Konoha glittered beneath the night sky.
Shops, taverns, and restaurants remained packed with people, their lights spilling across the busy streets.
Yet no matter where one went, the topic of conversation was the same.
Kumogakure.
The Hyuga Clan.
And the possibility of another war.
Inside one crowded tavern, several patrons were arguing loudly over drinks.
“Have you heard? The Cloud is demanding the Hyuga Clan Head’s corpse. If Konoha refuses, they’re threatening war.”
“The Hyuga Clan Head? He’s the head of one of Konoha’s major clans. There’s no way the Hyuga would agree to something like that.”
“But we’re talking about war.”
One man lowered his cup uneasily.
“What if the Cloud really does attack?”
Another sighed.
“I think the Hyuga should make the sacrifice. If one person’s death can protect the whole village…”
“I don’t want another war either.”
“Exactly. One life in exchange for the peace of Konoha? You could even call that an honor.”
“Enough!”
A young man slammed his palm against the table.
Several heads turned.
His face was flushed with anger.
“What’s wrong with all of you? Where did Konoha’s backbone go? Today, the Cloud can force the Hyuga to hand over their Clan Head. Tomorrow it’ll be the Uchiha. Then the Hatake. Then every other clan in the village.”
He swept his gaze across the room.
“Can’t you see what Kumogakure is trying to do?”
Someone snorted.
“That’s just your imagination.”
“You’re still young. You never experienced the Shinobi World Wars.”
Another older patron shook his head.
“You have no idea how terrible war really is.”
“If sacrificing one person keeps Konoha at peace, then it’s worth it.”
The young man’s fists clenched, but the tavern had already returned to its uneasy murmuring.
In a quiet corner, Kakashi and Guy sat with untouched food between them.
Neither looked particularly cheerful.
Kakashi stared into his cup.
“Do you think this kind of concession is right?”
Guy’s expression, normally bursting with energy, was unusually grim.
“I don’t like surrendering like this.”
Kakashi gave a faint nod.
“Neither do I.”
He lifted his sake and drained the cup in one swallow.
Elsewhere in Konoha, inside another tavern, Kakuzu sat concealed in the shadows.
He listened to the same arguments.
Fear of war.
Sacrifice for peace.
One Hyuga life in exchange for the safety of the village.
His eyes narrowed with contempt.
Cowards.
Kakuzu rose silently.
“Tonight…”
His voice was barely more than a whisper.
“…things are going to change.”
Whoosh!
He vanished.
Not long afterward, three shadowy figures gathered briefly before splitting up.
Kakuzu pointed toward one of them.
“You handle the Hokage’s office.”
Then the second.
“You take the Scroll of Seals.”
Finally, he turned away.
“I’ll take the treasury.”
A rare trace of enthusiasm entered his voice.
“Money…”
Kakuzu sighed almost fondly.
“My favorite.”
Roughly a kilometer from the Hokage’s office stood a large, heavily guarded compound.
Hiashi Hyuga walked through its gates at an unhurried pace.
He could sense them.
ANBU.
Root.
Dozens of shinobi positioned throughout the surrounding area.
Yet Hiashi’s expression never changed.
He entered the main hall.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was waiting for him.
So were Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado.
Hiruzen held out a document.
“The daimyo’s order.”
Hiashi accepted it.
Hiruzen’s voice was low.
“Kumogakure is insisting on your corpse.”
Hiashi said nothing.
Hiruzen continued.
“I know this is unjust.”
His fingers tightened slightly around his pipe.
“But I have no other choice. Konoha needs peace. The village cannot afford another war.”
He looked directly at Hiashi.
“After your death, I will ensure that your family is taken care of.”
Hiruzen’s expression turned solemn.
“I swear it on my nindo.”
Hiashi remained silent for several seconds.
Then he nodded.
“I’ll return home tonight and arrange my affairs.”
His voice was calm.
“I won’t cause you any trouble.”
Hiruzen, Danzo, Koharu, and Homura all visibly relaxed.
The Hyuga were one of Konoha’s great clans.
If Hiashi had refused outright, forcing the issue could have created consequences none of them could fully predict.
Hiruzen stepped forward and rested a hand on Hiashi’s shoulder.
He sighed.
“Konoha will remember your sacrifice.”
Hiashi’s eyes remained unreadable.
“We will remember it.”
