Chapter 379: Chapter 379: The Conspiring Konoha Clans
In the Nara clan compound, a secret room.
Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Chōza—the clan heads of the three Ino–Shika–Cho families—were gathered together.
"Shikaku, what’s your take?"
Yamanaka Inoichi spoke first.
Akimichi Chōza shoved a potato chip into his mouth, chewing with unusual force, as if venting his emotions.
Nara Shikaku leaned back in his chair, hands crossed under his chin, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.
"The old man... he’s definitely being controlled."
He spoke slowly, his tone firm.
"What?"
Chōza stopped chewing.
"Mangekyō Sharingan abilities are bizarre and varied. Uchiha Shisui desperately trying to get close to the Third Hokage on the battlefield couldn’t have been without purpose."
Nara Shikaku analyzed: "And the Third Hokage’s subsequent change in attitude is too abrupt—do you both remember when the Fourth Hokage was in office? Back then, although the old man had stepped back to the second line, the real power over ANBU, the advisor council, and even many key departments was still in his hands."
Yamanaka Inoichi suddenly understood:
"Right... Namikaze Minato was the Hokage in name, but many decisions still needed Sarutobi Hiruzen’s approval."
"A man unwilling to fully relinquish power even to his own disciple, the Fourth Hokage he personally appointed—would he suddenly and willingly cede the Hokage position to the Uchiha, a clan he’d always been wary of?"
Nara Shikaku sneered: "Only if the sun rises in the west."
Akimichi Chōza scratched his head: "But didn’t the Hyūga clan head use the Byakugan to check and said there were no traces of genjutsu?"
"That’s the terrifying part of the Mangekyō."
Nara Shikaku sighed: "Ordinary genjutsu invades the brain’s chakra pathway system, easily seen through by the Byakugan. But Mangekyō dōjutsu... especially abilities that might involve altering one’s will, likely surpass the scope of conventional genjutsu."
He paused, then continued: "Uchiha Shisui’s Mangekyō ability might not be an attack or defense type at all."
Silence fell in the secret room.
If that were true, then things were troublesome.
Sarutobi Hiruzen himself was alive and well, his words and actions showing no abnormality, his logic even clear and his sentiments sincere.
How could they prove that "the Hokage is being controlled"?
And even if they proved it, what could they do?
Tell Uchiha Fugaku, "Please release the Third Hokage from your genjutsu"?
That would be equivalent to an outright confrontation, forcing the Uchiha to start another war.
And now, Uchiha Fugaku was nominally the Fifth Hokage, holding the righteous cause. If it really came to a fight, other clans might not necessarily side with them.
"So troublesome..."
Nara Shikaku massaged his temples.
Yamanaka Inoichi smiled wryly:
"So, what should we do now? The Uchiha’s ascension is a done deal. Next, they’ll surely purge the upper echelons and install their own people. Although our three families have always been neutral, we did support the Third Hokage..."
"No, Uchiha Fugaku isn’t that stupid."
Nara Shikaku shook his head: "A large-scale purge immediately after taking power would only destabilize the village again. He should stabilize the overall situation first, infiltrate slowly—and with the old man’s banner of ’voluntarily stepping down,’ he can use the justification ’approved by the Third Hokage too’ to carry out personnel changes legally."
He looked at his two old friends: "What we need to do now is go with the flow, not be the ones to stick our necks out, and at the same time... leave ourselves a way out."
"A way out?" Akimichi Chōza was puzzled.
A flash of insight gleamed in Nara Shikaku’s eyes:
"Although the Uchiha have risen to power, there are forces both inside and outside Konoha that can counterbalance them."
"Do you two still remember... Sora?"
Yamanaka Inoichi was startled: "The Azure Dragon?"
"Yes."
Nara Shikaku nodded: "Sixteen years old, a ’God of Shinobi’ on par with the First Hokage. He obliterated Danzo and his two companions head-on, destroyed the Third Raikage head-on... Would Uchiha Fugaku dare to provoke such a monster easily?"
Akimichi Chōza gasped: "You mean..."
"Although Sora defected, he still has connections in Konoha."
