72. Danzo’s Gambit, The Cost of Letting Go, Waterfall traing, Weekly Meeting

"Heh… Looks like I underestimated her after all."

Danzo's voice was low as he set the report aside. His gaze flickered between shadow and light. "The Hyūga heiress really is something. That level of financial acumen could make Konoha stronger than ever… If only it were my konoha."

That contradiction gnawed at him. On one hand, he wanted the village to flourish; on the other, he couldn't stomach that it was flourishing under someone else's control.

"Should I eliminate her?"

Sai's voice was quiet, his head lowered.

Danzo turned to him, his eyes icy.

"I don't recall ever granting you the right to think. Your job is not to decide—only to obey."

"My apologies, Lord Danzo."

Leaning on his cane, Danzo took a slow walk around the room before speaking again.

"No. If she's a valuable piece, then we recruit her." He paused. "You said she's currently projecting herself using a Soul Transfer Technique?"

"Yes. She's possessing a kunoichi from the Fūma Clan."

Danzo was silent for a long moment. Then, his voice turned cold and smooth.

"Good. Then tell her I have something she might be interested in. If she's curious… she should come by tonight."

At those words, Sai's pupils narrowed. He knew exactly what Danzo meant.

---

Back at the Hyūga compound, Hinata sat cross-legged across from Hanabi, her expression calm.

"Sign here, Hanabi."

Her tone was crisp and deliberate. "You're still underage, but this will secure your 5% stake in Konoha Publishing. You'll get a cut of the dividends every cycle."

Hinata knew exactly what she was doing. The Hyūga clan's current income was mostly from real estate and mission payments. Rich? Not even close.

Even if Hiashi hadn't asked for anything, Hinata planned to give the clan a cut. Denying them would've only made her life harder.

And since Hiashi hadn't demanded the shares for himself, Hinata saw no reason to give them to her emotionally distant father. That left one logical heir—Hanabi.

"B-but… Sister… I haven't done anything to deserve this…"

Hanabi knelt across from her, her voice trembling. The offer didn't make her happy—instead, it felt like a wedge driven between them. This wasn't kindness; it was goodbye.

"You're the heir the clan's grooming now. It's only right you hold its greatest financial interest. Don't feel guilty. After all, blood and luck are still forms of strength."

Hinata rose smoothly to her feet, her voice cool.

"Once you sign, the shares are yours. You're too young to manage them, so give them to Father or a retainer for now. Later… you'll be able to buy all the cotton candy you want."

Then kindly disappear from my life.

She didn't say it out loud, but in her mind, Hinata felt a surprising sense of relief. Being someone else's sister had been an exhausting, unwelcome role. Now that she'd tied up the last thread, she hoped the clan would leave her alone.

Being stuck with a father who wasn't truly hers and a little sister who wasn't truly hers—it was sickening. Better to sever it completely.

"Wait! Sister!"

Just as Hinata reached the door, Hanabi stood, clenching her fists. Hinata paused. She kept her voice cold.

"I hold 10% of the company. I gave you half. What more do you want?"

"I… I don't want any of this!"

Hanabi burst out, shouting, her eyes brimming with tears.

"What's wrong with you, Sister?! You don't come home anymore, you skip classes, you've stopped training in the Gentle Fist… you don't even talk to me! You've changed! You're not my sister anymore!"

Her voice broke at the end. For all her pride, Hanabi was still just a child. Her once-loving older sister had become a stranger, and it broke her heart.

"Oh, that?"

Hinata didn't flinch.

"It's simple. I gave up. Just like Father and the elders always said I would—I've given up. So now, the Hyūga's future rests with you, Hanabi."

That's right. I gave up on this clan a long time ago. It's a rotting, stagnant system with no future.

Hinata pulled open the sliding door and stepped out of the room. This would be the last time she returned to the Hyūga estate. The publishing house—and the Uchiha—felt far more like home than this place ever had.

---

There are three kinds of people who stand at the top.

The first have nothing and chase power, pouring everything into that pursuit until destiny swallows them whole.

The second are born with everything and think they're entitled to more, but when they lose it all, they fall screaming into the abyss.

And the third…

Hinata paused, standing in the courtyard of the Hyūga compound. She looked up at the lone cherry blossom tree. A strange smile played at her lips.

Then she turned back, her pale eyes meeting Hanabi's from across the room.

"Hanabi. You didn't come to stop me."

Hanabi flinched. Suddenly, she understood exactly what Hinata meant.

"So, you get it now, don't you?"

Hinata gave her a final look—then walked away without another word. Hanabi dropped to her knees, pale and stunned.

To gain something is a blessing.

To lose it is the curse hiding within the blessing.

You lose a piece of your heart with each loss, until only a hollow shell remains—something filled only with madness.

So if you want to stay sane, you must be careful what you gain. Only take what you're ready to lose. That's the secret to standing at the top without losing yourself.

Of course, most of the time, you don't have to work that hard to figure it out. Just test the waters—see who stays, and who walks away.

"She was Hinata Hyūga's sister... but she was never my sister."

Hinata whispered this to herself as she stepped off the property. There was no time for nostalgia.

---

ZzzzzRAAASH!!

A deafening roar filled the air as the waterfall split like it had been slashed by an invisible blade—then collapsed again into its normal flow with a thunderous crash.

"Huff… Huff… Dammit… still not good enough…"

Naruto was kneeling, gasping for breath. His arms were burning like they'd been flayed open.

He'd been trying to master a technique from the scroll fragment Hinata gave him—something called the "Sonic Blade."

The concept was simple: sweep both arms inward in a half-moon motion, gather chakra into a crescent blade between them, and unleash it in a spinning strike. Because the arms moved in opposite directions, the chakras meshed like gears—creating a rotating, high-speed projectile.

Easy to explain.

Absolute hell to execute.

"Ughhh, at this rate I'll be at it forever! Hmm… Wait a sec!"

A mischievous grin spread across his face.

"How could I forget?! I've got the ultimate advantage over Hinata and Sasuke—my numbers game!"

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

POOF!!

Suddenly, the clearing below the waterfall was packed with Narutos.

"Alright, brothers! We're breaking this waterfall tonight! Let's gooo!!"

---

Meanwhile, at the Uchiha estate, the Hinata Group's weekly meeting was underway.

"Last week's numbers are still climbing. Since moving the publishing office back into Konoha, we only pay local taxes now. All remaining revenue goes straight into company operations…"

---

(This chapter contains three raw chapters translation, how strange)