Chapter 15: Hyuga, Never Compromise! (Part 2)

The Elder looked at the silent Hyuga Hiashi; he knew the other party had already taken his words to heart.

The Elder seemed to recall times past, and he began, "Hiashi, I have lived long enough, from the Second Hokage's era to today, so I can see through many things more clearly than you. Although the Hyuga Clan is a staunch supporter of the Hokage faction and has maintained a good relationship with the Third Hokage for decades, do not think that the higher-ups will not abandon us. In fact, to them, there is no essential difference between the Hyuga and the Uchiha; they will be betrayed without mercy whenever there is a need."

"Elder?"

"Hear me out, Hiashi. You are the Clan Head; every decision directly affects the fate of thousands in the clan." Elder Yuanzai waved a hand to interrupt Hyuga Hiashi and continued, "Hiashi, I do not know why you seem to have such confidence, but I feel the clan should be prepared this time. Just as the Council of Elders suggested, the Hyuga Clan must exert influence in advance and make some arrangements. I will send people to contact families with whom we have good relations to exert pressure on the higher-ups."

"Elder, things have not reached that point yet..."

"Hiashi, I clearly feel that something is wrong with this matter. Usually, you as Clan Head decide everything, but this time you should listen to the opinions of the Council of Elders."

Yuanzai gripped Hiashi's hand tightly and said with a determined face, "If this is all a misunderstanding, then I, as the Hyuga Elder, will take full responsibility afterward! I will resign and retire, never stepping out of the clan again. To the higher-ups, this will both maintain their authority and serve as a warning to other families! The Third and the others will be satisfied with this result."

"But what if I am right—the Hyuga are by no means like the Uchiha, who can only sit and wait for death. Even if it means mobilizing the clan's entire network of relationships, we must exert pressure on the higher-ups. This is not only to protect you, Hiashi, but also to warn the higher-ups not to treat the Hyuga like the Uchiha and manipulate us at will. It is a preparation that must be made for your sake and for the future of the clan!"

"But Elder, is this approach too radical?"

Fundamentally, Hyuga Hiashi did not agree with the approach of the Council of Elders, but he fully respected these elderly wise men.

Although it sounded somewhat alarmist, a part of his heart also acknowledged this approach. It was just that Hyuga Hiashi felt that making such a big fuss before anything had even begun ran somewhat contrary to the past style of the Hyuga Clan.

"Back then, the Uchiha Clan did not expect they would fall to where they are today. In terms of strength, the Sarutobi Clan and Shimura Clan of that time were not even fit to carry their shoes, yet who could have imagined that the situation would change so rapidly decades later? The same logic applies to the Hyuga Clan; only by being cautious and insightful into the subtle can the clan's legacy continue."

"Moreover, if one day the Uchiha fall, then the Hyuga will be the only prominent clan in the village. As the saying goes, the tree that stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind. Even if the Third Hokage does not take action against us, what will happen after the Third Hokage dies? As the head of a great clan, you must look further ahead. Also, you must remember that both the Uchiha and the Hyuga are powerful clans in the village."

"The village will not allow the Uchiha to hold power, and it will certainly not allow the Hyuga to dominate—you must remember this point."

Elder Yuanzai said earnestly. His painstaking advice was partly because he sensed the crisis gradually surrounding the clan, and partly because watching the Uchiha, once a fellow powerful clan, fall to their current state was undoubtedly a vivid political lesson for the Hyuga.

"Furthermore, we are just taking precautions. If everything goes smoothly—that would be for the best."

The Hyuga cannot place all their bets on the higher-ups; after all, the lesson of the Uchiha is right before their eyes. Rather than hoping for the higher-ups to show mercy and help the Hyuga through the crisis, it is better for the Hyuga to be prepared first—not to say they should have a known desire to rebel like the Uchiha, but at least they must let the higher-ups know that if the Hyuga are pushed too far, the outcome will not be easy to handle.

