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

Wind Release ninjutsu without a seal? Is this still a member of the Hyuga clan?

In the instant Hinata Kumokawa made his move, only a very few people were able to react.

If he had truly intended to kill Hyuga Higo, Hyuga Higo would probably have had his throat slit.

"Hey, Yun Chuan, don't get so agitated."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, gently lowered his head, and said in a still gentle tone, "After all, Hirugo is your senior."

"I apologize, Third Hokage, I was impulsive."

Hinata Kumokawa, of course, did not resist. He lowered the two raised fingers and said sincerely, "I just feel that Higo-senpai has grown old and forgotten his identity."

"The comfortable life that his fellow villagers risked their lives for had gradually corrupted his heart, making him glamorous and arrogant, just like his clothes..."

As he spoke, Hyuga Kumokawa looked at the others present and said softly, "A Jonin's clothes are not this clean and tidy, nor are they scented with jasmine. They should be stained with the smell of sweat and blood. That is what a Jonin's clothes are like."

"Therefore, it is necessary to remind Higo-senpai that this is a meeting of Konoha Jonin, not a meeting of the Hyuga clan. You are a Jonin of Konoha, not an elder of the Hyuga main family, and I am also a Jonin of Konoha, not a dog of the Hyuga main family."

"I think what you just said can be seen as a threat and provocation from Higo-senpai to his colleagues and Lord Sandai."

"However, because he was a senior, he received a reminder."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and narrowed his eyes, seemingly showing no anger, and said gently, "Alright, alright, you've been a bit too harsh. I think Hiruzen just made an unintentional mistake."

Having said that, he turned to look at Hyuga Higo, his narrowed eyes slightly opening as he asked with a smile, "Right, Higo?"

"..."

Hyuga Higo seemed not to hear, his face pale and gloomy.

The paleness was due to the fear of what Hinata Kumokawa had done, and the gloom was naturally due to having nowhere to vent the resentment and anger in his heart.

"Rigo?"

The emotionless voice reached his ears, and Hyuga Higo suddenly shivered and came back to his senses. He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and lowered his head slightly, saying, "Yes, Third Hokage, I am very sorry. I spoke without thinking."

Facing Hiruzen Sarutobi's unsmiling gaze, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart, and finally realized his current predicament.

As the saying goes, some things may seem insignificant on the scale, but can weigh a ton on it.

Unlike genin who pass exams to become chunin, chunin are promoted to jonin directly by the kage of each ninja village. Only those who meet the standards after comprehensive evaluation of their abilities are promoted. It is the highest rank of ninja in the ninja village besides the kage.

Jonin are only divided into two levels: "Special Jonin" and "Jonin". There is no "Elite Jonin" title. Every Jonin is the backbone and top combat force of the ninja village.

Jonin are promoted directly by the Third Hokage without needing anyone's permission or being questioned by anyone.

His actions just now could be seen as targeting Hyuga Kumokawa, but they could also be seen as a rebellion against Hiruzen Sarutobi's authority.

The difference lies in what Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was thinking.

So, what was Hiruzen Sarutobi thinking?

It's quite obvious now.

Hyuga Kumokawa is no longer the branch family member who could be beaten and scolded at will, but a Konoha Jonin who has gained the appreciation and attention of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

But is that all?

"Alright." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and smiled. "From now on, we're all colleagues. Apologize to each other, and no one is allowed to hold a grudge."

Upon hearing this, not only did Higo Hyuga suddenly raise his head with an incredulous expression, but even some of the people present changed their expressions.

What this Third Hokage probably wanted was not just to help Hyuga Kumokawa gain a foothold, but also to "make an example of him."

The chicken is naturally Higuchi Hyuga, and the monkey is, of course, the ninja clan.

Sometimes you can reach out your hand, but don't reach out too far, or you'll get cut by a knife.

