No matter how many enemies outside were plotting against the Hyuga Clan, with their centuries of prestige and accumulated influence, the Hyuga always had ways to resolve a crisis.
The key lay in how they wielded their power.
Their enemies might hide in the shadows, but Hyuga Satoru had no need to drag them out by force. All he needed to do was properly leverage his own advantages—and the right people would naturally step in to help him handle the problem.
That was the unique strength of the Hyuga Main Family: a vast network of external forces at their disposal, a privilege few could rival.
After receiving Uchiha Fugaku's solemn promise, Satoru invited him to stay for lunch. His invitation, however, was about more than just the current incident.
For Satoru, the continued survival of the Hyuga Clan depended on the strength of Konoha itself. A united and powerful Konoha guaranteed their safety far better than a fractured, weakened one.
Now that a connection with the Uchiha had been established, deepening the relationship between the two clans would be much easier.
After seeing Fugaku off, Uchiha Itachi remained at the Hyuga estate. His clothing and belongings would be delivered by other members of the Uchiha Clan.
Unlike Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Shisui, Itachi was not residing here as a Konoha shinobi, but as the son of the Uchiha Clan Head. Accordingly, the Hyuga arranged for him the highest standards of hospitality.
His room was located on the west side of Satoru's own courtyard—coincidentally, just behind the guest room that had burned down previously.
The craftsmen repairing the damaged building usually began work after nine in the morning and left before dinner in the evening, so their schedule would not interfere with Itachi's rest.
When Satoru's mother, Hanako, heard that her son's "friend" would be staying at their home for a while, she was genuinely delighted.
Satoru had always been far more mature than other children his age, and although Hanako was proud of his precociousness, she also worried. She wished her son didn't have to shoulder such heavy burdens—that he could just live a normal, carefree childhood like others.
Most of Satoru's close acquaintances were older, elite shinobi. Hanako had never seen him with a friend of his own age before.
So when she realized that this "friend" was none other than Uchiha Itachi, she was momentarily stunned. She knew the boy—after all, Kushina was close friends with Fugaku's wife, Uchiha Mikoto; the two were well within her own circle of acquaintances.
It was her first time learning that Satoru and Itachi were familiar with each other, but she didn't ask too many questions. When she met Itachi, she kindly mentioned her friendship with Mikoto and told him to feel completely at home in the Hyuga residence.
While Uchiha Itachi was settling in at the Hyuga estate, Hiruzen Sarutobi—who had just left the Hyuga grounds—hurried straight to the Root base to confront Danzo Shimura.
The moment these two calculating old men faced each other, the air in the room turned heavy and cold.
"What do you want, Hiruzen?" Danzo's tone was curt and unyielding. In private, he never treated Hiruzen as a superior, despite the man's title of Hokage.
"The Hyuga incident," Hiruzen said bluntly. "Was it your doing?"
At the mention of the Hyuga, Danzo's eyes narrowed slightly. "What incident?" he replied smoothly—but that very question immediately gave him away.
"Don't play dumb!" Hiruzen's voice hardened. "You think I don't know what your Root has been up to?!"
"The Hyuga were attacked—do you expect me to believe you know nothing about it?!"
"I'm not here for your excuses, Danzo. Hand the man over!"
Hiruzen knew Danzo far too well… just as Danzo knew him.
Ever since the Nine-Tails' attack, the village's leadership had agreed to monitor all the major clans in the name of security. The Uchiha were the primary focus of their surveillance—but the Hyuga were being watched as well, albeit to a lesser degree.
For Danzo to claim ignorance was an insult to both of their intelligence.
"…"
It took Danzo only a moment to realize his slip. His attempt at denial only confirmed Hiruzen's suspicions.
"It was Kurama Yunhai," Danzo finally said. "A member of the Kurama Clan. But… he's no longer with Root. I don't know where he is. Even I can't contact him anymore."
A faint, self-satisfied smile spread across his face, as though he were proud of the chaos he had unleashed.
"The Kurama Clan…" Hiruzen murmured. The identity of the assassin didn't surprise him—the Kurama bloodline's genjutsu prowess was notorious. But Danzo's last statement made his expression tighten.
"You can't contact him? Impossible!" Hiruzen snapped. "Find him, and make him stop!"
His voice rose sharply, anger cutting through his usual composure.
If the Hyuga discovered who was truly behind the attack, Konoha's fragile unity would shatter overnight.
