CHAPTER 7

"Hmph, so you're admitting it then? Attacking civilian shinobi within the village without justification, deliberately creating unrest in the village—who gave your Hyuga clan the audacity?" As if he had finally seized on a moment of weakness, Shimura Danzo relentlessly berated the Hyuga Clan's Second Elder.

"Enough, Shimura Danzo. Don't make baseless accusations. The Hyuga Clan has never acted against the interests of the village. Even if I admit to dispatching those two fools to retrieve Kawaki Aoba and invite him back into the clan, that is a matter internal to the Hyuga."

Although his expression was incredibly unsightly, the Hyuga Second Elder's tone remained resolute.

He understood that, now that the Hokage and his assistant had intervened, there was no way to hide the fact that he had sent people out. He decided to admit it openly. He still believed this was purely clan business, oblivious to the larger consequences.

"A Hyuga clan matter? Hokage-sama, forgive my forwardness, but I cannot accept the Hyuga Second Elder's claim. I am merely a civilian-born shinobi of Konohagakure. When did I become affiliated with the Hyuga? Or does the Elder believe that Konoha's affairs have already become an extension of your clan's authority?"

Kawaki Aoba's words cut sharply, and he spoke them in front of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

As expected, the Hyuga Second Elder's face, already tense, turned gloomier still.

Claiming that the affairs of Konohagakure were the Hyuga's domain—how could he say that in front of the Hokage? Even with questionable judgment, the Second Elder could feel Kawaki Aoba's contempt.

He hastily clarified, "You insolent brat, what nonsense are you spouting? The village is governed by the Hokage, as it should be. The matter I refer to involves only you—a boy who has awakened the Byakugan!"

"As long as you've awakened the Byakugan, you bear the bloodline of the Hyuga. How we handle you is a Hyuga concern and does not conflict with village law."

"That's outrageous. I'm a civilian-born shinobi—my academy peers can vouch for this. How could I have possibly awakened the Byakugan? If the Hyuga Elder seeks to frame me, he should at least come up with a credible lie."

"Or is the Hyuga Elder proposing that any civilian who awakens a dōjutsu must surrender to clan jurisdiction? That your family can impose Hyuga law on whoever you dislike?"

"Hokage-sama, I cannot accept such absurd reasoning. I ask for your protection." As he finished, Kawaki Aoba bowed deeply toward the empty window.

As someone blind and unable to see anything, bowing into space made sense, didn't it?

"Ahem." Sarutobi Hiruzen cleared his throat, signaling his presence. "Aoba, rest assured. The village will investigate the truth of this matter. If events are as you describe, justice will be served. As for the Hyuga clan…"

Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his gaze toward the Hyuga Second Elder. "All things require proof. If you claim that Kawaki Aoba has awakened the Byakugan and is a Hyuga by blood, then you must provide evidence."

The Hyuga Elder opened his mouth but failed to produce a single word.

The intelligence he'd received indicated Kawaki Aoba had only recently awakened the Byakugan. Forget photographs—there likely weren't even many witnesses who had seen it happen firsthand.

Suddenly, a thought struck the Elder. He remembered the informant who had first passed him the news.

As if grasping a lifeline, he declared, "Miyamura Ayano. That Genin girl can testify. Her whole team saw Kawaki Aoba awaken the Byakugan during a mission."

Kawaki Aoba's expression twitched slightly. Miyamura Ayano—this must be the one who sold him out to the Hyuga.

She had been a temporary teammate of his, a senior two years older.

Following the Elder's clue, Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly dispatched the Anbu to retrieve Ayano's entire team.

This team consisted of a Special Jonin and three Genin. Upon arrival in the Hokage's office, the four appeared visibly anxious, particularly Miyamura Ayano.

"Hokage-sama, this team can confirm that Kawaki Aoba awakened the Byakugan in their presence," the Hyuga Elder said, locking eyes with the sole kunoichi in the group.

But his heart sank. The moment their eyes met, the girl—young, not yet an adult—quickly averted her gaze.

She was avoiding him. Why?

Because the person who betrays you knows better than anyone just how deeply they've wronged you.

Miyamura Ayano, a Genin with above-average skills. Upon graduation, she had imagined she would soon become a Chunin and eventually rise to Jonin with hard work.

But reality struck. After completing several missions, she realized the world was different from what the Ninja Academy had taught her.

Her closest friend—once her equal in the classroom—had already ascended to Chunin. Meanwhile, Ayano remained a Genin, with no advancement in sight.

Was she less talented? No. Less diligent? Absolutely not.

