Helping the Hyūga clan, Yagami was simply making up for regret from his previous life. Of course, it could also be counted as the private alliance between the two great clan heads, Fugaku and Hiashi.
However, if this could drive a wedge between the Hyūga and Hokage, Yagami was more than happy to facilitate it.
The saying goes that those who lack foresight must face imminent worries. Currently, the Uchiha clan's situation could be considered favourable, but who could guarantee that the Third Hokage wouldn't suddenly turn against them?
What if, one night, he remembered his past glory as a legendary shinobi and decided to confront the Uchiha head-on?
Creating headaches for the Third Hokage was beneficial—anything that distracted him from the Uchiha allowed the five-year plan to progress more smoothly.
After all, Danzo was laying low in his own den, and neither the Third Hokage nor his senior advisors dared to pressure the Uchiha too much. As long as they were unsettled, Yagami could feel at ease.
Seeing Yagami appear, both Konoha and Kumogakure shinobi were stunned. The Kumogakure shinobi were intimidated by Yagami's strength.
The Jinchūriki Yugito, sent by the Raikage to bolster their confidence, had been easily beaten from a distance by Yagami. Was the power of Uchiha's Mangekyō really that immense?
Konoha, on the other hand, was shocked by the information in Yagami's words—Kumogakure's Jinchūriki had actually entered Konoha!
For a shinobi village, a Jinchūriki was essentially a living weapon. Sending one to another village was akin to declaring war.
Although Sarutobi would not allow Konoha and Kumogakure to clash at this moment, with the situation having escalated this far, he had no choice but to respond firmly and immediately direct a sharp gaze.
The expression instantly soured. Compared to the flimsy excuse he had just put forth, the revelation of Yugito's identity made Kumogakure clearly at fault.
Watching as the Hokage pressured the Hyūga clan just as his goal was nearing completion, Yagami hadn't anticipated this sudden turn. The situation had indeed become troublesome!
"Are you truly intending to provoke a war with Kumogakure? While Konoha doesn't wish to start another war if you continue to press us, this old man will have no choice but to respond!"
The Third Hokage threatened, his face dark, though he couldn't fully grasp why Uchiha Yagami was siding with the village. But under the present circumstances, he seized the opportunity to take the initiative.
Inter-village disputes were rife with conspiracies and strategies, yet it was still essential to maintain a righteous front; otherwise, if a real conflict erupted, others would have an excuse to take advantage.
Hyūga Hiashi looked at the Third Hokage with an impassive expression, standing aside without a word, merely signalling Hizashi to disperse the surrounding clan members to prevent further escalation.
Nearby, Yugito struggled to her feet, staring at Yagami with fear in her eyes. As the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, she had always believed that apart from the Raikage and the former Yellow Flash, none could match her speed.
But the fight just now had been an eye-opener. Even though Yagami had activated the Sharingan, he had relied solely on taijutsu to overwhelm her, even though her Tailed Beast Cloak.
Not only was his speed astonishing, but his strength was also immense. If not for the Jinchūriki's natural resilience, she would have been gravely injured already.
The most infuriating part was that, despite his relentless assault, she hadn't even managed to enter her half-beast transformation…
"Lord Hokage, regarding this Kumogakure shinobi's demise, he fully brought it upon himself. We all witnessed what happened."
Shisui, having observed everything, leapt down from the tree with his two teammates, casting a disappointed look at the Third Hokage.
He had just now seen all of the Third Hokage's actions. Only he knew the true reason for his disappointment.
"Shisui? You've been here all along?"
The Third Hokage was stunned for a moment before realization dawned on him. He turned to look at Hiashi, feeling a chill in his heart.
"This deceased Kumogakure shinobi has been under surveillance by our team since he left the residence.
At first, he went to a corner grocery store in the village, changed his clothes, and wandered around Konoha disguised as the shop owner.
