Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 81: The Clans' Allegiance

(T/N: There is no Chapter 80)

"There's still a few months until that happens. Let's prepare for the meeting with the Kazekage first."

Recovering his thoughts, Minato looked at Hyuga Fuji. "What do you plan to do?"

They had previously agreed that Fuji would handle it, but now the situation had changed. If the Kazekage visited on his own initiative, it would be better for Minato to handle it personally.

Hyuga Fuji didn't answer directly and instead asked, "Is Jiraiya-senpai planning to stay in the village for a while?"

"Yes, that's right. He wants to wait until the Five Kage Summit and even plans to visit the Land of Rain with me to meet some of his former students."

"A standard reception will be fine for you. I'll arrange a memorable one-day tour of Konoha for the Kazekage," Hyuga Fuji said with a light smile. "Oh, and by the way, lend me Yakumaru when the time comes."

"Yakumaru?"

Minato's expression shifted slightly, and he looked toward Kushina. "I found it strange earlier. What happened today? Wasn't Maru training? He suddenly came to me asking for permission."

Kushina smiled awkwardly. "Well, it's like this…"

She roughly explained what she knew, and Hyuga Fuji added calmly, "Yakumaru saw my clone, and after being talked into it by Tsunade-senpai, he awakened the Mangekyo."

"…"

"…"

Minato was speechless, and even Kushina, who hadn't heard about this from Yakumaru, was dumbfounded.

She muttered softly, "No wonder he seemed dazed when he returned to the training grounds to inform me. So that was the reason."

She could imagine the scene at that time. All she could say was… poor Yakumaru.

"This is really… I don't know what to say."

Minato shook his head and chuckled. "Alright, you can go find him when the time comes."

…

"Lord Fuji, this represents the sincerity of our two clans."

A few days later, at a location in Konoha, Hyuga Fuji sat at the head of a table, casually flipping through the documents handed to him by a clan representative.

The two ninja clan representatives sitting below appeared uneasy.

Among Konoha's high-ranking officials, Fugaku was an Uchiha, and historically, the ninja clans had limited dealings with the Uchiha. Tsunade was disinterested in politics, and the interests tied to the jonin squad leaders were already entrenched.

After careful consideration, the clans realized that few high-ranking officials were suitable for them to approach.

In this situation, Hyuga Fuji, as an assistant to the Hokage with real power, naturally caught their attention.

Compared to Danzo, he seemed more approachable. And because of the Hokage's trust, Fuji's position was more secure than Danzo's.

But since Fuji was a representative of the Hyuga Clan, which could easily become his support, ordinary gestures of allegiance wouldn't suffice.

To ensure a stable period under Minato's administration and avoid retribution, they had brought genuine sincerity this time.

Yet now, did he seem dissatisfied?

One of the middle-aged ninjas grew restless and spoke. "Lord Fuji, you—"

When Hyuga Fuji's gaze shifted toward him, he immediately shrank back, bowing his head, too afraid to make eye contact.

This was the second ninja in Konoha to master the Flying Thunder God technique, a figure who had slaughtered hundreds of Mist ninja on the battlefield. Even without his authority, defying him was out of the question.

Hyuga Fuji withdrew his gaze, pulled out three pieces of intelligence, and handed them over coldly. "These intelligence reports—are there any inaccuracies?"

"…"

The two of them examined the documents in confusion, and after a moment, they glanced at each other, cold sweat forming on their foreheads.

One document was seemingly innocuous: during an operation to search for Root members, the Anbu captured a Root ninja near the Village of Rain. The ninja took his own life, a curse mark destroying his brain, but the Anbu found correspondence linking Danzo to Hanzo of the Salamander.

The other two documents detailed communication between the clans and the upper echelons of the Land of Fire, as well as plans between some clan members and Danzo.

The information appeared unrelated, but the latter was too detailed—knowledge only Danzo could possess.

Hyuga Fuji's display of these documents made his implication clear.

One of the ninjas, with a dry throat, stammered, "Lord Fuji, this was all Root's doing. Danzo is framing us—"

"Genji, no need to explain." The other middle-aged ninja sighed. "Trying to explain now just makes us look pathetic."

He could tell from Fuji's calm expression that explanations were futile, and he silently cursed Danzo in his heart.

Of all times to surrender, why now, just when we planned to eliminate you? His survival instinct was remarkably strong!

Genji Jonin also regretted their delay.

They should have acted sooner and pushed Danzo further toward his doom with their infiltrators.

At this point, Konoha hadn't dealt with Danzo because there was no urgent need. He was imprisoned, his fate resting on the Fourth Hokage's word.

Alive, Danzo restricted the actions of Root operatives. Dead, he was useless and risked his agents spiraling out of control.

Moreover, the Third Hokage's influence protected Danzo, sparing his life.

But they could increase the stakes!

If the current charges weren't enough, they'd add more.

Colluding with enemies, plotting to manipulate the Fire Daimyo—fabricating such crimes wasn't necessary. They just needed to make the village or the Fire Country officials believe Danzo deserved to die, and they would be at ease.

Now, it was too late.

Any further action would backfire, and the plan to kill Danzo discreetly had already leaked.

After the two regained their composure, Hyuga Fuji spoke in a low voice. "Becoming nobles, replacing the current upper echelons of the Land of Fire, enjoying prosperity for generations—is that the goal? Danzo must have gained considerable support with this pitch."

The middle-aged ninja, Kurama Unkai, sighed in resignation. "Lord Fuji, our Kurama Clan's kekkei genkai isn't weak, but it hasn't awakened in a long time. Unlike clans like yours, we've declined."

"We knew Danzo had ulterior motives. He merely wanted control over the Land of Fire. But if we didn't gamble, we had no chance to advance."

Kurama Unkai continued softly, "Rather than remaining an insignificant part of Konoha, seeking greater opportunities in the Land of Fire was our only choice."

"You believed it was feasible?" Hyuga Fuji asked.

"Yes!" Kurama Unkai paused and then admitted with gritted teeth. "Danzo succeeded once, didn't he? If the Fourth Hokage hadn't won, the same drama would have played out in the Land of Fire."

If Konoha had fallen to Danzo, the Land of Fire wouldn't have resisted.

"In the end, how are those nobles better than us? Ninjas train to kill from childhood, entering the battlefield by twelve. What are noble children doing at that age?"

"I once helped a small nation's prince reclaim his throne. Apart from his status, his knowledge and insight couldn't compare to my juniors. Perhaps nobles have administrative skills, but if our juniors were taught, I don't believe they'd lose."

Kurama Unkai looked at Hyuga Fuji with a complex expression. "Gradually replacing the Land of Fire's middle and upper ranks to become nobles—that was our path to a better future."

(End of Chapter)