Naruto: From Fake to Real, Deceiving the Ninja World.

Why did the opponent, a Jonin, die so inexplicably at the hands of the Hyuga clan head, Hiashi, without any resistance?

Why is the Land of Lightning so targeted, specifically demanding the body of Hyuga Hiashi by name?

"This is a conspiracy by the Hidden Cloud Village; their goal is the Byakugan."

Higo Hyuga, an elder of the main branch and second only to Hiashi Hyuga in status within the clan, spoke up.

His voice was hoarse and deep, but his aged face was calm.

"I also believe it's a conspiracy, but it doesn't matter anymore."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, then slowly shook his head, saying bluntly, "If no one has the desire to know the truth, then even if the truth is sown on the streets, it will not sprout."

Chapter 25 I've Come to See Lord Hizashi Off

"This……"

The crowd fell silent. One of the elders of the main clan sighed, "If Hiashi had captured that Kumogakure ninja alive, the situation might have been better."

“No way.” Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, shattering his naive fantasy. “According to the intelligence we’ve gathered, the Fourth Raikage has a new secretary named Mabui. She’s not only one of the few female Jonin, but she’s also calm, intelligent, and talented.”

"It seems this plan was her doing. The Cloud Village delegation had already decided before they came that they would either successfully take Hinata Hyuga away or die at the hands of the main family. This is a blatant conspiracy."

This time, Konoha has truly suffered a defeat.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't expected that the usually rough and reckless Hidden Cloud Village would now resort to underhanded tactics.

Based on the words Yurui shouted before he fled, coupled with the fact that so many villagers witnessed it, and the fact that Yurui ultimately died at the hands of Hiashi Hyuga, he was completely "pulled into a hole by the mud."

Aside from those present who knew all the details, no one would believe that Konoha wasn't behind this. Even the villagers of Konoha wouldn't believe it. Konoha had taken the blame for this whole mess.

Now, Konoha only has two choices.

They either fight to the death to protect Hyuga Hiashi and wage war against Kumogakure, or they sacrifice Hyuga Hiashi and compromise with Kumogakure.

"..."

Hyuga Hiashi and the six elders of the main family also understood this, and the six of them, except for Hyuga Higo, couldn't help but have a slightly somber expression.

Since the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, gave them the "choice," it means that the Hyuga clan actually no longer had a choice.

War kills people, many, many people.

The Land of Lightning has specifically named and labeled Hiashi Hyuga as the murderer, so what grounds do they have for making the village risk war to protect themselves?

It is conceivable that if war breaks out again, the extremely weakened Konoha will definitely be the target of the other ninja villages, and anyone could die in the war.

Human nature is selfish; no one is willing to die for the Hyuga clan.

"In that case."

After a long silence, Hiashi Hyuga finally spoke, his voice, though trying to remain calm, was still somewhat hoarse: "If I could save the village with my own life..."

"and many more."

Before Hiashi could finish speaking, Higo suddenly interrupted him, shaking his head and saying, "Hiashi, don't be so impulsive."

"The Hyuga's Byakugan is not only for the Hyuga clan, but also very important to the village. It must not fall into the hands of the Hidden Cloud Village of the Land of Lightning."

As he said this, Hyuga Higo glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was sitting at the head of the table.

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent on this matter. Although he harbored some resentment towards the Hyuga clan and wanted to shift the blame onto them, he had to admit that the statement was not wrong.

The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan played a significant strategic role in the two previous Shinobi World Wars. If it were to fall into the hands of the Hidden Cloud Village, which is skilled in ninjutsu research, and they were to uncover any secrets from it, it would be a disastrous loss for Konoha.

Of course, even if Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed with this statement, he would not be able to express his opinion.

The blame for the war now rests on the Hyuga clan. If he takes the initiative to take the blame, he will have to choose between abandoning his "comrades" or starting a war, and the deaths will be attributed to him.

This is essentially a "trolley problem," where choosing either option will result in loss of life.

Even he didn't know how to choose, and was instead curious about what this old man, Hyuga Higo, was planning to do now that he was saying all this.

"But we can't let Konoha be dragged into a desperate war again because of this," Hiashi Hyuga said, frowning.

If you had to say how much he cared about Konoha, that wouldn't be accurate. He cared more about the future of the Hyuga clan in Konoha.

Sacrifice one person to avert war and save thousands.

