The Hyuga clan—one of the two great dōjutsu lineages in Konoha alongside the Uchiha—had long maintained ancient records of the Sharingan, dating back to the tumultuous Warring States Period.
Especially after the rise of Uchiha Madara, whose Mangekyō Sharingan and terrifying chakra made his name synonymous with destruction, the entire shinobi world became well-acquainted with the Uchiha's might. His presence had etched fear deep into the collective memory of the five great nations.
If not for the unparalleled strength of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, whose Wood-style stood as the only natural counter to Madara's overwhelming power, perhaps no one in the world could have restrained him.
And now—years later, in a far more "civilized" era—beneath the serene mask of Konoha's unity, three Mangekyō Sharingan—two full pairs, and one eye hidden under a forehead protector—were spinning slowly in the visual field of Hyuga Hiashi's all-seeing Byakugan. Though the eyes weren't aimed directly at him, the sheer pressure of that chakra stirred unease even within the composed clan head.
Hiashi closed his eyes briefly, then opened them, his voice calm yet firm. "Wherever leaves flutter, fire will burn. The shadow of the fire will illuminate the village… and make new leaves sprout." He glanced toward the Fourth Hokage and added solemnly, "The Hyuga clan has never forgotten the will of the First Hokage. The founding of Konoha ended an era where war claimed even the lives of children barely able to wield kunai. Our clans sought unity to escape the madness of constant bloodshed."
Hiashi's voice deepened with conviction. "And that unity must not become a cage. No matter how flawed a shinobi is, their merits do not disappear. But no amount of merit can ever justify treating Konoha's own clans as disposable test subjects. The bloodline families of this village—we will not be sheep, waiting quietly to be slaughtered."
He turned his sharp gaze toward Shisui and Uchiha Yun. "On this point, the Hyuga and the Uchiha stand together."
Then, without sparing so much as a glance at the clearly displeased Third Hokage, Hiashi stepped behind Namikaze Minato, lowered his head in silence, and stood with unwavering resolve.
His actions were louder than his words.
Even if the Uchiha now had two Mangekyō wielders standing alongside a Sharingan user like Hatake Kakashi, none of them could operate outside the political reality of the village. They could not afford to follow the same path as Madara—to stand alone as enemies of the entire shinobi world.
Uchiha Yun exhaled quietly, watching the scene unfold. Danzo was gone, but the political games were far from over. This was merely a shift in the long war behind the curtain.
'What will you do, Minato...?'
A long silence followed Hiashi's declaration. The Fourth Hokage stood at the center of it all—every pair of eyes, masked and unmasked alike, waiting for his decision.
"Haa…" Minato exhaled and looked toward his teacher's teacher—the man who had once helped him ascend to the Hokage's seat. Though Hiruzen had stepped back in recent years, his mere presence was still the embodiment of Konoha's old guard.
But today marked a new threshold.
"From this moment," Minato declared, his tone resolute, "Captain Tenzo will lead my direct Anbu unit and the jōnin search squad to fully explore the ruins of Root. The Yamanaka intelligence team will stand by, ready to analyze all data retrieved—without exception."
His words turned sharper. "If Shimura Danzo really did this—if he used Konoha's own villagers and shinobi for experiments—then he does not deserve a place in the Memorial Stone Tablet."
As soon as those words dropped, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression shifted. He opened his mouth, as if to object—but Minato cut him off coldly.
"However, Shimura Danzo was a high-ranking official of Konoha. And I, as Hokage, bear the responsibility for allowing this darkness to fester under our noses. This is Konoha's disgrace—and it must not be made public. Everything regarding Root will be sealed in the archives. No one is permitted to disclose it."
Minato's eyes met Hiruzen's directly. There was no animosity—but there was finality.
This is as far as I will compromise.
Politics, in the end, is the art of boundary-drawing.
"…I see." Hiruzen murmured. His shoulders, once straight like a proud monument, now looked aged and slumped. "Wherever leaves flutter, fire will burn…"
His voice was soft, but steady.
"I'm old, Minato. I never wanted to rule forever. I was only ever trying to keep the flame alive—because I feared that, if we let go too soon, the village would crumble." He smiled faintly, though his eyes were tinged with a lifetime's worth of regret. "Perhaps Jiraiya and Tsunade were right. We failed to trust the next generation."
He looked around at the young shinobi gathered before him. "But I tell you this: whether it was me or Danzo, everything we did… was for Konoha."
Behind him, Hiashi narrowed his Byakugan silently. 'So that's your excuse again…'
Trust?
Senju Tobirama created the Ninja Academy, the Scroll of Seals, and the Uchiha Police Force. Yet how much trust had the upper echelon ever given the Uchiha?
How much trust had they shown to any of the village's noble clans?
The only reason Hyuga had survived was likely because the Byakugan wasn't as politically dangerous as the Sharingan—and because their internal strife between Main and Branch families gave the village some measure of control.
Still, the world was changing.
"…Uzumaki Sora." Hiruzen's voice hardened, his hand forming a half-seal. "No matter Danzo's crimes, you killed a Konoha elder inside the village. You destroyed an entire division. There must be consequences."
With a blur of movement, the staff Enma transformed back into its iron rod form and extended, pointing directly at Sora in the air.
"You will now answer for your actions."
Standing calmly above them, Uzumaki Sora spread his arms with a bemused expression. "Didn't I already explain this? Even with mastery of all five chakra natures, do you really think you can catch me, old man?"
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. "He is too dangerous, Minato. This much is clear. From now on… everything in Konoha is in your hands!"
Minato's eyes widened in disbelief.
Was he planning to—
'Reaper Death Seal?!'
"Third—!"
But Hiruzen only shook his head with a tired smile. "We all grow old, Minato. Perhaps I've been wrong all along. But I know you… You'll carry Konoha forward."
He raised his hands in a rapid sequence of hand seals.
"Fire Style ∙ Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
A great torrent of fire burst forth, roaring toward Sora.
The young man blinked in confusion. 'That's it? No Reaper Death Seal? No Five Style Massive Combo Jutsu?'
Sora clapped his hands lightly and formed a simple Tiger seal.
*Boom!!*
From beneath him, a tide of massive trees erupted, rising like a forest from the earth. The flames were swallowed in an instant, reduced to nothing as the Wood-style surged outward with unnatural vitality.
As the dust settled, Sora stood above, the enormous roots twisting and curling beneath him.
He looked down at the Third Hokage.
Their eyes met.
Neither said a word.
But their silence said everything.
'That's it?'
'Why are you still here?'
For the first time in decades, Hiruzen felt… awkward.
Utterly, deeply awkward.
*****
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