Hiashi Hyuga stood frozen in place, staring blankly at Natsuhiko—and at Hinata, who was now safely cradled in his arms.
Then he looked toward the Kumo shinobi lying motionless on the ground, utterly devoid of life.
At that moment, Hiashi felt as though his thoughts had descended into complete chaos.
Because he had absolutely no idea what had just happened.
All he saw was the Kumo shinobi raising the kunai in his hand, preparing to stab the unconscious Hinata.
And then, in that exact instant, Natsuhiko's eyes suddenly erupted with a brilliant blue glow.
That flowing blue radiance was so beautiful it almost seemed unreal, yet for some inexplicable reason, it also caused Hiashi's heart to tremble uncontrollably.
A strange sense of familiarity surfaced within him.
Those eyes…
He felt as though he had seen mention of them somewhere before—in the oldest records of the Hyuga Clan.
Hiashi possessed an excellent memory. He still remembered accidentally reading one of those ancient texts when he was young.
The reason it had left such a deep impression on him was because the records described a pair of eyes with flowing azure light…
Eyes said to possess the power to destroy the world itself.
Back then, he had dismissed it as nothing more than an exaggerated legend.
But now—
why had such eyes, so astonishingly similar to the ancient description, actually appeared in reality?
"The child is safe, Lord Hiashi."
Natsuhiko naturally had no idea what Hiashi was thinking. Carrying Hinata in his arms, he calmly walked over to him.
"Oh... yes!" Hiashi finally snapped back to reality and hurriedly took Hinata from him.
"Thank goodness she's safe... thank goodness."
He repeated those words continuously, but when his gaze shifted toward the dead Kumo shinobi leader lying nearby, his expression darkened terribly.
He did not blame Natsuhiko for killing the man.
What he hated was the fact that this bastard had deliberately targeted and manipulated the Hyuga Clan.
And even worse—
despite fully understanding the scheme now, there was absolutely nothing he could do to change the situation.
That overwhelming helplessness was what truly suffocated him.
At that moment, a wave of noise suddenly echoed from the distance.
In the silence of the late-night village, the commotion sounded especially harsh and piercing.
Hiashi turned toward the direction of the disturbance. His Byakugan was already activated, and his expression became increasingly grim.
"If I'm not mistaken, it should be the other members of the Kumo delegation."
Natsuhiko glanced into the distance and spoke casually.
"Yes."
Hiashi nodded heavily.
At this point, his head genuinely felt like it was about to split apart.
Because of that, he no longer had the slightest interest in questioning the strange transformation of Natsuhiko's eyes.
The situation tonight was already disastrous enough.
Natsuhiko had explained everything with absolute clarity earlier.
Hiashi could already imagine how terrible their current predicament truly was.
Especially now that the other Kumo ninja were rushing toward this area. Hiruzen Sarutobi would undoubtedly receive the news very soon as well.
No matter how one looked at it, this night was destined to end in chaos.
Based on Natsuhiko's earlier analysis, neither the Hyuga Clan nor Konoha itself was likely to come away from this situation unscathed.
It wasn't that Hiashi blindly trusted Natsuhiko's words.
Rather, he could tell that everything Natsuhiko said had been carefully reasoned and thoroughly analyzed.
The ANBU's work demanded caution and precision above all else. For Natsuhiko to speak so confidently meant he had already considered every aspect of the matter—from how events would unfold to Hiruzen Sarutobi's personality and decision-making tendencies.
And after thinking it through himself, Hiashi realized something painful:
His own conclusions were almost identical to Natsuhiko's.
Konoha's current condition.
Kumogakure's military strength.
Hiruzen's control over the village.
His political tendencies and methods.
When all those factors were combined together, Hiashi arrived at an answer so bleak it nearly drove him to despair.
"The Third Hokage… won't choose war, will he?"
After a long silence, Hiashi finally asked bitterly.
Natsuhiko turned toward him with a faint smile before nodding lightly.
"I'm afraid not."
"A long time ago, whether through ANBU intelligence reports or those so-called newspapers, information had already spread that Kumogakure was continuously conducting military drills near the Land of Hot Water."
"But Konoha's response to those developments…"
Natsuhiko's smile became faintly mocking.
"…was hardly optimistic."
Konoha's response was far worse than merely "not optimistic."
