"Ji-chan, how did you and Father meet?" Hinata asked as she held Diarmuid's hand. The two were standing in the courtyard, chatting idly.
Diarmuid rubbed his chin with his free hand, thinking for a moment. "It was before you were born. I ran into your father at Tanzaku Quarters and hitched a ride with him to sneak into Konoha. Hahaha! At the time, he had just taken over as the Head of the Hyuga Clan. He looked so naive, like he didn't know how dangerous the world could be. I tricked him quite easily."
"Sneak into Konoha? Tricked him? Ji-chan, why did you enter the village like that?" Hinata asked curiously.
"Well, that's because your Ji-chan is a big villain, hahaha," Diarmuid replied with another booming laugh.
"But I think Ji-chan is a good person. You're very gentle, and you're Father's good friend," Hinata said, looking a bit puzzled.
Diarmuid paused, then smiled as he changed the subject. "Hinata, is there anyone you like?"
Hinata's face instantly turned bright red. Looking incredibly shy, she shook her head quickly, then seemed to hesitate, almost wanting to nod tentatively, but in the end, she didn't dare.
Seeing the little girl's adorable reaction, Diarmuid laughed heartily and rubbed her head. "It's still a bit early for that. But one day, a cute little princess like our Hinata will definitely be very popular. When that time comes, the suitors coming to propose will probably break down the front door. So, our Princess Hinata must keep her eyes sharp and choose the very best boyfriend."
Hinata's face remained flushed. She mumbled incoherently, not daring to speak, but there was a faint look of anticipation in her eyes.
Just then, Hiashi's wife, Yu, stood on the veranda and called out to them. "Diarmuid-sama, Hinata, it's time to eat."
Soon, Diarmuid and Hinata returned to the house. A lavish feast was quickly served, filling the large table.
"Where's Hiashi?" Diarmuid asked.
Before Yu could answer, the dining room door opened again. Hiashi walked in, accompanied by a man who looked almost identical to him, save for the cloth bandages wrapped around his forehead.
That was Hiashi's younger twin brother, Hizashi. Following behind them was a young boy who appeared slightly older than Hinata, Neji.
In the original story, when Neji first appeared, he was brooding and a firm believer in destiny. He seemed to be shackled by his own convictions, believing that a person's fate was set from the moment they were born. That was due to the Caged Bird seal on his brow and the death of his father.
But now, Neji had not yet been branded with the Caged Bird curse mark, and his father was alive and well.
Consequently, Neji didn't have that gloomy aura. He looked quite cheerful. As he entered, he looked toward Hinata with a gentle, brotherly smile. There was none of the inexplicable resentment or hatred he showed her in the original timeline, where, during certain sparring sessions, he had even harbored murderous intent.
So-called "destiny" had not yet twisted Neji's character.
"Diarmuid-sama," Hizashi spoke first, greeting him.
Diarmuid smiled and nodded. "It's been a long time, Hizashi. How have you been lately?"
"Thanks to you, quite well," Hizashi replied with a chuckle.
After a few pleasantries, everyone sat around the dining table. Diarmuid then turned his attention to Neji. "This handsome little fellow must be Hizashi's son, right?"
"Yes. Neji, quickly greet Diarmuid-sama," Hizashi said with a smile.
Neji bowed politely to Diarmuid. "Hello, Diarmuid-sama."
"Hahaha, hello there, little guy," Diarmuid greeted him warmly. "Hizashi really has a fine son. I often hear your uncle, Hiashi, mention you in his letters. He says you're a genius shinobi, the likes of which the Hyuga clan hasn't seen in a century. He and your father are both very proud of you, and they hope you'll continue to make them proud. I also believe you'll become a truly remarkable shinobi in the future."
Neji was delighted by the praise. Hiashi nodded as well. "Neji will certainly be the pride of our Hyuga clan."
At this point, because Hiashi and Hizashi shared a strong bond, Neji was also very close to his uncle. The tragedy of his father's death had not yet occurred to drive them apart.
While they were happily eating, over at the Hokage Residence, Shinnosuke and Hiruzen were discussing matters of their own.
"What did Hiashi-sama say regarding Diarmuid?" Shinnosuke asked.
Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Diarmuid is visiting Hiashi as a guest. He has two objectives."
"Two objectives?"
"Yes. First, concerning the Hyuga clan. Diarmuid brought unexpected intelligence: it seems the Kumogakure envoys currently in Konoha are after the Byakugan. Diarmuid and Hiashi are very close friends, we've known this for years. So, once he caught wind of this, he rushed to Konoha immediately to warn Hiashi. He intends to stay at the Hyuga estate to personally 'deal with' those Kumogakure bastards," Hiruzen explained.
