Swish…
The night air was heavy with silence as the Hyuga clan members appeared one after another behind their clan head. The moment they saw the corpse lying on the ground, every step halted.
The dead man's face was unmistakable — the envoy of Kumogakure.
A cold wind drifted through the courtyard, sweeping dead leaves across the blood-stained stones.
One of the Hyuga broke the silence, his voice trembling. "Clan Head, we must handle the body immediately, before anyone outside the estate notices."
Hiashi did not answer right away. His gaze, sharp as the moonlight, lingered on the far end of the street. Two distant silhouettes — Kumo ninja stationed there since yesterday — watched everything in silence. Their mere presence was enough to make his chest tighten.
If he ordered his men to act, to remove the corpse now, those spies would undoubtedly spread word that the Hyuga clan had killed the envoy to conceal evidence. The accusation would stick like blood on stone.
But if he left the body untouched, the scene itself was proof enough: a Kumo ninja fell by Gentle Fist, and an unharmed Hyuga ninja found in the same courtyard. It was the perfect trap — one that left no path open.
Hiashi could already feel the noose tightening around his clan.
He exhaled slowly, controlling the tremor in his voice. "Bring the body inside the estate. Notify the elders for an immediate council. I will go to Hokage-sama myself and explain everything."
As he turned toward the gates, the weight of every pair of eyes pressed against his back. This incident would decide the fate of the entire Hyuga clan.
…
Outside the compound, two shadows waited atop the rooftops — Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Yun.
They had witnessed everything.
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed as he watched Hiashi disappear into the dark streets. Now that he saw the envoy's body up close, realization settled like a stone in his gut.
The envoy's chakra network had already been on the verge of collapse before Hiashi struck. He was a man walking willingly toward death.
'A suicide operative… They planned this from the start.'
If Kakashi had intervened earlier, it would have changed nothing. The final injuries still would have traced back to the Gentle Fist. Every path led to the same outcome — Konoha's peace, poisoned by manipulation.
He let out a quiet breath. "Yun, good thing you were cautious enough to stop me."
Yun stood beside him, arms folded, his eyes cold and analytical. "That man's chakra paths were ruptured two days ago. The damage was deliberate. They've been feeding off stimulants to keep him alive long enough to complete the act."
Kakashi frowned. "So, this entire mission was built around sacrificing him?"
"Of course." Yun replied flatly. "A dead envoy is worth far more than a living one. Kumogakure will demand restitution — the head of Hyuga Hiashi — and they'll call it the price of peace."
The thought made Kakashi's stomach twist. "If Konoha agrees, it will mean we fear them. Every clan will see that."
"And then," Yun continued quietly, "each clan will begin to wonder whose life the village would sell next to avoid a war. A single suicide can shake the entire system. It's brilliant — cruel, but brilliant."
Kakashi's fists clenched. "My sensei won't bend to that."
Yun looked toward the Hokage Building, its windows burning with light against the night. "If Hokage-sama chooses secrecy, if he buries the truth quietly, then the peace will hold. But it will be a peace built on silence — the kind that rots from within."
Neither man spoke after that. The faint sound of the Hyuga guards sealing the courtyard echoed like a funeral bell.
…
Hokage Building, Advisor's Office.
The tension inside the chamber was suffocating. Utatane Koharu stood by the window, the pale light of her pipe flaring briefly before she exhaled. "This is the latest intelligence from the Hyuga compound." she said, handing a thick report to Mitokado Homura. "I've already sent word for Hiruzen to join us."
Homura adjusted his glasses, scanning the document line by line. His face darkened as he reached the conclusion. "A Kumogakure envoy dead within Konoha's borders… this will be their weapon. If Hiashi's testimony is accurate, then the envoy's true mission was the abduction of the Hyuga heiress — an attempt to obtain the Byakugan."
Koharu nodded. "And if Kumogakure denies it, they'll threaten war and demand that we hand over Hiashi himself. Whether it's truth or fabrication, the Fourth Hokage will be forced to respond."
The door slid open.
Sarutobi Hiruzen entered in simple robes, the smell of tobacco clinging to him. "I've said it before." he grumbled. "If you have urgent matters, speak with Minato. He's the Hokage now, not me. Even command of my Anbu has been passed to him."
His irritation faded when he noticed the report on the table. He picked it up, scanning quickly, the lines around his eyes deepening with every word.
Finally, he set the paper down and murmured, "This is an unavoidable conspiracy."
Homura frowned. "Unavoidable? If Hiashi had kept his composure, we wouldn't be in this mess."
"No." Hiruzen said firmly, shaking his head. "Whether he struck or not, that envoy would still have died by his hand. The body was prepared for it, and the surviving witnesses will swear to it."
Koharu crossed her arms. "We can't silence the two remaining Kumo ninja, and Kumogakure's leadership will never let this matter fade. Which means…"
"Hiruzen!!" Homura slammed his palm against the table. "If this turns into war, the Land of Fire and Konoha will suffer catastrophic losses!"
The old Hokage's gaze drifted toward the window, his voice quiet. "Those of us who lived through the three Great Ninja Wars understand its horror better than anyone. But the Hokage now is Minato, not me."
Bang!!
Homura struck the desk again. "That boy is still too young! Too idealistic! Does he even know what a battlefield looks like anymore?"
Koharu's tone was sharp. "With one Sannin pursuing, one crippled, and one wandering, only Jiraiya remains active. And as for the Uchiha that Minato relies upon — forgive me, but that clan has never been trustworthy."
Hiruzen closed his eyes, the pipe trembling slightly in his fingers.
Homura leaned forward. "If Konoha loses, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure will gladly join Kumogakure to carve up what's left of the Land of Fire. You know they would."
Silence swallowed the room.
Images filled Hiruzen's mind — streets burning, children drafted straight from the academy, bodies returning wrapped in the village flag. He could still hear the mothers screaming at the Memorial Stone.
He finally spoke. "Mobilize what remains of my Anbu. I want every Hyuga monitored discreetly. Not one word of this leaves the village. Understood?"
Homura nodded immediately and left to give the order.
When the door shut, the smoke in the room thickened. Hiruzen stared out toward the Hokage's office, its windows glowing faintly in the distance. "The lights are still on." he murmured. "Hiashi must already be there."
Koharu gave a bitter smile. "He sided with Minato when Danzo fell. Now his only hope lies with the Fourth Hokage's mercy."
Her voice hardened. "No matter what, Konoha cannot afford another war. The Uchiha may serve the Hokage, but they remain a danger. Don't forget — the Nine-Tails inside Minato's wife can be controlled by those eyes. If ever they—"
She stopped, realizing how loud her voice had become.
Hiruzen's gaze turned toward the open window, where the faint hum of the village reached them — laughter, chatter, the illusion of peace.
But in his heart, he knew the truth. This peace had just cracked.
*****
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✓ Killed For 100 Years in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Invited Me To Soul Society!
✓ Naruto: Senmei Asahi
✓ Naruto: Uchiha's Intelligence Dealer
✓ Naruto: The Fifth Hokage Is Naruto's Uncle
✓ Naruto: Who Made Him a Ninja?
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✓ To Love-Ru: Spoiler Route [R-18]
✓ Naruto: The Accidental Incubus [R-18]