Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 40: The Nine-Tails Passed Down Through Generations—Doesn't That Scare You?

The Konoha shinobi weren't blind; they were simply being forced to act as if they were.

"Advisors, please remain here and wait until everything is resolved."

In the Hokage's office, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu looked at the shinobi surrounding them and sighed deeply.

Hiruzen had only just left, and Danzo's men appeared as if on cue, as if the two had orchestrated the timing.

The biggest problem was that the ninja blocking them were from clans that had historically supported them!

Even the ANBU had arrived on the scene, but without direct orders, they didn't dare act.

A Jonin addressed the two advisors, "Lord Danzo has received word that the Third Hokage instructed Tsunade to study a method to break the Caged Bird Seal. She's probably already sent it to the Hyuga clan."

"What has Danzo done to Tsunade?!" Homura and Koharu's eyes widened. "Tsunade must not be harmed!"

"We understand that, and so does he. You can rest assured," another Jonin said in a low voice.

"Tsunade is Konoha's princess, the princess of the Land of Fire. No harm will come to her."

"What we need isn't much, but the promises made to us by the First Hokage were gradually rolled back after his death."

"And now, what is the Third Hokage trying to do? Uproot us entirely?"

What most of the ninja clans recognized wasn't the Hyuga branch family but the Hyuga main family. To them, the branch family were merely servants, a status they had long accepted.

If the Third Hokage wanted to study a way to break the Caged Bird Seal, what was his goal? To eliminate the Hyuga main family?

And if the Hyuga main family fell, who would be next? Would he target the other ninja clans?

"Lord Hiruzen wouldn't do that. You know full well that the ninja clans can't be eradicated. He's likely trying to counter Danzo by breaking the seal."

Koharu shook her head, her expression complicated.

"A civilian shinobi who becomes powerful will leave behind secret techniques, and his descendants will use these techniques to grow stronger. Over time, they form the basis of secret technique clans."

"Bloodline clans, on the other hand, secure their place in the ninja world through unique bloodline traits. As long as the bloodline survives, so does the potential for revival, making them even harder to eliminate. So… as long as shinobi exist, so will the ninja clans."

"But for new clans to rise, the old ones must fade away."

A frail figure stepped into the room, causing Homura and Koharu to frown.

"Sarutobi Elder?"

It was Sarutobi Masamichi, an elder of the Sarutobi clan who supported them.

"Both of you," Masamichi said, leaning on his cane, his cloudy eyes fixed on the advisors. "Hiruzen is weakening the Sarutobi clan. He's sent two-thirds of our forces to the front lines. According to the intel I received from Danzo, those aren't places where ordinary shinobi can survive."

"And he's placed a civilian shinobi, Namikaze Minato, in the Hokage's seat. On top of that, with this recent issue involving the Hyuga clan, how can we trust him anymore?"

Each of these actions, directly or indirectly, targeted the ninja clans. If they didn't push back, it might soon be their turn.

Hearing this, Koharu and Homura exchanged glances, unsure how to respond.

Masamichi gripped his cane tightly, his gaze piercing.

"You both should understand that as long as the Hokage holds absolute power, the clan he belongs to will inevitably become Konoha's strongest."

"Namikaze Minato is young and strong, and with Hiruzen paving the way, he could hold the Hokage position for a very long time. His child with Uzumaki Kushina will undoubtedly be a prodigy—a prodigy with Uzumaki blood."

"You both know how terrifying the Uzumaki bloodline is. They are the ideal vessels for the Nine-Tails. The Nine-Tails will undoubtedly be passed down through Minato's family for generations."

Masamichi's vivid description sent chills down the advisors' spines.

His words weren't mere fearmongering—they were entirely plausible.

Rather than scouring the ninja world for scattered Uzumaki remnants, using Kushina's child as the next jinchūriki was far more practical.

No one could say how many Uzumaki survivors remained in the ninja world, nor could they guarantee those survivors wouldn't align with Minato and Kushina out of gratitude, inadvertently strengthening the Namikaze line.

A child born in Konoha, however, would be naturally loyal and could be trained as a jinchūriki from a young age.

But this scenario posed a terrifying possibility: Konoha's greatest power would forever remain in the hands of the Namikaze family.

Minato's personality might not lend itself to such ambitions, but who could guarantee his descendants would think the same way?

If that day came, what would the likes of the Uchiha, Hyuga, or even the Sarutobi clans amount to compared to the Namikaze family wielding the Nine-Tails?

Moreover, the Namikaze family's ties to the Uchiha and Hyuga branch families only deepened the problem.

"Hiruzen has crossed the line," Masamichi declared. "He weakens the Sarutobi clan while creating Konoha's strongest ninja clan. We all remember the power of Uchiha Madara."

"Minato is close to the Uchiha. His descendants might very well intermarry with them. If one day, someone with the Sharingan and the Nine-Tails were to arise, there wouldn't be a Second Hokage strong enough to stop them. That person could do whatever they wanted."

"Are you really going to let Minato solidify his position, let his descendants dominate the ninja world, and let the Namikaze family stand at the pinnacle of power?"

Koharu and Homura's faces twisted with conflict.

