Chapter 102: Clan Head Hyuga, Are You Planning a Rebellion?
Fire Country, the largest coastal port city in the east—Matsubara Port.
The Mist ninja diplomatic envoy's fleet was docked in this natural harbor. All Mist ninja remained confined to their ships, forbidden to disembark without permission. Konoha ninja responsible for watching them filled both shore and sea. The port's atmosphere was extremely tense, giving a feeling of being startled by the wind and treating every tree as an enemy. Even a slightly stronger sea breeze could trigger waves of commotion.
Fortunately, the leaders of both the Konoha ninja and Mist ninja could restrain themselves and control their subordinates, so during this period awaiting Konoha Village's response, both sides maintained this fragile peace.
Until Hyuga Ritsu's arrival.
"It's White Yaksha!"
"Damn! What's Konoha planning? We're a diplomatic envoy—are they planning to kill us?"
"Quickly prepare weapons and fight Konoha to the death!"
A person's reputation is like a tree's shadow. Ritsu's infamy had already been deeply imprinted in the Mist ninja's hearts.
Even though ninety-nine percent of the Mist ninja here were seeing Ritsu for the first time, comparing him to the vivid portraits in their memories, they immediately recognized him. This triggered group panic.
The Mist ninja's chaotic state momentarily stunned the surrounding Konoha ninja responsible for surveillance, especially after seeing some Mist ninja pull out kunai, shuriken and other weapons—they instinctively gripped their own weapons tighter.
"Everyone stop! Drop your weapons and don't move!"
A middle-aged man roughly forty years old with short gray hair, wearing a properly positioned Mist headband on his forehead and possessing stern features, strode forward. With a single shout, he stopped the chaos on deck.
Then the man walked to the ship's rail and looked down at the approaching small boat below. He discovered only two people aboard—one steering the boat, the other standing at the bow wearing Hyuga Clan-style white clothing with a standard Konoha ninja dark green vest over it.
"Konoha's honored guest, please come aboard to speak."
The man issued his invitation in a heavy voice.
Standing at the bow, Ritsu looked up and met the man's eyes. With a leap, he stepped up the tilted hull and boarded the Mist ninja flagship, arriving among the Mist ninja crowd.
Glancing left and right at the nervously clenched fists of the surrounding Mist ninja, Ritsu couldn't help laughing.
His laugh scared the Mist ninja standing at the front into retreating several steps, pulling back from Ritsu.
The Mist ninja who'd invited Ritsu aboard furrowed his brow tight enough to crush a fly. He immediately shouted angrily: "You bunch of embarrassments, scatter! Each of you go do your own work!"
The Mist ninja immediately dispersed.
Especially those frightened into retreating—their heads hung so low they nearly poked into their pants. They ran faster than anyone else. Clearly they'd have no face to see people for some time.
After driving away this embarrassing bunch, the middle-aged Mist ninja looked at Ritsu and said formally: "Mist ninja Hyakubei, here under the Mizukage's orders to discuss all ceasefire matters with your side."
"Konoha ninja, Hyuga Ritsu. I'll escort you to Konoha."
"Worthy of being Konoha's White Yaksha—truly young and accomplished!"
Hyakubei praised.
"No need for nonsense. Gather your people and we depart now." Ritsu's attitude was quite arrogant, carrying a condescending, imperious feeling.
A younger Mist ninja standing behind Hyakubei showed anger on his face.
But Hyakubei didn't get angry, as though he hadn't noticed Ritsu's arrogant posture. He maintained his serious attitude: "Please wait. I'll immediately gather everyone."
"You have ten minutes. After ten minutes, bring your people ashore."
Leaving these words, Ritsu turned around, walked to the rail and jumped down, landing steadily on the small boat's bow and returning along the route he'd come.
On deck, the young Mist ninja standing behind Hyakubei showed anger, indignantly saying: "Hyakubei-senpai, those Konoha ninja are too arrogant!"
"They have the qualifications to be arrogant."