Hiruzen continued softly.
“The village will remember it.”
He paused.
“You may go in peace.”
Hiashi turned toward the exit.
Then—
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion tore through the night.
The ground trembled.
An enormous column of fire erupted into the sky in the distance, illuminating nearly half of Konoha as though dawn had suddenly arrived.
“The Hokage’s office exploded!”
Every face in the hall changed.
Hiruzen, Danzo, Koharu, and Homura immediately turned toward Hiashi.
Hiashi stared back at them.
For once, the Hyuga Clan Head looked genuinely bewildered.
“What happened?”
The four elders watched him carefully.
It didn’t look like an act.
And they knew Hiashi.
He might resist political pressure.
He might bargain.
He might refuse certain demands.
But blowing up the Hokage’s office?
Such an openly treasonous and reckless act simply wasn’t his style.
Hiashi’s veins bulged around his temples.
“Byakugan!”
His vision expanded instantly.
Distance vanished.
The scene roughly a kilometer away appeared clearly before his eyes.
Hiashi’s face darkened.
“The entire building collapsed.”
“Move!”
Hiruzen disappeared first.
The others followed immediately.
His anxiety was understandable.
The Hokage’s office contained countless classified documents.
Normally, it was heavily guarded.
But tonight, many of those guards had been transferred to this compound in preparation for the meeting with Hiashi.
The office’s defenses had been significantly weakened.
Someone had taken advantage of that opening.
Please don’t let them have stolen anything important.
Hiruzen accelerated.
Hiashi followed close behind, his mind racing.
He was just as shocked as everyone else.
Who did this?
By the time they neared the scene, the Hokage building had already become a burning ruin.
Flames roared through the wreckage. Find the original chapter at novelping.com.
Several Water Release users desperately tried to suppress the fire, but the damage had already been done.
Nearby, shinobi were pulling bodies from the debris.
Several Konoha ninja were dead.
Hiashi’s Byakugan focused on the wounds.
Hiruzen noticed them at almost the same moment.
“Lightning Release.”
The injuries were unmistakable.
Hiruzen’s expression turned ice-cold.
“Teams One, Four, Eight, and Twelve!”
“Surround the Cloud delegation immediately!”
“Yes!”
Fifteen figures vanished into the darkness.
Less than three seconds later—
BOOM!
Another explosion shook Konoha.
This time, Hiruzen’s face went pale.
“No!”
He spun toward the sound.
“My residence!”
His eyes widened.
“The Scroll of Seals is there!”
Before he could even finish—
BOOM!
A third explosion erupted from the opposite direction.
Danzo’s expression changed.
So did Koharu’s.
Homura stared toward the new column of smoke.
“The treasury!”
For the first time that night, Hiruzen completely lost his composure.
“Danzo!”
“Take Root and secure the treasury!”
Danzo was already moving.
Hiruzen turned toward Hiashi.
“Clan Head Hiashi, come with me to my residence!”
He pointed toward the burning Hokage building.
“Leave a team here to investigate the scene!”
Orders flew one after another.
And in that moment, the hesitation and weariness that had surrounded the Third Hokage earlier disappeared.
The old shinobi who had survived multiple wars resurfaced.
Decisive.
Fast.
Commanding.
Konoha erupted into chaos.
That night, the entire village was thrown into turmoil.
The Hokage’s office had been blown apart.
The Scroll of Seals had been stolen.
The treasury had been breached, and more than half its contents had disappeared.
Shinobi rushed through the streets.
Some fought the fires.
Others searched for attackers.
ANBU swept rooftops and alleyways.
Root mobilized.
Clan compounds increased their security.
And half an hour later, the compound housing the Land of Lightning delegation was completely surrounded by Konoha shinobi.
The atmosphere had become murderous.
The delegation leader stood at the entrance, furious.
“This had nothing to do with us!”
His voice rang through the courtyard.
“The Land of Lightning did not carry out these attacks!”
“This is an accusation without evidence!”
Hiruzen stepped forward.
His eyes were bloodshot with rage.
“You think I would accuse you without evidence?”
The delegation leader froze.
Three bodies were carried into the courtyard.
They were placed on the ground between the two sides.
Silence fell.
The Cloud delegation stared at the corpses.
Then their expressions twisted in shock and fury.
“You—”
The delegation leader’s eyes nearly split with rage.
“You killed them!”