Chapter 47: Comparison is the Thief of Joy; The Hokage is Actually... Reasonable?
A thousand-year-old shinobi clan cares deeply about aesthetics.
Take the shogi board and the polished stone containers sitting before Tenzo Hyūga. They seemed placed there by chance, but in reality, they were a carefully constructed psychological trap. The arrangement was meant to whisper a specific suggestion to anyone who entered: "Konoha and the Ninja World are but a game of pieces, and the Clan Head is the grandmaster contemplating every move."
This was Tenzo's signature move. He intended to use this "Strategic Ambiance" to force his son, Hizashi, to acknowledge the difficulty of his position, allowing the father to seize the initiative.
He never expected Hizashi to be so... unrefined. His son didn't play the game of riddles and subtext; he just slapped a charge of high treason onto the table like a lead weight.
Hizashi adjusted the high collar of his Anbu duster, the sleeves snapping with the motion. He realized his father's old tricks no longer had power over him.
The weight of the Anbu uniform was a far more potent deterrent than a thousand shogi boards.
Tenzo Hyūga stared at his son. He genuinely suspected that if he had made one wrong move, Hizashi would have personally bound him and dragged him to the Anbu Interrogation Department to be spun like a top until he confessed.
Hizashi has grown sharp. He knows how to leverage authority now, Tenzo thought. And that promotion... he must be performing exceptionally well under Hiruzen.
Tenzo suppressed his swirling thoughts and spoke with a deep, practiced resonance. "Watch your tongue, Hizashi!"
"The Hyūga are a pillar of this village. Would I, the Clan Head, truly stoop to colluding with foreign powers?"
"The Hyūga and the Kaguya share a bond similar to the Senju and the Uzumaki—we are blood-kin separated by a millennium. The Hokage is well aware of our correspondence. We have never leaked Konoha's secrets. On the contrary, our contact with the Kaguya has provided the village with critical intelligence on the Mist's movements for decades!"
"I called you here because the Hokage himself said that if we had concerns, we could communicate through you." Tenzo maintained a posture of absolute, righteous transparency.
Hizashi's expression didn't flicker. He simply gave a sharp nod.
He knew there was truth in his father's words. On the eve of the First Ninja War, the previous Hyūga head had used Kaguya intel to warn Tobirama Senju of a Mist invasion, giving Konoha a strategic edge.
But that was thirty years ago.
In Hizashi's view, the modern connection between the Hyūga and the Kaguya was less about intel and more about Sovereignty. It was a way for the clan to tell the Hokage: "Even in peacetime, you have no right to interfere with our private family business."
If it was purely for the village's sake, why hadn't Tenzo filed a formal report in years?
"I join the Anbu, and suddenly Father is a fountain of intelligence from the Mist?" Hizashi asked dryly. "Is this the first time you've received a letter since Lord Hiruzen took the hat? Are you worried about the village, or are you worried about what I might see if I start digging?"
"There was simply no information of value until now. I didn't wish to disturb the Hokage with trifles," Tenzo replied, his face a mask of stone.
Thick skin was a prerequisite for being a Clan Head.
Hizashi took the letter and began to read. His brow furrowed almost immediately.
According to the scroll, the Third Mizukage had officially launched a new domestic policy called the "Bloody Mist." The justification was the "deteriorating global landscape" and the need to "harden" their shinobi. The Mist was shifting toward a "survival of the fittest" meritocracy, forcing the Bloodline Clans to prove their strength through lethal internal competition.
To any sane observer, this was a clear excuse to incite internal purges and cull the political power of the clans.
But the Kaguya clan was... unique. They were ecstatic.
The Kaguya possessed the Shikotsumyaku (Macabre Bone Pulse), a bloodline that allowed them to weaponize their own skeletons. They were a clan of battle-hungry berserkers who valued raw violence over strategy. They viewed the Mizukage's new policy as a personal endorsement of their lifestyle.