Minato would never allow his descendants to suffer as Kushina had. His child would grow up as the son of a Hokage, a hero's heir.

Without the stigma of being a jinchūriki, and carrying the prestigious title of the Fourth Hokage's descendant, how could future leaders exert control over him?

Using coercive measures would no longer be an option. The longer Minato remained Hokage, the stronger his influence on the future would be, and the harder it would be for Konoha's leadership to act against him.

Could they rely on emotional appeals like they had with Minato? His descendants might not care about such sentiments, and no leader could base their decisions on mere feelings.

Masamichi's concerns could very well become reality. Without the stigma associated with being a jinchūriki, the Namikaze family could very well seize permanent control over Konoha.

No Hokage could ignore the might of a family that possessed the Nine-Tails and bore the title of Fourth Hokage's lineage.

That represented Konoha's greatest strength!

Compared to the Sarutobi clan, the Namikaze had far greater potential to become the next Senju clan…

Even if it was just one person!

Neither advisor wanted to see this happen, and their respective clans would never allow it.

But the trust Minato and Hiruzen had placed in them before leaving made their hesitation all the more agonizing. For now, they couldn't bring themselves to agree outright.

The men behind Masamichi exchanged glances and smiled.

As expected of Elder Masamichi, he had easily swayed the advisors who currently held Konoha's administrative power.

With their agreement, nothing would stand in the way of the next steps.

"The Sharingan isn't a possibility—it's already a reality," came a chilling voice.

Danzo stepped through the crowd, stopping before the two advisors.

"Moments ago, a Uchiha shinobi with the Mangekyō Sharingan helped Tsunade overcome her hemophobia."

Everyone froze, then their expressions changed drastically.

"The Third Hokage had such a trump card?"

"Are there Uchiha still alive who could awaken such power?"

"Tsunade with the Mangekyō… that combination…"

Danzo sneered inwardly at the panicked crowd.

If not for the fact that he still needed them…

"Koharu, Homura, it's clear Hiruzen has forgotten Tobirama-sensei's warnings about the Uchiha. He even concealed the existence of a Mangekyō Sharingan user among their ranks."

"The power in those eyes was strong enough to rewrite Tsunade's mind, curing her hemophobia. Who's to say it couldn't also force us to obey?"

"Are you really going to side with Hiruzen after this? The Fourth Hokage is not a suitable leader for Konoha!"

Though Danzo suspected the Mangekyō user wasn't connected to Hiruzen, he wasn't about to waste this convenient leverage.

His words became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Koharu and Homura sighed deeply, with the former asking, "What do you

Koharu and Homura sighed deeply, with the former asking, "What do you need us to do?"

The issue with the Mangekyō Sharingan was too significant to dismiss. Danzo wouldn't lie about something so critical, and if Hiruzen had indeed concealed this information, it meant he no longer trusted them.

Danzo's expression remained calm as he made his demands.

"First, transfer command of the ANBU to me."

As Danzo laid out his plan, on the other side of the village, the Hyuga clan's main family received the message Danzo had sent to them.

Along with the message came detailed instructions for the Splitting Technique as well as several vials of auxiliary medicine to aid the process.

Inside the Hyuga clan's meeting room, the elders of the main family sat around a table, their expressions grim as they stared at the documents and vials laid out before them.

For a long while, no one spoke. Finally, the second elder broke the silence, his voice cold and full of anger.

"So, Sarutobi Hiruzen wants to eliminate the Caged Bird Seal, does he? He even instructed Tsunade to study its removal. And to think, the clan leader warned us to be cautious of Danzo. Now it's clear that Hiruzen is the one we should have been wary of!"

The second elder's words sparked murmurs of agreement from the others. However, the first elder, ever calm and composed, raised his hand to silence the room.

"There's no point in debating this now," he said coolly. "We must first address the matter at hand—the Splitting Technique."

The elders all turned their attention to the head of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Hiashi, who sat quietly at the head of the table.

"Clan leader, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

Hiashi's expression remained unreadable as he leaned back in his chair. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a measured tone.

"The Splitting Technique is a dangerous power, one that could disrupt the balance within our clan if used improperly. However, the fact that Tsunade herself has the ability to create more of this medicine means the threat is real, and we must prepare for it."

The first elder nodded. "Do you have any ideas on how we might counteract the technique or render it ineffective?"

Hiashi's gaze hardened, and his voice grew colder.

"We must identify its weaknesses and ensure that no member of the branch family can use it to harm the main family. In the meantime, we must also increase surveillance on Tsunade and anyone assisting her. We cannot allow the dissolution of the Caged Bird Seal."

The room fell silent once more, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

For the Hyuga clan's main family, the existence of the Caged Bird Seal was not merely a tool of control—it was the foundation of their authority and power. To lose it would mean losing their position as the leaders of the clan, and that was a reality they would not accept.

But as the elders deliberated, Hiashi remained silent, his thoughts drifting to his young daughters. For the first time, he began to question the legacy he would leave behind.

Would his children inherit a fractured clan, divided by resentment and fear?

Or would they be the ones to lead the Hyuga into a new era?

For now, though, he had no choice but to prepare for war—whether it was against the branch family, Sarutobi Hiruzen, or even the village itself.

(End of Chapter)