The entire incident was actually quite simple.
Kumogakure, unable to resist its old habits, once again turned to abducting women and children.
Whether due to geography or other unavoidable factors, despite being one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Kumogakure possessed a surprisingly small number of Bloodline Limit clans.
Compared to Konoha and Kirigakure, the difference was especially noticeable. Even Sunagakure had more Bloodline Limit clans than they did.
This situation was somewhat similar to Iwagakure, but what did Iwagakure's circumstances have to do with Kumogakure?
Successive Raikage had dreamed of surpassing every other village, crushing Konoha and overwhelming Iwagakure to establish Kumogakure as the strongest force in the shinobi world.
But how could a village truly prosper without powerful Bloodline Limits?
To enrich their bloodlines, the Raikage repeatedly resorted to kidnapping talented individuals from other villages.
There was little alternative.
Unlike Orochimaru, Kumogakure had no genius capable of conducting advanced genetic research. Since they could not create Bloodline Limits themselves, they could only steal them.
Years ago, they had targeted Kushina Uzumaki. This time, their eyes were set on the Hyuga Clan and its Byakugan.
The Byakugan's reconnaissance abilities were unmatched. On the battlefield, it was a strategic asset of immense value. Furthermore, compared to clans like the Uchiha, the Hyuga were viewed as easier targets.
After all, trying to kidnap an Uchiha child and getting caught by Konoha's Yellow Flash would practically be suicide.
Thus, the Hyuga Clan became the victim this time.
Hayashi, however, found the whole situation rather baffling.
Kirigakure possessed no fewer Bloodline Limit clans than Konoha, perhaps even more. Combined with the chaos caused by the Mizukage's policies over the years, many Bloodline Limit users there would probably have been more than willing to relocate to Kumogakure.
After all, scarcity increased value.
What was commonplace in Kirigakure would become a treasured asset in Kumogakure.
Given the Raikage's enthusiasm for acquiring talent, those Bloodline Limit shinobi would likely receive excellent treatment.
Their safety would be guaranteed, their status elevated, and they would probably be encouraged to start large families to strengthen the village's bloodlines.
The Third Raikage had once said:
"Give Kumogakure a single Bloodline Limit shinobi, and that shinobi can build an entire clan."
With opportunities like that available, why insist on provoking Konoha instead?
Continuously targeting the same village was hardly a sophisticated strategy.
For this Byakugan theft operation, the Kumogakure envoy had spent considerable time gathering intelligence, mapping the area, and deploying spies.
Unlike the incident in the original timeline, Hinata had not yet been born. In fact, Hiashi did not even have a girlfriend yet.
As a result, the Kumogakure shinobi shifted their focus toward children from the Hyuga branch family.
Although branch family members carried the Caged Bird Seal, the seal was not applied immediately after birth. Infants simply could not endure the process.
That left several young children who had not yet received the seal.
Naturally, these children became the kidnappers' targets.
Unfortunately for them, they happened to encounter Hiashi while he was supposedly heading out in the middle of the night.
As for why Hiashi, despite having facilities in his own residence, chose to wear pink pajamas and take a lengthy route that brought him near the branch family compound, that mystery remained unsolved.
Regardless, from that night onward, a peculiar rumor began spreading throughout Konoha.
The young head of the Hyuga Clan supposedly enjoyed sneaking around at night to steal underwear.
The rumor was so persistent that it even indirectly affected the timeline of Hinata's eventual birth.
...
...
Setting aside Hiashi's strange reputation, he was still the future leader of the Hyuga Clan.
Everything within the clan belonged to him in one way or another.
Now, seeing outsiders attempting to kidnap a child from his own clan, how could he possibly tolerate it?
With a furious roar, he lifted his pink nightclothes, rolled up his sleeves, and charged forward.
"How dare you kidnap a child of the Hyuga Clan? Are you tired of living?!"
His voice thundered across the compound, loud enough for half the clan to hear.
As previously mentioned, Konoha remained on edge during this period. Any disturbance was enough to attract attention.
The moment Hiashi shouted, the Kumogakure shinobi realized that escaping quietly was no longer an option.
He had never intended to kill Hiashi in the first place.
A crowd would arrive within moments.
Trying to assassinate the Hyuga heir while surrounded by Konoha shinobi was nothing more than a fantasy.
What was he, the Yellow Flash?
That left only one option.
Death.
If he died inside Konoha during a peace negotiation mission, Kumogakure could immediately shift responsibility onto Konoha.
A peace envoy dying in the host village would provide endless political leverage.
In the past, Konoha might not have cared.
Now, however, the situation was different.
Only three months had passed since Fugaku's attack. The village was still recovering from extensive damage, and years of warfare had left it weakened.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Raikage had cultivated the image of an impulsive warmonger.
Whether genuine or deliberate, most people believed it.
In the eyes of the shinobi world, he was exactly the type of person who might launch a war regardless of the consequences.
The Third Hokage had no desire to face such a scenario.
Konoha did not fear war.
But war meant casualties, economic strain, and delayed development.
Kumogakure might be willing to suffer enormous losses just to wound its enemy, but Konoha was not interested in such reckless exchanges.
Doing so would only give Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure opportunities to recover and strengthen themselves.
Under those circumstances, Konoha would likely be forced to make concessions to calm Kumogakure's anger.
That confidence was precisely why A dared to stir up trouble within Konoha.
Unfortunately, Hiashi was not thinking that far ahead.
His Gentle Fist struck directly toward the intruder's chest.
The Kumogakure shinobi failed to commit suicide.
Instead, he was beaten to death by the enraged Hiashi.
When Hyuga Tenku arrived and saw the rescued child in Hiashi's arms, his expression immediately darkened.
Years ago, the Himeji incident had already enraged him. Kirigakure had coveted the Byakugan and stolen his own daughter's eyes.
Fortunately, Hayashi later infiltrated Kirigakure alone, destroying much of the village's power and recovering the stolen eyes, which had eased some of his anger.
Now another shinobi had dared to target the Byakugan.
Did they truly think the Hyuga Clan had no one capable of protecting it?
However, when his gaze fell upon the Kumogakure shinobi's corpse, his expression changed once more.
It did not take long for him to understand the implications.
Had the intruder survived, Konoha could have used him as leverage against Kumogakure.
But now that he was dead, and dead at Hiashi's hands, the Hyuga Clan would likely be forced to make concessions.
They had become victims who might still be required to pay compensation.
Himeji arrived shortly afterward and looked at Hayashi with concern.
Hayashi simply smiled and reassured her.
"Nothing will happen. Hokage-sama will soon have more important things to worry about than Kumogakure. Don't concern yourself with it."
Himeji nodded, visibly relieved.
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