This was not only a choice made by the Konoha leadership, but also a result of the pressure on the hearts of the entire village, and a choice that the Hyuga clan could not refuse.

If Hiashi Hyuga truly chooses to flee, he will undoubtedly become the target of everyone's hatred in Konoha, and the Hyuga clan will face immense difficulties in Konoha.

Because every person who dies in war will be blamed on them.

So, while it may seem like there are two choices, in reality, there has only ever been one.

"Of course I know about this."

Higa Higo's face was obscured by the candlelight, and he said in a cold tone, "So, aren't the branch family members there precisely for this reason?"

"..."

Hiashi Hyuga slowly raised his head, looked at the elder of the main family in front of him, and asked blankly, "What?"

Ignoring his gaze, Hyuga Higo turned to the closed door and said, "Come in."

Click.

A cold, drizzling wind blew in as the door opened, as if someone were revealing a reality they didn't want to acknowledge. The candlelight in front of them flickered and dimmed, casting erratic shadows on the wall.

"Hizashi?"

Hiashi Hyuga stared blankly at the person who entered the room, then looked at the unfamiliar face that followed him in.

The former was naturally Hyuga Hizashi, whose expression was complex, but the latter was a boy with red eyes.

"Hyuga Kumikawa?"

Upon seeing the person who had followed Hyuga Hizashi into the room, Hyuga Higo's calm expression finally changed, and he frowned and snapped, "Get out! Who let you in..."

"I asked him to come along."

Before Hyuga Higo could finish speaking, Hyuga Hizashi interrupted him, causing Hyuga Higo's face to darken.

Hijiri would never have dared to interrupt him before, probably because he felt he was about to die, which is why he lost his respect for him.

Everyone present focused their attention on Hizashi and the boy behind him. Facing these heavy scrutinizing gazes, Hyuga Kumokawa raised his head without any hesitation or burden.

Hinata Kumokawa's eyes were red-rimmed, clearly from crying; his pure white eyes were bloodshot as he glanced at everyone present.

"I've come to see Lord Hizashi off on his final journey."

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's surprised look, he gave him an apologetic glance before turning to the other members of the main family and saying coldly, "I don't think the 'highly respected' heads and elders of the main family would be unwilling to even give a dying person the last bit of dignity, would they?"

He pronounced the four words "highly respected and virtuous" with great emphasis, his tone clearly carrying a sharp and sarcastic tone, almost as if he were pointing his finger at them and calling them shameless old men.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't feel offended, because he was given an apologetic look and naturally knew that Yun Chuan wasn't cursing him. Instead, he was surprised by Yun Chuan's audacity.

Is this child speaking out for Hyuga Hizashi?

Have they become so resentful that they no longer care about the difference in status and position?

As expected, the six clan elders' faces darkened, and Hyuga Higo's eyes flashed with a cold light.

Hyuga Hizashi was one thing, but he overstepped his bounds anyway, since he was already dead.

But what are you, Hinata Kumokawa, to dare to be so rude to me?

Chapter 26 Hiruzen Sarutobi: What a loyal and righteous boy!

"presumptuous!"

Higo Hyuga looked over with a cold gaze, staring intently at Higuchi Hyuga and said in a deep voice, "The Byakugan is related to the Hyuga clan's century-old foundation. This is a choice that concerns the fate of the family. How dare you interfere!"

"What a family fate."

Hinata Kumokawa's gaze swept across the faces of each elder, his white pupils flickering with the pale gold of candlelight and the black shadows, and he sneered, "Was my father tortured to death by you with a cursed seal because it concerned the fate of the family?"

The elders of the clan present were instantly jolted, their hands on their laps tightening slightly, and they glanced instinctively at the silent Hiruzen Sarutobi to the side.

This story doesn't sound good when it gets out.

Some things may seem insignificant on the scale, but can weigh a ton even on a scale.

Hyuga Kumokawa's father was, after all, a registered Jonin of Konoha, so the official explanation for his death was that he sacrificed himself to protect the main clan. This is why Hyuga Kumokawa was able to enjoy "benefits" as a result.

Now that Hyuga Kumokawa had suddenly revealed this in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the group felt a sense of irritation at having their shameful secret exposed in front of outsiders.

“It is our duty to protect our master while we are in the main family. The main family is the root of the Hyuga clan. Your father died a worthy death!”

