"Furthermore, as of this exact moment, Hyuga Kozuki, Former Clan Head of the Hyuga Clan, Elder of the Hyuga Main House, Former Representative of the Noble Allied Clans, and Senior Counselor of the Hyuga Clan, is officially restricted from entering any future clan council meetings. This order will be recorded in the village archives and will remain in place for as long as I am the Hokage."
The entire room gasped.
"What?!" multiple voices blurted out at once.
The council ministers looked at each other in absolute shock. By listing every single one of Kozuki's historical titles so formally, Minato wasn't just scolding an old man—he was systematically tearing down his entire political legacy right in front of his peers. It was an official law now, written in black and white
"WHAT?!" multiple voices blurted out at once.
The council ministers looked at each other in absolute shock.
Banning a former clan head and a senior elder from the supreme council was an incredibly severe punishment. Minato had just used his absolute authority to completely crush the gossip before it could even start!
Across the table, Uchiha Fugaku couldn't hide his satisfaction. A dark, victorious smirk crept onto his face. He leaned back in his chair, thoroughly enjoying the sight of the proud Hyuga elder getting publicly stripped of his political power right in front of everyone.
'Serves you right, you arrogant old fool...'
Fugaku thought to himself, his dark eyes gleaming with pure amusement. 'You actually thought you could walk into this room, spread your garbage rumors, and humiliate the Hokage?'
'Look at you now. You didn't just fail to damage Minato; you just destroyed your own political career in less than five minutes. The great Hyuga Clan, supposedly the most noble in Konoha, just got completely humiliated in front of every major leader. This is absolutely beautiful.'
Fugaku shifted slightly, his gaze moving from the trembling Kozuki over to Hiashi's furious face.
'Go ahead and glare all you want, Hiashi. Your father just handed the Uchiha a massive political victory on a silver platter. I didn't even have to lift a single finger to crush your pride today.'
Hiashi, however, completely lost his usual calm composure. His face flushed with deep anger, and he half-rose from his seat.
"Hokage-sama, that is nonsense!" Hiashi argued, his voice tight with frustration as his clan's pride was dragged through the mud.
"You cannot simply bar a senior elder of the noble Hyuga from village politics over a misunderstanding!"
Minato didn't flinch. He looked down at Hiashi, his expression remaining completely frozen, his eyes burning with a sharp, dangerous anger that made the air in the room feel heavy.
His voice remained entirely firm and unyielding, cutting off Hiashi's protest instantly.
"You are more than capable enough to handle the internal and external matters of the Hyuga clan by yourself, Hiashi-san!" Minato said smoothly. "That is the exact reason why you became the clan head in the first place, I believe."
Hiashi's mouth snapped shut. Minato's words were a clever trap—it was a compliment to Hiashi's capability, but it completely shut down any argument for keeping his father in the room.
Hiashi slowly sat back down, his jaw tight, unable to say another word without insulting his own authority as leader.
Minato then adjusted his robes and looked out over the crowded room, his voice full of absolute command.
"The rest of the Clan Heads are required to go back to their official family and village duties..." Minato ordered clearly, releasing the other ninja families from the wasted meeting.
"However, Fugaku-san, Hiashi-san, and Inoichi-san are required to remain inside this room."
Then, Minato turned his sharp, icy gaze directly toward the Konoha Council Ministers sitting at the side.
"As for the Council Ministers—Sarutobi-sama, Danzo-sama, Koharu-sama, and Homura-sama—you are requested to step outside and wait for me in the hallway. Do not leave the building. I will deal with you shortly."
Hearing those words, Homura's face twisted in pure outrage. He slammed his hand down on the table, leaning forward aggressively. "You will deal with us?!!" Homura snapped, his voice shaking with anger.
"You have things completely backward, Hokage! We are the chief councelors of this village! You are the one who needs to give us answers about what happened last night, not the other way around!"
Right next to him, Danzo's single eye flared with pure rage. He gripped his cane so hard his knuckles turned white, his voice dripping with venom as he backed Homura up.
"Homura is right. Do not forget your place, Minato! We are the ones who will be dealing with this matter, and you will answer to this council for hiding critical village secrets."
