Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 13: Who Won?

"What a brilliant move—taking a step back to advance," Hyuga Hiashi muttered, standing under the shade of a distant tree, his gaze fixed on the Third Hokage.

He now understood why his father had so suddenly passed the position of clan head to him.

To resolve the issue with the branch family, this Hokage had already taken calculated steps.

By positioning the ninjas returning from the Hidden Cloud battlefield into various units, he had them naturally spread the legend of the Fourth Hokage, laying the groundwork for his own resignation.

Then today, under the guise of stepping down, he granted the branch family a favor.

Could the branch family resent him for his earlier inaction?

No.

What the first two Hokage failed to address, the Third Hokage had acted on. He even bowed in apology, stepping down from his position for their sake. What was left to resent?

And yet, this was all a result of the branch family's own struggle!

Some of them had gone so far as to kill members of the Main Family. If the Hyuga Main Family didn't want to escalate tensions, they would have to compromise.

But the branch family didn't know this.

This allowed the Third Hokage to extend an act of grace.

With just a slight loosening of their chains, many branch members would feel deeply grateful.

After all, no one truly believed the Caged Bird seal could be broken. The branch family, accustomed to the seal, couldn't imagine the Main Family ever willingly removing it.

As for the Main Family?

The Third Hokage's decision to avoid aggressively pursuing the culprits, acting indifferent, may have been a subtle way of pressuring them into cooperating with him.

Now the branch family respected him, and the Main Family owed him a debt.

The once-reticent Hyuga clan had been pulled onto the Third Hokage's chessboard.

A masterful strategy.

Of course, this also meant the Third Hokage couldn't openly pursue the culprits to avoid angering the branch family, thus wasting his efforts. But the rogue branch family members were now equally constrained.

Many branch members were already satisfied. If those rogue members continued acting out, they might lose the support of their kin. At that point, the Third Hokage could crush them with impunity.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi straightened after the branch family's expressions of forgiveness and cast a smiling glance in his direction, Hiashi took a deep breath.

"Hizashi, it's our turn now. From now on… things will be as they were, just like the past—close and harmonious."

Hyuga Hizashi's eyes flickered as he stared at the Hokage on the platform. "Will it really be the same?"

Hiashi didn't respond, stepping forward instead.

Their ascent to their new positions symbolized the Main Family's compromise. This would further extinguish the branch family's simmering rage that had endured for centuries.

Hiashi didn't know if this was the right path.

All he knew was… he had no other choice.

As Hiashi and Hizashi climbed the platform, Hyuga Miyuki closed her eyes and turned to leave.

She didn't want to watch, didn't want to see the satisfied expressions on her fellow clansmen's faces.

The branch family hadn't won!

What was there to celebrate?

Just as she turned, a hand reached out from the crowd and grabbed her arm.

She frowned and turned her head.

It was Hyuga Fuji.

The boy, about her age, wore a smile that matched those of the people around him. But his eyes were devoid of any warmth.

He listened intently to Hiashi and Hizashi's speech about "bringing new hope to the Hyuga," then released her arm.

During this brief exchange, Fuji made several subtle hand gestures.

They were Mist battlefield signals!

The Mist Village's Hidden Mist Jutsu often obscured visibility, so Hyuga ninjas had developed sets of hand signals to discreetly convey enemy positions to their comrades.

The enemy is at eight o'clock…

Hyuga Miyuki immediately understood the meaning behind the gesture and calmed herself.

Her face softened into a gentle smile.

Yes, this was the perfect opportunity.

A chance to observe how many in the branch family harbored deep resentment toward the Main Family.

What's wrong with me?

Had I grown so indifferent to others' suspicion because I was planning to take everything upon myself and defect?

Have I even lost my basic sense of caution?

Steeling herself, Miyuki shot Fuji a glance filled with gratitude and apology.

The Main Family would undoubtedly begin monitoring those who still harbored resentment, dealing with them in due time. Fuji's warning carried some risk—her earlier expressions and movements might already have been noticed.

Ignoring Miyuki's glance, Fuji scanned the crowd, observing everyone's expressions with his Byakugan.

Those who smiled sincerely were quickly excluded from his mental list.

The rest were etched into his memory.

"Surprisingly many… about thirty people, huh?"

"I guess I owe Orochimaru for this."

After a long while, Hiashi finally declared, "Let the rebranding of the new Caged Bird seal begin!"

---

Back at home, Hyuga Fuji sat at his desk, writing names on a blank scroll.

These were the branch members he had identified earlier.

Standing behind him, Hyuga Meikyoku, now an Edo Tensei summon, glared at the scroll with barely contained fury.

"You plan to rally them against Konoha and the Main Family?"

Meikyoku couldn't interact directly with the world of the living, but he recognized the individuals listed. These were the disgruntled branch members Fuji had identified through his perspective.

"They're qualified," Fuji replied indifferently. "Compared to those still lost in their dream of freedom, these ones have woken up."

Edo Tensei truly had countless uses.

It could summon the dead for battle, serve as a tool for research, and even aid in reconnaissance.

Earlier that morning, Fuji had relied on Edo Tensei to freely gather information.

Edo Tensei allowed the caster to share the vision of the reanimated shinobi. By summoning Hyuga Meikyoku, a Kage-level figure, and strategically placing him in advance, Fuji had been able to observe the scene as though through the Byakugan.

After all, the Byakugan's distinctive activation was far too conspicuous for Fuji to use in such a setting.

As for the names on the scroll… these were individuals he deemed useful for his purposes.

If his future plans required expendable tools, they would be at the top of the list.

"So calm, as if you've already won. Wasn't your plan effortlessly dismantled by that brat Hiruzen?" Meikyoku sneered.

As the Hyuga clan head who had led the family into Konoha, Meikyoku still regarded Hiruzen as a junior—one nicknamed "Monkey" by the Second Hokage.

"I wasn't even aware I had a 'plan' for this incident," Fuji replied with a chuckle.

"If helping an experimental subject cover their tracks and harvesting some ocular power counts as a plan, then I'd say I executed it flawlessly."

Meikyoku continued sneering, as if watching a stubborn loser refuse to admit defeat.

"Wasn't your goal to free the branch family from the Caged Bird seal and turn them against the Main Family?"

"While I do need the branch family to break free of the seal, my aims are different from what you imagine."

Fuji put away the scroll of names and retrieved another one containing his chakra research notes. Forming a summoning seal, he called forth a white viper.

The snake glanced at the scroll Fuji handed it and swallowed it in one gulp before disappearing.

Watching the viper vanish, Fuji smiled faintly.

"I never intended to be the branch family's savior. I simply need a group of supporters who can be useful when necessary."

He wasn't some unrepentant villain, but he certainly wasn't a saint. Helping the branch family break free of the Caged Bird seal would come at a price.

"Besides, do you really think Hiruzen Sarutobi or Namikaze Minato has 'won'?"

Meikyoku's expression froze as Fuji's quiet laughter echoed in the room.

"The person who pushed for Minato to become Hokage… was me."

Meikyoku's rigid expression turned to shock.

Fuji chuckled softly.

"With the Sannin still around, how do you think Hiruzen managed to bypass them and place Minato directly in the Hokage's seat?"

(End of Chapter)