Higo Hyuga's expression was terrifyingly gloomy, as if he had been provoked, and his arrogance as a superior was no longer concealed.

"A worthy death?" Hyuga Kumokawa said coldly. "I, my father, Lord Hizashi, we have the same blood flowing in our veins as you, yet we cannot even obtain the ninjutsu passed down in our clans. Now you want us to pay with our lives, do you think we share the same roots?"

"presumptuous!"

"Insanity!"

The two hot-tempered elders of the clan stood up in anger. If it weren't for the fact that Hiruzen Sarutobi was still there, they would have already activated their curse seals to severely punish him.

Facing their furious rebukes, Hinata Kumokawa stubbornly refused to back down, but a glint of light flickered deep in his eyes.

The reason he's putting on this act isn't because he's truly reckless; it's because he's very clear that if the upcoming plan proceeds smoothly, the Hyuga clan won't be able to stay.

Even without today's performance, he would still be someone the main family fears, and there's a high probability he would be inexplicably driven to suicide.

He could certainly break the spell on the caged bird, but he couldn't reveal that right now.

Therefore, what he needs to do is to prevent the Hyuga main family from attacking him.

He needs to find himself a new backer, a backer stronger than the Hyuga main family; he needs to find himself a new springboard, a springboard even larger than the Hyuga clan.

Thinking of this, Hyuga Kumokawa glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was kneeling there silently like a stone statue, seemingly deep in thought.

At that moment, a look of understanding flashed across Hiruzen Sarutobi's cloudy eyes. He raised his gaze slightly and swept it over the sorrowful face of Hyuga Kumokawa behind Hizashi.

Is she really speaking out for her father and Hizashi?

This child is indeed a loyal and affectionate child, but he is too naive and cannot hide his emotions.

But isn't this exactly the kind of subordinate that superiors like best?

"It's just a pity," Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed inwardly. "If only I were a little stronger."

The recent arrogance of the Hyuga clan and the growing dissatisfaction of the Uchiha clan have made this Hokage wary.

His control over the two major Konoha clans was still too weak, so he was already considering promoting subordinates from both clans. In any case, he needed to plant some spies in the two clans to prevent them from being completely unaware of any unusual movements they might make in the future.

This is an almost instinctive sense of vigilance among those in positions of power.

Through various intelligence investigations and analyses, the Uchiha clan has selected Uchiha Shisui, a descendant of Uchiha Kagami, while the Hyuga clan is unable to find a suitable candidate.

The main family members would not obey him, and the branch family members would not dare to rebel against the main family.

Servility, along with the curse of the caged bird, has long been etched into their souls, and most of the branch family members have long been accustomed to the superiority of the main family.

Now it seems that Hinata Kumokawa is the perfect candidate, but I feel that his strength is still a bit lacking.

"Alright, Yun Chuan, stop talking."

Hyuga Hizashi said something in a low voice, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Yun Chuan's red eyes and the sorrowful and resentful expression on his face.

Hyuga Kumokawa followed him because he had recently returned a ninjutsu scroll to him, and Hyuga Higo happened to be in the guest room as well.

At that time, Hyuga Higo and Hizashi were discussing in the guest room that Hizashi should die in place of Hiashi. Hyuga Hizashi, who had more combat experience, noticed the rapid breathing coming from outside the room.

He made an excuse to send Hyuga Higo away and came out, only to find Hyuga Kumokawa standing outside the guest room, looking as if struck by lightning.

Fortunately, he stopped Hyuga Unkawa in time, whose face suddenly turned furious. Otherwise, the boy would have definitely barged in when he was emotional, and might even have dared to attack Hyuga Higo.

"Ugh."

Thinking of how Hinata Kumokawa had lost control and collapsed back then, and seeing the child's still resentful expression, Hinata Hizashi knew that the other party truly regarded him as "family," and he couldn't help but feel a little touched.

He never expected that his concern for the child in the past few days would make this orphan so close to him, and that the child could no longer hide his resentment upon hearing that he was to die in his place.

This child is far too loyal and devoted; I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

"Wait, wait a minute."

Hiashi Hyuga snapped out of his daze, seemingly realizing something, and quickly stood up, saying, "What do you mean by 'the last journey'? What do you mean by 'a dying person'? You..."

Higo Hyuga forcibly suppressed the anger that had been offended him, no longer looking at the boy he loathed, and said coldly, "We will hand over Hizashi's corpse as your substitute."