Even the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen, looked completely shocked to be sent away with the others, his face turning pale as he slowly realized Minato wasn't giving him any special treatment today.
Minato didn't blink. He didn't argue back, and he didn't lower his gaze. He just stared at Danzo and Homura with eyes so cold it practically froze the air between them.
The sheer, quiet power radiating off the young Hokage made it obvious that if they didn't walk out that door right now, there would be severe consequences.
Realizing they had zero power in this room, Homura gnashed his teeth, and Danzo let out a harsh, angry scoff.
The other clan heads were slowly gathering their paperwork to return to their duties, and the council ministers were already heading toward the exit.
Kozuki was walking toward the door entirely by himself, his back stiff with pride. But right before he reached the door, the old man stopped dead in his tracks.
His face twisted with pure, bitter hatred. He slowly turned around all on his own, choosing to completely confront the Hokage right in front of everyone. He glared at the desk, his eyes full of malice.
"You only banished me because you were
unable to handle my questions!" Kozuki screamed, his voice cracking with rage as he pointed a trembling, wrinkled finger directly at Minato.
"You didn't have a single real answer to give this council! That is why you gave me such a severe punishment! You are just using your power to hide your own grave mistak—"
BANG!
Minato finally, completely snapped.
"SILENCE!!!" Minato roared.
The scream was so sudden, so incredibly loud, and packed with such raw, terrifying fury that the entire room literally jumped. A few glass cups on the side table rattled violently.
For the first time ever, Minato wasn't the kind, smiling young man everyone knew. His face was flushed with real rage, his teeth bared, and his blue eyes looked like a raging storm.
The sheer sound of his voice felt like a physical blow.
Kozuki's mouth snapped shut in shock, his breath catching in his throat as he froze under the Hokage's wrath.
Instantly, Shikaku stepped forward, his eyes wide with genuine worry for his friend. He placed a firm, grounding hand on Minato's shoulder, trying to pull him back from the edge.
"Hokage-sama! Maintain your composure..." Shikaku urged quickly, his voice tight. "Don't let a desperate old man ruin your peace."
Hiruzen, too, stepped in front of the desk, raising his hands to stop Minato from doing something he might regret. "Minato, stop!" the old Sandaime said urgently, sweating profusely. "Let them handle it. Do not lose control in this room."
Fugaku's cold, sharp voice cut through the air, completely backing the Hokage.
"Watch your tongue, Kozuki!" Fugaku barked, stepping up right alongside Minato's desk, his arms crossed as he glared down at the trembling Hyuga elder.
"You are standing in the presence of
Yondaime Hokage. To insult his authority and accuse him of hiding mistakes is an act of pure treason. You are lucky he only banned you from the council, because in any other village, an execution squad would already be waiting for you outside."
While his voice sounded completely righteous and loyal to Minato, Fugaku's mind was swimming in dark, cruel satisfaction.
'Keep screaming, you pathetic old fool!' Fugaku thought, a vicious, hidden smirk forming in his mind. 'This is absolutely perfect. By defending Minato right now, the Uchiha look like the ultimate protectors of the Hokage's throne, while the Hyuga look like rebellious, disrespectful traitors.'
'Everything is falling perfectly into place. I will use your stupidity to completely slide the Uchiha into the highest ranks of village power, and there is nothing you or Hiashi can do to stop it.'
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, panic broke out. Kozuki, recovering from the initial shock, completely lost his mind.
He began to wildly thrash his arms, screaming at the top of his lungs, looking like he was about to physically charge back toward Fugaku and Minato to start a fight.
"Let go of me! He is a fraud! They are all frauds!" Kozuki shrieked, though nobody was even holding him yet.
Seeing the old man completely out of control, the other clan heads realized they had to step in immediately to prevent disaster.
"Kozuki-sama, stop this instantly!" Akimichi Choza shouted, quickly rushing over and wrapping his massive, strong arms around the old elder's shoulders, locking him in place from behind.
Inuzuka Tsume grabbed Kozuki's right arm, pulling with all her might as the old man tried to kick and break free. "Are you completely insane, old man?!" Tsume yelled.
