Although the Cloud-nin who had broken into the Hyuga Main Estate were swiftly subdued, Kakashi and Shisui wasted no time regrouping after the fight. They removed the masks from the unconscious assailants one by one.
Because both had been stationed long-term at the Hyuga compound for guard duty, neither had attended the day's peace-celebration banquet, meaning they didn't recognize these men.
But they didn't need to.
The enemy's identity was obvious from appearance alone—Cloud-nin were generally darker-skinned than shinobi from the Land of Fire. The difference, born of geography and sunlight, was too distinct to mistake.
Realizing that these attackers were likely members of the Cloud envoy sent to sign the peace treaty, Kakashi and Shisui immediately understood that this matter was far beyond their authority.
Without hesitation—despite the late hour—Kakashi summoned a messenger hawk and sent word to his teacher, the Fourth Hokage, reporting everything that had transpired.
As for Hyuga Satoru, he had little to do with the clean-up.
He carefully memorized the arrangement of the scrolls that had been used for the enemy's jutsu, then quietly collected them—his "hard-earned" spoils of war. He planned to study them later in detail.
Meanwhile, Hyuga Shin recalled that several Cloud-nin had been intercepted by the Branch Family's defense squad outside the compound. Once he confirmed that Satoru was safe, he hurried to that area—hoping the guards hadn't killed them all.
Unfortunately, he was too late.
The Branch Family shinobi hadn't received Satoru's instruction to take prisoners; they had fought to kill.
Though Shin arrived in time to order restraint, by then, of the eleven Cloud-nin who had breached the outer perimeter, nine were already dead.
The two who remained alive were barely breathing, and without immediate medical attention, they would not last long.
At this point, the incident had far outgrown the Hyuga's internal control.
Hyuga Shin ordered the two survivors rushed to the hospital, while the remaining captives—the four who had made it deepest into the estate—were securely bound and detained in the Main Household.
The commotion caused by the Cloud-nin's infiltration had been loud enough to stir the entire village. ANBU and other Konoha shinobi soon converged on the Hyuga compound from every direction.
Unlike the incident a year before, Shin handled this one differently.
He gathered all the arriving shinobi together, gave a concise account of the events, and then had the captured Cloud-nin publicly displayed before them all.
At the same time, he loudly praised Uchiha Shisui and Hatake Kakashi, emphasizing that it was their valor and quick action that saved the Hyuga from the Cloud's assassination attempt.
Shin, upon realizing that some of the attackers were members of the official Cloud envoy, instantly understood what that meant. Before the Hokage's office could take over the case, he moved swiftly to shape the narrative—ensuring that the Hyuga's position as victims was deeply impressed into everyone's minds.
It was a calculated move. Establishing sympathy now would give the clan leverage in the coming storm of politics and diplomacy.
Experience spoke—the old veteran handled the situation with far greater finesse than Hiashi ever could have.
"Lord Hokage!"
"Something terrible has happened!"
The cry jolted Hiruzen Sarutobi from his sleep.
Through the breathless report of his trusted ANBU, he learned of the Cloud's assault on the Hyuga estate—and the subsequent killing and capture of the so-called "Cloud envoys."
The news struck like thunder, banishing all traces of drowsiness.
At nearly the same moment, Minato Namikaze received Kakashi's hawk and read the urgent message.
His expression tightened; without wasting a second, he dressed and flashed out of the house, racing toward the Hyuga compound.
Outwardly, Minato's face remained composed, but inside, his fury burned hotter with every step.
Piecing together what had happened, the truth became clear: the Cloud had never come to Konoha with genuine intent for peace. Their diplomatic mission had been nothing but a cover—an excuse to infiltrate the village and steal the Byakugan.
Without such a pretext, an armed Cloud strike team could never have slipped through Konoha's layered defenses to reach the heart of the village.
The plan reminded him all too vividly of that night, years ago, when the Cloud attempted to abduct Kushina to steal the power of the Nine-Tails. If not for his intervention, she would have been spirited away to the Hidden Cloud long ago.
Minato might have been mild-tempered by nature, but one did not become Hokage—or one of the fastest and deadliest shinobi alive—without pride.
This insult, this deliberate mockery of Konoha's authority, was something even he could not forgive.
When Minato arrived, ANBU were already present and bowing at his appearance.
The Hyuga clansmen, clearly acting under Shin's instructions, received him with full ceremony and ushered him directly into the main courtyard.
There, in the dim light, lay the bodies of several Cloud-nin—and six others still alive, bound tightly in chakra-sealing ropes.
Minato's sharp pale, pearly eyes scanned their faces once, and his expression darkened.
He recognized them immediately.
Turning to Hyuga Shin, he bowed slightly.
"Elder Shin," Minato said gravely, "this was the village's failure. As Hokage, the responsibility is mine. I promise the Hyuga will receive justice and a satisfactory resolution."
"Please—allow me to take these men into custody."
Minato's humble admission and the weight of his sincerity eased the tension in the room.
For all his cunning, even Shin had been uneasy—after all, the Hyuga had killed members of a diplomatic envoy. No matter how justified their actions, politically, the optics were disastrous.
Handled poorly, it could tarnish Konoha's reputation across the entire ninja world.
Yet here was the Hokage himself, personally assuming blame and offering contrition—not reprimanding, but apologizing.
It was a gesture far more generous than Shin had anticipated.
In his mind, he had expected the Hokage's office to downplay the matter, to smooth things over quietly in order to avoid provoking the Cloud.
Minato's strong, decisive stance left a deep impression.
"You're too kind, Lord Fourth," Shin replied respectfully, bowing in return. "It is we of the Hyuga who have caused you trouble."
After a few more polite exchanges, the captives and corpses were handed over to ANBU for transfer, while Kakashi was temporarily released from guard duty to accompany Minato and give a full report.
By dawn, the Hidden Leaf Village publicly released a statement condemning the Cloud's treacherous assault on the Hyuga clan and denouncing their duplicity during peace negotiations.
But to everyone's astonishment, the Hidden Cloud issued a counterstatement—accusing Konoha of lacking sincerity, of murdering their envoys, and demanding that the "culprit" be surrendered to them or they would declare war.
The sheer audacity of it—the aggressor accusing the victim—only fueled Minato's anger.
Yet before he could even voice his outrage, new troubles were already brewing within Konoha.
Rumors spread like wildfire.
"War? Again? Haven't we fought enough already?"
"The Hyuga went too far—they should've just driven the enemy away, not killed them!"
"Why should the whole village go to war because of the Hyuga?"
No one could tell where these whispers began, but they quickly engulfed the public sentiment, subtly turning opinion against the Hyuga.
When Kakashi overheard such talk in the streets, his heart sank.
The tone, the shifting blame—it was all too familiar.
Just like the whispers that once destroyed his father's name.
And once again, he found himself watching a good man—and a loyal clan—be dragged into the storm of politics and public scorn.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 50 chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/Nova5tudios