Under the probing gaze of the Byakugan, Hyuga Satoru found no suspicious individuals. However, this wide-area sweep for potential enemies made him acutely aware of certain weaknesses in the Hyuga Clan's defenses.
The Hyuga lineage was ancient, and its long-standing traditions influenced every aspect of their lives. Take their architecture, for instance—while the rest of Konoha had long grown accustomed to using reinforced concrete, the Hyuga Clan still built their homes entirely out of wood.
These houses were all single-story courtyard dwellings, making the Hyuga estate one of the lowest-lying areas in the very heart of Konoha.
Outside the clan grounds was the village's central district, which had undergone rapid development in recent years. Countless new buildings—some six or seven stories tall—now stood there. As Konoha was a shinobi village, many rooftops had even been fitted with water towers, designed to collect rainwater in case of emergencies.
When combined with the height of these buildings, the towers allowed anyone with ill intent to overlook the entire Hyuga estate from above.
A careful observer could easily keep the clan under constant surveillance.
Even though the Hyuga territory had remained in the same place since the Nine-Tails' attack years ago, the world around them had changed—they now found themselves surrounded on all sides by towering structures, completely exposed.
Though Satoru hadn't found any actual enemies, the state of their surroundings made him frown deeply.
He glanced at the unconscious Hyuga Kazutaka lying limp on the ground, rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and said,
"Keisuke, watch over Kazutaka closely."
"We still don't know whether the jutsu on him has been lifted. Tell the clan to stay on high alert."
"Investigate everyone and everything he's come into contact with lately—see if we can find any leads."
"Tomorrow morning, take my visiting card and invite the Third Hokage to the Hyuga estate. Tell him we've encountered a rather peculiar ninjutsu, and we'd like Konoha's own Professor of Ninjutsu to help identify it."
Even without tangible proof, Satoru already had his list of suspects.
In the shinobi world, there was no shortage of people who bore grudges against the Hyuga Clan—assassination attempts were practically a rite of passage for noble-born ninja.
But within Konoha… things were different.
Whenever something shady happened in the village, there were always the usual suspects.
Danzo Shimura and Orochimaru had recently formed a political alliance, advancing and retreating together on all major decisions. The Hyuga were close allies of the Fourth Hokage—not quite joined at the hip, but close enough to be one of his most powerful supports.
As for Danzo… Satoru had always held a certain image of that man: someone who preached loyalty to Konoha, yet would sacrifice anything and anyone for power.
This was a man who once dared to plot against a Hokage. In Danzo's eyes, there was no one he couldn't kill if it served his ends.
Satoru couldn't be certain Danzo was behind this, but there was no harm in taking a few shots in the dark—he had nothing to lose.
If this incident really was tied to Danzo, then the jutsu used to control Kazutaka would surely be recognized by the Third Hokage himself.
After all, Konoha's Professor should at least be capable of that much.
"Yes, understood."
Hyuga Keisuke nodded, hefted the unconscious Kazutaka onto his shoulder, and left.
Hatake Kakashi was silent for a moment, then spoke carefully:
"I'll report this assassination attempt to the Fourth Hokage. If you want, I can ask my teacher to assign some additional guards for your protection."
Kakashi had personally witnessed how much Satoru had been enduring lately—not so much because of the danger itself, but because the endless stream of assassination attempts in every imaginable form was mentally exhausting.
At this point, fighting a straightforward battle on the front lines almost sounded preferable.
"No need for extra guards," Satoru said with a faint smile. "The war with the Cloud Village is about to begin—the Fourth must already be short on capable hands."
"As for this little problem… I think I have a way to solve it."
As they spoke, a plan was already forming in Satoru's mind.
There were times when one couldn't rely solely on one's own strength—it was necessary to use the resources available.
The elders of the Hyuga Main Family were already on the front lines fighting for the village. Naturally, Konoha had an obligation to ensure the clan's safety in return.
Though Minato was the current Hokage, truth be told, he didn't yet command as much influence as the Third.
And the Third's eldest son happened to be the Captain of the ANBU. Perfect.
He would "request" their assistance—and the ever-righteous Hiruzen Sarutobi surely wouldn't refuse.
Just as Satoru predicted, the very next morning, the Third Hokage arrived at the Hyuga estate in person.
Konoha was in full wartime preparation mode, but as the retired Hokage, Hiruzen himself wasn't particularly busy. In fact, if the Hyuga hadn't invited him over, he had been planning to spend the day at the Academy—lecturing the young shinobi on the Will of Fire!