Nara Shikaku ticked off on his fingers: "During his ANBU days, he had three long-term teammates—codename ’Fox’ Kiriga Hisanobu, ’Grey Wolf’ Kuroishi Kenji, and ’Night Owl’ Chihaya Ayane."
"Except for Grey Wolf, these two are still in ANBU now and have an excellent relationship with Sora."
"Then there’s Might Duy and Might Guy, father and son. Sora received guidance from them and has a considerable friendship with them."
"The Yūhi Shinku family... although Yūhi Kurenai left with Sora, Yūhi Shinku and his wife remain in Konoha; that connection can’t be severed."
"Classmates from the Ninja Academy days, like Morino Ibiki, Namiashi Raidō, and others. Though the friendship isn’t deep, there’s still a past connection."
He looked at his two old friends: "From now on, our three families should secretly build good relations with these people."
Yamanaka Inoichi understood:
"You mean... in case the Uchiha move against us in the future, we can contact Sora through these people?"
"Not just that."
Nara Shikaku said solemnly: "I’ve studied Sora’s character—calm, protective of his own, clear on gratitude and grudges. If the Uchiha really turn Konoha into a complete mess, given his personality, he might just come back for a ’visit.’"
"And at that time... we need a channel to talk with him."
Akimichi Chōza couldn’t help but say: "Shikaku, aren’t you thinking too far ahead? The Uchiha have only just taken power..."
"Prepare for a rainy day."
Nara Shikaku interrupted him: "The Uchiha clan has been suppressed for too long. Once they hold power, no one knows what they might do. Danzo’s death has already proven that the shady methods of Konoha’s higher-ups are useless against true strength."
He recalled that battle at the Valley of the End—the thousand-meter Azure Dragon, killing three Kage-level opponents in one blow.
That kind of power had already surpassed the scope of conventional ninjutsu.
If Sora still held a shred of old attachment to Konoha, then he was a sharp blade hanging over the Uchiha’s heads.
And the three Ino–Shika–Cho families needed to become... the hand that held that blade.
...
Hyūga clan compound.
Hyūga Hiashi knelt in the tearoom, a cup of tea that had long gone cold placed before him.
His eyes were closed, his mind replaying the scenes from tonight’s meeting repeatedly.
Every word Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke, every expression, was vividly clear.
The sliding door was gently opened, and a Hyūga servant carefully carried the sleeping Hinata inside.
Only six months old, Hinata’s eyes were shut, her little face still bearing the roundness of infancy, sleeping soundly.
"Clan Head-sama, Hinata-sama is asleep."
The servant reported quietly.
Hyūga Hiashi opened his eyes, his gaze towards his daughter softening for a moment, but it was soon replaced by heaviness.
He waved his hand. The servant understood, gently placed Hinata on a nearby cushion, bowed, and withdrew.
Looking at his daughter’s pure, sleeping face, a wave of complex emotions surged within Hyūga Hiashi.
The Uchiha had risen to power.
That clan, known alongside the Hyūga as "Konoha’s Two Eyes," now stood at the pinnacle of authority.
And the Hyūga...
Still clung to the outdated rules of the Main House and Branch House, clung to the name of "Konoha’s Strongest Bloodline," yet were internally divided, unable to move forward.
Hinata was still so young. By the time she grew up, what would the Hyūga clan be like?
Would it still be that clan, clinging to tradition, gradually being left behind by the times?
Uchiha Fugaku becoming Hokage was both a crisis and an opportunity for the Hyūga.
The crisis lay in the Uchiha clan’s inherent arrogance. Now holding great power, they might very well suppress the Hyūga.
The opportunity lay in...
Perhaps this was a chance to break the Hyūga clan’s stale rules.
The Branch House, the Caged Bird.
These shackles that had bound the Hyūga for so long, in a Konoha controlled by the Uchiha, might just... have a chance to change.
He looked towards the night sky outside the window, his gaze gradually firming.
The Hyūga clan needed to change.
Otherwise, they would sooner or later be eliminated by the times.
...
At the same time, other clans in Konoha were also engaged in their own scheming.
