Hyuga Shin's resolute declaration silenced the entire council chamber. For a few seconds, no one dared to speak. The first to break that stillness was not the Third Hokage, nor even Danzo—but Homura Mitokado, the one least capable of holding back his temper.
With a sharp crack, Homura slammed his palm onto the tea table, his face twisting with fury. He shot to his feet, jabbing a finger toward Hyuga Shin.
"Hyuga Shin! What is the meaning of those words!?"
"Are you saying the entire village should pay for your Hyuga Clan's recklessness?!"
"Konoha finally clawed its way out of the quagmire of war, and now you'd have us dive back into it—for your clan's sake?!"
"You're selfish—utterly selfish!"
His voice boomed through the room, the indignation in it completely unrestrained.
In that moment, all pretense of respect between him and the Hyuga elder was gone.
To speak so in front of the Hokage and the other council members—Homura was essentially tearing all decorum to shreds.
Everyone present, from the elderly advisors to the young Hyuga Satoru, destined one day to sit among them, felt the tension spike.
These were Konoha's top leaders; even with disagreements, they were expected to keep up appearances.
But it seemed Homura, too accustomed to his long-standing title of "Advisor," had forgotten who he was speaking to—and what kind of man stood before him.
"Selfish?"
"Homura, you'd better watch your tongue!"
Hyuga Shin's voice struck like a whip—cold and cutting.
"Since the founding of Konoha, the Hyuga have been an integral part of this village!"
"Do you have any idea how many Hyuga have died protecting it?"
"And you—Homura Mitokado—what authority, what right do you have to question us? To question the Hyuga?"
"What's the matter? Just a few threats from the Cloud, and you start trembling like a leaf?"
"If that brute of a Fourth Raikage dares start a war over his so-called 'envoys,' are you saying Konoha lacks the courage to fight for its comrades?"
"Or perhaps you believe the lives of Hyuga shinobi are worth less than the lives of those Cloud 'envoys'?"
"Or maybe—" his eyes narrowed, "you think Konoha's shinobi are all useless cowards who can't stand against the Cloud?"
Shin's words were like kunai—every line sharp, every jab deliberate. He invoked the Hyuga's seniority, dragged the advisors down by comparison, and even—ever so subtly—cast the Hokage and his peers in a guilty light.
In Konoha, seniority might seem like a meaningless formality… until moments like this, when it became a shield, a weapon, and a claim to legitimacy all at once.
After all—besides the Senju and Uchiha, which clan could claim deeper roots in Konoha than the Hyuga?
And when it came to contributions, few could deny the Byakugan's immense strategic value to the village.
Even now, Hyuga shinobi served on the front lines.
Even now, the current clan head himself was fighting beyond the walls.
Who could accuse such a clan of selfishness?
Homura, faced with that barrage, found himself momentarily speechless.
His authority as an "elder" came from seniority—from being one of the Second Hokage's disciples and the Third's war companion.
But in a contest of lineage and legacy, he was no match for the Hyuga elder standing before him.
"You—! Twisting words to suit yourself!" Homura snapped, his voice breaking.
"You're putting your clan's interests above the village! That's selfishness, plain and simple!"
"If you truly cared about Konoha, you'd do everything possible to avoid war!"
"If sacrificing a few clansmen could prevent thousands of deaths, why not do it?!"
"Would you rather drag every shinobi clan in Konoha into the grave with you?!"
As his voice rose, his old comrade Koharu Utatane stepped forward, siding with him.
"Homura's right," she said sharply. "This is no time for pride or defiance."
Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura sat in silence.
For Hiruzen, doubt flickered behind his eyes. He could see Minato's determination, feel that the young Hokage's will would not bend to his subtle steering this time.
And so, after a long, weary sigh, the Third chose to stay silent.
As for Danzo—he was silent for an entirely different reason.
He could see clearly that Hyuga Shin would not yield.
And unlike Homura or Koharu, Danzo understood what it meant to antagonize a clan like the Hyuga.
What could they realistically do?
Execute Hyuga shinobi to appease the Cloud?
In theory, perhaps.
In practice?
Even Danzo wasn't foolish enough to court the Hyuga's wrath—not when they were one of Konoha's great bloodline families, and certainly not when the Fourth Hokage himself was standing behind them.
This was where the difference between great clans and small families became painfully clear.
Had this controversy involved a mere commoner shinobi, or a minor clan, the outcome would already have been decided.
The Hokage's office would have quietly offered them up as scapegoats to calm the Cloud's fury—just as the "hero" Ye Cang of the Sand Village had once been sacrificed by her own people.
Individual strength, no matter how brilliant, dies alone.
A great clan, however—one with deep roots and wide alliances—could not be silenced so easily.
The Hyuga were such a clan.
Their influence extended beyond Konoha's walls, to allied bloodline families across the ninja world.
If they were cornered, they would not go quietly—and even Danzo wasn't confident he could handle the fallout.
"Koharu," Shin barked, his patience finally gone, "have you lost your senses?"
"What do you mean, 'drag the entire village down'?"
"If the village cannot guarantee the Hyuga's survival—cannot protect our safety—then tell me, why should the Hyuga remain loyal to Konoha?"
"I'll make myself perfectly clear: we will not hand anyone over."
"If the Cloud want blood, they can come and take it themselves!"
His voice rang like steel.
Even Satoru, who had been quietly watching, couldn't help raising his head in surprise.
In his memory, the Hyuga elders hadn't been this unyielding during the "Hyuga Affair."
But now… his great-uncle seemed like a different man entirely.
Still—Shin's words were right. And Satoru found himself agreeing wholeheartedly.
It was easy to understand Konoha's fear of war.
But did that mean the Cloud wanted one?
No.
Peace in the shinobi world had never been achieved through appeasement.
Did people really think the First Hokage ended wars just by bowing his head?
No—he ended them because he was Hashirama Senju, the strongest man alive.
"In the end," Shin murmured, turning toward the door, "only those with strength have the right to speak."
"And I believe the Hyuga… have earned that right."
With that, he took Satoru by the hand and walked out, ignoring the enraged shouts of Homura and Koharu behind them.
Inside the office, Minato leaned back in his chair, utterly calm, watching the pair depart.
After Hyuga Shin's declaration, the so-called "inquiry" into the Hyuga clan was already finished.
There would be no more pressure, no more demands—unless someone truly wanted this to end in blood.
And Minato Namikaze would not allow that to happen.
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