Hyuga Ieyasu's face turned ashen.
Hyuga Aokawa's defiance in not returning had indeed caused him to lose face.
But he hadn't expected Danzo's information to be so well-informed.
"So what?" Hyuga Ieyasu still couldn't swallow his pride. "It's normal for youngsters to be ignorant and a bit arrogant. Once he returns, I will naturally deal with him according to the clan rules and teach him the meaning of status and hierarchy."
"Is that so?" A mocking curve hooked at the corner of Danzo's mouth.
"Does Elder Ieyasu truly believe he will return?"
"A Branch House member who has mastered powerful strength, escaped the Main House's oversight, and even dared to openly defy orders."
"He's grown accustomed to the wild outside, having tasted the flavor of freedom and power."
"Do you think he'll still be willing to return to that birdcage and let you manipulate him?"
Danzo's words cut deep.
He stood up, approaching Ieyasu step by step, his voice low and full of seductive persuasion.
"That brat awakened an ultra-long-range attack Bloodline Limit, capable of taking a life from several kilometers away."
"You should understand what that means better than I do."
"In the past, you controlled the Branch House through the Caged Bird Seal and the suppression of close-quarters Taijutsu."
"But now, if he stands several kilometers away and launches a strike at the Main House manor..."
"Can your high walls and deep courtyards block it? Can the beauties in your bed be protected?"
Hyuga Ieyasu's pupils shrank suddenly.
He knew Hyuga Aokawa was quite strong and had developed some kind of long-range Ninjutsu, but he had originally only thought of him as being rebellious.
But now, under Danzo's description, a never-before-felt chill crawled up his spine.
It was true.
If that boy had rebellious intentions... if he used that long-range attack ability to target the Main House from the shadows.
Attacking from beyond the range where the Caged Bird Seal could be activated... wouldn't the absolute authority of the Main House become a joke?
"Impossible!" Hyuga Ieyasu retorted, though his voice lacked conviction.
"If he wanted to, he has ten thousand ways to take your lives before you can even activate the Curse Seal."
Danzo's tone was grim: "Leaving such an uncontrollable sharp blade in your hand will only result in cutting yourself."
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Hyuga Ieyasu stared fixedly at Danzo.
"Hand him over to me."
"Root is the most suitable place for such a dangerous tool."
Danzo revealed his true intentions: "The Ninjas of Root have no names, no past, and no future—only code names."
"I will turn him into a dead blade that only knows how to execute missions, an absolutely obedient tool."
"That way, you'll never have to worry about your head suddenly leaving your shoulders while you're sleeping at night."
Hyuga Ieyasu fell silent.
It had to be said that Danzo's proposal was very tempting.
This kid had now become his most troublesome problem.
He hadn't made any mistakes and even had considerable military achievements.
If it were just that, he would still have ways if he really wanted to kill a Branch House member.
The problem was that bastard Hiashi, who had also been keeping a close eye on the boy.
Once he made a move, it would definitely be used against him.
Recently, the Branch House had already become somewhat unstable under Hiashi's instigation; killing a Branch House member with military merits for no reason would only make things worse.
There would be even more trouble.
But once he entered Root, that person would basically be ruined, becoming an emotionless killing machine, naturally no longer posing a threat to the Main House.
Furthermore, he could also do Danzo a favor.
But he didn't want to agree directly.
Even if he was a threat, he was still a member of the Hyuga Clan.
Coming to his door late at night, beating his guards, instigating discord, and trying to take his man with just a few words—it wasn't that simple.
"This isn't according to the rules." Hyuga Ieyasu sat back in his chair, picking up his teacup to hide his wavering:
"A Genius of the Branch House is also an asset of the Hyuga Clan. Everyone knows what kind of place your Root is. If he's sent directly into Root, Hiashi might have objections, and the hearts of the Branch House will scatter..."
