"This…"
Everyone present fell into silence. One of the Hyūga clan's main-house elders couldn't help but sigh. "If Hiashi had taken that Cloud ninja alive, the situation might have turned out better."
"No, it wouldn't have," Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head, shattering the naive hope. "From the intelligence we've gathered, the Fourth Raikage now has a secretary named Mabui. She's one of the few female jōnin, and she's calm, intelligent, and highly capable."
"It seems this entire plan was her doing. The Hidden Cloud delegation came prepared: either they successfully took Hinata with them, or they died at the hands of the main house. It was an open scheme, plain for all to see."
This time, Konoha had truly been played.
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't expected that the once brash and reckless Hidden Cloud Village would now resort to such cunning tactics.
Just from the words Yurui shouted as he fled, combined with the fact that so many villagers had witnessed it firsthand—and then Yurui dying at Hiashi's hands—the accusation was now impossible to shake off.
Aside from those present who knew all the details, no one would believe this wasn't Konoha's doing. Even the villagers of Konoha wouldn't buy any other story. The blame had stuck to Konoha completely.
Now Konoha had only two choices.
Either they protected Hyūga Hiashi at all costs and went to war with Hidden Cloud, or they sacrificed him to appease the village.
"…"
Hyūga Hiashi and the six main-house elders all understood this. Except for Hyūga Higo, the other six couldn't help but look grim.
The fact that the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had left the "choice" to them meant the Hyūga clan no longer had any real options.
War meant death—many, many deaths.
The Land of Lightning had already named Hiashi as the culprit. What right did they have to make the village risk open conflict just to shield him?
It was easy to imagine that if war broke out again, the currently weakened Konoha would become the prime target for every other ninja village. Anyone could die in the fighting.
Human nature is selfish. No one wanted to die for the sake of the Hyūga clan.
"Since that's the case…"
After a long silence, Hyūga Hiashi finally spoke. His voice, though he tried to keep it steady, came out hoarse. "If sacrificing my life alone can save the village…"
"Wait."
Before Hiashi could finish, Hyūga Higo suddenly cut in, shaking his head. "Hiashi, don't be so impulsive."
"The Hyūga clan's Byakugan isn't just important to us—it's vital to the village as well. We absolutely cannot let the Hidden Cloud Village get their hands on it."
As he spoke, Hyūga Higo glanced briefly at Sarutobi Hiruzen seated at the head of the room.
Hiruzen remained silent. Though he felt some dissatisfaction with the Hyūga clan and wanted to shift the responsibility onto them, he had to admit the elder was right.
The Byakugan had played a decisive strategic role in the previous two Great Ninja Wars. If Hidden Cloud—known for their research into ninjutsu—obtained it and unraveled its secrets, the loss for Konoha would be disastrous.
Of course, even if Hiruzen agreed, he could not voice his opinion openly.
The blame for provoking this potential war already rested on the Hyūga clan. If he stepped forward to shoulder it himself, he would have to choose between abandoning his "allies" or starting a war—and every death would be laid at his feet.
It was a trolley problem. Either choice carried a heavy cost in lives.
Even he didn't know how to decide. Instead, he found himself curious about what the old Hyūga Higo was planning by saying all of this now.
"But we can't let Konoha get dragged into another hopeless war because of this," Hiashi frowned.
It wasn't that he cared for Konoha above everything else. More than anything, he cared about the Hyūga clan's future inside the village.
Sacrificing one to avoid war and save many.
This was not only the decision of the village's upper echelons; it was pressured by public sentiment throughout Konoha, and a choice the Hyūga clan could not refuse.
If Hiashi truly tried to evade it, he would become the target of everyone's anger, and the Hyūga clan would find itself in an impossible position.
Because every death in the war would be counted against them.
So while it looked like two choices, in reality there had only ever been one.
"I know that, of course."
Hyūga Higo's face was shadowed and hard to read in the candlelight. His tone was cold. "That's exactly why the branch house exists."
"…"
Hyūga Hiashi slowly lifted his head and stared at the main-house elder in front of him, dazed. "What?"
Hyūga Higo ignored the look and turned toward the closed door. "Come in."
Click.
A cold, rain-laden wind rushed in as the door opened, as if unveiling a truth no one wanted to face. The candle flames before them flickered and dimmed. The swaying light cast broken shadows across the walls.
"Hizashi?"
Hyūga Hiashi stared blankly at the man entering the room, then at the unfamiliar face right behind him.
The first was naturally Hyūga Hizashi, his expression complicated. The second was a young boy with red, swollen eyes.
"Hyūga Yunchuan?"
Seeing the person who had entered with Hizashi, Hyūga Higo's usually calm face finally changed. He frowned and snapped, "Get out! Who let you—"
"It was me who brought him."
Before Higo could finish, Hizashi interrupted, darkening the elder's face.
Hizashi had never dared interrupt him before. He must feel he was already as good as dead, so the fear was gone.
Everyone in the room turned their eyes to Hizashi and the boy behind him. Facing their heavy, scrutinizing gazes, Hyūga Yunchuan lifted his head without hesitation or burden.
Yunchuan's eyes were red and swollen—he had clearly been crying. His pure white Byakugan was laced with blood as his gaze swept over everyone present.
"I'm here to send Lord Hizashi on his final journey."
Noticing the Third Hokage's surprised look, he gave him an apologetic glance before turning to the other main-house members with a cold voice. "I trust the 'esteemed and highly respected' main-house head and elders wouldn't deny a dying man his last shred of dignity, would they?"
He put heavy emphasis on "esteemed and highly respected," his tone sharp with biting sarcasm. He might as well have pointed at their noses and called them shameless old fossils.
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't feel offended. Thanks to the apologetic glance, he knew the remark wasn't aimed at him. Instead, he was surprised by Yunchuan's boldness.
Was this child standing up for Hizashi?
Had his resentment grown so strong that he no longer cared about differences in status?
Sure enough, the six main-house elders' faces darkened, and Hyūga Higo's eyes flashed with cold light.
Hizashi was one thing; he could overstep—he was already a dead man walking.
But who did this Hyūga Yunchuan think he was, daring to be so disrespectful in front of him?