Hyakubei's expression was calm. He glanced at this young junior. "Yaku, don't forget—they're the victors, we're the losers. They have the right to be arrogant before us!"
The young Mist ninja named Yaku's face turned red, clearly still unconvinced.
But Hyakubei said nothing more, only ordering his subordinate Mist ninja to assemble. Not all Mist ninja aboard were diplomatic envoy members—most were just crew. The actual envoy members numbered fewer than twenty.
While waiting for members to pack their belongings, Yaku moved close to Hyakubei and said quietly: "Hyakubei-senpai, do you still remember what that Konoha ninja said earlier?"
"Yaku!"
Hyakubei turned sharply, staring intently at Yaku who he valued highly and kept close to nurture. "What do you want to say?"
Yaku's heart trembled from Hyakubei's cold stern gaze, but recalling Ritsu's arrogant rude attitude just now, he still said through gritted teeth: "Hyakubei-senpai, didn't that Konoha ninja say before? As long as we publicly claim in Konoha that Konoha ninja captured our Mist ninja to research forbidden techniques, triggering war between our two villages, they'll agree to all our demands—return the seized ninja tools, release the captured Suikazan Fuguki, waive any compensation."
"So you think we should agree?"
"Yes."
Yaku nodded.
"You think being drawn into Konoha ninja internal conflict is good?"
"At worst, it's just us people sacrificing ourselves."
Yaku raised his head, staring intently at Hyakubei. "Hyakubei-senpai, I now truly feel we have the necessity to do this. As long as we can trigger mutual slaughter among Konoha ninja, even sacrificing ourselves for this would be completely worthwhile!"
"What if it drags the village down?"
Hyakubei didn't say whether Yaku's judgment was good or bad but asked a new question.
"Konoha is already at the end of its strength. They no longer have sufficient power to launch expeditions. Even if we ultimately fail, as long as the village humbles itself and attributes all responsibility to our unauthorized actions, we'll definitely get through this."
Having finished speaking, he lowered his head, quietly awaiting Hyakubei's answer.
"I was worried sacrificing your life would cause you to lose your ability to think rationally. Now it seems I worried unnecessarily. Ao, you're right. If using our sacrifice can exchange for Konoha's civil war, that's definitely something worth doing."
The ferocity in Hyakubei's eyes completely dissipated, leaving only full satisfaction.
"Then we..."
"Don't rush. Even if we do it, we can only do such things after reaching Konoha. Also, the mastermind behind this will definitely contact us again. Then we'll discuss it properly."
Hyakubei looked at Yaku meaningfully: "Yaku, don't be too impatient. You must learn to restrain your excited emotions. Remember—nine out of ten decisions made impulsively will be regretted! For such major matters, think through them as many times as possible, trying to consider clearly what consequences will follow!"
Yaku nodded repeatedly, obediently accepting Hyakubei's instruction.
Ten minutes truly passed quickly, gone in the blink of an eye.
And Hyakubei brought sixteen Mist ninja, stepping on the final thread of time to land ashore and come before Ritsu. With a respectful attitude he said: "Honored Hyuga, all envoy members are assembled and can depart anytime."
"By the way, here's the roster."
Hyakubei presented the list.
"Just this many people?"
Ritsu scanned it at a glance.
Including Hyakubei, seventeen people total. Among them were two familiar faces—Mangetsu Hozuki and Raiga Kurosuki.
"Everyone in the envoy including myself is here."
Hyakubei answered.
Ritsu accepted the roster and scanned it once. Starting with Hyakubei, seventeen names were listed in order. Hyakubei's name was first as the envoy's chief. Mangetsu Hozuki's name ranked third, one of the envoy's two vice-chiefs.
"Fine! I hope you won't play any tricks."
Ritsu casually handed the roster to Hyuga Arima beside him. Looking up at the sky, he said: "Since everything's ready, we depart now."
Thus, dozens of Konoha ninja surrounded the seventeen Mist ninja, moving toward Konoha Village in this nearly coercive manner. Most Konoha ninja came from the Hyuga Clan, with quite a few Uchiha Clan ninja mixed in as well.