"You still care about Hyuga Hiashi's opinion? Still care about their hearts?" Danzo sneered, not wanting to waste any more time with Hyuga Ieyasu.
He pulled a scroll from his sleeve and tossed it casually onto the table.
The scroll unrolled, revealing rows upon rows of dense accounting records.
"Year 38 of Konoha, reselling two thousand Explosive Tags, which are strategic supplies..."
"Year 40 of Konoha, embezzling front-line compensation funds and replacing hemostatic agents with inferior medicinal herbs..."
"And last year, selling three wagons of grain to Black Market channels, which, after several hands, finally reached a contact in Iwagakure..."
With every sentence Danzo read, Hyuga Ieyasu's face grew whiter.
By the time he finished, the teacup in Hyuga Ieyasu's hand was crushed with a "snap."
Broken porcelain shards splattered across the marble floor, and scalding tea wound its way down the table legs, emitting wisps of white steam.
Hyuga Ieyasu stared fixedly at the ledger on the table, the muscles at the corner of his eyes twitching frantically.
"Slander!"
He snapped his head up, veins bulging on his neck, his voice sharp like an old cat that had its tail stepped on: "This is a forgery! This is complete slander! Danzo, to get your man, you actually forged such things to frame me?"
He reached out, wanting to grab the scroll, his movements urgent and panicked.
Thwack.
A cane pressed precisely onto a corner of the scroll.
It didn't use much force, yet it felt like a mountain, causing Hyuga Ieyasu's hand to freeze in mid-air.
Danzo Shimura sat in his chair, his body motionless, only his single eye narrowing slightly, revealing a playful look that saw through everything.
"Forgery?"
Danzo's mouth twitched, his voice flat: "Every seal on it, the flow of every payment, even the signature and thumbprint left by your nephew, who was responsible for the contact in the Black Market, are backed up in Root's archives."
He leaned forward, a stale yet deadly pressure washing over him.
"Elder Ieyasu, I don't deny you have your methods."
"Following past conventions, if something goes wrong, you can easily find a scapegoat from the Branch House. After all, with the Caged Bird Seal in hand, making them admit they stole things to sell, or even making them die, is just a word from you."
Having said this, Danzo paused, his gaze scraping across Hyuga Ieyasu's pale face like a knife.
"But this time, which member of the Branch House do you think has the stature to carry the heavy burden of 'aiding the enemy'?"
"That batch of grain for Iwagakure directly fed their Explosion Corps, giving them the strength to blow up more than thirty of our Konoha Ninjas on the Battlefield."
Danzo withdrew his cane and tapped his finger lightly on the scroll, making a dull thudding sound.
"This is a major crime of betraying the village and colluding with the enemy."
"A crime like this cannot be carried by a small fry from the Branch House."
Hyuga Ieyasu's breathing became heavy, and fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.
He naturally knew it couldn't be carried.
Once a scandal of this level broke out, let alone his position as an Elder, even the great tree that was the Hyuga Clan would have a layer of skin peeled off.
"What exactly do you want?" Hyuga Ieyasu gritted his teeth, the words squeezed from between them.
"I said, I want the person."
Danzo's expression remained unchanged: "Give Hyuga Aokawa to me, and this scroll will rot forever in Root's incinerator."
...This book has been written for nearly 400,000 words now. I originally wanted to drop it at 200,000 words, but I found that people were still following and reading, so I persisted. I'm very grateful to everyone for following along to this point.
As a newcomer, before starting the book, I always felt that since I'd read novels for over a decade, I certainly wouldn't write any "poison points." But through feedback from some readers, I've realized that switching from a reader's mindset to an author's mindset is indeed different. The story is about to enter the next part, and I'm afraid I might miss some issues.
Therefore, I'd like to collect some feedback from everyone. I will read it seriously and try to avoid issues in future chapters. Everyone can reply in this thread. Thank you, thank you
more chapter available in p@tréøñ(Atoki_29)
Annual membership Giveaway is going check it on patreon