Tenzo Hyuga was in a foul mood.
He had run straight into the worst possible outcome.
If Hizashi Hyuga's skill at slapping labels on people ranked at one…
Then the middle-aged man in bandages before him started at ten.
In Konoha, there had always been one nightmare the great clans shared.
You could be walking through a quiet grove, minding your own business, when Danzo Shimura suddenly appeared behind you and calmly remarked that the village required talent.
"The Hyuga Clan has maintained private communication with the Hidden Mist Village for thirty years…"
Danzo spoke without expression.
"What exactly have you discussed with the Kaguya Clan all these years? Why do they believe the Hyuga can influence the Hokage's decisions?"
"Was this approved by the village? What is the Hyuga's motive?"
"You bring this letter here. What are you implying? What is the Hyuga attempting to overturn?"
"What are you trying to undermine? Who stands behind you? Who ordered this?"
Each question fell cold and sharp.
Tenzo's complexion slowly turned ashen.
So the so-called Darkness of the Shinobi World, the Root of Konoha, truly lived up to its name.
Still, he was not someone who could be bullied into submission. The Hyuga Clan head would not accept accusations thrown so crudely.
Danzo lifted his hand and his voice rose.
"The Hyuga's motive is collusion with foreign powers and hedging bets on both sides."
"On the surface, you report voluntarily. In reality, this is a vicious insinuation. You attempt to liken the Hokage to the Mizukage, to compare the establishment of the Patrol Unit to the Blood Mist Village policy."
"This undermines the Will of Fire. It digs at the roots of Konoha."
Danzo turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"In my view, the Third Mizukage stands behind the Hyuga. This is a staged ploy."
"You borrow the Hokage's authority and the village's prestige to accumulate capital without restraint. You signal to the outside world that the Hyuga, not the Hokage, directs Konoha's decisions. That you are a shadow Hokage."
Even Hizashi was stunned.
Strangely enough, it almost sounded coherent.
The spark of anger Tenzo had managed to muster was crushed beneath layer upon layer of accusations, each logically connected.
His hands and feet felt cold.
For a fleeting moment, he even admired Danzo.
Though the Hyuga Clan could not compare in scale to Konoha, Tenzo too had ruled with near-absolute authority within his domain.
He had used similar tactics to suppress the Hyuga Branch House.
Yet compared to Danzo's sweeping logic and relentless escalation, his own methods felt small.
"You have nothing to say? Thinking of a countermeasure after being exposed?"
Danzo's voice dropped further, icy.
"You call yourselves a noble clan. What have your ancestors produced?"
"Have you birthed a Madara Uchiha, who could contend with the First Hokage? Or an Izuna Uchiha, who could stand against Tobirama Senju?"
"Even the Uchiha would not dare attempt this. What gives the Hyuga such nerve?"
Danzo slammed his palm on the desk. Veins bulged at his temple, his intensity so sharp it was as if he had activated the Byakugan himself.
Those words struck deep.
The Byakugan and the Sharingan were often mentioned together as Konoha's twin great dojutsu clans.
But anyone with eyes knew the truth.
Compared to the Uchiha, the Hyuga's fame rode the coattails of history.
Danzo's implication was clear.
The village had already shown the Hyuga considerable tolerance. And still they dared push further?
"Advisor-sama, the Hyuga Clan has no such intention."
Tenzo drew in a steady breath. In this moment, the fact that a branch house member had joined the Anbu became his lifeline.
"Hizashi is doing well in the Anbu, isn't he?"
"Hizashi is doing well. A fine young man," Danzo replied without loosening his grip. "But what does he have to do with the Hyuga?"
Tenzo nearly choked.
That was his son. The Byakugan in his eyes proved it.
How could that possibly be unrelated?
For perhaps the first time in years, the refined clan head felt the urge to curse.
Danzo could even slice apart blood ties?
"The village has just recruited Hizashi into the Anbu, and you rush here. You want to use this letter to claim credit and block further movement from the Hyuga Branch House."
"And you attempt to sow discord between Hizashi and the village."
Danzo watched Tenzo's reaction and felt a rare satisfaction.
The Hyuga Clan head had chosen a poor day to walk into his line of fire.
Recently, Danzo had learned much from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He had even found it beneficial.
But shelving his old habit of pressing accusations had left him restless.
Now the hats came one after another.
Danzo opened his mouth to continue.
Tenzo's heart tightened. It felt as though a massive python had coiled around his throat.
The Hokage's office felt more dangerous than the Blood Mist Village.
Would he leave this place intact today?
At that moment, Hiruzen exhaled a stream of smoke and gave a light cough.
Enough.
Danzo had already formed the next word, yet he shut his mouth instantly.
The decisiveness even surprised Hiruzen.
Why so obedient today?
"Sit. Let's all sit and speak."
With a single sentence, Hiruzen reset the atmosphere. The suffocating tension eased.
"Danzo, you've gone a bit too far."
"The Hyuga have shed blood for the village. Even if there are minor errors, they remain a pillar of Konoha. That must be remembered. We cannot brand allies as enemies at the slightest provocation."
Relief washed over Tenzo like a boulder lifting from his chest.
The hat was still there.
But it had shrunk.
The Hokage was reasonable.
Old-fashioned, perhaps, with the familiar routine of one harsh and one gentle.
"Tenzo, are you thinking that Danzo and I are playing good cop and bad cop?"
Tenzo forced an awkward smile and shook his head.
Could the Hokage read minds?
Hiruzen reached into a drawer and withdrew a document, placing it before him.
At the top, bold and clear, was the list of Konoha Commissioner appointments.
Tenzo's heart jolted.
This list had clearly not been drafted today.
He saw his own name.
And it appeared before Hizashi's.
The matter of the Konoha Commissioner was no secret within the village.
Among the Jonin, discussion had been constant. Even many Genin speculated eagerly about who would be selected.
Tenzo had assumed Hizashi would make the list.
If he were Hokage, he would have done the same.
Appoint Hizashi as a Konoha Commissioner and exclude the clan head.
Instantly, two centers of authority would emerge within the Hyuga Clan.
No matter how heavy the main house's pressure, could it outweigh Konoha?
The branch house would surge toward Hizashi like a rising tide.
It would have been a ruthless move.
Not only cutting flesh, but piercing the heart.
Tenzo had spent sleepless nights worrying about that possibility.
Yet he had never imagined that Hiruzen Sarutobi would place his own name among the Konoha Commissioners as well.
"Tenzo, Konoha upholds the Will of Fire."
"The relationship between village and clan is not one of life and death. It is cooperation and shared prosperity."
Hiruzen's voice was steady.
"This is what fundamentally distinguishes Konoha from other hidden villages. I see every ninja as a friend, a brother, a family member. Not as a tool or expendable resource."
In that moment, a thought surfaced in Tenzo's heart.
The Will of Fire was not merely a slogan.
It truly existed.