No one knew who had started it, but somehow, public opinion within Konoha began to twist.
After the Hidden Cloud publicly issued its hardline statement, voices arose within the village demanding that the Hyuga hand over the man who killed the Cloud emissary.
It was surreal. In just a few short days, the moral compass of the entire village seemed to have warped.
The Hyuga, clearly the victims in this incident, were now being painted by some as the culprits who would "bring disaster upon Konoha."
And this rhetoric—this poisonous shift in sentiment—was starting to spread, gradually influencing even those who had originally stood on the Hyuga's side.
Hyuga Satoru, though he lived a reclusive life and rarely interacted with outsiders, couldn't remain completely untouched by the wave of rumor. Even within the clan, whispers of accusation and doubt could be heard.
Many outsiders liked to imagine that the people of Konoha—those who always preached the Will of Fire—would protect their comrades and uphold justice at all costs.
But in truth, Konoha had never glorified "protecting comrades."
What the leadership had always instilled in its people was: protect the village.
As long as one's actions served that goal, any price was acceptable.
And anyone—or anything—that brought harm to the village was, in the eyes of most shinobi, unjust.
Just like Konoha's White Fang, who, years ago, had abandoned a mission to save his comrades—an act of compassion that cost the village dearly.
Regardless of his rank or strength, because his choice had hurt Konoha, he became the target of scorn.
Now, the Hyuga found themselves in that same position.
Standing up to outside pressure wasn't easy. Compared to facing an external threat, it was far simpler to bend the knee and pressure one's own people.
Namikaze Minato had every intention of rejecting the Cloud's unreasonable demands, but many within the upper echelons stood against him.
That day, not only did the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, come to Minato's office, but with him came the three village advisors—and even the leader of the jonin Corps, Nara Shikaku.
Their purpose: to discuss how Konoha should respond.
Since the incident had occurred at the Hyuga estate, Hyuga Shin, now the acting head of the clan, had been invited as well. And as the clan's designated successor, Satoru attended the meeting in an observing capacity.
The moment the meeting began—before Minato could even speak—Hiruzen set the tone.
"Konoha no longer has the strength for another war," he said gravely.
"No matter what, we cannot allow conflict with the Hidden Cloud to break out again."
"Our top priority must be to appease them. We must not let Konoha fall into another quagmire of war."
At those words, Hyuga Shin and Satoru exchanged a glance, their brows furrowing.
This was bad.
Hiruzen intended to swallow the humiliation.
From a certain point of view, they could understand his reasoning—it was the classic trolley dilemma.
Should they sacrifice a few Hyuga to preserve peace, or risk plunging the entire village into war just for the sake of pride?
For someone not personally involved, like Hiruzen, the answer was obvious.
It wasn't his clan on the line. He could afford to be pragmatic.
And as a former Hokage, who would dare call such a "sacrifice for the greater good" a mistake?
If anyone disagreed, well—let them go to the battlefield and defend the Hyuga's honor.
"Hiruzen is right," chimed in Homura Mitokado smoothly. "For the good of the village, the Hyuga must make a concession."
"It's for Konoha's sake. I'm sure you can understand that, Lord Hyuga?"
Danzo, seated silently to one side, didn't speak. He didn't need to.
Homura's words carried the same intent shared by the advisors—they wanted the Hyuga to sacrifice themselves for the so-called greater good.
A moral burden disguised as righteousness.
Hyuga Shin didn't answer. He simply turned his gaze toward Minato.
The opinions of the Third and the advisory council carried weight—but the final decision rested with the Fourth Hokage.
"Let's not be too hasty in deciding, Lord Danzo," Minato said evenly.
"This incident has far-reaching implications—it's no longer just about our village."
"Every other great nation and shinobi village is watching how we handle this."
"I do not agree with yielding to the Cloud's demands."
"Backing down will only embolden them further."
"My proposal is to reinforce our defenses along the Lightning Country border and prepare for all contingencies."
As Minato met Hyuga Shin's eyes, the two men shared a brief but clear understanding.
Minato was no puppet—neither of Hiruzen nor of Danzo.
Yes, his youth and reputation as the "Golden Boy" had helped him become Hokage over Orochimaru, but Minato had long since learned that power was something one had to fight to maintain.
To him, this Cloud incident was more than a diplomatic crisis—it was a political opportunity.
The old guard of Hiruzen and the advisors opposed him; if he could assert his will here and still lead Konoha to stability, his authority would rise to an entirely new level.
And more importantly, Minato's political allies were few—and the Hyuga Clan was one of his closest supporters.
The Cloud's outrageous demand wasn't just an insult to the Hyuga.
It was an insult to him, the Fourth Hokage.
If he were to yield now, what would the other villages think?
Would Iwagakure or Kirigakure—those who still held grudges—see this as weakness and grow bold again?
Minato's vision extended far beyond the immediate peace.
He was thinking about Konoha's long-term strength and standing.
And of course, it wasn't as if Hiruzen or Danzo were unaware of these consequences.
They simply didn't care—because they no longer bore the responsibility of leadership.
If peace could be bought at the cost of a few Hyuga lives, it was a bargain to them.
The future fallout? That would be Minato's problem, not theirs.
Minato's open declaration of opposition visibly relaxed Hyuga Shin.
With the Hokage's support, his spine straightened and his voice grew firm.
"This incident was Cloud's conspiracy from the start!" he declared.
"The Hyuga are the victims here!"
"Their intruders died because they broke into our home—they got what they deserved!"
"If the Fourth Raikage wants a Byakugan, then let him come take it himself!"
"The Hyuga will never bow to such demands!"
His words, filled with unyielding conviction, carried a weight that silenced the room.
Though he had never held the title of Hokage, no one present dared underestimate the former Hyuga patriarch.
His presence alone was like that of an immovable mountain.
Homura and Koharu's faces darkened.
Danzo's expression remained unreadable, though his eyes narrowed slightly in thought.
Hiruzen's jaw tightened, his gaze turning from Shin to Minato—pressuring him wordlessly to reconsider.
But Minato merely smiled faintly and nodded in approval of Shin's declaration, deliberately ignoring his predecessor's stare.
At the side, Hyuga Satoru sat quietly, head bowed as if disinterested.
But through the all-seeing gaze of his Byakugan, he was watching everyone—the flicker of emotion on each face, every subtle movement.
And what he saw made his heart grow coldly clear.
Within Konoha's high command, the lines of factional power were finally beginning to emerge.
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