Chapter 61 - Hiashi Hyūga’s Decision

Chapter 61 - Hiashi Hyūga's Decision

The moment Hiashi Hyūga rejected the request, a tense silence filled the room.

Kazane's eyes narrowed slightly, his black pupils flashing with a hint of crimson.

A second later, he released a powerful wave of killing intent—his Shura's Conqueror's Haki.

Though his mastery over it was not yet perfect, he managed to restrict its range to a mere ten meters around him.

Yet even within that limited space, his dominant aura crashed down like a devastating tsunami upon Hiashi and Hizashi Hyūga.

The suffocating force of his Haki froze them in place—both men unable to move, barely able to breathe.

Their bodies trembled, cold sweat dripping down their faces.

As a control-type ability, Conqueror's Haki was mainly used to overwhelm the weak-willed.

And for true warriors, it often had little effect.

But for Hiashi and Hizashi—who had spent their entire lives training in the safety of their clan's compound, who had never once stepped onto a battlefield drenched in blood—this kind of killing intent was absolutely crushing.

Against soldiers who had never truly killed, Conqueror's Haki had double the impact.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl.

Kazane calmly watched as Hiashi and Hizashi struggled not to collapse, their bodies on the verge of giving out.

Only when he saw that they were at their absolute limit did he retract his aura.

The moment his Haki vanished, both Hiashi and Hizashi fell to the floor, gasping for breath.

Their robes were drenched in sweat, their hands shaking uncontrollably.

Kazane , still seated comfortably, glanced down at them.

"Now, can we have a real conversation, Hiashi-dono?"

His voice was calm, but his words carried undeniable authority.

Hiashi sat there, still reeling from the overwhelming pressure.

Never before had he felt such suffocating dread.

Even in the presence of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, he had never experienced such raw, unrelenting dominance.

For a brief moment, he had hallucinated a mountain of corpses and rivers of blood—as if he had stepped into a battlefield of absolute carnage.

Even though they were within the Hyūga compound, within the heart of Konoha, nothing about Kazane's aura had made him feel safe.

He could still hear his own heartbeat pounding violently in his ears.

His entire body felt numb.

Kazane spoke again, this time with a touch of impatience.

"Hiashi-dono, I'll ask one more time—can we talk now?"

Hiashi swallowed dryly, forcing himself to sit upright.

"...Yes, Kazane Jonin, you may speak."

His voice lacked its usual calm confidence.

Instead, it carried a trace of fear.

Kazane smiled pleasantly, as if nothing had happened.

"My teacher, Orochimaru, will be running for the position of Fourth Hokage once this war ends."

"The Uchiha Clan has already agreed to support him."

"I hope that when the time comes, you and the Hyūga Clan will also lend your political backing to our cause."

His tone was casual, almost friendly—as if they were merely discussing tea flavors.

But to Hiashi, every word carried immense weight.

For a long moment, Hiashi said nothing.

This was not the conversation he had expected.

He had assumed Kazane had come to demand Hyūga shinobi for the war effort.

Instead, the young swordsman had thrown a political bombshell at him.

Hiashi's mind raced.

What was the meaning of this?

Orochimaru, the Sannin, was going to challenge Sarutobi Hiruzen?

And the Uchiha Clan was already on his side?

If true, this meant that Konoha was about to face an internal power struggle—one that could reshape the entire village hierarchy.

Hiashi was a cautious man. He never made rash decisions.

And he definitely wouldn't pledge the Hyūga Clan's loyalty so easily.

So, after a brief silence, he gave a polite yet firm answer:

"Kazane Jonin, this is not a decision I can make alone. Our clan's affairs are decided by the Elders' Council. If you truly seek our support, it will require proper negotiations at a later time. However—"

"In regards to the war effort, the Hyūga Clan can offer you ten Jonin and fifty Chunin."

This was a classic deflection tactic.

By offering military aid, Hiashi was buying time—avoiding a direct stance on the Hokage issue.

But Kazane merely laughed.

"Hiashi-dono, I suggest you think about this carefully. You still have plenty of time to decide. My master and I will await your answer until the war ends."

He then stood up, his demeanor as relaxed as ever.

"And as for your Hyūga shinobi offer…"

"I only need one person."

Hiashi frowned.

"...Who?"

Kazane grinned.

"Hizashi Hyūga. That will be enough. Tomorrow, at 8 a.m., I expect to see him at the village gates."

Then, without waiting for a response, Kazane lifted his teacup, took a final sip, and chuckled.

"Mm. Good tea."

With that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the hall, laughing softly to himself.

As the sound of his footsteps faded, Hiashi remained seated in silence.

Across from him, Hizashi quietly sipped his tea, deep in thought.

Though both men still held the same posture, the air in the room had changed completely.

Gone was the previous sense of harmony and peace.

What remained was tension, uncertainty, and the looming weight of an inevitable decision.

"...Brother."

Hizashi finally spoke, breaking the silence.

Hiashi sighed heavily, rubbing his temples.

"Hizashi, prepare yourself. Tomorrow, you will report to Kazane."

Hizashi's brows furrowed slightly.

"Brother… are you planning to side with them?"

Hiashi hesitated.

Then, in a low voice, he murmured,

"This Hatake Kazane… is not a man who will quietly accept the status quo. Orochimaru and the Uchiha Clan are already formidable opponents. If we refuse to pick a side, we may eventually be forced into conflict against them. But… if we pledge loyalty too soon, we risk offending the current leadership. For now, our best option is to remain neutral—to observe how the battle unfolds."

His fingers tightened around his teacup.

"But sending you with him… is a necessary concession."

Hizashi closed his eyes for a moment.

Then, with a slow breath, he nodded.

"Understood."

Nightfall - Hokage's Office

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at his desk, his pipe long extinguished, his brows furrowed in frustration.

Before him lay two intelligence reports.

One was on Kazane 's visit to the Hyūga Clan.

The other was on Might Duy.

He turned to the ANBU operative in a cat mask beside him.

"This is all the information on Might Duy?"

The ANBU agent nodded.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. That is everything."

Hiruzen's frown deepened.

"...Strange."

Might Duy had been a Genin for over twenty years—yet Kazane specifically requested him?

There had to be something more to this man…

It's no wonder Sarutobi Hiruzen was confused, the information was just too ordinary. Might Guy had been a Genin for more than 20 years, but he had never carried out a mission above B-rank. He has completed more than 2,000 C-level missions and more than 10,000 D-level missions. Even a elite Genin is better than him.

Moreover, the data on strength only shows that he is good at physical skills. He doesn't believe that everyone can be like Kazane Hatake, who can become a top-level warrior by relying on a few swords.

But this information was so ordinary that he couldn't find any special features in it. Then again, he is not Kazane, so he certainly doesn't know Duy strength after he activates the Eight Gates.

"He went to the Hyuga clan today. What was their reaction? Did the Hyuga clan agree to send out ninjas?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen then asked the cat-faced Anbu.

"Hokage-sama, according to the information from the Anbu, the Hyuga family only agreed to send out one person, Hyuga Hizashi.

The cat-faced Anbu replied.

"Hyuga Hizashi? It seems that Hizashi still knows his position."

Hearing this good news, Sarutobi Hiruzen was immediately relieved. Kazane's performance and his master made him feel threatened.

However, Hyuga Hiashi's response made him feel a little safe. It seemed that Konoha was still under his control.