The real disparity lay in background. She was a civilian shinobi. With no clan, no kekkei genkai, no secret techniques, even mastering common jutsu was an uphill battle.

These hopeless days crushed her spirit. Just as she was ready to accept a mediocre life, an opportunity emerged: a shinobi with diluted Hyuga blood but no clan name awakened the Byakugan before her eyes.

She remembered those who rose quickly under clan sponsorship. She made a gamble. With the Hyuga clan's backing, her skills might finally earn her the title of Jonin.

And it wasn't even betrayal—at least that's how she justified it. Wait too long, and her teammates might beat her to the punch.

But what she hadn't expected was that soon after she leaked the info and accepted the Hyuga's terms, the Anbu came knocking.

Had the Hyuga Elder never heard the saying? Those who betray for gain can be betrayed for more gain—or out of fear.

"I'm sorry, Hyuga Elder. I don't know what you're referring to. During our last mission, we were indeed temporarily teamed with Jonin Yuhi Kurenai's group, but we never witnessed anything resembling the Byakugan." Recalling the Anbu's warning, Ayano stuck to her script.

The blade of betrayal sank into the Hyuga Elder's heart. His eyes bulged like copper bells, glaring at Ayano with a fury that could devour her.

As a main branch member of the Hyuga, he had always been above reproach. He'd never experienced humiliation like this.

"Miyamura Ayano, choose your words carefully. You told me yourself that Kawaki Aoba had the Byakugan. Now you deny it? Are you toying with me?"

"Or do you think the Hyuga clan is powerless to act against you?"

His voice turned both threatening and venomous, and for a moment, Ayano paled in fear.

But just then, a cold scoff pierced the Elder's hostility.

"Hmph. As expected of the Hyuga's Second Elder. You actually dare to threaten a Konoha shinobi in front of the Hokage. Do you truly believe this village belongs to your clan?"

Such righteous words didn't sound like they could have come from Danzo. If not for his ominous, one-eyed glare betraying his nature, Kawaki Aoba would've thought someone had used a Transformation Jutsu.

Clang! The sound of Sarutobi Hiruzen's pipe landing on the desk echoed in the room.

All heads turned as the aged Hokage's eyes blazed with intensity—nothing like the mild elder who had silently observed until now.

"As Hokage, I have trusted the Hyuga's name and given you, Second Elder, every chance. But that does not grant you license to threaten your fellow shinobi."

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood, hands on his desk, his chakra pressing outward like an invisible weight.

This was the aura of a Hokage—of the strongest ninja of his generation.

Is this the full force of Sarutobi Hiruzen's power? This pressure—he truly deserved his title as the 'Professor' and the 'God of Shinobi' in his prime.

Even using his maxed-out Kenbunshoku Haki, Kawaki Aoba wasn't confident he could flee unscathed from the Third Hokage. Holding out for even a moment would be a miracle.

Hiruzen's killing intent was directed squarely at the Hyuga Elder, who, despite being a Jonin, had never seen real battle nor completed any serious missions. He staggered back in fear.

"N-No, Hokage-sama! The Hyuga clan meant no offense. Just now, I was simply overwhelmed. It was Miyamura Ayano's lies that caused my slip of the tongue." The Hyuga Elder wiped sweat from his brow, trying to salvage the moment.

Seeing Hiruzen's face remain unmoved, the Elder gritted his teeth and made a desperate gamble.

"Hokage-sama, I have a method to prove that everything I previously stated is true. When Miyamura Ayano disclosed this information to me, my guard was also present and aware. If we investigate his mind using the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Reading Technique, we can retrieve that memory and uncover the truth."

The Hyuga Clan's Second Elder was going all out. Although a Jonin-level guard held value, he ultimately belonged to the branch family. To trade a branch family member in exchange for the innocence of himself—a main family elder—was, to him, a worthwhile transaction.

Moreover, it was only a mental probe, not a fatal act. As long as the subject cooperated, damage to the brain would be minimal. After all, techniques like the Shintenshin no Jutsu had been used countless times by the Yamanaka clan in interrogations during and after the Second Shinobi World War.

The Hyuga Second Elder even considered himself fortunate: the guard who had been assigned to him recently was relatively new and lacked significant knowledge.

However, while the Second Elder considered himself fortunate, the rest of those present in the Hokage's office remained silent.

At that moment, Kawaki Aoba—bearing no known relation to the Konoha medical-nin Aoba Yamashiro—couldn't help but pity the Hyuga Second Elder.

How could a man be so blind?

Everyone else in the room, without exception, knew full well how truly innocent the Hyuga Second Elder was—because each of them, whether directly or indirectly, had conspired to frame him.