"You are trying to fight the Hokage! Move your feet out the door right now before you get us all executed!"
"Elder Kozuki, just come with us quietly!" Fuma clan leader pleaded, grabbing his other side and helping them drag him backward.
They were practically lifting the screaming old man off the floor, forcing him out into the hallway to stop the madness.
Kozuki was completely red in the face, veins bulging on his forehead as he was physically dragged through the doorway by the worried clan heads.
But right before the doors could be pulled shut, he used every ounce of breath left in his lungs to scream one final, chilling threat into the room.
"You will pay severely for this, Namikaze Minato!!!"
With one final, heavy shove from Choza and Tsume, Kozuki was forced out into the corridor.
The massive, thick double doors were slammed shut by the outside guards, and the heavy lock clicked into place with a loud, echoing THUD.
Inside, the room suddenly became dead silent. The only sound left was the heavy, angry breathing of the young Hokage, while Fugaku stood by his side, looking like the ultimate loyal ally.
OUTER BORDERS OF HI NO KUNI— FRONTIER FOREST
The midday sun shone down heavily upon Hi no Kuni. But deep inside the thick, crowded forest near the border, the sunlight broke apart, leaving bright golden spots and deep, moving shadows on the ground.
The wind blew low through the ancient oak trees, carrying the sharp, fresh smell of wild pine and damp dirt.
Moving steadily through the thick bushes, a tall, striking shadow slipped easily between the tree trunks.
The woman walked with a strange, smooth rhythm. The bottom of her solid, jet-black long dress swept gently against the tall grass and fallen leaves.
The dress looked beautiful but completely out of place for the wild woods. It had a sharp, neat button-down collar that sat tightly against her neck, and the fabric fit snugly around her high waist before flowing downward.
As she stepped forward, the shadows of the leaves danced across her smooth, dark blue-black hair. Her hair reached the middle of her back, and it was parted cleanly down the middle, letting two long strands hang down to frame her face past her chin.
But her face looked truly terrifying and unnatural. Even though her dark eyes and soft features were naturally beautiful and calm, her expression was twisted into something deeply wicked and mean.
A sharp, nasty smile pulled at the corner of her lips, filled with a cold, cruel amusement that did not belong to her own soul.
Directly beside her, a tiny, four-year-old boy was walking fast, his small legs working hard to keep up with her steady pace.
He looked bright and innocent, the complete opposite of the dark woman next to him. He wore a dark reddish-pink short-sleeved t-shirt with a big, white circular symbol right in the center of his chest, showing a bold red swirl inside it.
Underneath, a light green long-sleeved shirt covered his small arms, with a thin white stripe running across his forearms.
He wore simple charcoal-grey shorts that reached down to his knees. His little feet, wearing white ninja sandals that left his tiny toes uncovered, made a crunching sound against the dry twigs.
"Look!" the boy suddenly chirped. His bright, beautiful green eyes shone with pure excitement as he pointed a chubby finger toward a blue butterfly fluttering near some green moss.
His messy, spiky golden-blonde hair caught a stray beam of sunlight, glowing brightly as he bounced on his heels. "A bug! It's so pretty! Are we playing hide-and-seek now? Is that the game?"
The woman did not stop walking. Her dark eyes slowly turned downward, looking at the child with a gaze so cold and mean it felt like ice.
"Be quiet..." she snapped, her voice dropping into a deep, threatening tone. "You have been speaking non-stop for a full day. My patience is gone."
The little boy blinked up at her, pouting his lips slightly. "But my legs are tired, and the butterfly went away! Can we rest now?"
"Keep your mouth shut and keep moving!" she shouted, her eyes flashing with pure malice.
"If you make another sound, I will leave you out here all alone in the dark."
The little boy froze instantly. All the happy energy vanished from his round face...His breath hitched, and his lower lip began to shake violently.
The excitement in his green eyes disappeared, instantly filling up with big, heavy tears that stayed right on the edges of his eyes, fighting not to fall.
He looked so small, holding onto his reddish t-shirt as he stared up at her in utter confusion and heartbreak.
Remembering her angry warning, the small boy forced himself to stay completely quiet. He stood perfectly still for a long time, swallowing his tiny gasps and waiting until she turned her eyes away.