Although the village had indeed made some military movements, Konoha's forces had only stationed themselves along the border without ever advancing into the Land of Hot Water.
That alone already revealed Hiruzen Sarutobi's attitude clearly enough:
He had no desire to escalate matters with Kumogakure any further.
Even during ordinary border conflicts, his stance had been extremely passive. So if a Kumo diplomatic leader—someone who had just signed a peace agreement with Konoha—suddenly died inside the village…
What choice would Hiruzen make?
Would he suppress the issue to preserve the ceasefire agreement?
Or would he stand against the broader political interests of the village in order to protect the Hyuga Clan?
Hiashi let out a weary sigh.
There was hardly any need to think about the answer.
Given Hiruzen's current personality and Konoha's present condition, the Hyuga Clan would most likely be forced to make sacrifices.
"Doesn't Lord Hiashi already know the answer himself?"
Natsuhiko smiled faintly as he looked at him.
It was a foolish question in some ways, yet painfully realistic at the same time.
Everyone possessed the instinct to survive.
Whether for the sake of his clan or for himself, Hiashi had no desire to simply accept his fate quietly—even if he truly lacked the ability to resist.
And Natsuhiko understood something even more clearly:
In a certain sense, what he was about to do could be considered helping the Hyuga Clan.
As for how he would help them, and to what extent…
that depended entirely on their own performance.
Natsuhiko was not some selfless philanthropist.
Every action he took served a purpose.
He had already carefully weighed the benefits and disadvantages of helping the Hyuga Clan long ago.
Hiashi Hyuga would not die.
That much was certain.
Which meant the one destined to die would still be the unfortunate Hizashi Hyuga.
To be honest, Hizashi's death could actually become something beneficial in certain ways. His sacrifice would further inflame the emotions of Konoha's citizens.
And when that happened, Natsuhiko could step forward advocating war as the solution while simultaneously using the newspapers to intensify concepts like hatred and revenge.
At that point, Konoha itself would erupt into fury.
However, if things proceeded that way, the Hyuga Clan's allegiance would never become completely firm or wholehearted.
Hiashi was no fool.
He would absolutely realize that Natsuhiko was deliberately using Hizashi's death as political leverage—especially when Natsuhiko clearly had other ways to achieve his goals without turning the tragedy into a weapon.
Of course, even if the Hyuga Clan's support remained hesitant and incomplete, that did not mean they would turn toward Hiruzen's faction instead.
People like them were smart.
And smart people always chose to stand beside the victor.
"If they had approached me earlier and offered certain proposals first," Natsuhiko thought silently, "then perhaps things could have developed differently."
With that thought, he simply nodded toward Hiashi before turning and leaving.
The stage had already been set.
Now all that remained…
was for everyone to perform their roles.
...
"These damned bastards!"
Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed his fist heavily onto the desk.
His face was ashen with fury.
He had known from the beginning that Kumogakure's intentions were impure, but with peace seemingly within reach, he truly could not bear to give it up so easily.
What enraged him most was the realization that all his tolerance, all his restraint, and all the concessions he had made for the sake of peace…
were considered utterly worthless in the eyes of others.
Nara Shikaku stood nearby, quietly watching Hiruzen's outburst.
He could not help but sigh softly.
Because of what happened to Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku himself harbored considerable resentment toward the Third Hokage.
But he also understood something very clearly:
This was no longer a matter of individual clans or personal grievances.
This concerned all of Konoha.
By now, Shikaku had already guessed most of Kumogakure's intentions.
Kumo was trying to force Konoha into war.
No matter how he looked at it, this was an extremely dangerous sign.
If Konoha and Kumogakure truly went to war, then Konoha—already disadvantaged in terms of top-tier combat strength—would have an incredibly difficult time resisting them.
Just as Nara Shikaku was beginning to feel a headache coming on, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally managed to suppress his anger.
His gaze slowly swept across everyone present before he suddenly asked in confusion, "Where is Natsuhiko Senju? And why hasn't the Hyuga Clan Head arrived yet either?"
"Commander Natsuhiko is currently directing the ANBU to investigate possible spies within the village."
Shikaku answered helplessly. Among everyone in the office—aside from Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu—he held the highest rank present.