To tell a group of accomplices and manipulators that he intended to rely on them to prove his innocence... what a pitiful and tragic fool this Hyuga elder was.

"Investigate the brain? Not impossible," Sarutobi Hiruzen finally spoke, his voice steady. "For the sake of the Hyuga Clan's integrity, I, the Hokage, will grant you another chance. But this will be your final opportunity. Someone, summon the Yamanaka Clan Leader in person." With that, he dispatched an Anbu.

It is worth noting that since the conclusion of the Second Shinobi World War, the Ino–Shika–Cho trio had pledged unwavering loyalty to the Third Hokage, with the Nara Clan having assumed the role of Konoha's strategists.

A Period Ends, But Not Over

After a short wait, the summoned parties—the Yamanaka Clan Leader and the Hyuga Second Elder's guard—arrived at the Hokage's office.

Notably, the current Yamanaka Clan Leader was someone Kawaki Aoba had once met.

It was Yamanaka Inoichi, father of Ino Yamanaka and future member of the Allied Shinobi Forces' sensory division.

At this point in time, Yamanaka Inoichi appeared no older than his early twenties. Despite his youth, he had already assumed the mantle of clan leader earlier than his peers from the other great clans—a testament to his exceptional prowess in sensory and mental ninjutsu.

After learning the full story and the reason for his summons, Inoichi nodded. "I have no objections. As the Yamanaka Clan Leader, I will obey Hokage-sama's command and reveal the truth."

The Hyuga guard, however, had turned visibly pale.

Using a form of Kenbunshoku Haki—or rather, what the Naruto world would refer to as finely honed sensory perception—Kawaki Aoba could clearly feel the blend of sorrow and suppressed resentment emanating from the guard.

Though his posture remained formal and his expression composed, the nervous energy around him was palpable.

Kawaki Aoba understood: this man was destined to be a scapegoat. Though innocent, his fate had been sealed the moment he accepted the duty of serving the Hyuga main family. And from Aoba's current vantage point, this guard was still a potential adversary. All he could do was offer silent apology.

The memory investigation began. Kawaki Aoba observed the Yamanaka Clan's famed technique firsthand for the first time.

Yamanaka Inoichi placed his palm atop the Hyuga guard's head, and a steady current of Yin chakra began to flow into the man's mind through Inoichi's hand—a simplified version of the clan's Mind Reading Technique.

"Nngh!" The Hyuga guard's face twisted in pain, his body tensing involuntarily.

"Relax your body. Let your chakra flow naturally. Don't resist." Inoichi instructed with calm precision.

Everyone else remained tense and silent. Even Sarutobi Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai—young but already respected Jonin—dared not make a sound. Their gazes were fixed on the process.

As minutes passed, the Hyuga Second Elder began to sense something was off.

He was not ignorant of the workings of the Yamanaka Clan's secret arts. Retrieving shallow, short-term memories—particularly with the subject's cooperation—should not take this long.

Something was amiss.

Just then, Inoichi gradually withdrew his hand, his chakra retreating. The technique had been completed.

Even though it had been a basic memory probe, the Yamanaka Clan Leader was sweating profusely—a detail that didn't escape the sharp eyes of the Hyuga elder.

"Hokage-sama, I lack full proficiency with our clan's secret techniques, and I wasted more time than necessary. However, I successfully completed the task. The memory confirms what Genin Kawaki Aoba claimed."

Yamanaka Inoichi's words struck the Hyuga Second Elder like a thunderbolt. He stood frozen, his expression blank.

Even if he had been a fool before, he now realized that he had been deceived—by everyone.

That strange atmosphere when he entered… the cooperative silence… the overly convenient investigation…

They had colluded. All of them.

Good. Very good.

The Hyuga Second Elder's eyes swept the room in fury, his teeth clenched.

Then Inoichi delivered the final blow.

"Additionally, Hokage-sama, I must confess a personal failing. Due to insufficient mastery of our family's techniques, I accidentally caused mild neurological damage to this Hyuga branch family Jonin during the procedure." He bowed deeply toward both the Hokage and the Second Elder, his tone one of sincere remorse.

Though this appeared to be an act of humility and accountability, it was salt on an open wound.

The loss of a Hyuga Jonin—even from the branch family—could not go unaddressed. And though the words seemed apologetic, they solidified the guard's fate.

"Do you truly take me for a fool?" the Hyuga Second Elder finally exploded, his voice thunderous. "Do you think you can toy with me like this? Do you believe the Hyuga Clan is something to be trampled upon so easily?"

He raised a trembling hand and pointed directly at Kawaki Aoba.