XX-level Hokage

"Regarding the matter of the branch family secretly passing on ninjutsu, I have investigated and confirmed that it was indeed Mashiro who did it. I have already punished her by sending her to the confinement room." Hiashi spoke first.

"The young lady is still young, and it's easy for her to be misled by people with bad ideas. The most important thing is to find out as soon as possible who is secretly influencing her."

"This idea came to mind," said an elder of the Hyuga clan.

"Who else could it be but those branch family members?" said a hot-tempered Hyuga main ninja. Upon hearing this, the expressions of the branch family ninjas in the meeting all turned sour.

"Ichiro, be careful what you say! I will investigate this matter thoroughly." Hiashi reprimanded, sensing something was amiss.

"Patriarch, since cooperating with Gato, our Hyuga clan has received substantial assets almost every year. Now, every member of the Hyuga clan receives a large share of resources. Seeing this, I can only praise the patriarch's foresight," another Hyuga clan elder said with a smile.

At this point, Hiashi's expression softened, and he said, "It was actually Nagato who took the initiative to find our Hyuga clan. It still seems a bit unbelievable when I think about it now."

"What's so hard to explain? With the demise of the Uchiha clan, only our Hyuga clan remains of the original three major clans of Konoha. Now, the entire Konoha..."

"The only clans that can be considered truly powerful are our Hyuga clan and the Sarutobi clan, the clan of the Third Hokage. But the Sarutobi clan is mostly made up of people within the village's power structure, so why would they endorse a mere merchant? While our Hyuga clan is also a prestigious clan, we lack influence at the core of power. If Gato wants to cooperate, he will naturally come to us," said Hyuga Yuki, sitting in the corner.

Hyuga Yuki is a member of the branch family, but at a young age he is already an elite Chunin, and is the most likely ninja in the Hyuga clan to become a Jonin, thanks to his talent...

Fu successfully entered the core of the Hyuga clan. The clan has made a promise that Hyuga Yuki's child can break free of the Caged Bird Seal and become a member of the main family.

Three members of the branch family attended the meeting: Hyuga Yuki, Hyuga Sousuke, and Hyuga Saji. Hyuga Sousuke was the Hyuga clan's instructor, while Hyuga Saji was in charge of managing the Hyuga clan's businesses. They all shared a common trait: due to their outstanding abilities, they were given special treatment as members of the main family.

Hyuga Yuki's words silenced everyone in the meeting room. What he described was the most painful thing for the entire Hyuga clan: having fame but no power. Of course, this was the Hyuga clan's own choice. Of the original three major clans, two had already disappeared in the power struggle, further diminishing the Hyuga clan's strength.

They were no match for the Senju clan or the Uchiha clan, so they could only be loyal, focus on being tools, and stay away from the center of power.

But money often breeds a desire for power.

In the silence, a Chunin from the main branch of the Hyuga clan suddenly spoke up: "We should make the Hokage aware of the Hyuga clan's existence and then give them an important position." "So how can we make the Hokage realize the importance of the Hyuga clan?" Hyuga Yuki asked quietly.

"Yes, yes, that's good. By the way, in war, it would be great if ninjas from other villages attacked. That would show the capabilities of our Hyuga clan. Luckily, we have clan members on the border of Iwagakure..."

"Chiba, shut up! Do you know what you're saying?" Before Hyuga Chiba could finish speaking, Hiashi slammed his hand on the table, interrupting him. "Let's end the meeting here. No one is to talk about what happened today. Dismissed."

No one noticed that in the dark corner of the ceiling in the main room, a pair of blood-red eyes were silently observing as the meeting ended, and the eyes disappeared into the shadows.

At the same time, Mashiro gently opened her eyes in the confinement room.

Mashiro stood up from the table, then picked up a pen and began to write on the paper.

Afterwards, a shadowy figure emerged from the shadows, took the papers from Mashiro, and disappeared back into the shadows. "I was planning to film a few more scenes, but it seems we can wrap it up now," Mashiro said coldly, then blew out the candle. The next day, at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, at the Iwa ninja's base.

Suddenly, screams of pain came from his teammates, followed by more screams. Yamamoto Ohashi quickly got up to look and saw seven or eight corpses lying in the Iwa ninja camp, with two strange guys wearing red cloud patterns standing there.

Yamamoto Ohashi assumed a fighting stance, but the two men paid no attention and instead chatted amongst themselves.

“I didn’t stop just now. Luckily, there’s still one survivor. Now the younger generation of Iwa ninja are finished too,” said a person whose face was covered, only their eyes showing. “Get ready to begin. I just made a corpse of a Hyuga clan member yesterday.” Another strangely-looking person suddenly threw out a scroll, which summoned…

A person wearing white clothes should feel ashamed.

White rushed towards him, and then Yamamoto Ohashi lost consciousness.

"Deal with the rest of the bodies, this one will suffice." That afternoon, at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, at Konoha's position.