"Natsuhiko said that tonight's incident is highly unusual, and Kumogakure's intentions are also far from simple. He is making preparations for any future developments."
"As for Clan Head Hiashi, he is currently stabilizing the internal situation of the Hyuga Clan… and dealing with the Kumogakure delegation ninjas."
When he reached that point, even Shikaku himself found it difficult to continue.
Because the Kumo delegation had forcefully broken into Hyuga Clan territory without any regard for obstruction.
That action was not just a slap in the face to the Hyuga Clan—it was a direct humiliation to Konoha as a whole.
It was not hard to imagine how arrogant those Kumogakure shinobi must currently be.
And it was equally easy to imagine how furious Hiashi Hyuga must be feeling right now.
However, Shikaku quietly noted something else as well.
The fact that Hiashi had not come to the meeting might very well mean he was waiting for Hiruzen Sarutobi's stance.
He was not entirely sure when Hiashi had become so perceptive, but it was clear that the death of the Kumo delegation leader inside Hyuga territory could bring unimaginable trouble to both the clan—and Hiashi himself.
The most likely outcome…
was compensation for a life.
But the problem was, who exactly was defined as the killer, and who would be made to pay—those definitions were entirely in Kumogakure's hands.
Hiashi was probably waiting for Hiruzen's decision.
And that decision would not only affect the Hyuga Clan…
it could very well determine the future of all Konoha.
"Why has this kind of thing been happening so often lately… this is truly a troubling time."
Shikaku sighed inwardly, feeling a rare sense of exhaustion.
He was not afraid of such schemes.
But schemes of this level could only be judged based on the strength backing them.
In the past—yes, even before the Nine-Tails Incident—Shikaku had been confident he could easily handle such situations.
But things were different now.
Ninja affairs ultimately came down to strength. Schemes and strategies were merely tools used to achieve objectives.
Right now, Konoha was weakened and unable to exert sufficient deterrence over Kumogakure.
That was precisely why they were forced into a position of constant passivity.
"Forget it. If they're not here, so be it. Let's focus on how to handle this situation."
Hiruzen rubbed his brow, speaking with visible exhaustion.
"Everyone here is intelligent. I assume you all understand what Konoha is about to face—and how we should respond."
"I believe our priority should be stabilizing the situation as quickly as possible."
Faced with Hiruzen's question, Shikaku glanced around the room once more. He knew, once again, that he would be the one to answer.
"This incident has escalated badly. Both within and outside the village, news will likely spread soon that a Kumogakure envoy—who had just signed a ceasefire agreement—was killed in Konoha."
"That is extremely detrimental to us. Containing the situation is critical. In addition, we must immediately issue a statement clarifying that this incident has nothing to do with Konoha."
"As for the final step…"
Shikaku could not help but shake his head with a bitter smile.
"We must also prepare for war, because none of us know what conditions the Fourth Raikage will demand."
He stopped there deliberately.
He did not mention the Hyuga Clan.
And that silence was intentional—he wanted to see how Hiruzen would respond.
Because while clans and the village were not equal in importance on paper…
the very foundation of Konoha was built to protect those clans and their children, ensuring everyone could live and thrive in peace.
In Konoha's history, there had almost never been a situation where the village willingly abandoned one of its own and chose compromise at the cost of dignity.
Naturally, Nara Shikaku had no intention of supporting such a course of action. In fact, he did not even want to voice it.
And yet—
"What if they don't intend to go to war, but instead use war as leverage to force us to hand over the culprit?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly raised his head and fixed Shikaku with a sharp gaze, asking the question slowly and deliberately, word by word.
The meaning behind that question was already painfully clear.
Hiruzen himself did not want war either.
From Konoha's perspective, his approach might seem correct on the surface. However, endlessly yielding and sacrificing one's own people was not the path to true peace.
Shikaku closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, his expression had returned to calm.
"I cannot answer that, Hokage-sama."
"Because we don't even know who actually killed that man. And more importantly… this is not something you should be asking me."
He raised his head slightly, meeting Hiruzen's gaze directly—something he rarely did.
"Because this is a decision only you can make. I am merely a member of the administrative department, and I am also a shinobi of Konoha."
"Whatever decision you make, I will follow it faithfully."
"Because… you are the Hokage."
...
The meeting ended shortly after, and Shikaku left the Hokage Building along with the others.
