I, Uchiha: Split Konoha

Chapter 109 Danzo, the Scapegoat King

Leaf.

The streets and alleys were filled with joy. One reason was that the Land of Lightning and Konoha had finally signed a peace treaty. The other was a huge piece of gossip: the Hyuga clan, the second most powerful family in Konoha, had split up.

For ordinary civilians and ninjas, this was an absolutely huge bombshell.

Outside the Hokage Building, the envoy from the Land of Lightning could only swallow his frustration. There was nothing he could do; Konoha had already said that their unauthorized intrusion into the Hyuga clan had become the fuse for the Hyuga's split, and it was already good enough that they hadn't pursued the Land of Lightning's responsibility.

Adding to this Konoha's series of deployments on the border, and the fact that Orochimaru had appeared there, the Raikage reluctantly chose to sign a peace treaty as soon as possible. After all, Konoha and Kumogakure were the last places that wanted to go to war, but the other ninja villages were more than happy for the two villages to fight.

Within the cheerful village, there was one place that exuded a depressing and sorrowful atmosphere, standing out starkly from the rest of the village.

Hyuga clan.

Inside a solemn and ancient house, one could see all the elites of the Hyuga clan's main family, while outside the door, a whole group of Hyuga clan ninjas knelt on the ground.

Inside the room, the elder who had been angrily berating the Third Hokage in the Hokage meeting room yesterday was now lying on a sickbed.

Yesterday she had a rosy complexion, but overnight she looked like she was terminally ill and looked haggard. Her hoarse and weak cough echoed listlessly in the room.

"Elder!"

Inside the room, the Hyuga clan ninjas looked sadly at their patriarch, an ancestor who had existed since the founding of Konoha. They never expected that after surviving three Shinobi World Wars and experiencing so much, he would fall like this.

The elder, lying on his sickbed, looked weakly at the members of the main family, his face showing a weak and sorrowful expression. "Everyone, I'm afraid I won't make it this time. I've failed my ancestors, watching the Hyuga clan come to this."

"Elder, please don't say that."

"Waaah, Elder, you'll be alright."

For a moment, someone in the room uttered a low, mournful sound, while others tried to comfort the oldest elder of the Hyuga clan. But at this moment, the elder seemed to be experiencing a final burst of energy before death, and he slowly rose to his feet. Amid everyone's concern, he stared intently at Hyuga Hiashi.

"Hiashi! The Hyuga clan's division is not your fault. You don't need to blame yourself. It's fate. I guess I can't hold on any longer. I've left you with a mess."

Seeing that the elder was practically giving his last words, Hiashi Hyuga also said in a sorrowful voice, "Elder, Hiashi will definitely restore the glory of the Hyuga clan!"

A hoarse laugh echoed in the room. In his final moments, the elder exuded the fierce power of his prime. With a glare, the servants on either side of him quickly made way.

"The Caged Bird Seal is like a deep chasm that has separated the main family and branch family of the Hyuga clan. It is also the beginning of the Hyuga clan's conflicts. Even if the Root is not involved this time, as long as someone breaks the Caged Bird Seal in the future, the Hyuga clan will face the same situation again."

"I am so grateful! Do you know that?" At this moment, the Grand Elder glanced around at everyone, and two lines of tears streamed down his cloudy eyes. "I have spent countless days and nights in fear and worry. If one day the caged bird disappears, what will become of the Hyuga clan!"

"Rivers of blood! Countless times I've awoke from nightmares to find the Hyuga clan's territory awash in blood!"

"So I am thankful! The nightmare has finally arrived, but the rivers of blood have not yet flowed!" The elder looked at everyone and said in a hoarse voice, "You must remember! Now that the Caged Bird has disappeared, the feud between the main family and the branch family must end in your generation! Never pass it on to the next generation. I do not want to see the final decline of the Hyuga clan at the hands of our own people."

"The main family! The branch family! They are all our own brothers and sisters, flesh and blood!"

Seeing the elder still worrying about the future of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi Hyuga showed a sorrowful expression and stepped forward to support the elder, saying, "Elder, don't worry, I will definitely revitalize the Hyuga clan in the future and will never repeat the same mistakes."

Looking at the young clan leader, Hiashi Hyuga, the elder smiled, but then looked at everyone with worry in his eyes. It was clear that there was still hatred in the main family, and they hated the branch family for causing the family's decline.

