Inside the Hokage Office.
Danzo stood before The Third, his voice low and carrying his usual cold hardness.
"The Uchiha matter has come to an end, but the power vacuum left behind needs to be filled. Root's tentacles should extend further to ensure a second Uchiha never appears."
Hiruzen Sarutobi held his pipe, his tone steady.
"I will make other arrangements for the reorganization of the Police Force. Do you still think your reach isn't long enough?"
"Then hand the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki over to my control. I'll place the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on him to ensure he has no stray thoughts. After the Uchiha clan's massacre, Konoha's strength has been greatly diminished; the Nine-Tails is the Village's final safeguard."
"I have my own plans for Naruto. Danzo, do your own job. What Naruto needs is to inherit the Will of Fire. Don't forget whose child he is."
"Hiruzen, your weakness will be the end of Konoha!" A flash of severity crossed Danzo's single eye.
"By the time the threat truly erupts, it will be too late!"
Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice suddenly became serious.
"I know what the best choice for Konoha is! Root's duty is to assist, not to lead. On this matter, there is no room for negotiation."
"Hiruzen, the Nine-Tails must be under my control. This is all for the sake of the Village!"
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
Danzo's eyes were cold, his expression extremely unsightly.
"Hiruzen... you will definitely regret this!"
"Bang!"
The door to the Hokage Office was slammed shut, and Danzo left with a gloomy aura of anger.
Only Hiruzen Sarutobi remained in the room, along with the lingering cold atmosphere of disagreement in the air.
The office fell silent.
The Third slowly sat back in his chair, not immediately attending to the mountain of documents.
He fell silent for a moment and took out a Crystal Ball.
He reached out, his aged palm covering the surface of the Crystal Ball as Chakra was slowly infused into it.
The originally blurred images inside the ball began to clear, the mist dispersing to reveal real-time footage of various corners of Konoha Village.
His fingers brushed lightly across the surface of the Crystal Ball, and the scenes changed accordingly.
Passing over bustling streets, past Ninjas sweating on training grounds, the image finally settled on a small path on the outskirts of the Hyuga Clan Compound.
Hinata was alone, quietly walking on the path back to the clan compound.
Her pace was steady, looking straight ahead. Her pure white eyes gazed forward, her face devoid of any expression. There was neither the innocence expected of a child nor any forced maturity—just an almost pure calm, or rather, indifference.
The Third's gaze followed her closely; he recalled the descriptions in the reports.
Perfect in theory classes, precise in taijutsu, especially movement in complex environments, showing mastery beyond her years.
The Third's brow furrowed slightly; this child seemed different from everyone else.
When did this change begin? Was she stimulated by the Kumogakure incident? Or was it some unknown training method within the Hyuga Main Family?
His fingers moved again, the scene in the Crystal Ball switched, showing Naruto outside the Ichiraku Ramen shop, looking longingly at the customers eating inside.
The child's face bore obvious disappointment and envy. He seemed to remember something, soon cheered up, waved his fist as if saying something to himself, and then ran off.
The Third watched Naruto's receding back, a flash of complexity in his eyes.
He switched the scene back, focusing once more on Hinata as she was about to enter the gates of the Hyuga Clan Compound.
These two children: one longed to belong, while the other moved away.
Since the last incident, Hiruzen had begun paying attention to Hinata. From time to time, he would check on the growth of this Miss of the Hyuga Main Family.
But he found nothing out of the ordinary; she seemed quite normal.
Naruto and Sasuke were the primary subjects of focus.
Naruto went without saying, while Sasuke was due to his Uchiha Bloodline and his rogue brother... Just as the Crystal Ball's vision focused on her, Hinata's footsteps paused for a moment.
A feeling of being watched emerged. She had felt it before when Root was monitoring her. Now that the Uchiha incident was settled, Danzo's attention should be elsewhere. Why would he be staring at her?
She expanded her perception; there was no surveillance from Root or Anbu nearby.
Hinata had the answer in her heart. She understood; it was Hiruzen Sarutobi.
She maintained her calm and unruffled appearance, not even changing her breathing frequency. Her pure white eyes looked straight ahead, as if she were completely unaware of the spying from the Hokage Office.
However, the spiritual power within her body naturally adjusted its flow. The effect of the [Breath Concealment Technique] was invisibly raised to its limit. It not only perfectly simulated Chakra fluctuations fitting her age and identity but also deeply concealed her own spiritual power—which belonged to a cultivator and was distinct from Chakra—leaving no flaws.
Only after her figure had completely vanished behind the heavy gates of the Hyuga Clan Compound did the sensation of being locked on and watched recede.
In the Hokage Office, The Third withdrew his hand from the Crystal Ball, and the image inside became blurred again.
He leaned back in his chair and took a deep drag of his pipe.
"Perhaps... am I really overthinking? Maybe she's just an eloquent child with a lot of empathy."
He whispered to himself.
Upon returning to her room, after confirming the warning barrier was intact, Hinata's lips curled into a slight smile.
Open surveillance is much easier to deal with than malice hidden in the shadows.
She knew very well that within The Third's sight, she was safe.
It might be because she contacted Naruto too frequently, or perhaps that incident caused The Third to pay attention to her, but these were all within expectations.
Her thoughts returned once again to planning for the future.
She didn't really want to be a Ninja. Not to mention having to complete missions, there was also a lack of freedom, but that was a matter for later.
Before the Chunin Exams, there were basically no major events, just daily school life.
The main storyline would only begin after Naruto's graduation.
During this time, she could Cultivate in peace and build up her strength.
Hinata sat cross-legged, took out a low-grade qi gathering pill and swallowed it. The pure medicinal power dissolved, guiding the spiritual power to accelerate its flow through her Meridians.
Continuing her cultivation.