The result of tonight's discussion was, frankly, disappointing. No effective measures had been decided upon at all.
More than that, Hiruzen's attitude left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth—deeply, undeniably disappointing.
From the standpoint of the Hokage, minimizing losses and prioritizing the village's overall benefit was understandable, even acceptable.
But Konoha itself had never been a monolithic entity.
It was a coalition built from powerful clans leading smaller families, along with countless civilian shinobi working together to form a unified village.
And precisely because of that structure, maintaining balance among all factions had always been essential.
As Shikaku walked, a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Why was it that after the Third Hokage took office, the various clans seemed to have become increasingly divided, far less united and harmonious compared to the era of the First Hokage?
Back then, every shinobi proudly called themselves a "shinobi of Konoha." Back then, everyone could genuinely fight and sacrifice for the village.
"Wait… Konoha shinobi?"
Shikaku suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He had never before considered this issue from the Hokage's perspective. But now that he did, something felt deeply wrong.
He had read historical records and also heard stories from his elders. The Konoha of the past was fundamentally different from the Konoha of today—the gap between them was too vast to ignore.
He remembered that when the Third Hokage first rose to power, he had not received overwhelming support. Unlike later years, when his rule effectively turned into a one-man decision-making system.
And how that transformation had unfolded…
Shikaku did not want to dwell on the process.
He preferred to focus on the result.
And as he thought deeper, cold sweat suddenly began to form on his back.
Because he realized something alarming—
his speculation might actually be correct.
"In the era of the First Hokage, everyone shared a single identity: Konoha shinobi."
"But now, for most clan ninjas, the identity of 'Konoha shinobi' comes after their identity as clan members."
Shikaku narrowed his eyes slightly.
Take the Uchiha Clan, for example. When speaking of enemies, they would say "a member of the Uchiha." But truthfully, all clans were more or less the same.
Even though mentioning the clan name alone was enough to indicate they were from Konoha, over time this subtle shift had gradually replaced the identity of "Konoha shinobi" with that of "clan shinobi."
This slow, almost imperceptible change had blurred the meaning of being a Konoha ninja.
And in doing so, it had deepened the importance of clan identity even further.
"Clan shinobi… Konoha shinobi…"
Shikaku slowly closed his eyes.
At this moment, he felt as though he had finally begun to see the truth.
A single clan shinobi would remember his personal grudges, but a unified "Konoha shinobi" would abandon hatred and face the enemy together.
At this moment, Shikaku felt as though he finally understood why the First Hokage had created the ninja rank system when founding the village.
If clans were like individual clusters piled up within Konoha, then the rank system was a method of breaking those clusters apart entirely.
It mixed everything together—civilian ninjas and clan ninjas alike—until everyone became simply "Konoha shinobi."
The only distinction left was rank. It was, in essence, a horizontal system designed to divide and reorganize Konoha into a unified structure.
"…But now, has everything returned to its starting point?"
Once he pieced everything together, Shikaku could only let out a helpless sigh.
However, very quickly, another thought surfaced—and with it, a sense of unease.
Something about his current state of mind felt wrong.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi had indeed been deeply reforming Konoha in this direction all along, then why had these thoughts suddenly emerged in him?
Recalling everything Hiruzen had done since replacing Minato Namikaze, it could not be called outstanding—but it also could not be labeled as entirely incompetent.
And yet—
"Newspapers."
Suddenly, Shikaku realized something.
Without hesitation, he rushed back home and pulled out every newspaper he could find.
It felt as though he had finally touched something crucial—something that had never been connected in his mind before.
But now, this moment felt like an opportunity.
He could clearly sense it now: as if an invisible hand was pushing everyone toward a single direction.
He had to understand what was really going on.
After sorting through all the newspapers and spending several days carefully analyzing their contents, Shikaku finally arrived at an answer.
From the very beginning, the newspapers had been repeatedly—sometimes openly, sometimes subtly—highlighting various issues surrounding Hiruzen Sarutobi.
At the time, those issues had seemed mixed in judgment, but overall they appeared to be steering things in a positive direction.
One key theme, for example, was Hiruzen's tendency to cherish old ties.
But was Hiruzen truly someone who valued old relationships so deeply?
