Crack… crack…
Outside the town house of the Hyuga Clan head, a black figure landed on the roof without a sound. He listened to the restless movement inside, then raised his hand to form seals and used Genjutsu, sending unreal white feathers drifting into the room.
The heavy breathing inside gradually became calm. The black figure slipped in as quietly as a raccoon, and saw a young girl sleeping peacefully under the blanket. He did not waste time, tucked her under his arm, and flipped out of the residence in a single motion.
He had not gone far when a figure stepped out from the courtyard gate ahead.
"…"
Hiashi Hyuga looked at the masked intruder before him, then noticed Hinata Hyuga in the man's arm. His normally cold face sank, and anger surged up the moment his bottom line was touched.
Seeking death.
Without hesitation, Hiashi Hyuga activated Byakugan, the veins near his eyes bulging as he rushed forward with a raised hand. The first palm strike was avoided, but in his eyes the movement was clumsy and slow.
Bang.
The second palm, driven with full Chakra, struck squarely into the intruder's abdomen. He felt the blow shatter the internal pathways without resistance.
Blood spilled from the man's mouth as his body dropped to its knees. Hiashi Hyuga smoothly took Hinata Hyuga from his arms and let the intruder collapse forward onto the ground.
"So weak."
As the anger in his chest faded, Hiashi Hyuga frowned. He suddenly realized the intruder was far weaker than expected, as if he had come here to die on purpose.
With this level of strength, he dared to sneak into the Hyuga Clan compound to kidnap the direct daughter of the Main Family. Was he some reckless bounty ninja tempted by money?
But the next moment, a cool sting spread across his forehead. Warm liquid slid down from his brow ridge.
Hiashi Hyuga raised his hand and touched his forehead, feeling a thin line across it. There was a sweet, unfamiliar scent, and his fingers came away warm and sticky.
"This is… blood?"
He stared at the corpse on the ground. With his lack of real combat experience in Konoha, he only now noticed the Kunai still clutched in the body's hand.
How was this possible?
When had he been injured?
This foolish intruder had not even endured two of his strikes.
An undefined unease rose in his chest, and Hiashi Hyuga's brows drew together. He tore off a strip of cloth to roughly bind the wound on his forehead, then bent down and pulled away the corpse's mask.
The dead man's eyes were wide open, yet his face was strangely calm. That calm made the body feel unsettling, as if the eyes were watching Hiashi Hyuga.
"…"
When he noticed the Hidden Cloud Forehead Protector on the corpse's forehead, Hiashi Hyuga froze for a brief moment. Then realization struck, and cold sweat broke out across his back.
It felt as if icy water had been poured over him, the chill running from his scalp down to his feet. The cold crawled up his spine and into his head.
Damn it. How could it be the Kumogakure Ninja?!
Drip… drip…
Autumn weather was always changeable. Yesterday, Konoha had been under clear skies, but today it was covered in dark clouds as cold rain fell steadily.
Yesterday, Konoha had been filled with celebration, because peace had finally arrived. In a sense, it was even the submission of Kumogakure, something almost unheard of.
Today, however, Konoha matched the sudden change in weather. The bright sunlight could not break through the thick clouds, and the village sat under a heavy gloom.
Under the surface, the entire Konoha was restless. Rumors spread among the villagers, and people grew uneasy, even fearful.
In just one day, news spread that the delegation sent by Kumogakure had died in Konoha. Two Kumogakure Ninja were blown up in their guest rooms, and the only survivor fled after shouting that Konoha had betrayed the alliance, only to die at the hands of the Hyuga Clan clan head.
Anyone could see what this meant. Whoever heard these rumors would think of the same four words.
"Silencing witnesses."
Inside the Hyuga Clan reception hall, a trembling old voice softly spoke those words. The dim room was lit by only two Root candles, their flames casting shadows over Hiashi Hyuga's lowered face, with blood still seeping through the white bandage on his forehead.
His shadow was not the only one on the walls. Eight silhouettes swayed in a row, as seven decision makers of the Main Family, including Hiashi Hyuga, knelt facing one another.
As for the last person.
"Huff."
Seated at the central position, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff of his pipe. The smoke drifted down, and the candlelight cast a faint, blurred shadow on the floor.
"We have already received a formal inquiry from Land of Lightning," he said calmly. "They believe that Konoha and Root never had any intention of forming an alliance, that you tore up the agreement unilaterally and even attacked the envoys from Kumogakure. They call it despicable and unforgivable."
"They have issued a final ultimatum, demanding that Konoha give an explanation. Otherwise, they will formally declare war on the Land of Fire."
Hearing this, Hiashi Hyuga's eyes darkened slightly as he asked, "Third Hokage, what kind of explanation do they want?"
"They want the corpse of the murderer, 'Hiashi Hyuga.'"
Hiruzen Sarutobi repeated the words exactly, then added, "Kumogakure has already begun gathering ninja at the border of the Land of Hot Water. It seems they are ready to launch an attack on the Land of Fire at any time."
When Land of Lightning named "Hiashi Hyuga" as the culprit, the aged faces of the six Hyuga Clan elders looked especially dark under the flickering candlelight. The shadows made their expressions appear heavy and grim.
This was no longer just a matter between Kumogakure and Konohagakure. It had become a diplomatic crisis between Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire, yet from start to finish the whole affair felt deeply strange.
Where had those Explosive Tag in the guest rooms come from? Why had the surviving Kumogakure Ninja run to the Hyuga Clan compound and even tried to kidnap the Main Family's direct daughter, Hinata Hyuga?
As a Jonin, how could he have shown no resistance at all and died so easily at the hands of Hiashi Hyuga? And why was Land of Lightning so precise in naming Hiashi Hyuga and demanding his body?
"This is a plot by Kumogakure. Their target is the Byakugan."
The elder of the Main Family, second only to Hiashi Hyuga in status, spoke up. His voice was hoarse and low, but his aged face remained calm.
"I also believe it is a plot, but that no longer matters," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, nodding before slowly shaking his head. "If no one wants to know the truth, then even if the truth is scattered across the streets, it will never take root."