"This matter isn't Shikaku's fault."
"Let the Uchiha think of another way to resolve it."
"And for this afternoon's negotiations with Kumogakure… Shikaku, we'll need you there as well…"
After the advisor's stick came the Hokage's sweetener.
The Ino–Shika–Chō had always been close to the Hokage's faction. A warning was fine, but pushing them too hard would be disastrous—if they were driven into the Uchiha camp, it would be a massive problem.
Nara Shikaku didn't respond.
He might have a good relationship with the Hokage's faction, but he also had his own concerns.
Yusuke hadn't been exaggerating—if the Hyuga could be sacrificed this time, who could guarantee it wouldn't be his clan next?
Regarding the Kumogakure incident, Shikaku actually leaned toward fighting.
Unfortunately, Konoha's leadership wanted peace, so he could only plan according to the Third Hokage's wishes.
…
Konoha's streets.
Hyuga Hiashi quickened his pace, catching up to Uchiha Yusuke. The two walked side by side.
"Yusuke…"
Hiashi hesitated before speaking.
"I'm a bit older than you. Do you mind if I call you that?"
Though they often crossed paths, this was the first time the two had spoken face-to-face.
After all, the relationship between the Hyuga and the Uchiha had never been particularly friendly.
As two of Konoha's foremost clans—both possessing dōjutsu bloodline limits—there was no shortage of rivalry between them.
The Hyuga had always had a good relationship with Konoha's leadership, while the Uchiha were the exact opposite.
With the leadership fanning the flames, the two clans checked and restrained each other.
To avoid suspicion, Hiashi naturally couldn't afford to mingle with the Uchiha.
But today's events had shifted his mindset.
For the first time, he felt a desire to actually speak with the Uchiha.
"Of course. Hiashi-dono, there's no need to be so formal."
Facing Hiashi's gesture of goodwill, Yusuke smiled. He looked genuinely approachable.
The Hyuga had always been a target Yusuke wanted to draw closer.
If he meant to challenge Konoha's leadership, the Hyuga were undoubtedly an ideal ally.
"Haha, then I won't stand on ceremony."
Hiashi laughed, his mood easing at once.
"About what happened today… thank you."
"The Hyuga owe you a favor."
His gratitude was sincere.
After all, Yusuke had saved Hyuga Hizashi's life.
Yusuke waved it off lightly.
"No need for thanks. I did it for myself as well."
"What happened today was with the Hyuga—tomorrow it could just as easily happen to the Uchiha."
"Asking my Uchiha to abandon our own people is absolutely impossible."
If he claimed it was purely to help the Hyuga, no one would believe it.
Speaking plainly like this, instead, earned Hiashi's approval.
"...Sigh."
Hiashi let out a long breath, then continued.
"No matter what, you are a benefactor to my clan."
"If it weren't for you, Hizashi would likely have been doomed."
His expression turned solemn as he repeated his thanks.
Yusuke seized the moment and began to bridge the distance between them.
"Let's not dwell on unpleasant things."
"The Hyuga and the Uchiha are both great clans of Konoha. You and I are both clan heads."
"When we have time, we should speak more—build some rapport."
"I believe the Hyuga and the Uchiha should coexist peacefully."
"You understand Konoha's leadership's policies."
"The Senju clan has already vanished completely. The Uchiha are also hanging by a thread. From here on…"
Yusuke didn't hide anything. He laid the Uchiha's current situation bare.
He wanted to draw the Hyuga in—not beg them.
A relationship of equals, standing together against the pressure from Konoha's leadership—that was the proper path.
Konoha's leadership targeting the Uchiha was something everyone could see.
If the Uchiha disappeared like the Senju, would the Hyuga be next?
Yusuke didn't say it outright, but Hiashi understood the meaning beneath the words.
The disappearance of the Senju was… suspicious.
And the situation of both the Hyuga and the Uchiha was far from secure.
If the Uchiha fell like the Senju, the Hyuga would inevitably become the next target.
The Hyuga and the Uchiha were bound together—if the lips were gone, the teeth would be cold. Hiashi understood that principle well.
Hiashi glanced toward the Hokage Tower.
In the past, it had been the Uchiha and Senju clashing head-on. After the Senju faded away, Konoha became a battleground of rivalry between the Hyuga and the Uchiha.
Who had been stoking that rivalry… Hiashi knew perfectly well.
He understood the value of balance, yes—but he could never truly like the feeling of being used as a weapon.
Could the Hyuga and the Uchiha really not get along?
In the end, it was nothing more than the selfish agenda of Konoha's current leadership.
Back in the era of the First and Second Hokage, you didn't see Konoha's great clans at each other's throats every day.
Konoha's leadership now didn't have much real ability, yet their desire for control was immense.
If the Hyuga and the Uchiha stood closely together, certain people would surely lose sleep.
In the past, the Hyuga didn't want to offend the higher-ups, so they could only lean toward them.
But now… the Third Hokage had left Hiashi deeply chilled.
What Konoha's leadership did today was practically a signal—a warning that the Hyuga could be suppressed as well.
From here on, they would only become more overbearing.
At such a moment, Yusuke extending goodwill struck exactly where Hiashi's thoughts were headed.
If Konoha's leadership couldn't be relied upon, could the Hyuga and Uchiha become allies instead?
With that, Hiashi's guard finally lowered.
"Yusuke is absolutely right."
"In the future, when trouble comes, the Hyuga and the Uchiha should support each other."
Hiashi had never liked competing with the Uchiha just because the leadership wanted it.
Now that Yusuke was openly proposing peaceful coexistence, there was no reason to refuse.
Hearing that, Yusuke smiled faintly.
"Heh. Good—you understand, Hiashi."
"The Uchiha never wanted conflict in the first place. A lot of things were forced upon us."
"We're not banding together to seize power."
"We're doing it so we won't be bullied…"
Hiashi nodded deeply.
"Your reasoning is sound. Then it's settled."
Yusuke and Hiashi were both smart men. They exchanged a glance and smiled—an understanding had already been reached.
Kumogakure had always been aggressive. The coming war would likely be unavoidable.
On the battlefield, the Uchiha and Hyuga would both be core forces. At a time like this, for the two clans to set aside old grudges was a tremendous blessing for them both.
After their brief conversation, Hiashi felt genuine admiration for Uchiha Yusuke.
So young, yet already famous across the shinobi world as the 'Flame Demon'—and now the Uchiha clan head.
Even under pressure and exclusion from Konoha's leadership, he remained neither servile nor arrogant, advancing and retreating with precision.
Hiashi let out a long sigh.
"The Uchiha… truly produced an extraordinary clan head."
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