Did his earlier actions—such as effectively abandoning the Hyuga Clan—really align with that image?
The Hyuga Clan had served Konoha for many years, remaining stable, disciplined, and loyal without ever rebelling or causing internal unrest. They had contributed immensely throughout countless wars.
Did they not deserve the same consideration from Hiruzen?
By contrast, releasing Orochimaru and allowing Danzo to return to power seemed far more like acts driven by personal interest.
The "cherishing old ties" he spoke of… seemed to apply only to those with deep personal connections to him.
At that moment, Shikaku clenched his fist tightly.
The sense of conspiracy in the air was growing heavier and heavier.
"No wonder I felt so disappointed… Hiruzen Sarutobi is essentially deceiving everyone."
"He fooled all of us."
"Today he can abandon the Hyuga Clan—so tomorrow, if necessary, will he abandon us as well?"
Shikaku's expression darkened.
What disturbed him was not Hiruzen's choices themselves—but the realization that he had unconsciously been influenced as well.
And the more he studied the newspapers, the stronger that feeling became.
It was as if an unseen force was pushing Konoha itself—and everyone within it—toward a direction that increasingly diverged from Hiruzen Sarutobi's intentions.
Within those newspapers, he found numerous subtle but consistent articles advocating the "Kumogakure threat theory," and insisting that Konoha must never yield or compromise.
Individually, none of them stood out.
They were all buried within a variety of other content… but together, they painted something far more deliberate.
But if such ideas were absorbed over time, then Hiruzen Sarutobi's recent behavior—deliberately showing weakness toward the enemy—would inevitably ignite outrage across the entire village of Konoha.
"What a terrifying creation…"
Shikaku Nara looked down at the newspaper in his hands and could not help but swallow hard.
If he had not noticed that his own state of mind was gradually becoming strange, he might never have realized the deeper, more frightening nature hidden within these publications.
But now that he had noticed it—and had begun to see through many of the underlying patterns—he felt that he truly needed to meet certain people as soon as possible.
However, at that very moment, news from Kumogakure finally arrived in Konoha regarding the Fourth Raikage's response.
...
While Shikaku was making his decision, Hiashi Hyuga was also enduring an intense internal struggle.
Natsuhiko Senju's words had left him deeply unsettled, and he could not shake the feeling that things might truly unfold in the exact direction Natsuhiko had predicted.
Even so, Hiashi continued to wait.
He was waiting for the final outcome to reveal itself.
After all, he still remembered that Hiruzen Sarutobi had been labeled as someone who "cherished old ties."
Waiting was painful—especially when the situation was this complicated, and the Hyuga Clan had become the center of the storm. For Hiashi, it was nothing short of torment.
"Clan Head."
At that moment, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in," Hiashi sighed softly, allowing the person to enter.
"Clan Head, the head of the Nara Clan has arrived."
The visitor was a branch family member. He kept his head lowered, not daring to meet Hiashi's gaze, and reported the matter directly.
His respectful demeanor appeared proper on the surface, but Hiashi knew very well that beneath it lay dissatisfaction and suppressed resentment.
The Hyuga Clan was currently in a deeply unstable state. Internal tensions between the main and branch families had been accumulating for years, and now, with such a major external crisis added on top, the clan could be described as standing on the edge of a storm.
However, Hiashi no longer had the energy to concern himself with internal matters.
He had more urgent issues to deal with.
"Shikaku Nara?" Hiashi nodded slightly. "Then please invite him in."
"Yes, Clan Head."
The branch family member quickly withdrew.
Hiashi remained seated alone, quietly pondering the purpose of Shikaku's visit.
After thinking it through, he concluded that it was most likely related to the situation with Kumogakure.
About a week had already passed. News from the Cloud should have arrived by now.
For reasons he could not quite explain, Hiashi suddenly felt as though he was about to face judgment.
He let out a self-mocking smile.
What an unpleasant feeling this was.
Not long after, Shikaku Nara entered the room under the guidance of a Hyuga attendant and gave a slight nod of greeting.
"Shikaku-sama… long time no see."
Hiashi quickly composed himself and forced a polite smile.
"Please, have a seat. I'll have tea prepared."
"No need for formalities, Hiashi-sama."
Shikaku sat down and shook his head before continuing directly, "I believe you already understand why I'm here."
