Uchiha Souji woke up with a violent start, and the very first thing that jumped out of his mouth was a furious curse.
"Bastard!!!"
His roar exploded through the quiet hospital room like thunder. Nurses in the hallway froze. Patients two rooms away jolted awake. Even Uchiha Fugaku and Mizuki were stunned on the spot, staring at Souji as if they had misheard him.
"Beast? What beast?" Fugaku murmured in confusion.
Before anyone could ask further, Hyuga Hiashi strode into the room, holding his tiny daughter Hinata in his arms. His expression was stern, but the moment he looked at Souji, something softened.
"Souji, it's fine," Hiashi said firmly.
"You already killed that beast—the one who even dared lay hands on a three-year-old child. I made sure what remained of him was fed to the dogs."
Uchiha Fugaku and Mizuki stiffened, and then understanding dawned.
So that's why Souji woke up screaming the moment he opened his eyes—his memory was still stuck at the moment before he fainted.
He thought the threat was still alive.
Mizuki's eyes instantly filled with tears. "Master Souji… even when you were unconscious, you were worried about Hinata…!"
Uchiha Fugaku stepped forward and gave Souji's shoulder a firm pat.
"Good boy."
A beast? Fugaku nearly laughed. Souji's imagination and protective instincts could kill someone before they even arrive.
If this boy stayed in Konoha too long, he'd be the death of half the village—either from fear or anger.
Still fuming, Souji grabbed the nearest apple from the fruit basket and bit it aggressively, as if punishing the fruit for existing.
Hiashi stepped toward him and gently lowered little Hinata into Souji's arms.
The three-year-old girl looked at him with big, shimmering eyes full of both curiosity and admiration. Her tiny hand lifted as if she wanted to touch his face, then she hesitated and quickly withdrew it, cheeks turning pink.
"Ah… hello, Brother Souji," she stammered softly.
"My name is Hinata. Hyūga Hinata. I'm three years old this year."
So cute!
Souji paused mid-bite, then reached out and gently pinched Hinata's round cheek.
"Hello, Hinata."
But as he looked at her, a memory flashed sharply in his mind.
That yellow hair!
Not Naruto—no.
That Cloud ninja named Shi, the one who tricked him that day.
A cold flame lit up in Souji's eyes.
If I don't settle this score, I, Uchiha Souji, am no man.
"Patriarch," Souji said suddenly, "what happened to the Cloud Village ninja from yesterday?"
Uchiha Fugaku's expression darkened.
"So there really was a fourth person in the field, right? That ninja named Nozomi from Cloud Shinobi Village."
He folded his arms.
"He's under ANBU surveillance for now. But Raikage will definitely protest soon. And… without solid evidence, Konoha cannot embarrass him openly. He holds a very high status in Cloud Village."
Hiashi's face grew even darker.
The Hyuga elders were already planning to use this incident for political leverage.
They didn't want justice—they wanted profits.
Hiashi hated it, but as patriarch, he could not silence the voices of the clan.
Humans liked to think they were using power, but sometimes it was the weight of the crowd behind the power that was truly in control.
Just like Uchiha Fugaku in the future, no matter how strong he was, no matter how respected—against the tide of the village, he would eventually fall, powerless to save his clan.
Souji asked quietly, "Master Patriarch… has the poison in my body been cured?"
Fugaku nodded.
"Yes. Our medical ninjas handled it easily. After all, Lady Tsunade's knowledge of poisons is legendary. Even if they don't know the exact toxin, they can dismantle most poisons through universal extraction techniques."
Souji let out a long breath of relief. The corner of his mouth curved upward.
He muttered softly, "The Theory of the Six Kingdoms once said—cut five cities today, ten tomorrow, and soon you sleep peacefully thinking the four realms are yours. Until Qin soldiers appear at your gates."
In short:
If he didn't teach Shi a lesson now, that guy would think Souji was some Hello Kitty doll.
Souji glanced at the clothes hanging beside his bed—the same outfit he wore during the incident. Mizuki, overhearing Souji's earlier muttering, clenched his fists.
He didn't understand what "Six Kingdoms" or "Qin soldiers" were, but he understood the intent.
"Master Souji wants to strike back!"
Did Souji foresee the Cloud Village conspiracy even before he fainted?
Did he leave clues behind?
In Mizuki's heart, admiration surged like a tidal wave.
Never compromise—Master Souji has carved that belief into my bones!
Hiashi suddenly punched the wall, shaking the entire room.
"Damn Cloud ninjas! They've gone too far!"
Hinata flinched and instinctively leaned closer to Souji.
Souji placed his hand gently on her head to calm her, then pointed toward his old trousers hanging on the rack.
"Hyuga Patriarch, I have something that might help you," he said.
"Before Nozomi and Shi left, Shi gave me an antidote for the poison he used. He didn't want to offend the Uchiha clan too openly, so he left it behind. It should still be in my trouser pocket."
Hiashi's eyes lit up.
He rushed to the coat rack and searched Souji's pocket until he pulled out a small pill.
This antidote might not change Cloud Village's shameless stance—but anything that proved their involvement was valuable.
Cloud might pretend innocence, but their intentions were clear:
They wanted to disgust Konoha, humiliate Konoha, and show that Cloud was not afraid.
This time might look like Cloud's loss, but they were already preparing the next move.
And Souji knew it.
And he smiled.
Because he was preparing his move too.
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