Hyuga Naruto was frantically searching for news when one of the five Hyuga clan ninjas stationed at the border suddenly disappeared early that morning. Just then, a ninja hawk suddenly flew up in front of Hyuga Naruto.

It was the clan's ninja hawk; Hyuga Naka unraveled the secret message carried by the hawk. It was the clan head's courtesy name.

Hinata's expression changed drastically after reading the contents of the letter.

That night, the remaining four Hyuga clan members disappeared from the position. Just as the captain of the position was feeling puzzled, the Iwa ninja attacked.

Chapter Nine: In the Rainy Night

It was another new day, and the minor border skirmish did not disturb the tranquility of Konoha.

However, this news reached the ears of Konoha's higher-ups through the escaped ninjas from the Konoha camp.

"They actually crossed the border to attack Konoha ninjas! Is Iwagakure going to start a war?" Mitokado Homura was furious upon hearing the news from the border. At this moment, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, along with his two advisors, Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane, were gathered in the Hokage's office.

The third generation sat at his desk, smoking a cigarette, and said with a frown, "This matter is not so simple." Then he took out a scroll from a drawer on his desk.

This was a message transmitted by Onoki via long-range communication. He claimed that the Konoha ninja attacked the Iwa ninja's position first and killed all the ninja inside.

The third generation tapped the table with his pipe, gesturing for the two to look at the contents of the scroll.

The two picked up the scroll, and after reading its contents, Koharu Utatane shook her head and said: "It couldn't have been done by Konoha ninjas. Killing all the Iwa ninjas in the Iwa ninja camp and leaving only one corpse, and a corpse killed by Gentle Fist, is too deliberate. It's obviously an attempt to smear Konoha."

"Of course I understand that. If that Iwa ninja was really killed by Gentle Fist, then that's troublesome. According to the information Kuroshi sent, on the border..."

Several Hyuga clan members from the territory had disappeared before Iwato attacked. "The Third Hokage said, puffing on his pipe,"

"Those Hyuga clan members are with me now," Danzo suddenly said, pushing open the door. The Third Hokage wasn't surprised by Danzo's arrival; in fact, it would have been unusual if Danzo hadn't come.

“This morning, Root captured those Hyuga clan ninjas who came from the border near Konoha. After interrogation, they said they received a secret letter from the head of the Hyuga clan in advance, saying that the Iwa ninjas would launch an attack and that they should hurry back to Konoha,” Danzo said as he walked into the Hokage’s office.

“This doesn’t mean anything,” the Third Hokage said, frowning. Hiashi had always been one of his confidants.

"Do you think this is fake? Or is someone forging Hiashi's secret message? Only the Sharingan can imitate handwriting so well that even one's own clansmen can't tell the difference. Could it be Uchiha Itachi who did it?" Danzo said with a laugh.

The Third Hokage knew that Danzo wouldn't lie to him about this, and that it couldn't have been Itachi who did it, so he shook his head and remained silent.

“Sarutobi, you’re too merciful,” Danzo said, standing before the Third Hokage. Finally, the Third Hokage removed his pipe and called to the Anbu outside the door. “Go and bring Hiashi here.”

At this moment, Hiashi was reading in the study, while Hyuga Sousuke stood to the side waiting.

"Sousuke, how is the situation now with the division of the family?" Hiashi asked, putting down the book he was holding.

"So the clans that privately taught ninjutsu have all been punished, but we still have no clue how they were taught," Hyuga Sousuke replied.

Just as Hiashi was about to say something more, two ANBU appeared in the study. "The Hokage requests your presence."

Hiashi seemed somewhat surprised upon hearing this, but he quickly put down the book in his hand and walked out with the two ANBU members.

After Hiashi left, Hyuga Sousuke also prepared to leave, just as he was about to walk out of the study. *Click*

A box fell from the ceiling.

Hyuga Sousuke looked up at the ceiling, but there was nothing there. Puzzled, he finally opened the box. When he saw what was inside, his expression changed drastically. He quickly looked around with his Byakugan, and finding that no one was there, he put away the box and hurriedly left the study.

Hiashi had not returned by nightfall. Although they found it strange, they assumed that the Hokage had important matters to discuss with the head of the clan. Some members of the main clan even hoped that the Hyuga clan could enter the power structure of Konoha.

But the branch family ninjas remained silent.

The second level was shrouded in dark clouds, with a light drizzle falling from the sky.

A member of the secret service finally brought news, but it wasn't what they had expected.

"Hyuga Hiashi is suspected of secretly contacting Iwa ninja, leading to their attack on the Land of Fire's border. He is currently under interrogation, but the Third Hokage remains steadfast in his belief..."

This matter has nothing to do with the Hyuga clan, so please, Hyuga clan ninjas, do not worry.

After figuring out what had happened, the mood of the entire Hyuga clan darkened, just like the weather.

Because the five ninjas on the border were all from the branch family, some extreme members of the main family blamed the branch family for everything, but the branch family remained silent.