"You all need to remember this! The Hyuga clan's division wasn't caused by the branch family, but by that old scoundrel Shimura Danzo's scheming against our Hyuga clan! You hate the branch family? Then how many Hyuga clan members will be left if war breaks out? If any of you still hate the branch family in the future, then you are sinners against the Hyuga clan! Only by becoming strong and revitalizing the Hyuga clan can we succeed. Your target is Shimura Danzo! You are the ones who plot against us Hyuga from behind!"

The First Elder's grief-stricken roar echoed throughout the house, clearly audible to all the family disciples outside. His voice was filled with a deep-seated hatred.

"Master! Hinata Hizashi is here!"

"What!" Just then, someone reported with a grim and worried expression, causing everyone to gasp in surprise. At the same time, anger rose in the eyes of countless people, because it was the division of the family that led to this situation.

"Shut up!"

At this moment, the seemingly deflated elder weakly roared at everyone. After the tiger's lingering power intimidated everyone, he weakly raised his hand towards the door and said, "The charioteer was invited by me! Summon him! Summon the charioteer in!"

Ta-da~

In the oppressive and suffocating atmosphere, a figure slowly appeared in everyone's sight. Under countless gazes, there was hatred, anger, frustration, and helplessness. Under the gaze of various complex expressions, Hyuga Hizashi calmly and slowly walked into the house.

"Greetings, Grand Elder!"

Upon reaching him, Hyuga Hizashi respectfully bowed deeply, while the frail elder, leaning on the armrest for support, showed no anger under the incredulous gazes of everyone present. Instead, he smiled.

"Hizashi, you've arrived. Hehe, alright, come here."

With a weak voice, Hyuga Hizashi respectfully approached and appeared on either side of the elder, along with Hiashi.

"Hehe, it's not your fault that Hyuga is in this situation. If it were me, I'm afraid I wouldn't have done as well as you. Although you've left the branch family, you're still part of the Hyuga clan. Don't tarnish the reputation of the Hyuga clan in the future."

At this moment, the Grand Elder seemed like a kind old man, and with a weak smile, he held Hizashi's hand and placed it together with Hiashi's.

"Hiashi! Hizashi! Before the separation of the main family and the branch family, I hope you will remember that you are still blood relatives. I hope that the hatred between the main family and the branch family can end in your generation."

Under the elder's expectant gaze, Hyuga Hizashi and Hiashi were moved, and they both nodded solemnly in the end.

"Hehe, very good. Although the Hyuga clan split up under my rule, we are still one family."

With a hoarse smile, the elder of the Hyuga clan slowly took out a scroll from his robes and, in front of everyone, tremblingly handed it to Hizashi. "Hizashi, I am not qualified to judge the rights and wrongs of the main family and the branch family. This is the secret technique of the Gentle Fist of the main family. Today, I will pass it on to your branch family. I hope you will remember that the blood of the Hyuga clan flows in our veins. In the future, you must not disgrace the Hyuga clan."

"Elder!"

They tolerated the fact that the Grand Elder chose not to cause trouble with the branch family, but when they saw that the main family's secret scrolls had been handed over to the branch family, some members of the main family were filled with disbelief and looked at the scene angrily.

The First Elder, however, ignored their anger. He turned and took out his token of authority from his robes, placing it in Hiashi's hand. His voice was hoarse and weak as he said, "Hiashi, I've left you with a mess. From now on, the Hyuga clan is in your hands. I relinquish my authority as First Elder to the clan head. I hope the clan head will revitalize the Hyuga clan!"

Although the Hyuga clan has many elders, among the elders with real power, only this old man can shake the position of the clan head. As a result, when he was handed over to Hyuga Hiashi, the Hyuga clan will truly be in Hiashi's hands from now on.

"Elder!"

Hyuga Hizashi gripped the scroll in his hand, tears welling up in his eyes. After setting aside their hatred, they were indeed connected by blood.

A mournful cry echoed throughout the Hyuga clan.

The Great Elder, the Tiger of Hyuga, has finally passed away in his old age. His splendid life has come to an end, though it was not a perfect ending. He had done everything he could.

The elder, who leaned on Hiashi Hyuga's shoulder and closed his eyes, may have had regrets in his final moments, but Hiashi Hyuga's face was filled with shock.

