It was night, and Konoha appeared no different from other nights, but any ninja with strong sensory skills could perceive that the village's defences were much tighter now.
"Yagami, are we just watching here? That person is the one who disappeared from the Kumogakure mission!"
From their position on a large tree at the intersection, Yagami, Shisui, and two other Uchiha members hid in the shadows. From this vantage point, they could see a masked ninja sneaking around.
"Otherwise, what do you want? Jump out and catch him? Don't be foolish. Hokage-sama knows that Kumogakure will cause trouble, and he doesn't want us to interfere. If you jump in now, you'll only bring trouble to the clan. Let's just watch for now."
Perhaps Third Hokage didn't expect this, or maybe he chose to ignore it. Other than instructing the Anbu to remind the Uchiha to stay vigilant, there hadn't been any further action.
It's well-known that the Uchiha, through their work in the police department, know Konoha better than anyone. No other ninja in Konoha could match the Uchiha in terms of familiarity with the village layout.
Of course, there were areas they couldn't access, as every shinobi has secrets, and the police department couldn't simply trespass on them.
Because of this familiarity, while Anbu and other shinobi searched endlessly for the missing Kumogakure ninja, the Uchiha quickly located him and began their surveillance.
"Up ahead is Hyūga territory. Should we keep following?"
It seems like Kumogakure came here specifically for the Byakugan! Shisui couldn't help but think.
"Stop here! Stay put and watch. If anything happens, don't intervene—just make sure the Byakugan doesn't get taken. I'll go greet our Kumogakure friends."
With that, Yagami turned and disappeared in a flash. Shisui sighed softly. He used to believe his own approach could guide the clan and the village to coexist peacefully.
But he had learned that being overly conciliatory only led others to push boundaries, and he had almost lost his eyes as a result.
Everything Yagami did seemed to oppose the village, yet it achieved the peaceful result he had wanted. Although relations between the clan and the village were still tense, there was a rare calmness now.
The targeting of the clan had ceased, and surveillance on the family had lessened. The village's upper echelons were even taking steps to restore some power to the Uchiha.
As things stood, the relationship between the family and the village felt almost reversed. It seemed like the village wanted reconciliation, but the Uchiha were the ones not showing much interest. Yet the village continued to extend goodwill toward them.
Shisui wasn't ignorant, but he couldn't quite comprehend this situation. So, he chose to support Yagami as long as a full-on war with the village didn't break out rather than attempt a coup like the last time.
Reaching the Kumogakure camp, Yagami found, as he expected, that none of the people inside were resting; they were all waiting for a certain signal.
Tutai took a deep breath, still uneasy about sending his comrade on a dangerous mission.
Though the Byakugan was a valuable kekkei genkai, Kumogakure's true goal went beyond seizing it. The real purpose of this operation was to test Konoha's response and assess whether the village had the resolve to initiate war.
Of course, obtaining the Byakugan would be a bonus, though the likelihood was slim.
"Who's there?"
With a sudden change of expression, Wooden Golem quickly leapt out of the window, only to catch sight of a figure flitting across the branches.
Has Konoha discovered our plan? No, if they had, they would've already pinpointed Kazuya's location. Then, who is this…?
As she pondered, Wooden Golem's gaze narrowed slightly. The figure she thought had escaped was now standing atop a tree, looking down at her, seemingly unafraid of being noticed.
Before she could act, she sensed that the Tailed Beast chakra she had placed on Kazuya had vanished.
That was their signal.
Once the chakra dissipated, they were to proceed immediately to the Hyūga compound.
Otherwise, if they missed this chance, there would be no point in continuing the mission.
"Uncle Tutai, you go ahead. I'll hold this guy back!"
Wooden Golem quickly decided. The mission couldn't fail here, and since the man in front of her didn't seem interested in stopping them, they had to split up.
Besides, she hadn't initially been part of the plan, but the village had asked her to keep an eye out after considering Uchiha's strength. As long as Tutai and the others could see Kazuya's signal before Konoha realized what was happening, their objective would be fulfilled.
If Yagami knew that the Fourth Raikage had sent Wooden Golem to counter the Uchiha, he would have laughed on the spot. Sending a Jinchūriki against the Sharingan? Was Kumogakure afraid the Tailed Beast wasn't wild enough?
"Who are you, and what do you want?"
Seeing Yagami unfazed by Tutai and the others' departure, Wooden Golem asked immediately. If he wasn't here to interfere, then what was his purpose?
"You give off a strange vibe, so I came to investigate. But it seems you're planning something unfavourable toward Konoha."
