The head of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Hiashi…
No, now it should be said, Hyuga Hizashi.
Hyuga Hizashi was now impersonating Hyuga Hiashi, and he felt deeply uneasy about his current situation.
During this time, he had locked himself in his room, practicing alone, imitating Hiashi's habits and mannerisms.
Fortunately, Hiashi's personality had always been strict and rigid, and he wasn't particularly warm toward family or clan members. So Hizashi's behavior didn't arouse suspicion. Others simply assumed he didn't want to show his grief.
Because of this, Hizashi had been given enough time to fully adapt to his new identity.
At this point, he could imitate Hiashi about eighty percent convincingly. Even if something slipped, he could find a reasonable excuse.
If anyone asked? It was because of the "death of his younger brother", grief and guilt had changed his temperament. No one would blame or question a man mourning his brother.
Even so, Hizashi still felt uneasy, not for himself, but for Arata and that person.
The escort team had already left Konoha for three days, yet no news had come back. The atmosphere in both the village and the Hyuga clan had begun to shift.
He hoped that person's plan had gone smoothly, but also that Arata would return safely.
So when he received notice of the Jonin meeting, he came immediately.
But upon pushing open the door, he realized he wasn't among the earliest arrivals.
Danzo, Koharu, Homura, and the heads of major clans like the Uchiha, Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi were all already present.
Clearly, everyone was eager to know the outcome of the Kumogakure envoy incident.
In the past, Hizashi had always attended Jonin meetings standing respectfully behind Hiashi. This was his first time attending such a high-level meeting as the clan head himself.
He felt both nervous and a little excited.
Until the door opened again.
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked in.
Hizashi stood up along with everyone else… but when he saw the figure behind Hiruzen, his mouth fell open in shock.
"Arata? Why is he…?"
It wasn't just him; many in the room showed surprise and confusion upon seeing Hyuga Arata.
Danzo had already heard from Aburame Ryoma about Arata's performance and strength, and from Koharu about what he said in the hospital.
"If they want war, then we'll give them war!"
Too satisfying. Too bold.
If possible, Danzo wished he had said those words himself, instead of things like "Hiruzen, you'll regret this."
Thinking of this, Danzo narrowed his eyes at Arata. When he noticed Arata looking back, a stiff, awkward smile actually appeared on his usually cold face.
"???"
Homura, standing nearby, saw this and nearly looked horrified, as if he'd seen a ghost.
'Danzo… smiling?'
'And that kindly?!'
'What in the world was happening?'
Facing Danzo's "friendly" smile, Arata simply returned a polite one before scanning the room.
Konoha's core forces were basically all gathered here.
If a spy managed to sneak in and launch a suicide attack, Konoha would be buried along with this building.
After noting that the number of ninja without clan insignias was roughly half of those with them,
Arata felt relieved.
'Just as expected.'
'This works.'
This time, he wouldn't just push Konoha into war,
He would also elevate his own political standing.
At the thought of what he was about to do, his body trembled slightly.
'Too interesting. Too thrilling. Too satisfying.'
'The feeling of manipulating everyone…'
Hiruzen walked past the crowd, drawing all eyes to himself,
And to the boy following closely behind him.
Creak.
When Arata pulled out a chair for Hiruzen, and Hiruzen sat down without surprise, Nara Shikaku's gaze turned meaningful. He glanced sideways at the stunned "Hyuga Hiashi."
Seeing his expression, Shikaku immediately realized this clan head knew nothing, and felt a headache coming on.
'Troublesome. This meeting won't be easy.'
"Please, sit. Thank you all for coming so late."
Hiruzen placed his hat on the table and nodded gently.
"Except for those on missions, everyone should be here, correct?"
Homura stood and reported attendance. Hiruzen nodded, then went straight to the main topic.
"I believe you all already know: to give Kumogakure an explanation, the Hyuga branch family head, Hyuga Hizashi, sacrificed himself in place of the main family head. His body was recently delivered by the escort team to Kumogakure…"
He paused. His voice suddenly turned cold.
"However, according to intelligence, Kumogakure dispatched the Magnet Release user Toroi and dozens of ANBU to receive the body. After obtaining it, they suddenly attacked the escort team."
"Not only that, after Akimichi Todo and the others held out until reinforcements arrived, nearly a hundred Kumogakure ninja who had been lying in ambush appeared and launched an assault, causing massive casualties, including one Jonin, ten special Jonin, and countless Chunin!"
"It was only because of their sacrifice that Todo and the others managed to return. Otherwise, the entire escort team would have died at Kumogakure's hands, and the truth would never have been known!"
By this point, Hiruzen's tone was filled with fury, half genuine, half deliberate.
"What?!"
Everyone's expressions changed drastically.
Had those reckless brutes from Kumogakure gone mad?
Or had they discovered the body was Hizashi, not Hiashi?
But even so, why tear things apart so openly?
"Without justification, how dare they act like this?!"
"Without the support of the Land of Lightning's daimyo and people, is the Fourth Raikage insane?!"
"Kumogakure has gone too far! This is outright provocation!"
The solemn meeting room instantly turned into a noisy uproar.
Standing behind Hiruzen, Arata watched coldly.
This was Hiruzen's lie, a necessary lie.
Humans are complex, yet simple.
When people agree with something, they instinctively criticize its opposite. And when they condemn something, they instinctively support its opposite.
Positions bring people together.
And no one believes they are the villain.
In the ninja world, however many positions exist, that's how many versions of "justice" exist.
Hiruzen could not reveal that both Konoha and Kumogakure ninja had died at the hands of a "monster."
No one would believe it.
The only way was to place all blame on Kumogakure, to seize the moral high ground.
Only then could Konoha be "just," and Kumogakure be "evil."
"Ahem."
Hiruzen coughed lightly. The room gradually fell silent.
"I intend to mobilize forces… and declare war on Kumogakure."
He scanned the room.
"What do you all think?"
The moment he said it, an eerie silence filled the room.
The previous noise vanished as if it had never existed.
Only hurried breathing and heartbeats remained.
Especially among the clan heads, they understood perfectly.
The Hokage was asking for manpower.
No one wanted to be the first to step forward.
Silence became their resistance.
Until, a voice broke through.
"Third Hokage, please allow me to join the forces!"
Hyuga Arata stepped forward.
"I believe, when our heads already hang in the tiger's jaws, reason cannot save us!"
The moment he finished speaking, many faces darkened.
Including Hizashi, and the man behind him, Hizashi's subordinate, Hyuga Hiyoshi.
"Hyuga Arata!" he said coldly, glaring. "Know your place! This is a Jonin meeting, this is not where you speak!"
"Ahem."
Before Arata could respond, Hiruzen interrupted with a light cough.
"Oh, I forgot to mention, " he said with a smile.
"Arata has already been promoted to Jonin. The official notice will be issued tomorrow. As of now, he is qualified to attend and speak in this meeting."
The room froze.
All eyes turned toward Arata, as if seeing this "failure" of the Hyuga clan for the very first time.