In his final moments, the Grand Elder whispered something in his ear.

"You did a good job not to fight among your own people in the Hyuga clan. Remember! Never attack the branch family before you have absolute strength."

It is clear that this aging tiger is not as magnanimous as one might imagine. If he could destroy the branch family without causing serious damage, he would certainly have acted ruthlessly. However, because taking action would result in mutual destruction, he chose to endure, and he also made the future Hyuga family endure as well.

The day the main family rises to power will be the day the branch families are destroyed!

Before his death, this aging tiger took the blame for the division of the Hyuga clan upon himself, and at the same time did his best to transfer the hatred of the main family to Shimura Danzo. Perhaps it was not a perfect ending, but it was a way of putting an end to his life.

Hyuga Hizashi left amidst the cannibalistic gazes of countless members of the main clan, carrying away the scroll of the Gentle Fist technique in his arms.

……

The Hokage's office building.

"The elder of the Hyuga clan has passed away."

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, gazed out the window towards the distant Hyuga clan and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.

"He's gone. Another old friend is gone."

A hint of melancholy flashed deep in his eyes, but Hiruzen Sarutobi still composed himself and turned to look at the exhausted Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, sighing, "Thank you for your hard work."

The two of them have been busy with diplomacy with the envoys from the Land of Lightning lately. Although it's not about fighting and killing, they've been really busy.

They were old comrades-in-arms, and both of them shook their heads. Koharu Utatane couldn't help but frown and say, "Danzo has gone too far this time. He actually interfered in the affairs of the major clans. The previous coercion by Root to extract ninjas from the major clans had already caused some dissatisfaction. This time it's really too much."

Mitokado Homura nodded in agreement upon hearing this, "That's right. If this isn't handled properly, it could lead to an internal war within the Hyuga clan, and the village might even lose a major clan because of this. Danzo's actions this time are far too dangerous."

Fortunately, Shimura Danzo didn't come, otherwise he would have been incredibly frustrated. It really had nothing to do with him, so why couldn't he wash away this filth? But he was also frustrated, blaming everything on Orochimaru. However, Orochimaru, who had received the news and was preparing to return from the border, just smiled disdainfully. He was prepared to sever all ties with Konoha, and as for what his disciple had done, he didn't care at all about using his name.

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his two friends and nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right. Danzo has gone too far this time. If not handled properly, it will be a major loss for the village. We must give Danzo a good warning this time."

There are only three people in the office now. They are inseparable and have been partners for many years, so they naturally know each other's thoughts.

Koharu Utatane frowned and said in a deep voice, "Danzo may have made mistakes, but let's put that aside for now. Hiruzen, how do you plan to deal with the Hyuga branch family?"

"That's right, the split of the Hyuga clan is also a good thing for the village. After all, such a super clan is a force to be reckoned with in the village, but it is also a double-edged sword." Mitokado Homura said this objectively.

While Konoha doesn't have many clans, it doesn't have few either. Clans like Ino-Shika-Cho are powerful, but at least they are under the village's control. However, there are two clans within the village that are practically above all other clans, and even above Konoha's rules.

These two clans are the Uchiha and Hyuga, essentially villages within villages. Konoha has its own rules, but when you return to the clan territories of these two clans, you must abide by their own clan rules, even if you are an outsider.

Even with the extremely high status of these two clans, some ninjas who made mistakes were interrogated according to their respective clan rules, rather than Konoha's rules.

"Although Danzo went too far, it must be said that the Hyuga branch family is a very good weapon. It not only weakened the Hyuga clan, but also became an eye in the Uchiha clan's territory, and even a sharp blade."

After exhaling a puff of smoke, Hiruzen Sarutobi said these words, and his acquaintances Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane nodded in agreement. Since things had come to this, they might as well use the branch family to help them deal with the Uchiha.

"If that's the case, then Danzo will have to suffer." Koharu Utatane said this in the blink of an eye. They were all doing this for the sake of the village. Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his Hokage hat and said quietly, "Yes, since the branch family has accepted the Root's orders to be stationed in the Uchiha clan's territory, then Danzo will have to suffer."

It's obvious that Danzo is going to take the blame again. They're determined to keep the Hyuga branch family in Uchiha territory, so someone has to take the fall, and naturally, Danzo is the one they've chosen.

(End of this chapter)