"Clan Head, the Elder is right. The clan does not want to have a conflict with the higher-ups, but we cannot let the clan suffer humiliation repeatedly!"

"Better safe than sorry; one must always be on guard against others."

"The clan should prepare early to prevent accidents. If the higher-ups uphold justice, then naturally everyone is happy, but if they want to sacrifice the Hyuga to please the Cloud Ninja... Hmph!"

The elders spoke up in agreement, and the cold snort of the last one represented an unspoken threat.

"—Clan Head, we are also willing to believe that the higher-ups will help the Hyuga through the crisis out of past sentiment, but this time the Cloud Ninja are coming aggressively and it may not end easily. Besides, the situation in the village is already bad; if the higher-ups want to compromise, it is understandable, as one must consider the big picture."

"However! The blame cannot all be thrown onto the Hyuga to bear. After all, last night was already a great humiliation. Do they intend to make us Hyuga pay the price again this time? This is not a threat to the higher-ups! It is just to let them understand that the Hyuga Clan is not a soft persimmon that can be bullied at will."

"Today they can force the Hyuga to bow twice, and tomorrow they will dare to use the same methods they used against the Uchiha to deal with the Hyuga. While being on good terms with the higher-ups is important, occasionally one must show fangs to let the higher-ups know the Hyuga Clan's bottom line. Blindly yielding will only make the... higher-ups push for more."

Seeing the look of hesitation and struggle still on Hiashi's face, the only woman among the elders, Hyuga Yeqing, spoke up.

"Clan Head, all of this is just in case."

Hyuga Hiashi took a deep breath. In fact, everyone knew clearly that the ones who should be held responsible were the Anbu who took the person away! But the Anbu absolutely could not be implicated, because behind the Anbu stood the Third Hokage. Could the Hyuga Clan dare to push the Third Hokage out for their own sake?

Of course, the best result would be to make the truth public and prove the innocence of the Hyuga Clan. In that case, Konoha Village could ensure its reputation remained undamaged, and the Hyuga Clan could struggle out of the dark swamp.

But it is imaginable that the Cloud Ninja would firmly deny it and accuse this of being a shameless excuse by Konoha Village to evade guilt, thereby triggering a war.

And if Konoha chose to compromise to avoid war, then they would have to give the Cloud Ninja an explanation...

Would the Third Hokage be willing to go to war with the Cloud Ninja to protect the clan?

Or could he withstand the pressure and force the Cloud Ninja to return to the negotiating table?

If the outcome reached the worst step, how should the Hyuga Clan conduct itself? Or if the higher-ups used moral kidnapping to make the Hyuga Clan "decide for themselves," would the Hyuga Clan flatly refuse and trigger a war between the two villages, or would they grit their teeth and accept paying a painful price to appease the Cloud Ninja?

Hyuga Hiashi panted, his eyes reddening; clearly, he was also struggling intensely within.

A moment later.

"—Fine, let it be done as you say."

"Let the clansmen contact those families who have been close to us in the past. Say that this incident was a deliberate provocation by the Cloud Ninja to destroy the relationship between the various families and the higher-ups, and the Hyuga Clan is merely the first to bear the brunt!"

Hyuga Hiashi opened his bloodshot eyes.

"But the matter must absolutely not be spread openly. All specific affairs will be discussed after I return from the Hokage Building!"

"We understand."

The elders looked at each other and responded in unison.

Soon, the entire Hyuga Clan began to take action, like a volcano about to erupt. A large number of clansmen left the clan compound and flew toward various places in the village. Their goal was to convey a message to all families close to the Hyuga Clan: the interests of the various families cannot be overdrafted by the higher-ups without limit. If you do not support the Hyuga today, then you will have to face everything alone tomorrow.

This slightly threatening but objectively existing fact made many small families who had realized the storm was coming groan in misery. If they had known, they would have closed their doors and not come to watch the excitement. Now, it seemed even they were going to be dragged into this diplomatic storm.

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