A Root operative targeting the Hyuga Main Family—if that ever came to light, not only would Danzo be finished, but Hiruzen himself would be dragged down with him.
Many of the major clans already distrusted the Hokage's faction. The only thing holding the village together at present was mutual interest.
But if those interests clashed with the clans' heritage—their bloodlines, their legacies—they would not hesitate to turn their backs on the Hokage's authority.
That was the most sensitive and dangerous line in all of Konoha.
"I told you—I can't reach him," Danzo said coldly. "And you know me, Hiruzen. You think I'd be careless enough to leave any evidence behind?"
"Don't worry. He'll finish the mission cleanly."
"This is for the good of the village—it's all benefit, no harm."
His words carried a deliberate edge.
Hiruzen's face hardened. He glared at his old comrade—but, strangely, said nothing more.
Because Danzo's words had hit a nerve.
Was it really good for Konoha that Hyuga Satoru controlled the future of the Hyuga Clan?
Minato was a good man—idealistic, strong, and loyal—but as a shinobi of no clan, his power would never turn into dynastic rule.
The Hyuga were different. If someone like Satoru were to rise to power, the Hyuga might soon dominate the entire village. Within a few years, the seat of Hokage itself could become a Hyuga inheritance.
And that was something Hiruzen Sarutobi would never permit.
Satoru's talent gave the Hyuga the potential to surpass every other clan in Konoha. What was a blessing for the Hyuga… could easily become a threat to the village.
Just as Hiruzen understood Danzo, Danzo understood him as well.
"By the way," Hiruzen finally said coldly, "the Uchiha will also be participating in Satoru's protection."
Danzo's expression stiffened.
"If you get caught meddling," Hiruzen warned, "you won't be staying in this village."
"Take care of yourself."
Seeing that further argument was pointless, Hiruzen turned and left the Root base with a weary sigh.
Danzo watched his back disappear into the corridor, eyes dark and unreadable.
"…Coward," he muttered. "In the end, I'm the one who's truly brave—the one who's willing to do what must be done for Konoha. I should have been Hokage."
He had carried that obsession for decades. Both he and Hiruzen had been students of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
Back during the ambush on their diplomatic mission to the Cloud, when Tobirama chose a volunteer to cover their retreat, Danzo had hesitated. It was Hiruzen who had stepped forward without fear—and in that moment, the Second had named him the next Hokage.
Danzo had regretted his cowardice ever since. That hesitation haunted him for life.
And so, he spent the rest of his days trying to prove—to himself, to Hiruzen, to the entire world—that he was the braver man.
That he, not Hiruzen, was the one who truly deserved to be Hokage.
But his obsession had long since twisted his path. Hiruzen walked in the light; Danzo, in the shadows.
He had grown too accustomed to solving problems from the darkness, forgetting that one who sought to be Hokage could never rule by such means.
Hiruzen hadn't tried to enlighten him—Danzo still had his uses. To protect him from immediate exposure, Hiruzen had even warned him about the Uchiha's involvement.
Whether Danzo heeded that warning… no one could say.
After the assassination attempt, the Hyuga estate once again went on full alert.
Hyuga Kazutaka was placed under strict surveillance, and the craftsmen responsible for repairing the damaged buildings were replaced—this time, personally overseen by Hyuga Hizashi, in whom Satoru had the utmost trust.
Hizashi had also begun quietly investigating everyone who had interacted with Kazutaka recently. Naturally, the construction crew fell under scrutiny. Their identities and backgrounds were now being secretly examined.
Kazutaka's circle of acquaintances was simple, making the investigation relatively easy. Among everyone he had contact with, the only true outsiders were those craftsmen.
Disguised as one of the laborers, Kurama Yunhai revealed no signs of abnormality. Yet, as a veteran Root operative, he quickly sensed that the Hyuga's attention had shifted toward his group. His heart tightened.
Have they found me?
If they had, they'd have struck by now… so maybe I'm just being watched?
Feeling the Hyuga's growing vigilance, Yunhai grew uneasy.
Looks like the plan can't continue. I'll have to withdraw and regroup.
But just as he finished work for the day and was about to leave, several Uchiha shinobi appeared at the Hyuga estate gate—blocking his path.
At their head stood Uchiha Fugaku himself, flanked by five elite members of the Uchiha Police Force.
It was an unmistakably serious formation.
"Come with us," Fugaku said coldly. "Your brother, Kurama Shutsugyo, must be missing you dearly."
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