Yagami emerged from the shadows, careful not to directly reveal Wooden Golem's identity. After all, his knowledge of her as the Two-Tails Jinchūriki came from reading the original story, and it would be hard to explain how he recognized her right away.
"Is it you? The relationship between Uchiha and Konoha must be in a rough spot if you're this indifferent."
Wooden Golem did not relax in the slightest; Uchiha Yagami was the very person Raikage-sama had emphasized before they left.
"As long as it doesn't involve Uchiha, what happens in Konoha is none of our concern. That's a matter for the Hokage to worry about. Personally, I'm more interested in you."
Before she could react, Yagami vanished from sight. Wooden Golem's pupils contracted as she barely evaded his hand, reaching for her neck.
So fast! I almost couldn't react in time, even with Matatabi's senses. This is the strength of the Uchiha.
"Impressive! You managed to dodge that—it's a testament to your reflexes," Yagami remarked. "A Jinchūriki isn't so easy to catch off guard. Even with Mangekyō's added advantage, you avoided my surprise attack. The Two-Tails really is as swift as a cat."
Seeing the complex pattern in Yagami's eyes, Wooden Golem's entire body tensed. She knew she was facing the most dangerous crisis since becoming a shinobi, staring directly into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
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Meanwhile, the Hyūga compound was in turmoil. After Hiashi dispatched the Kumogakure shinobi who had attempted to kidnap Hinata, Tutai and his team arrived ahead of Konoha's backup and immediately demanded an explanation.
"Lord Hokage, our Kumogakure delegation came here for peace talks in good faith. Can you explain why one of our mission members, who was staying at the residence, has died here?" Tutai said angrily, venting his frustration at losing his comrade.
"Ridiculous! Is this the kind of 'sincerity' Kumogakure shows, using peace talks as an excuse to attempt kidnapping the Hyūga clan's heiress?" Hiashi retorted, his voice filled with fury. If it hadn't been for Fugaku's prior warning to stay vigilant, his daughter might have been taken.
Third, Hokage's face was unreadable, though he could clearly see that something was amiss and that Kumogakure's delegation was acting.
"Hmph! Whether or not we kidnapped your clan's heiress, you know the truth in your heart. But, Lord Hokage, if you have grievances with us, you should have stated them during peace talks rather than secretly plotting to kill us!" Toroi didn't give Third Hokage or Hiashi a chance to speak further, immediately shifting blame onto Konoha and blocking any response.
Hiashi glanced sharply at Third Hokage, his heaving chest betraying his frustration. The very accusations Tutai hurled were the ones he had intended to bring up himself, and Tutai's words—"you know the truth"—were exactly what he wanted to say.
Now that he couldn't voice his side, Third Hokage's stance became crucial. He alone would decide whether to confront Kumogakure head-on or offer a sacrifice to maintain peace in Konoha.
"Lord Hokage, I hope you can provide us with an answer. If you think Kumogakure is easy to bully, go ahead and try. Even if war is inevitable, we will not be intimidated!" Toroi pressed on.
"What sort of explanation do you seek?"
After a long pause, Third Hokage sighed. Although he hadn't explicitly conceded, his words implied his unwillingness to escalate the conflict.
Kumogakure was not an easy opponent, and Konoha could not afford to enter a new war right now.
Tutai quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Though he hadn't secured the Byakugan, Konoha's attitude was clear. As Raikage-sama had predicted, the current Hokage had aged, and his resolve as a shinobi had weakened.
Hiashi, however, looked upon the Third Hokage with disappointment. It was clear he could no longer place his trust in Hokage's leadership.
"An explanation? Then it's simple—compensation for murder."
Since his comrade had died for this mission, if that couldn't be changed, then someone would have to be sacrificed in return.
"Hiashi, as this incident concerns the Hyūga, you should resolve it within your clan," Third Hokage said, looking at Hiashi with a hint of guilt. While he understood the need to appease Kumogakure, he hoped to give Hiashi an alternative to offering his life.
Just as Hizashi was about to step forward in his brother's defence, a loud crash sounded from a distance. Wooden Golem's body came hurtling down into the Hyūga compound like a falling meteorite, crashing through several walls before coming to a halt. Although she was battered, her chakra cloak kept her from serious harm.
"Everyone from Kumogakure, before demanding explanations, perhaps you could clarify what your Jinchūriki is doing in Konoha?"
Yagami appeared before the crowd in an instant, and Mangekyō Sharingan activated. Seeing the disappointment and anger in Hiashi's eyes, he couldn't help but feel satisfied.
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