Just as the Fourth Raikage asked that question, an intelligence shinobi quickly ran over.
"Raikage-sama!"
"What is it?"
Everyone looked up.
"Konoha has made an announcement regarding the rumors about the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan."
"What did they announce?"
The intelligence shinobi said,
"It was spoken personally by the Hyuga Clan Head, Hyuga Yamakura—he stated that Konoha selling out the Hyuga Clan was a baseless accusation, and that there had been no Byakugan transaction whatsoever between Konoha and Kirigakure."
"He also said that because of the alliance between Konoha and Kirigakure, the Kaguya Clan deliberately tried to drive a wedge between Konoha and the Hyuga Clan, disregarding their many years of friendship and spreading rumors."
"And starting today, the Hyuga Clan and the Kaguya Clan are severing all ties!"
The moment those words fell, everyone's eyes widened.
"The Hyuga Clan and the Kaguya Clan, severing all ties?"
"Haven't they had a relationship for over a hundred years?"
C's eyes lit up.
"Raikage-sama, the matter of obtaining the Byakugan has become possible!"
"Hm?"
C said, "If the Hyuga Clan has broken with the Kaguya Clan, that means the Hyuga Clan cannot leave Konoha. Konoha will then have absolute control over the Hyuga Clan."
"In that case, if Kirigakure has already obtained the Byakugan, then as long as we place enough pressure on Konoha, Konoha will have no way to refuse our request."
"After all, if they can give it to Kirigakure, there is no reason they cannot give it to our Kumogakure."
A Kumogakure shinobi raised a question.
"But what if Kirigakure really seized the Byakugan by themselves?"
C shook his head.
"Even if they seized it, they still needed the chance to do so."
"Konoha has so many shinobi, while the Hyuga main family has so few members. Under what circumstances would there be any need to send a Hyuga main family member to the battlefield? That simply would not have been necessary."
"It was an unnecessary thing to do, yet Konoha still did it. So what was their purpose?"
"Wasn't it to create an opportunity for Kirigakure?"
The Fourth Raikage's voice sank.
"In that case, C, I'll leave the relevant plan to you."
"Yes, Raikage-sama!"
The moment the Hyuga Clan's announcement was released, it caused a huge uproar across the entire shinobi world. Countless people began discussing it.
Some believed Hyuga Yamakura's explanation.
"That Kaguya Clan is too shameless. They had so many years of friendship with the Hyuga Clan, yet for their own sake they framed the Hyuga like this. They're not even human."
"A friendship of more than a hundred years was practically thrown to the dogs."
"I knew Konoha wouldn't be that shameless."
"How could a ninja village possibly sell out one of its own ninja clans?"
"Especially when the Byakugan is so important to Konoha."
But others held a different opinion.
"The Hyuga Clan just caved to Konoha, didn't they? Kirigakure having the Byakugan—isn't that a fact? And how did a member of the main family suddenly end up at a battlefield frontline?"
"The Hyuga Clan is too weak."
"Even after all this, they still bow and scrape before Konoha."
"They're not even as good as the Uchiha!"
"Not just not as good—they're far worse than the Uchiha!"
Hearing voices like that, Uchiha Yashiro felt somewhat pleased.
Back when he was in Konoha, Uchiha Yashiro had felt a certain degree of sympathy toward the Hyuga Clan.
They were both ninja clans of Konoha. They were both dojutsu bloodline clans.
And both had been targeted by the village's higher-ups.
When the Uchiha Clan had decided to rebel, Uchiha Yashiro had once hoped the Hyuga Clan would join them.
That together they could overturn Konoha's higher-ups, with the Uchiha ruling Konoha and the Hyuga assisting them.
But the Hyuga Clan had disappointed Uchiha Yashiro too deeply.
Not only had they failed to seize the chance to resist Konoha's tyranny and unfair treatment together with the Uchiha Clan—
They had even put in extra effort when hunting down the Uchiha Clan.
"The Hyuga Clan is nowhere near my Uchiha Clan!"
"The whole clan is full of the same kind of people as Uchiha Yamakaku!"
"They don't even deserve to be called human. They're Konoha's dogs."
"They're Hiruzen Sarutobi's dogs."
"The facts are right in front of them, yet they're still this weak. They'd be better off dead."
Uchiha Yashiro snorted inwardly.
In contrast, Kaguya Tatsu's mood was much worse.
"The Hyuga Clan really intends to completely sever ties with my Kaguya Clan?"
"They don't care about over a hundred years of friendship at all?"
Originally, Kaguya Tatsu had hoped that the Hyuga Clan would break with Konoha, defect to the Kaguya Clan, and join forces with the Uchiha and Kaguya to carve out a new power in the shinobi world—one capable of standing alongside the major hidden villages.
But he had not expected the Hyuga Clan to make such a choice.
"Hyuga Clan, I am deeply disappointed in you."
"You're too weak."
"I'm afraid that if Hiruzen Sarutobi demanded your lives, no one else would even need to act—you'd hand them over yourselves."
"A friendship of over a hundred years, and you sever all ties with us just like that?"
Even Hyuga Hiashi did not quite understand Hyuga Yamakura's action.
"Father, why did you sever ties with the Kaguya Clan? We've shared over a hundred years of friendship with them. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
Hyuga Yamakura let out a cold snort.
"Hiashi, it seems you still haven't learned."
"I told you before—in the shinobi world, when you are the leader of a ninja clan, do not think in terms of right and wrong. Think instead about what choice will be better for the future."
"The Hyuga Clan cannot leave Konoha."
"The Kaguya Clan's proclamation, along with the appearance of the Ninja Kill cards, stirred the clan's emotions once again. At a time like this, we had to do something to stabilize the clan's situation."
"And yes, it is true that our relationship with the Kaguya Clan has been good."
"But they and we are still two separate ninja clans. And before this, we even belonged to two different hidden villages."
"Friendship is friendship, but our interests are different."
"The Kaguya Clan's proclamation was clearly an attempt to drive a wedge between the Hyuga Clan and Konoha. It was the Kaguya Clan who cast aside friendship first. We merely responded in kind."
"If they can do such a thing, why can't we?"
"If that's the case, then that would be too unfair. And if so, what use is such friendship?"
Hyuga Hiashi frowned.
"But what if the matter of the village selling out our Hyuga Clan and giving the Byakugan to Kirigakure is actually true?"
"Absolutely impossible."
Hyuga Yamakura said, "Hokage-sama would never do such a thing."
Hyuga Hiashi said no more.
…
…
Sunagakure, Kazekage Building.
Rasa glanced at the intelligence report in his hand, and one brow rose slightly.
"I didn't expect Hyuga Yamakura to make such a decision."
"That really is beyond my expectations."
"If that's the case, then the relationship between the Hyuga Clan and Konoha will stabilize. It will be difficult for them to rebel like the Uchiha."
"Hiruzen Sarutobi will also trust the Hyuga Clan even more."
"But it still gave me enough points."
Rasa looked toward the system panel.
"Thirty consecutive draws, begin!"