After walking around for a while, he entered the bathhouse, reverted to his original appearance, and entered a latent state, only making his move tonight."
"Upon entering the Hyūga compound, we kept our distance. When he reappeared, he was holding the Hyūga clan's eldest daughter in his arms. Then, Clan Head Hiashi appeared and took him down with a single blow.
Within five minutes, the Kumogakure delegation arrived and demanded an explanation from Clan Head Hyūga for their comrade's death here."
Shisui recounted the entire sequence in a calm tone. The nearby Hyūga clan members, who had overheard everything, looked at the Third Hokage with complex expressions, disheartened by his previous attitude.
After relaying the details, Shisui led his teammates to stand beside Yagami, activated his Mangekyō, and fixed his gaze on Yugito.
Yugito felt a surge of frustration. *Don't take me so seriously!*
With two Mangekyō users present and considering the fragile relationship between Uchiha and Konoha, Tutai knew this mission was a complete failure. If things took a worse turn, he and his companions might not make it out alive.
"Lord Hokage, please calm down! We have no desire to break the peace we've worked so hard to establish. We acted impulsively; we couldn't accept our comrade's death. We didn't know he would target someone from your village…"
Tutai's tone was blunt. His only hope now was that the Third Hokage's aversion to war would be strong enough to overlook his flimsy excuse.
The Third Hokage did not disappoint. After listening to Toroi's words, he nodded slightly and replied, "I will let this matter go, but as for your Jinchūriki…"
"Lord Hokage, rest assured, Yugito will leave Konoha immediately. If it would put you at ease, feel free to assign someone to follow her until she exits the Land of Fire."
Tutai let out a breath of relief, realizing he had made the right gamble. He waved to the Kumogakure shinobi behind him and, suppressing his frustration, led them out of the Hyūga compound.
Yugito glanced at Yagami before silently leaving the village. Yagami did not stop her. Although he was interested in tailed beasts, holding onto one in the current situation wasn't advisable.
Additionally, some of the upcoming plans required resistance from Kumogakure, so picking a fight with them now was not worthwhile.
"Lord Hokage, recently, Anbu members have frequently clashed with our clan. Please rein them in a bit, or next time, the consequences may be more severe than mere imprisonment."
Yagami looked at the Third Hokage with a playful expression. After tonight, this old man would probably lose quite a bit of hair!
As one of Konoha's prominent shinobi clans, the Uchiha were already at odds with the village, and now the Hyūga were alienated as well. The Third Hokage's position was likely growing increasingly uncomfortable.
*So he sided with the village to trap the old man here!*
Thinking about the Anbu members who had lost contact, the Third Hokage felt weary. He had been aware of the friction, but with Kumogakure's shinobi in the village, he hadn't wanted to escalate matters with the Uchiha, so he had let it slide.
Now, Yagami had offered him a small favour before delivering a blow, leaving him at a loss for words.
After all, Uchiha had exposed Kumogakure's Jinchūriki, which was a significant gain for Konoha, and he couldn't dismiss such a favour.
"I understand; I'll address the matter. As for this incident…"
"Enough, Lord Hokage. Your word is sufficient. Today's events are purely coincidental, so please don't dwell on them. Clan Head Hyūga, farewell!"
Hearing Yagami's words, Hyūga Hiashi's cold expression softened, and he returned a respectful bow. Although he wasn't sure if the Uchiha intended to aid the Hyūga, he had to admit that Uchiha's involvement had helped them resolve the situation.
Noticing Hiashi's evident change in attitude, the Third Hokage opened his mouth but couldn't bring himself to speak.
Ignoring the Third Hokage, Hyūga Hiashi sent Yagami and his team off before leading his clan back. Regardless of the Uchiha's stance, the Third Hokage's earlier behaviour had truly left a chill.
Knowing that this was a Kumogakure ploy, he had still considered betraying the Hyūga and had forced them to handle it themselves. Was this truly conduct befitting a village's leader?
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