Classes at the Ninja Academy continued as usual. Naruto was fine, but his spirits were low.
In the corner, Hinata was even more distracted, frequently falling into a daze.
At that moment, a figure walked quickly into the room.
"This was originally supposed to be Iruka-sensei's class, but he's been hospitalized due to injuries, so I'm here to substitute for now."
"Ah! Sensei! You're back! We thought you weren't going to teach anymore!"
A chorus of screams erupted from the students below.
Naruto also looked up slightly, a look of surprise appearing on his face.
Masahiko scanned the room and said, "Due to work reassignments, the time I'll have available to teach will indeed become less and less."
The atmosphere, which had just heated up, immediately became depressed again.
Ino slumped on her desk, sighing mournfully, "It's over, Sensei is getting further and further away from me!"
"Ino."
Yakumo comforted her in a low voice, "A powerhouse like Masahiko is destined not to remain a teacher forever."
"Mm... I know."
Ino nodded.
She understood the logic, but she still couldn't help feeling depressed.
The class came to an end.
Ino wanted to go find Masahiko, but she saw him calling Hinata out.
Hinata lowered her head and followed Masahiko to the office.
"Hinata—"
"Sensei."
Hinata kept her head lowered throughout.
Masahiko sighed softly and said, "As a member of the Hyuga Clan's Main House, you enjoy many benefits, so naturally, you must also pay a corresponding price."
He looked toward the Hokage Building.
"Like the Hokage, that position is respected, but once war breaks out, the Kage of every village is the primary target for assassination."
At this point, Masahiko said, "Such things rarely happen in reality because the Kage of a village is usually also the strongest."
"I'm not strong enough."
Hinata whispered with her head down, "Sensei, I don't think I'm suited to be the Clan Head—"
"Admitting your shortcomings is not something to be ashamed of, but at the same time, you must also see your strengths."
Masahiko's tone was gentle.
Hinata looked up, dazed. "I... I have strengths?"
"Hinata, don't base your value on the approval of others."
Masahiko's tone was warm. "You yourself are a treasure!"
"I'm... a treasure?"
Hinata's face was flustered, her eyes filled with intense shock.
This was the first time anyone had ever called her a treasure!
"You are gentle, kind, and filial. You possess all the virtues a person should have; you're just not suited to be the Clan Head."
Masahiko paused slightly. "As for the Clan Head position—if you're not suited for it, stepping down and letting someone more capable take over is also an option."
"Step..."
"Yes, show your own brilliance and value. If, after working hard, you're still not suited, then taking a step back might lead to a broader life."
Masahiko said softly.
Hinata nodded heavily.
After she left, Hiashi Hyuga walked out from the next room and sighed, saying, "Thank you!"
"Senior Hiashi, you clearly care about your child, so why don't you just say it directly?"
Masahiko asked.
Hiashi remained silent for a few seconds and did not answer.
After sitting down in the office, he finally said, "I heard you are very good at psychological and character analysis. Do you think Hanabi can inherit the position?"
"From what I see now, Hanabi has strong self-esteem; a child like that won't be weak."
Masahiko replied.
Hiashi nodded slightly and said, "Then I can feel more at ease. If Hanabi can inherit it, then Hinata... let her grow on her own."
He stood up and walked out.
At the door, Hiashi paused. "Thank you. Although Hokage-sama didn't say it, I think you were the one who proposed the exchange regarding the Hidden Mist."
"As long as you don't think I'm meddling too much."
Masahiko replied.
"For a clan to endure, there can't be too much personal emotion involved. The same goes for managing an organization."
Hiashi looked at Masahiko, seemingly having more to say.
But Masahiko understood his meaning.
Compared to Danzo, he had too much personal emotion.
While that was a good thing for a teacher, for the leader of the Root Organization, such emotions might not be beneficial.
After a brief exchange, Hiashi used the Body Flicker to leave.
On the border of the Land of Fire.
Jiraiya sat in a tree and yawned, so bored he was starting to feel sleepy.
Accustomed to a life of traveling everywhere, suddenly stopping in one place was really hard to get used to.
"Jiraiya-sama."
"Ah!"
Jiraiya almost fell out of the tree, quickly bracing his palms against the ground to do a somersault.
Only then did he look toward the source of the voice.
"Shibi, why do you walk without making a sound? You're going to scare someone!"
"
Shibi Aburame remained silent.
A second later, he said, "I did make a sound, but you were muttering about leaving just now, so you didn't hear me."
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Jiraiya gave a light cough and asked, "What's the matter?"
"The Raikage has left the town and is coming this way. Should we go to greet him or stay on guard?"
Shibi Aburame asked.
Jiraiya pondered for a moment and said, "Let's go. We'll go meet him and have a proper talk to settle this matter."
Konoha Embassy.
In the blink of an eye, a month or two had already passed.
Before coming here, Dodai had considered that there might be some complications—for example, once they took action, they might face questioning from Konoha, and the two sides would need to negotiate.
But according to their estimates—
The Third Hokage had always prioritized the big picture. In the end, Konoha would still back down, especially after Danzo left and the number of hardliners decreased.
But the result was that after the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan was stolen, Konoha's attitude became extremely firm following the incident.
For these past one or two months, they didn't even know what was happening in the outside world.
"Sigh!"
Dodai let out a long sigh, his internal anxiety even greater than before.
Cee spoke up, "Lord Dodai, I suggest you don't overthink it. Thinking about some things is useless and only affects your health."
"How can I not overthink?"
Dodai couldn't help but sigh. "The last time I received a message from the Raikage was before the peace talks. Now I have no idea what the situation is—"
"Worrying is useless."
Darui lay lazily on the sofa, a toothpick in his mouth.
Samui, while practicing her sword, said, "Lord Dodai, please stay calm!"
Dodai looked at the three of them, unsure whether to be happy about their composure and steadiness or sad that no one could empathize with his feelings.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Cee stood up abruptly and whispered, "It's the Hokage!"
Dodai and Darui stood up instantly, while Samui quickly walked to the door and opened it immediately.
"Hokage-sama!"
"Everyone, you have been guests in Konoha and have suffered during this time. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, our two sides will continue to cooperate and be allies."
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled. "Would you all like to stay in Konoha a while longer, or should one or two people head back first to check on things?"
"
"What do you mean?"
Dodai's eyes narrowed, sensing something was wrong.
Beside him, Koharu Utatane gave a cold snort and said, "Since Jonin Dodai likes being a guest in Konoha so much, why not stay a while longer? The other three may leave."
Dodai took a slight breath.
He was being kept as a hostage. After his initial surprise, he quickly realized that Konoha and Kumogakure must have subsequent conditions to exchange, and until those were completed—
The other side would not let him go back.
He nodded calmly. "Very well."
"Lord Dodai—"
"You three go back first to report that we are safe, so as to avoid any further misunderstandings between our sides."
Dodai waved his hand, stopping them from speaking further.
This result was already quite good!