The letter was a rambling mess of arrogance. The Kaguya were convinced that they would emerge as the dominant force in the Mist and that their leader would eventually become the Fourth Mizukage.
Their request was the most absurd part: they wanted Tenzo to use his influence in Konoha to ensure that Hiruzen Sarutobi—the most prestigious leader in the Ninja World—would publicly endorse their eventual "ascension."
The Kaguya had just enough self-awareness to realize they were hated within their own village, but not enough to realize they were being led to the slaughter by their own Kage.
Tenzo watched his son's lip twitch and gave a weary sigh. His own reaction had been the same.
He didn't know how to judge his "cousins" anymore. To have the Shikotsumyaku—a power that had survived for a thousand years—paired with such a staggering lack of political intelligence was a biological miracle.
However, seeing the Mizukage's methods made Tenzo feel a sudden, jarring sense of relief.
Thank the Sage our Hokage is Hiruzen.
Comparison really was the thief of joy—or in this case, the thief of resentment.
As the Hyūga Head, Tenzo naturally pushed back against the Hokage's "interference." But Hiruzen's methods were subtle. He gave Hizashi a promotion. He provided good pay. He treated the Branch members with respect. It was a "Divide and Conquer" strategy, sure, but at least the "meat stayed in the pot"—it was an internal village matter.
The Mizukage, by contrast, was just holding a village-wide battle royale and calling it "reform."
"Father," Hizashi said, breaking the silence. "The Anbu and the Patrol Net have a massive shortage of Byakugan users."
"Lord Sakumo has reserved six official slots for the Hyūga."
Hizashi leaned back, his eyes cold. "I've delivered the message. Whether you agree or refuse won't stop me from inviting my brothers in the Branch House to join. The door is already open."
Tenzo narrowed his eyes. He had seen this coming.
The Hokage's hand was no longer just knocking on the door; it was rearranging the furniture. And Hizashi wasn't just a messenger; he was a shark looking to lead the school.
If I hadn't seen what was happening in the Mist, I would have fought this for months just to save face, Tenzo mused. But compared to the Mizukage... Hiruzen is a saint. He at least pretends to follow the rules.
"It's better to guide the flow than to try and dam it," Tenzo thought. "I'll see how this plays out. If the Hokage pushes too hard, I can always demand a 'clarification' later."
Tenzo stood up, his posture regaining its aristocratic grace. "Whatever the Mist is planning, and whatever the Branch House decides... I will discuss this with the Hokage personally."
"Hizashi, take me to him. I wish to speak with Lord Hiruzen face-to-face."
Hizashi looked at his father with a hint of surprise.
Impressive, he thought. As expected of the Clan Head. He's realized he can't stop the momentum, so he's jumping to the front of the line to claim the credit for 'cooperating.' He wants to negotiate a new balance directly with the Kage.
"Afraid I'll outshine you, Father?" Hizashi asked with a smirk.
"Hmph," Tenzo grunted, walking toward the door.
Fifteen Minutes Later. The Hokage Office.
Hizashi and Tenzo entered the office. Tenzo's heart immediately skipped a beat.
Why is Danzo here?
In Tenzo's mind, Danzo Shimura was the Konoha equivalent of the Third Mizukage—a man of shadows and blood who viewed clans as resources to be spent.
Hiruzen sat behind the desk, puffing on his pipe, apparently lost in deep thought. He didn't look up when they entered.
Tenzo handed over the Kaguya letter, his palm slightly damp.
Hiruzen took the scroll and read it in silence, the smoke from his pipe swirling around his head like a storm cloud.
Beside him, Danzo let out a low, predatory snort. His gaze was like a pair of sharpened kunai, locking onto Tenzo's eyes with a look of pure, unadulterated suspicion.
Hizashi watched his father stiffen and allowed himself a small, internal grin.
How does it feel, Father? To have a 'Shadow' watching your every move?
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