In the afternoon, all the Hyuga branch family ninjas were gathered at Hyuga Yuki's villa. "What do you all think of the contents of this box?" Hyuga Yuki asked first.

In front of them lay a box, the very box that Hyuga Sousuke had found in Hiashi's study. The box was wide open, revealing...

Several years' worth of things, a few letters, and a headband from Yan Hu.

"These things must not be known to others, otherwise the head of the family will be in danger," said a somewhat scholarly branch family ninja.

"Danger? These letters clearly show that the patriarch is secretly in contact with the Iwa ninja. Even if there is danger, it can only be said that he deserves it." A member of the branch family scoffed.

"This is not just a matter for the head of the family. If it is discovered, it will be a disaster for the entire Hyuga clan, so it must not be spread."

"It was said by an older branch family ninja."

"Don't we all want to change the branch family's situation? After this incident, we will definitely need to change the head of the family," a pale-faced branch family ninja said quietly.

“The head of the Hyuga family can only be from the current head’s lineage. Even if there were no such rule, it would never fall to our branch family,” the elderly branch family member continued.

"What if we don't compete for the position of clan head? We just want to change the situation of the branch family. If Mashiro becomes the clan head, I think the situation of the branch family will definitely change. Moreover, I think the Hokage will not abandon our Hyuga clan. After all, the Hokage said that he firmly believes that this matter has nothing to do with the Hyuga clan," Hyuga Yuki said, squinting her eyes.

After hearing what Hyuga Yuki had to say, the branch family ninjas present all fell silent.

“Well, I agree that the young lady should become the head of the family,” Hinata Naoki suddenly said.

Following Hyuga Naoki's lead, more branch family ninjas who usually received Mashiro's care responded one after another.

"I agree!" "Me too!" "Me too!"

Everyone in the divided family had a very good impression of Mashiro.

“Since everyone agrees, let’s take action tonight. It’s unlikely that Lord Hiashi will be able to return. If we let those old guys from the main family support the young lady to take the throne, then I think it will be difficult for her to truly hold power,” Hyuga Yuki said.

Having reached this point, the branch family ninjas naturally found it difficult to object. Silently, a coup was about to begin.

As night fell, the rain intensified and showed no signs of abating.

Tsukinosuke, who was in charge of keeping watch at night for the main family, was yawning boredly. Normally, the position of keeping watch at night should not be done by someone from the main family, but since the main family and the branch family's residential areas are not adjacent, the main family members were not comfortable with having someone from the branch family keep watch at night, so Tsukinosuke was forced to take on the job.

When will this rain stop?

Looking at the heavy rain outside, Tsukinosuke couldn't help but say something.

As he looked out from the front door, the rain pattered against the ground. Tsukinosuke was momentarily stunned, but then a question arose in his mind. He saw some people approaching in the distance, and Tsukinosuke looked closer.

"Isn't that Yuki and Sousuke? Why aren't they asleep yet?" Tsukinosuke asked, looking at the two leading figures.

He looked at the others, and then panicked instantly. They were all branch family ninjas. Sensing something was wrong, Tsukinosuke hurriedly opened the door and ran inside.

A short while later, several clan elders led the main family's ninjas out, and at that moment, Yukiya led the branch family's ninjas to a spot not far from the main family's gate. The two groups simply stared at each other.

"Hyuga Yuki, Hyuga Sousuke, what are you doing here so late at night with branch family ninjas?" an elder said coldly.

"It's nothing. We just feel that the head of the family has suffered a misfortune, but the Hyuga clan cannot be without a head of the family. Therefore, we want to release Miss Hyuga from the confinement room to temporarily assume the position of head of the family." Hyuga Yuki didn't mince words and said directly.

For a time, the ninjas of the main clan were abuzz with discussion.

Seeing that things were not going well, the clan elder said again, "Once the truth is found, Lord Hokage will release the clan head. We understand your good intentions, you may go back now."

"I'm sorry, Elder Yamauchi, we have confirmed news that the patriarch is definitely not coming back." Then Hyuga Yuki took out three letters and tossed one of them to Hyuga Yamauchi.

Hinata Yamamoto opened the envelope with some skepticism, but after reading its contents, his expression changed drastically. He then handed the letter to another clan elder, who passed it around among them.

Hyuga Yamazuki coughed twice and said, "Even if the head of the family can't come back, the next head of the family should be decided after discussion at the clan meeting and with the Hokage's permission. It's not something you can decide."

“As fellow members of the Hyuga clan, we branch family members are naturally very concerned about the stability of the family. As the eldest daughter of Lord Hiashi, Lady Mashiro should naturally inherit the position of head of the family,” Hyuga Yuki said.

"I understand. Because Mashiro favors your branch family, you believe that your status will improve after Mashiro becomes the head of the family, Xiu..."

"If we're going to support someone, we'll support Weiyou to become the head of the family," said a hot-tempered elder.

Tensions rose between the two sides. The rain continued to fall.