Shinnosuke looked slightly surprised. "Are we simply not going to intervene?"
"Perhaps it's more appropriate to leave it to Diarmuid?" Hiruzen mused.
He quickly added, "Regardless, we must have a contingency plan ready so Kumogakure has no grounds for complaint. If they think they can manipulate Konoha so easily, they are far too overconfident. Shinnosuke, have your men keep a close watch on them. I want evidence of everything."
In the original timeline, Hiruzen was extorted by Kumogakure primarily for two reasons. First, the village was in a state of high tension because of the Uchiha. Second, Kumogakure shamelessly denied any wrongdoing, and since no one expected an official envoy to sneak into a home to kidnap a child in the middle of the night, no one was watching them; thus, no evidence was left behind.
Now, Hiruzen was on his guard. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. And to be honest, while he hated to admit it, he felt a sense of relief knowing Diarmuid was handling the situation.
Furthermore, Diarmuid's second objective gave him a certain degree of confidence.
"Understood, Lord Third," Shinnosuke replied.
Hiruzen nodded and continued, "You can probably guess Diarmuid's second objective?"
"Is it... related to the Uchiha?"
"Correct. He told Hiashi explicitly that his visit to Konoha is also for the sake of the Uchiha," Hiruzen said.
Shinnosuke's expression grew heavy. "How... should we respond?"
Hiruzen fell silent, lost in thought. The internal conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha was practically an open secret; outsiders just didn't know the exact degree of escalation. It was understandable that Diarmuid would come for the Uchiha.
But his timing was so precise that someone in the village must have leaked vital information to him.
Hiruzen didn't even have to think to find the answer: it had to be Danzo.
Diarmuid had a connection with Danzo. Though it was kept very quiet, it wasn't a secret to the highest echelons of Konoha, at least not to Hiruzen. He had known for a long time.
For one thing, Orochimaru used to be in Root, and now he was working under Diarmuid. With him there, how could Danzo not have a link to Diarmuid?
Secondly, when Danzo had tried to assassinate Hiruzen years ago, he had hired the Yorozuya to do the job, yet Diarmuid had chosen to side with Hiruzen. That was proof enough that Diarmuid and Danzo were in communication.
Hiruzen would never believe that Danzo wasn't behind Diarmuid showing up exactly as the Uchiha matter reached its climax.
As for Diarmuid's motive for involving himself? Hiruzen had a guess. When Orochimaru left, he had taken some Sharingan with him. Perhaps Diarmuid had developed an interest in the Sharingan as well. This wasn't surprising; many in the shinobi world coveted those eyes.
"This matter has nothing to do with us. It's Danzo's arrangement, so we won't interfere," Hiruzen said sternly.
In this moment, he was cold.
After a pause, a look of exhaustion crossed Hiruzen's eyes, and he said with a touch of self-mockery, "Shinnosuke, as the Hokage, it's probably inappropriate for me to say this... but when I confirmed Diarmuid was here to deal with the Uchiha, I actually felt a strange sense of relief."
Even though he had assigned Danzo to do the "dirty work," Hiruzen was still deeply worried about whether Danzo could actually handle the Uchiha. If Danzo failed and was killed, the Uchiha would be utterly enraged, and the situation would explode into an even greater disaster.
Hiruzen had been making secret preparations for the worst-case scenario. But now that Diarmuid was here, and had stated he was coming for the Uchiha, Hiruzen suddenly felt much more relaxed. It was as if Diarmuid's presence guaranteed the Uchiha's defeat.
"Lord... Father." Shinnosuke looked at Hiruzen with a complex expression. This time, he addressed him as "Father" rather than "Lord Third."
"It has finally come to this. Although I've pushed everything onto Danzo, the decision was mine. I can lie to others, but my own conscience will always suffer the torment and condemnation. As the Hokage of Konoha, choosing to harm a part of Konoha for the sake of the whole... my heart is truly filled with guilt," Hiruzen said, looking somewhat dazed.
Shinnosuke didn't speak. Even if he wanted to, he didn't know what to say.
Hiruzen didn't seem to be looking for hollow comfort. Perhaps it was only in front of his son that his emotions wavered enough to voice such "weak" thoughts.
In an instant, he adjusted his posture and regained his steely expression. "Alright, go do what you need to do."
"Yes, Lord Third."
Shinnosuke opened the door to leave and saw a familiar figure. He smiled. "Shikajin-sama."
"Ah, Shinnosuke," Nara Shikajin smiled back. "Is Lord Third inside?"
"Yes," Shinnosuke replied.
Shikajin nodded and walked in. As the door closed, Shinnosuke faintly overheard a conversation about "Kumogakure."
He didn't pay it much mind and soon disappeared from the Hokage Residence.