"Is that so! The current Third Hokage is really getting old! I think Hiashi must be quite disappointed in him as well."
After hearing the details of last night's events, Fugaku's voice remained steady, but the disdain on his face was unmistakable.
Setting aside the relationship between the Uchiha and the village, the way the Third Hokage handled the situation last night was a clear example of sacrificing Konoha's interests to appease the enemy.
"Exactly! You should've seen the look on Clan Head Hiashi's face. If he had the status and strength, I wouldn't be surprised if he gave the Third Hokage a slap or two."
Yagami said gleefully. Initially, causing friction between the Hyūga and the Hokage's faction hadn't been in his plan. He had intended to use the Jinchūriki incident to ensure that Kumogakure couldn't coerce Hizashi into a sacrificial role and, in doing so, earn goodwill from the Hyūga.
This favour to Konoha was also meant to encourage them to ease their surveillance of the Uchiha. The growing tension between the Hyūga and the village was something he only considered afterwards.
"Although last night you didn't overtly suggest anything, I think Hiashi will soon reach out to us, Uchiha."
Fugaku smiled faintly.
On the surface, the Uchiha and Hyūga clans were rivals, but in reality, their relationship wasn't so antagonistic, and Fugaku and Hiashi had a decent personal rapport.
It was only the village's pressure that forced them to maintain their distance.
But now that a rift had opened between the Hyūga and the village, even if it was due to the Hokage's fault, the village leadership might not view it that way. If the Hyūga wanted to avoid becoming too passive, they would need allies.
Considering the events of last night, Uchiha remained the only viable ally for Hyūga among Konoha's clans with similar grievances.
"Clan head, Hyūga has sent an invitation."
Shortly after Fugaku finished speaking, a member of the clan brought a letter, and the Hyūga's response time was impressive.
"The Shimura clan has been under pressure lately. Their clan head wants to negotiate a private peace with us and has hired the Hyūga as an intermediary."
In response to Yagami's questioning gaze, Fugaku placed the letter beside him. They both understood that the intermediary role was merely an excuse. An alliance between clans in Konoha was sensitive and couldn't be openly declared.
Especially for prominent clans like Uchiha and Hyūga, any visible cooperation without a suitable pretext would only breed suspicion among the village leadership.
"Out of respect for the Hyūga, we'll acknowledge their invitation, but as for the Shimura clan? They can go cool their heels."
Yagami nodded, recognizing that Fugaku was probing his stance on handling the Shimura clan. After all, it wouldn't be wise to jeopardize the alliance between the two clans, even if the Shimura clan stood on the opposite side.
The Shimura family… Danzo was far from an upstanding figure, and his clan wasn't much better. Now, they felt uncomfortable being targeted. They seemed to have enjoyed themselves when the Uchiha was facing scrutiny! In some ways, they were even more extreme than the Sarutobi clan!
If they thought they could negotiate a truce, they were dreaming.
…
In the Hokage's office, the wrinkles on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face deepened. He couldn't even focus on the paperwork piled on his desk.
"Lord Hokage, the missing Anbu members have returned. They weren't physically harmed but seem mentally drained—they must have been subjected to a powerful genjutsu."
Hearing the report from Anbu, the Third Hokage nodded and instructed:
"Recall all personnel monitoring the Uchiha clan. Withdraw the covert operatives as well, and inform Danzo to keep his people away from Uchiha."
Although Root was officially disbanded, everyone knew it was just a nominal move. As long as Danzo remained, so did Root. Danzo might appear more restrained now, but his influence and his hold on Root were largely unchanged.
After all, everyone in Root had been thoroughly indoctrinated by him; they would only take orders from Danzo. Even the Third Hokage couldn't mobilize them effectively, and he had no real intent to dismantle Root, as its existence served as a critical political tool in his role as Hokage.
It was only due to the overwhelming threat of multiple Mangekyō users that he had been forced to concede to Itachi's demands at that time.
Now, though Danzo had lost his official title and Root was disbanded in name, his loyal operatives remained at his command, beyond the Third Hokage's direct control.
"Hiruzen, are you sure it's wise to lift the surveillance on the Uchiha? They're now completely beyond our control," Utatane Koharu said, deeply concerned. The monitoring of the Uchiha had been ordered by their teacher, Senju Tobirama. Removing it stirred uneasy emotions and made it difficult for them to feel secure.
"What choice do I have?" the Third Hokage replied angrily. "Beyond the issue of the Kumogakure Jinchūriki, the Uchiha can now subdue our Anbu under surveillance. Are we supposed to pursue a blind confrontation? The Uchiha today are not the Uchiha of the past. I lack the resolve to engage in a cunning war with them now…"
The Third Hokage's frustration was evident. Hiashi had agreed to mediate the Shimura clan's peace talks with Uchiha. Though it was officially a neutral role, it clearly indicated that the Hyūga were moving closer to the Uchiha.
Dealing with any single major clan was already challenging. Now, with two of Konoha's powerful clans joining forces, it felt like a paper bomb had been strapped to his chest.
What's more, the events of last night had already spread, causing murmurs among shinobi aligned with the Hokage. This was the true source of the Third Hokage's headache.
The Third Hokage still felt aggrieved by the situation. He had made these decisions for the village's peace, so why was he now being blamed…?
On the other side, Yagami approached Shisui and asked:
"How did it go?"
"No success; genjutsu is ineffective on Jinchūriki without using Kotoamatsukami."
Shisui shook his head.
After last night's events, Yagami had sent Shisui to keep an eye on Yugito.
The reasoning was simple.
During his initial clash with Yugito, Yagami had wondered if he could emulate Obito's control over the Fourth Mizukage by secretly manipulating Kumogakure's Jinchūriki.
But he had failed and was forced to use direct combat against Yugito. While his genjutsu had been enhanced, he wasn't specialized enough to affect the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.
Now, even Shisui's attempt had failed. That didn't explain why Jinchūriki were immune to genjutsu, so how had Obito managed to control Yagura, the Three-Tails Jinchūriki?
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