Chapter 127: Hiruzen Sarutobi's "World-Shocking" Strategy
After he finished speaking, Hyūga Hiashi stroked Hinata's head, then resumed his calm, and even cold, clan leader mode.
He looked at Akiyama Makoto. "Makoto-kun, although I agree to let Hinata train with you, it does not mean she must obey you completely."
"She is still a daughter of our Hyūga clan, and she has our clan as her backing. I hope you understand this."
Makoto also dropped his smile and replied with a solemn expression, "I understand."
Although Hiashi had used the word "train," they both understood that Hinata was now shouldering the immense role of being the liaison between Makoto, Tsunade, and the Hyūga clan. If one had to make an analogy, her role was now similar to when Itachi Uchiha had served in Hiruzen Sarutobi's personal Anbu, a mission to maintain communication between the two sides and prevent misjudgments.
The difference, of course, was that he would certainly not treat Hinata as an outsider, and neither Hiashi nor the Hyūga clan had any intention of rebelling. It was clear that Hinata would acquire a respectable status in the future. As for how far she could go, not even he could predict that.
"Very good. For the rest, I'll let you young people chat among yourselves."
After speaking, Hiashi turned and left, leaving behind a Hinata who still had a dazed expression on her face. She vaguely realized that her father had entrusted her to him, but why? Had her father abandoned her again? Had she just escaped the predicament of losing her father, only to be sent back to the past?
He naturally saw her confusion and gently took her hand.
She looked at him blankly, then, realizing he was almost pressing against her, her face instantly flushed red.
"M-Makoto-kun, wh-what are you doing!"
"I just wanted to explain what your father's words meant just now."
Hearing this, Hinata's spirits lifted, and she nodded.
But the next second, his words made her faint.
"Your father intends to marry you to me in the future."
Hinata turned as red as a shrimp and her body went limp, falling backward.
This time, however, he caught her, letting her lean against his shoulder.
"You're lying!" Hanabi rushed out. "That's not what Lord Father meant at all!"
She snatched Hinata from his arms, holding her beloved older sister herself.
He wasn't bothered by this. He was just trying to see if he could get the Level 3 Affection simulation reward from Hinata. As it turned out, even with her father's permission, there was still some distance to go before Hinata's heart would confirm their relationship.
"Alright, I was just joking with her."
"Your father also said that she is still the young lady of the Hyūga, but there can only be one clan head. He has found the right path for his other daughter."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
Hanabi pursed her lips. "But didn't you say you wanted to fight against the Hyūga's destiny with both of us sisters?"
"Aren't we doing that right now? Look, Hinata can live her life as she normally would. I'm not going to steal her away from you."
"Really?"
"I swear on the electric light above our heads."
Hanabi couldn't hold back a snort of laughter.
She then tried to force a stern expression, but it just turned into a funny face, which in turn made him laugh.
At this moment, he noticed that Hinata had already woken up, but was just pretending to be asleep. He didn't expose her. "I'll be going now," he said. "In the future, if you two have any problems, whether in training or in life, you can come find me."
"Of course, if you just want to come find me to play and hang out, I'd be even happier."
"That won't happen!" Hanabi waved her little fist.
He turned, intending to leave.
Suddenly, he heard Hinata's faint voice. "Makoto-kun... p-please wait."
He turned back in surprise, watching as a blushing Hinata knelt upright. "Um, I have something I want to ask you."
"Hanabi, could you please give us a moment?"
Hanabi looked at her in disbelief, but seeing her sister's serious gaze, she could only give him a "don't-you-dare-bully-my-sister" look with her mouth, and then walked out of the room.
He sat down cross-legged. "Is there something else you don't understand, Hinata?"
"No, I... I completely understand Lord Father's and... your kind intentions, Makoto-kun. It's just, there's one thing I'm very confused about—"
"Go ahead."
"You... you like Tenten-senpai, don't you? And Ino and Sakura, they are all more outstanding than me. Why did you agree to Lord Father's... arrangement?"
"Even if we don't necessarily end up together, shouldn't... shouldn't you be more devoted—"
He smiled faintly. "This? It's because I want a big family, just like yours, Hinata."
