Chapter 20
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Hiashi Hyūga beside him.
"As Clan Head Hiashi just stated in the report, before Naruto used the Nine-Tails' power, it was to protect Hinata Hyūga. Not only was he not controlled by the Nine-Tails, he remained extremely rational—and even voluntarily withdrew the chakra after the fight ended."
Hiashi nodded solemnly. "Indeed."
"A three-year-old jinchūriki capable of controlling tailed beast power to this degree…" Homura Mitokado removed his glasses and wiped them.
"So, Hiruzen, are you saying…" Koharu Utatane spoke slowly, "…you truly believe that child can control the Nine-Tails' power?"
"That's exactly it."
Hiruzen picked up the thread, once again presenting the theory: "The reason Naruto can do this is because of the 'benevolent personality' that split off inside him—the one he calls 'Fox Sage.'"
"That alter personality is teaching Naruto to be kind. It's teaching him to protect his comrades."
Hiruzen stared directly into Danzō's eye, voice stern: "If you take him into Root and subject him to your emotion-erasing training, you'll only drive that benevolent personality mad. The current harmonious balance will collapse. The seal will become unstable!"
"When the Nine-Tails rampages again and Konoha suffers another catastrophe… Danzō, can you bear that responsibility?"
"This…" Danzō was momentarily speechless.
He wanted to say that with Wood Release on hand he could contain it—but those words could never be spoken aloud.
The two advisors—Homura and Koharu—exchanged a glance and spoke up.
"Hiruzen makes sense. Since Naruto is currently controllable and has rendered a great service to the village, there's no need to risk changing the status quo."
"Maintaining the current situation and continuing to nurture his bonds with the village is the best course."
Seeing even the advisors leaning toward Hiruzen, Danzō's face darkened. He gave a cold snort and fell silent—no longer pressing the issue.
With Naruto's matter settled, the discussion turned to Kumogakure.
Hiruzen tapped the table: "One remaining question: how do we explain this to Kumo?"
"Explain what?" Danzō sneered. "The Kumo delegation infiltrated the Hyūga compound in the dead of night and attempted to abduct both the Byakugan heiress and the Nine-Tails jinchūriki. We caught them red-handed."
"He's still breathing and receiving treatment—that's already giving them plenty of face."
"But the explanation that a three-year-old defeated a jonin—who would believe it?" Homura gave a wry smile.
"That's precisely why they'll suspect the jinchūriki's power."
Danzō's single eye glinted sharply. "The more they suspect, the harder we must stand. Show weakness, and Kumo will push further."
Hiruzen listened in silence. He knew Danzō was right.
In diplomacy, truth often mattered less than attitude and strength.
Konoha now held evidence, a captive, and the intimidating fact of a "three-year-old jinchūriki defeating a Kumo jonin."
That alone could become valuable leverage in negotiations.
In the original course of events, the Kumo leader would have been killed by Hiashi—dead men tell no tales.
Kumo would then turn the accusation around, claiming Konoha murdered their envoy and threatening war unless the killer—Hiashi's body—was handed over.
In the end, Hizashi would sacrifice himself to protect his brother and seek his own freedom.
The higher-ups would tacitly accept this as the minimal cost to preserve peace.
Hiruzen had wanted to stand firm but couldn't—because it truly was the smallest price.
But now everything had changed.
The Kumo leader had kidnapped Hinata and taken the jinchūriki hostage—only to be crippled by Uzumaki Naruto.
The envoy wasn't dead—though barely alive.
This time the culprit was Naruto, and Hiruzen would never hand him over.
Shikaku Nara analyzed shrewdly: "They struck first and broke the peace. We simply need to take the initiative and present a strong stance. We can even use the treaty to condemn Kumo's actions."
Hiruzen slapped the report onto the table. For once, a rare flash of dominance appeared in his eyes.
"The Kumo leader's life is not in danger. That leaves room to salvage the situation. Once his condition stabilizes, let the remaining Kumo escorts take him back to their village."
"If Kumo continues acting unreasonably, Konoha is not a soft target. War is not out of the question."
The two remaining Kumo escorts had been confined in the guest inn. When they discovered their leader's shadow clone had dispelled automatically, they realized the operation was exposed.
They tried to flee but were detected by Anbu and placed under soft detention.
Hiashi Hyūga—who had listened quietly the entire time—finally let out a long breath of relief.
The incident had occurred inside the Hyūga compound; naturally he feared the higher-ups might reach a decision harmful to his clan.
Thinking of this, his view of the boy outside the door shifted.
Regardless of his status as jinchūriki, in this matter alone… Uzumaki Naruto truly deserved to be called a benefactor of the Hyūga clan.
Without him, Hiashi would have killed the kidnapper himself.
With his strength and close-range Gentle Fist, a fatal strike would have been easy.
But then he himself would have become the murderer of an envoy. Facing an aggressive Kumo, he didn't believe his own importance to the village could outweigh that of the Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
Now there would be no "dead men tell no tales," no blackmail.
Naturally… no one would need to be sacrificed.
"Since there are no objections, the meeting is adjourned."
Hiruzen stood. "Tomorrow morning I will personally meet with Kumo's deputy envoy and settle this account properly."
Creak—
The heavy meeting room doors opened.
Konoha's most powerful figures filed out one after another.
As they emerged, their attention was immediately drawn to the scene at the doorway.
On the corridor bench.
The blond boy's head had tilted sideways in sleep, resting gently on the black-haired girl's thin shoulder. He slept soundly, a thin trail of drool at the corner of his mouth.
The girl beside him had also fallen asleep—leaning against him in the same posture.
In a shinobi world filled with conflict and struggle, the sight was exceptionally peaceful and beautiful.
Hiashi Hyūga looked at the scene, expression complex.
As the strict main family clan head, under normal circumstances he would have sternly reprimanded any other child for daring to lean on his daughter like this.
But now, seeing his daughter's serene face… and thinking of the boy who had unknowingly saved him…
Hiashi remained silent for a long moment. In the end, he didn't step forward to separate them—just stood quietly watching.
"Hehehe…"
A warm, grandfatherly smile spread across Hiruzen's face.
He walked over, gently parted the two children, and lifted the sleeping Naruto into his arms.
"Mmm… Fox Sage… make me tomato-and-egg stir-fry… I want more…" Naruto mumbled in his sleep, nuzzling against Hiruzen's chest.
"Yes, yes—tomorrow I'll treat you," Hiruzen coaxed softly.
He turned to Hiashi: "Hiashi, Hinata has been through a lot tonight. Take her home to rest soon."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Hiashi stepped forward and gently lifted his daughter from the bench.
Inside the seal space.
Xuanming sat cross-legged atop his own fox head.
Politicians' hearts were filthy, yet even this group of schemers—each harboring their own agendas—still showed genuine warmth toward this scene.
One reason hearts became dirty was to pay the smallest price so more people could live to enjoy moments like this.
Right and wrong, choices and sacrifices—there was no objective way to judge.
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