gentle.
The kind of girl who would make an ideal wife.
Yuzuru, however, didn't know her very well. The two had barely interacted.
When Daiki had asked him about it, he had merely gone along with the flow, saying something that made him seem normal.
He was preparing to defect.
Wives. Families.
He had never once considered such things.
"What method?" Yuzuru smiled innocently at the furious Tetsu. "Probably because I'm handsome."
And Yuzuru truly was handsome.
Wasn't that only natural? After all, the Hyūga were a clan where 'the better the looks, the greater the talent' was practically a rule.
Incidentally, that rule had been summarized by higher-dimensional beings outside the ninja world. At present, only Yuzuru—the so-called 'High-Dimensional Descender'—was aware of it.
Tetsu froze, then immediately exploded. "Bastard! Don't get cocky! You're just a pretty face who only knows medical ninjutsu! How could you be worthy of Natsu? I'm Lord Orochimaru's subordinate! I'm destined to become a great ninja!"
"What a coincidence, I also—" Yuzuru chuckled and shook his head. "Hey, you know this isn't something we get to decide, right? If you have a problem, go complain to the clan head."
"Hmph! I will request Lord Hiashi myself! Just you wait—I'll never hand Natsu over to you!" Tetsu clenched his fists.
"Yu… Yuzuru, it's been a while since we last saw each other."
Another female voice came from the side.
Anko Mitarashi.
Yuzuru glanced at her a few times. Very good—this was still pre-'Auntie Anko'. She was quite easy on the eyes.
"Oh, I've been busy with a few things. What about you? Squad reunion?"
"No, it's a big class gathering. Um… you… would you like to come too?" Anko asked shyly, a suspicious blush appearing on her face.
"Hey, Anko! Why are you inviting this guy?!"
"I'm talking to you!" Anko snapped at Tetsu, immediately switching to an irritated tone. She clenched her fists, looking downright violent. "Have a little self-awareness, will you? Yuzuru is way more popular than you."
"What?! Damn it! You cursed pretty boy—!"
Ignoring Tetsu's shouting, Yuzuru rested his chin on his hand and thought to himself, There sure are an awful lot of hot-blooded idiots in our generation. Is this kind of thing contagious?
Tetsu really hasn't realized his own situation yet, Yuzuru shook his head inwardly.
"Yu… Yuzuru, are you coming?" Anko leaned forward slightly, hands behind her back, carrying the unique cuteness of a young girl.
"Well, it has been a long time since the last gathering. Count me in."
My last meal before leaving Konoha? Yuzuru thought, silently setting a flag for himself.
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