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When Hiashi's firm words were spoken, the room fell into silence.
"Hokage-sama," Shikaku Nara turned to Tsunade, "what do you think?"
Tap, tap, tap…
Tsunade's fingers drummed slowly on the table. Her face was composed, and she said nothing.
For a moment, the room remained silent. The sound of Tsunade's tapping echoed like a rhythmic beat on Hiashi's heart. Despite his usually composed demeanor, his expression grew darker.
"Both Hiashi and Shikaku, as well as Kakashi, have valid points," Tsunade finally said after a thoughtful pause.
"Let me make it clear first. as Hokage, I have no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of the clans."
At this, some faces in the room changed subtly, while others remained calm, waiting for Tsunade's next words.
Hiashi restrained himself from speaking and kept his mouth tightly shut.
"As for the current situation in the Hyuga clan," Tsunade said, looking directly at Hiashi's pale face, "I will ensure that neither I nor anyone here interferes."
Hiashi's expression didn't relax, knowing that Tsunade's stance was contrary to his. She surely had more to say.
As expected, her next words made his heart sink completely.
"The Hyuga clan—both the main and branch families—are Konoha shinobi. As Hokage, I cannot favor one over the other," Tsunade declared with authority. "Therefore, I will safeguard the information provided by Uchiha Kaito. It will remain under strict protection, and we'll only decide what to do with it once the internal conflict in the Hyuga clan is resolved."
This...
Hiashi lowered his head to hide his grim expression.
Was she planning to watch the Hyuga clan tear itself apart and then award the information as a prize to the victorious side?
No matter the outcome, the Hyuga clan would suffer great harm.
"What does everyone think?" Tsunade asked, her gaze sweeping across the clan heads present.
"The Hokage is correct," Shikaku immediately supported her. "As long as the internal unrest within the Hyuga clan does not affect the village's larger interests, it is not our place to interfere."
"Indeed," Kakashi chimed in. "I misspoke earlier. Whether or not the Caged Bird Seal should exist ultimately depends on the opinion of those involved. Let the Hyuga clan resolve this internally before reporting back to the Hokage."
"Until the Hyuga clan reaches a consensus, this matter should not be decided by the Hokage," Asuma added, a cigarette unlit in his mouth. "After all, this is an internal family matter."
With the three of them speaking, the others exchanged glances but remained silent.
Hiashi sat with a visible air of suppressed anger, his thoughts unreadable.
Among the people present, someone's mind began to turn.
The Shimura clan, ever since Danzo's death, had fallen into a sharp decline.
Once, the Shimura clan, though not prominent in name, held a significant presence within Konoha. As clan leader, Danzo had wielded great influence, supported by Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, his fellow councilors with ties to commoners. Quietly, they had placed their forces in key positions across Konoha's internal departments.
Though these positions often remained inconspicuous, they became formidable in critical moments.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, tolerated his old comrades not only out of friendship from their youth but also due to the power they wielded.
Often, he had no choice but to compromise.
Unfortunately, Danzo's death had been anything but honorable, completely ruining his reputation. The other two councilors had been bedridden and unable to contribute.
During that period, Konoha's major clans, whether for vengeance or profit, eyed the leaderless Shimura clan hungrily. For reasons unknown, Tsunade, the Hokage, seemed content to let this happen.
The bloody struggle for power remained hidden beneath the surface, but over the years, the Shimura clan had declined significantly.
After Danzo's death, his successor as clan leader, Shimura Ikki, lacked the capability to turn the tide. He could only watch as the clan continued to falter under the predatory gaze of their rivals.
If not for a few loyal ninja from Root who secretly provided assistance, the situation would likely have been far worse.
As for the current Hyuga clan issue, Ikki initially had no interest.
Danzo's influence had instilled in him a dislike for these prominent, ostentatious clans.
After all, ninja were supposed to be people hidden in the shadows.
But the current situation presented an opportunity.
No matter what, the Hyuga clan remained Konoha's most renowned and powerful family on the surface. If he could extend a favor to Hiashi, the head of the Hyuga's main family, perhaps the Shimura clan could escape their isolated predicament.
In Shimura Ikki's view, Tsunade holding the method to remove the Caged Bird Seal was merely a way to manipulate Hiashi.
Moreover, the information provided by that Uchiha brat, Li, might not even be genuine!
He couldn't imagine someone as devious as an Uchiha acting out of goodwill.
The Hyūga clan's Caged Bird Seal had existed for centuries. If the branch family members had the means to rebel, they would have succeeded long ago—there's no way it would've waited until now.
Thus, in his mind, Hiashi, who was being manipulated by Tsunade, just needed to suffer some minor losses to safely weather this incident.
In any case, even if the Hyūga clan faced suppression from the Hokage, their overall strength wouldn't be significantly harmed.
Right now, Konoha couldn't afford any major losses.
With this thought, as silence pervaded the meeting room, Ikki decided to break it himself.
Ikki coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention.
"Hokage-sama," he began, imitating the stern demeanor his elder Danzo used to adopt, "I have a different perspective on this matter."
The people in the room exchanged subtle glances, some with faint hints of disdain in their eyes.
This guy actually spoke up...
Most of them shared a similar thought.
Danzo, that insidious old schemer, had stirred up trouble in the village for years, only to leave no competent successors behind—this must be karma.
"Oh?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes slightly, gazing at the suddenly vocal Ikki. "Please, speak, Clan Head Shimura."
"Yes," Ikki responded, maintaining his imitation of Danzo's imposing mannerisms, "I cannot agree with the Hokage's approach."
Tsunade's gaze grew colder, though her expression remained composed. "Continue."
Shimura Ikki let out a cold laugh. "That Uchiha Kaito fellow is an enemy of the Leaf Village!"
"Furthermore, Neji Hyūga's defection is clearly linked to Uchiha Sasuke," he said arrogantly, casting a condescending glance at Hiashi. "From my perspective, this is all part of the Uchiha's plot against Konoha!"
Hiashi lifted his gaze slightly, glancing at Shimura Ikki's self-satisfied "clear-headed" expression, and couldn't help but tug at the corners of his mouth with a hint of resignation.
The meeting room remained silent. Tsunade continued to stare at Ikki. "And so?"
"That so-called information is likely fake," Shimura Ikki said, lifting his chin confidently. "Moreover, the issues within the Hyūga clan are clearly the result of insubordination by the branch family. For the sake of the village's peace and stability, we should assist Clan Head Hyūga in swiftly quelling this rebellion."