Uchiha Izumo and Uchiha Teyaki were prominently among them.
After communicating with Orochimaru, Ritsu had applied for these personnel on the grounds of better executing the mission escorting the Hidden Mist Village diplomatic envoy.
"Izumo-kun."
While traveling, Ritsu sought out Uchiha Izumo.
The nineteen-year-old Izumo was the leader of all Uchiha Clan members on the eastern battlefield. Besides his personal strength earning recognition from numerous clansmen, he was also the Uchiha Clan's youngest elder.
In other words, Izumo wasn't just an executor within the Uchiha Clan but already possessed decision-maker status. His opinions could influence the Uchiha Clan's overall decisions.
"Clan Head Hyuga!"
Izumo's attitude was also quite polite.
As a standard Uchiha, he respected the strong. And Ritsu was undoubtedly a powerhouse in his eyes—whether overthrowing the Hyuga Clan's Main Family or making Mist ninja flee in terror, all of this proved Ritsu's might.
He looked at Ritsu and asked rather cautiously: "What matter brings you to me?"
Ritsu didn't beat around the bush, getting straight to the point: "May I presume to ask—did you find evidence of those who framed your clansmen?"
"...No."
After two seconds of silence, Izumo shook his head.
They'd checked all files of fallen Uchiha Clan ninja stored at the front lines, but unfortunately discovered no obvious problems. Aside from Suikazan Fuguki's testimony, there was no evidence proving Uchiha clansmen had been betrayed and framed by comrades.
"That's not surprising. Those old things in the village have held power for so many years—if they couldn't even clean up such basic loose ends, it wouldn't be their turn to lord over us!"
"Clan Head Hyuga, what exactly... do you mean?"
Izumo furrowed his brow tightly.
Though Ritsu hadn't named names, the phrase "old things holding power" seemed to match only a few specific people.
His heartbeat slightly accelerated. Instinct told him Ritsu might say something even more shocking!
"Nothing much. Just feeling sympathy for fellow sufferers. If I didn't have some capabilities, perhaps I'd have become a wronged ghost wandering restlessly like your unfortunate fallen clansmen!"
These words made Izumo bite his teeth involuntarily, his eyes instantly staining blood-red.
"I'm determined to obtain justice for myself. If the village can't give me justice, I'll spare no cost to personally seize the justice I deserve."
Ritsu decisively expressed his resolve.
Having spoken, he looked at Izumo and issued a straightforward invitation: "Izumo-kun, have your Uchiha Clan join hands with our Hyuga Clan! Let's together demand back the dignity and respect that belong to us from those old things in the village!!!"
Izumo opened his mouth but couldn't speak.
Instead, Teyaki, who'd been silent beside them, got excited and blurted out: "Clan Head Hyuga, are you planning rebellion?"
"Teyaki, shut up!"
Izumo angrily rebuked him.
Fortunately, because they'd slowed down while distracted talking, they'd already fallen to the rear of the formation, opening some distance from the main group rushing ahead. Besides the three of them, no one else heard such treasonous words.
"Teyaki-kun, you should read more books when you have time. This isn't called rebellion—this is clearing the ruler's side!!!"
Ritsu said with a smile.
"Clearing the ruler's side?"
Izumo instantly understood this newly heard phrase. The concept of a ruler wasn't at all unfamiliar to ninja. During the Warring States Era, numerous ninja clans served different rulers, constantly fighting throughout the ninja world.
Even now in the hidden village era, the Fire Country Daimyo remained the ruler the Konoha ninja village served.
Of course, the "ruler" in Ritsu's words naturally wasn't the Daimyo but Konoha Village's supreme leader—the Hokage. Clearing the ruler's side meant eliminating the treacherous villains surrounding the Hokage.
"Clan Head Hyuga, are you certain you're serious?"
Izumo's breathing was somewhat rapid, his crimson eyes staring straight at Ritsu.
"Of course."
Ritsu's expression was solemn. "I truly almost got killed by them on the battlefield. Even if just for myself, I must make those old things pay the price!!!"
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