His bluntness was somewhat unexpected.
However, Hiashi soon felt a subtle sense of relief.
Such straightforwardness often meant that the outcome was not too bad.
If the result had been disastrous, Shikaku would likely have approached the matter with far more caution and tact.
With that thought, Hiashi's expression eased slightly.
"I can probably guess," he said with a faint smile. "Has Kumogakure responded?"
"Yes."
Shikaku looked at Hiashi's expression and immediately realized he had misunderstood the situation.
But he did not bother correcting him.
"He gave us two choices. Hiashi-sama just didn't attend the meeting, so you naturally weren't informed...."
"Either hand over the culprit, or go to war. After all, Kumogakure lowered their stance so far, and now their sincerity has been completely destroyed by Konoha. It's only natural they would choose the most extreme option, isn't it?"
Before Nara Shikaku could finish speaking, Hiashi Hyuga had already calmly stated the conclusion for him.
That answer made Shikaku raise an eyebrow.
Because Hiashi had understood everything perfectly—and even taken Kumogakure's entire posture into account.
At this point, Shikaku became even more certain of his suspicion: Hiashi had likely refused to attend the meeting precisely because he had already grasped the situation in advance and was waiting for Hiruzen Sarutobi's final stance.
"That's correct, Hiashi-sama," Shikaku sighed. "You're absolutely right. Those were indeed the two choices presented."
"It's not that I'm insightful," Hiashi replied with a bitter smile. "It's our ANBU Commander who is. Everything I just said came from him."
"I'm afraid our ANBU Commander had already seen through Kumogakure's intentions before they even entered the village."
Natsuhiko Senju?
The name made Shikaku pause for a moment. Then he nodded in quiet understanding.
He had not expected this matter to involve the ANBU Commander so directly, but he could not deny the man's capability.
Shikaku had never doubted Natsuhiko's sharpness or his ability to perceive hidden intent.
After all, someone so young who could firmly sit as ANBU Commander—and act as the Fourth Hokage's representative within Konoha—was someone whose competence far exceeded expectations.
And his strength was equally formidable.
While Shikaku believed Natsuhiko might not yet be able to face beings like a Jinchūriki or the Fourth Raikage alone in direct combat…
the fact that he had once suppressed the Nine-Tails already spoke volumes.
Natsuhiko Senju's future potential was truly immeasurable.
"It's a pity. If only there had been more time…"
Shikaku sighed inwardly.
If Natsuhiko had been given more time to grow—his Wood Release, his Flying Thunder God Technique—perhaps he would truly have been capable of dealing with the combined threat of the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.
But right now, neither he nor Konoha as a whole believed such a thing was realistically possible.
"I understand."
Shikaku exhaled slowly, his expression turning serious.
"Then may I ask, Hiashi-sama… do you know what the Third Hokage has decided?"
"The decision…" Hiashi murmured.
He had been about to answer immediately, but upon noticing Shikaku's expression, he hesitated. His confidence wavered slightly.
After a moment, he cautiously replied, "Hand over the culprit?"
"Yes."
Shikaku nodded and closed his eyes.
"The Third Hokage's decision is to hand over the culprit—and specifically, the 'culprit' designated by the Raikage."
"What did you say?!" Hiashi suddenly stood up in fury. "Does he not know those damned Kumogakure shinobi were poisoned and had Hinata hostage?!"
"I'm sorry," Shikaku said quietly, shaking his head.
"Tonight… the Third Hokage will likely make a personal visit."
"Heh… impressive. Truly impressive."
Hiashi gritted his teeth, his voice trembling with rage.
"So this is what his so-called 'cherishing old ties' amounts to? Impressive indeed!"
Watching Hiashi's fury, Shikaku could only sigh again.
A heavy, indescribable sadness settled in his chest.
Because if this time it was the Hyuga Clan…
then next time, who would it be?
Still—
He could not allow a "next time" to exist.
Konoha was weakened, yes. Humiliated, yes.
But it could not be allowed to sacrifice its dignity and spirit just to survive.
At that thought, Shikaku suddenly stood up.
His expression turned resolute as he looked at Hiashi.
"There is actually another option."
"Although time is short… it is not entirely impossible."
Hiashi narrowed his eyes.
"What option?"
"We go see Natsuhiko Senju."