Chapter 73: Is It Us in Konoha Who Are Defeated and Begging for Peace?

Sarutobi Hiruzen's fingers were trembling, but the resolution that leaked from the depths of his eyes when he looked at the Konoha villagers before leaving made Hyuga Hiashi's heart turn cold.

That look exposed the Third Hokage's decision.

No matter what, he was determined to facilitate the peace talks, even if it meant sacrificing Hyuga Hiashi, even if it meant chilling the hearts of the Hyuga clan.

At the same time, he believed that the Konoha villagers would understand him and stand by his side.

Returning to the office, Utatane Koharu could not help but suggest: "Hiruzen, why don't we pause for a moment..."

"Silence!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen sternly reprimanded: "The survival of Konoha is far more important than one person's innocence, and more important than the grievances of a single clan!"

His gaze swept across his three classmates, and he said in an icy tone: "It is a fact that Hyuga Hiashi killed the Cloud Ninja envoy, and it is also a fact that Kumogakure is using this as leverage."

"Of course I know that the Cloud Ninja are in the wrong, but if we do not compromise, that madman, the Fourth Raikage, will surely join forces with Kirigakure."

"Orochimaru is very powerful, and his new student Yamanaka Chujiu is also powerful, but can they block the attacks from both Kumogakure and Kirigakure at the same time?"

Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Sarutobi Hiruzen all looked at Shimura Danzo.

Shimura Danzo: "..."

Danzo: Why do I have the feeling that you all resent me for not being able to fight, letting Kirigakure shit on Hiruzen's head?

Hiruzen: Bastard, it's not a misunderstanding; that is exactly what we mean!

If Shimura Danzo could be like Orochimaru, dealing such heavy losses to Kumogakure that three or five thousand ninja were killed in battle, forcing them to come to Konohagakure to negotiate, Kumogakure would have no room to bargain with him at all!

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath: "I must stop Kumogakure's rampage; I will spare no cost to prevent Konohagakure from being attacked from both sides."

"Once we fall into the desperate situation of being attacked from the front and back, Orochimaru's victory will go down the drain, and the Cloud Hidden Army could approach the one-thousand-kilometer absolute defense perimeter of Konohagakure."

"At that time, who can guarantee that Sunagakure and Iwagakure won't tear up the agreements?"

"If there is another siege by the four great ninja villages, it won't just be Hyuga Hiashi who dies in Konohagakure, but thousands upon thousands of Konoha Ninja!"

These words were like a basin of cold water, extinguishing the spirit of the three old fellows.

They understood Sarutobi Hiruzen's concerns now.

Shimura Danzo was unconvinced, but he had no battle achievements to support a hardline stance, so he could only show his indignation, daring to be angry but not to speak.

Mitokado Homura found it hard to accept the approach of "being cruel to one's own to appease outsiders," fearing it would completely chill the hearts of the people in Konohagakure, but he also kept his mouth shut due to a lack of battle merits.

Utatane Koharu closed her eyes and said nothing.

Sarutobi Hiruzen said: "Shinnosuke, send an Anbu ninja to convey my meaning to Hyuga Hiashi."

"I want a Hyuga corpse, otherwise the Hyuga clan will be an enemy of me, the Third Hokage."

A few minutes later, Hyuga Hiashi stood in his living room, his spine still straight, but the firmness of the past was gone from his eyes, leaving only deep disappointment: "I understand the Hokage's meaning."

"But has he ever thought that if he sacrifices my Hyuga clan today, he could sacrifice any ninja who protects Konoha tomorrow?"

"At that time, who would still be willing to sacrifice themselves for Konoha in earnest?"

"Without ninja willing to sacrifice for it, is Konohagakure still Konohagakure?"

The Anbu ninja delivering the message worshipped the Third Hokage greatly; upon hearing this, he was furious, "Hyuga Hiashi, you are presumptuous!"

"Lord Hokage is also thinking of the big picture; as the head of the Hyuga Main House, you should prioritize Konoha, how can you be so selfish?"

"Selfish?" Hyuga Hiashi laughed self-deprecatingly, his laughter filled with sorrow: "You should go; I have nothing to say to an Anbu like you, and as an Anbu, it is not appropriate for you to say such things."

The Anbu ninja was shocked; openly expressing opinions as an Anbu was a serious violation of regulations.

He did not expect that after being contradicted by him, the Hyuga clan head would still be thinking about not making him look too bad.

Heavy breathing echoed in the air; the young Anbu ninja felt conflicted, but in the end, he left without saying anything else.

After today's public tug-of-war, the Elders of the Hyuga Main House finally understood the Hyuga's situation: they were just something on the side of the road.

Not only did the Third Hokage trample on their dignity at will, and the Konoha Elder Council not hold them in any regard, but even an obscure Anbu ninja dared to contradict the clan head.

How shameful, how stifling!

The Hyuga Elders looked grave; the pride of the Hyuga clan had truly been shattered to pieces.

Hyuga Hiashi sneered: "Good, it really was all guessed correctly by Lord Orochimaru and Yamanaka Chujiu; they really are forcing me without any regard!"

Several Main House Elders looked terrified: "Clan Head, why don't we just listen to the Third Hokage..."

Hyuga Hizashi looked ashen: "For the sake of the Hyuga clan, for the sake of my big brother, why don't you let me..."

Hyuga Hiashi roared: "All of you, shut up!"

"Yamanaka Chujiu's wisdom is astonishing; he had long since guessed what kind of stupid decisions you fools would make!"

"From now on, all of you stop thinking and just execute my orders!"

"I am the Hyuga clan head, and I am responsible for the fate of the Hyuga clan!"

Hyuga Hizashi was very obedient; once his big brother's order was given, he immediately took a deep breath, cleared his mind, and asked: "Clan Head, what should we do?"

Hyuga Hiashi said: "It's simple: make everything public, put up posters, send out ninja to spread the word, and let everyone in Konohagakure know exactly what has happened."

Hyuga Hizashi's brain crashed again: "Huh?"

Hyuga Hiashi sneered: "Yamanaka Chujiu is right; the Third Hokage's approach, no matter what he says, is essentially a conspiracy that cannot see the light of day."

"Any conspiracy, once placed under the sun, will melt like ice cream in summer, leaving the perpetrator with sticky hands, never to be clean again."

Hyuga Hizashi stammered: "But, we are ninja."

"Ninja don't keep secrets, but instead make everything public—is that really, really okay?"

Hyuga Hiashi said helplessly: "Brother, I already told you, stop thinking and just execute."

"Besides, even if you ask me, I can't tell you!"

"I heard it from Yamanaka Chujiu myself, and I felt that what he said made so much sense, but if you ask me to explain it, I can't."

"In short, just follow the orders."

Just as Yamanaka Chujiu had predicted, even though Konohagakure had won on the battlefield, it was wrong to compromise with the cheating, defeated Kumogakure.

When the news was confined to the small circle of ninja, those whose minds were full of conspiracies, assassinations, intelligence, and secrecy would be easily persuaded by the Third Hokage, even if they felt something was wrong.

In fact, they had not thought it through; they simply habitually trusted the authority of the Hokage and denied their own judgment.

But those ordinary villagers were not so easily persuaded.

Young ninja who had not yet accepted that ninja were tools, or that ninja must walk in the darkness, could not be persuaded by a simple "for Konoha."

After public opinion erupted, the Konoha Ninja who had previously been persuaded also came to their senses.

Hyuga is right; why should we be aggrieved?

Is our Konohagakure a defeated party begging for peace?