At first, she didn't understand. But after a few minutes, she was sweating as if she had just been in a sauna.
"So that's how it is. If you don't like this, Hinata, I will go to Lord Hiashi and explain the situation."
"Of course, you don't have to decide now. You can wait three or five years and refuse me then. For now, you can just train with me without any worries."
"I promise, I won't have any improper thoughts about you."
After he finished, he prepared to give her enough time to think. In any case, he hadn't simulated with her yet. Even if she rejected him right now, he wouldn't lose anything.
But what he didn't expect was for her to ask another key question.
"Makoto-kun, please answer one last question."
"Okay."
"What you just said... have you told my father?"
He smiled faintly. "The last time we met, he almost killed me with one punch. But this time, he entrusted you to me."
He gave an ambiguous answer, but it was enough to make Hinata curl up, completely "cooked," not daring to look at him again.
Hearing Hanabi rushing over in the distance, he didn't linger. He dodged her wild charge and walked out of the Hyūga compound.
But the moment he stepped outside, he once again felt the cold and serious atmosphere on the streets.
Sigh. It seems it will be a while before things return to normal.
In the following days, in addition to training, he didn't forget to send out a shadow clone from time to time to leave Konoha and gather intelligence.
He soon found out that Konoha had adopted the tactic of releasing false intelligence to muddy the waters, successfully throwing the ninja world into chaos. In reality, Konoha wasn't the only one with problems; every village had its own dark history, more or less. Konoha's was just particularly obvious because of the Third Hokage's greatest mistake: to this day, he had not cultivated or designated a successor, which meant that the hearts of the people had never truly been at peace since the Nine-Tails' attack.
It didn't matter if he promoted the Will of Fire ten thousand times. As someone who understood his previous life's history, he knew that an unstable transfer of power was the greatest source of disaster. Everything else was just an extension of that.
But he also knew that this method alone was not enough for Konoha to extinguish the desire of Iwa and Kumo to take its place.
The subsequent developments proved this point. Hiruzen Sarutobi took a strong and decisive measure to prove that Konoha's position was still as stable as a mountain.
He began to promote the Chūnin Exams six months early, and to publicize that the alliance between Konoha and the Sand Village was as solid as a rock.
"Pfft!"
After receiving this intelligence from his shadow clone, Makoto spat a mouthful of soda all over Moegi.
"Ahhhhh!" Moegi shrieked. "I'm going to kill you!"
She then pounced on him, punching and kicking, which made Ino and Sakura laugh until they were doubled over.
He helplessly held Moegi by the scruff of her collar. "It's getting late. You two should take her to get washed up. Same as usual, the hot spring is on me."
"You're so generous!"
"As expected of Makoto-kun, so magnificent!"
He received a thumbs-up from Sakura and a blown kiss from Ino. He then pushed all three of them out of his room.
Only then did he fail to hold back his laughter. As a transmigrator who was familiar with the future plot, he knew that Hiruzen had just made a decision that would be enough to completely destroy his reputation.
When the Konoha Crush plot erupted, Hiruzen had better die in battle as he did in the original. Otherwise, if he survived, he would be nailed to Konoha's pillar of shame. At that time, it would be hard to say who was the village's greatest disgrace, him or Danzō.
He even felt that Orochimaru, who was already secretly preparing to ambush the Fourth Kazekage, was probably laughing so hard his tongue was splitting in two.
At this thought, he felt it was time to run a simulation to ensure that the future developments of the ninja world wouldn't spiral out of control.
While he was at it, he could also get the talent he had been wanting. Perhaps it would be useful in the future when proving his "Senju" orthodoxy.
He opened the simulator. Moegi's panel appeared before his eyes again.
Eight Ninja Stats: Ninjutsu: 8, Taijutsu: 7, Genjutsu: 5, Intelligence: 6, Strength: 6, Speed: 8, Stamina: 7, Hand Seals: 7. Total: 54 points.
Chakra Natures: Intermediate Earth, Water, Yin, and Yang Release.
Special Talent: Low-grade Wood Style Talent.
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