Only when he felt it was safe did he finally look around the big, scary forest and speak in a tiny, cracking whisper.
"K-Kaa-san..." he whimpered softly, his voice trembling. "Where is To-san? Where is Kaa-san? I want to go home..."
The woman paused for a split second. Seeing the real terror on the toddler's face, the cruel person controlling her mind deeply enjoyed the moment.
The mean look on her face changed into a completely fake, sweet smile. Her dark eyes sparkled with wicked fun.
"Oh, don't cry, little one..." she said smoothly. Her voice turned warm and playful in an instant as she reached a long, black-sleeved arm down toward him. "We are just going to see some old friends. It's a very special game."
The moment the four-year-old saw the smile return to her face, his innocent heart completely forgot the mean scolding. The tears in his green eyes vanished, and a big, trusting smile broke across his face.
He reached out with his small hand, happily and safely wrapping his tiny fingers around her long black sleeve.
"A special game!" he giggled softly, bouncing along beside her once more, completely unaware of the dark danger he was walking into. "It's fun! This is so much fun!"
The woman let out a low, chilling laugh that echoed strangely through the trees. Holding the innocent child tightly by her side, she looked through the gaps in the leaves, her dark eyes locking onto the distant direction of Konoha.
A cruel, knowing smile stretched across her lips as she looked toward her old home.
"Don't worry, little one..." she whispered smoothly, her voice dripping with dark amusement.
"A mother never forgets the way back to the village she died for."
---
A MESSAGE TO THE READERS 📢
✨ AUTHOR'S NOTE ✨
Ahem... grabs microphone dramatically 🎤
First of all...
RIP Hyuga Kozuki's political career. 🕊️
The Old Man walked into the council room thinking he was about to interrogate the Hokage and walked out with a lifetime ban instead. Truly an inspirational journey. 😭
Now then... Let's talk about the last part of the chapter. 👀
The section:
OUTER BORDERS OF HI NO KUNI — FRONTIER FOREST
I know... I KNOW...
Half of you are already screaming:
"WE KNOW WHO THE WOMAN IS!!"
Do you though? 🤨
Maybe.😏Maybe not.😌
I won't confirm anything.
But I will say this:
Please pay very close attention to the woman's appearance description.
I didn't write all those details for decoration. 😌
Now the child...The child is much harder.
In fact, I would be genuinely impressed if someone figures him out immediately.
Because unlike the woman, the clue for him isn't from recent chapters.
Nope.The answer is hidden way back in VOLUME I.🧐
And before anyone asks—
No, I won't tell you which chapter.
No, I won't tell you which scene.
No, I won't tell you which character.
Cause it is,
✨CLASSIFIED✨
Here's the only hint you're getting:
The description in Volume I was of an adult.
The child in this chapter is obviously not an adult.
Yet they share two very specific traits:
✨ Blonde Hair
✨ Green Eyes
That's it.That's your clue.
Now go reread Volume I and become conspiracy theorists.
I'll be waiting. 😌☕
Also...The next arc has officially begun.
And some people should be very, VERY worried.
See you in Chapter 32. 👀
⚡NEXT CHAPTER⚡
The council chambers have erupted.
An elder has been stripped of his authority.
The noble clans have been shaken.
And for the first time in years, the Young Hokage has stopped smiling.
As hidden secrets begin to surface, Minato Namikaze turns his gaze toward those responsible for spreading classified information throughout the village.
The elders of Konoha wanted answers...
But are they prepared to face the judgement of the Yellow Flash?
Meanwhile, beyond the political chaos, strange rumors begin spreading across the village streets.
A mysterious child.
An Uchiha connection.
A destroyed frontier settlement.
And something moving through the borders that even Konoha's defenses cannot detect.
While the village argues amongst itself, a far greater shadow quietly approaches from the darkness.
The storm has already begun.
👉Chapter 32: The Yellow Flash's Judgement
SNEAK PEEK LINES 💬
"....A leader who snaps so easily in public is a danger to this village... "
"....It all started because of what happened to Kushina-sama the night before!... "
---
—With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya 💫
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