Hyuga Keisuke hadn't explained the incident in much detail, only saying that one of their clansmen seemed to have fallen under a mysterious jutsu, and they needed the Hokage's scholarly expertise to examine it.
Flattered by such deference, Hiruzen had come without hesitation.
After confirming his arrival, Satoru personally went with Hyuga Hizashi to greet him at the clan gates, giving the former Hokage the honor he was due. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they led Hiruzen into Kazutaka's home.
Kazutaka had recovered by morning, completely unaware of what he had done the previous night. He only remembered a vivid dream in which he had been passionately battling his beloved—until waking to find himself under house arrest.
When he learned what had actually happened, his face went pale. Realizing he had been used as someone's pawn, he sat there trembling, trying desperately to recall anyone suspicious he had met recently.
Before he could come up with anything, Satoru, Hizashi, and the Third Hokage arrived.
At first glance, there were no signs of abnormality on Kazutaka. But when his armor and battle axe were brought in, and Keisuke described the events of the previous night, Hiruzen's expression gradually darkened.
The title of "Professor" was not undeserved. From just a few fragments of Keisuke's account, Hiruzen already had a theory in mind.
If there was one skill he had honed through his long years as Hokage, it was his knowledge of every clan's unique abilities.
Kazutaka had been used as a puppet, yet had felt nothing amiss—that was something even the Uchiha's Sharingan illusions couldn't achieve.
But Hiruzen knew of one clan in Konoha whose Kekkei Genkai could.
"The Kurama Clan…" he muttered.
"Yes, I recall that some years ago, a child was born in their clan who possessed that very bloodline limit."
"That child was…"
The image of Danzo Shimura flashed through Hiruzen's mind. His face remained composed, but inside, his thoughts churned. Outwardly, he merely shook his head and said in feigned contemplation:
"Judging by his current state, I can't determine anything for certain."
"As for what you described—perhaps it was a kind of summoning technique, maybe object summoning or spirit summoning."
"I'll need to observe him a while longer before I can draw any conclusions."
His words made the Hyuga gathered there sigh in disappointment—all except Satoru, who studied Hiruzen quietly before speaking earnestly:
"Lord Third Hokage, this matter is beyond our clan's abilities to handle."
"You know, our best have all gone to the front lines. Against an enemy with such strange powers, we're truly at a loss."
"Could you… perhaps assign ANBU to investigate the culprit?"
"If the criminal is found, the Hyuga Clan will gladly offer an S-rank mission reward as thanks for their assistance."
With that, Satoru revealed his true purpose for inviting the Third. The offer of payment was mere courtesy—the real message lay in his earlier words: our clan's best are already fighting for the village.
It was a polite but pointed reminder: the Hyuga had given everything for Konoha—now it was the village's turn to show where it stood.
Hiruzen could have refused with any number of excuses. But could he really turn down the earnest plea of a child like Satoru?
If he did, the kindly image he'd built for decades would crumble overnight.
"What reward?" Hiruzen said, waving his hand dismissively. "If an enemy has infiltrated the village, of course the ANBU must investigate. That's their duty."
"I'll take care of it."
He agreed immediately, without the slightest hesitation.
And just as Satoru was speaking with him, a clansman entered to report:
"Lord Satoru, the Uchiha Clan Head—Lord Fugaku—has arrived."
At the mention of Uchiha Fugaku, Satoru's face lit up with a polite smile. He bowed to Hiruzen apologetically and gestured for Hizashi to go welcome their guest.
"Uchiha Fugaku?" Hiruzen's brows furrowed slightly. "Why is the Uchiha Clan Head here?"
"Hmm?" Satoru tilted his head innocently. "The Uchiha Clan serve as Konoha's Police Force, and Fugaku himself is the commander. With an unknown enemy lurking in the village, shouldn't we request their assistance?"
"Unlike us Hyuga, whose forces are spread thin, the Uchiha's elite should have no trouble flushing out the culprit."
Protected by his youth, Satoru spoke without fear of offending. His words carried a faint but unmistakable barb aimed straight at Hiruzen.
Smiling serenely, Satoru turned toward the entrance.
First the Third Hokage, now the Uchiha Clan Head.
His approach was simple—he didn't intend to dirty his own hands.
He would let heroes investigate heroes. Let one great man watch another.
Surely… this affair would be resolved soon enough.
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