"..." Hyuga Higo lowered his head, his eyes filled with venomous anger, and said in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, Higo-senpai." Hyuga Kumokawa nodded and said casually, "I hope you can understand that even members of the Hyuga clan cannot become stronger solely through the Byakugan and Gentle Fist."

Upon hearing this, everyone recalled the tip of the iceberg that Hyuga Kumokawa had just revealed, and their expressions toward Hyuga Higo immediately became strange.

The Hyuga clan, which has always been conservative and stuck in its ways, has actually forced out a ninjutsu genius, and even caused him to become disloyal and act independently.

This is really...

Chapter 49 Just the barking of an old dog

"Okay, it's just a small disagreement, don't make it so serious."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, turning the page, and looked at the others present seriously, saying, "Let's get back to the main topic. What are your thoughts on my suggestion?"

view?

Higo Hyuga was furious, but he didn't dare utter a single word.

The examples are right there; what can we possibly say? What opinions do we dare to express?

However, war is not child's play; war means death!

If ninjas are drawn from within the clan, those who die will be their relatives, friends, brothers, sisters, and lovers...

A perfect silence fell over the meeting room; people could almost hear their own breathing and even their rapid heartbeats.

It wasn't until a Jonin of commoner origin spoke up, indicating his willingness to obey the Third Hokage's orders that the situation changed.

"Our Hyuga clan also bears some responsibility for this matter."

Hyuga Hizashi finally spoke, saying in a deep voice, "On behalf of the Hyuga clan, I am willing to obey the Third Hokage's orders."

Higo Hyuga, who was standing to the side, opened his mouth, but in the end, he couldn't say anything.

This means that the power to mobilize the clan's ninjas has been completely handed over to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Very good!" Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction, his tone gratified. "The Hyuga clan truly lives up to its reputation as a powerful clan of Konoha; they genuinely care about the safety of Konoha!"

Upon hearing the words "Konoha's powerful clans," Fugaku Uchiha's face twitched.

Now, no matter how low his political acumen was, he could tell that the Uchiha clan was being targeted, and he had no choice but to agree, just like the Hyuga clan.

In the crowd, Nara Shikaku sighed inwardly and spoke at the same time as Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza beside him, respectfully saying, "The same applies to the Ino-Shika-Cho trio."

The Hyuga clan and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio all voted, and the other ninja clans, no matter how unwilling they were, could only pretend to agree willingly, and eventually even began to vie for their loyalty.

"..."

Hyuga Kumokawa watched this scene of arrogance followed by obsequiousness with unusual calmness, and even felt a little amused.

Is he himself some kind of loyal dog of Konoha?

No, of course not.

The reason why people are unhappy is that they live in this base world, are troubled by baseness, and are even forced to make their own words and deeds base.

The reason Hyuga Kumokawa agreed to be the one to stick his neck out for Hiruzen Sarutobi was certainly not because he had any belief in sacrificing himself for Konoha.

Rather, it's because, in his view, the ninja clans of today are no longer the powerful clans that once dominated Konoha in its early days.

This is why Hyuga Kumokawa admires Senju Tobirama even more than Senju Hashirama.

Tobirama Senju's wisdom and talent lay not only in his ability to develop ninjutsu, but also in his political wisdom and strategic vision that surpassed his elder brother Hashirama Senju.

Whether it's establishing ninja schools and the Chunin Exams system to cultivate talent from the common people, or taking the lead in publicly teaching the ninjutsu he developed so that other ninja clans whose ninjutsu had been stolen would have nothing to say, or setting up the Anbu and Konoha Police Force to greatly strengthen the Hokage's centralized power.

Even guiding the Senju clan to abandon their "Senju" honor and surname and intermarry with commoners can be said to have greatly improved the average talent of commoner ninjas from the grassroots level, truly turning into fertilizer and nutrients falling into the soil to nourish the great tree of Konoha.

Tobirama Senju truly transcended the narrow confines of his clan and led by example. His reforms and ideas influenced the entire Senju clan and even Konoha today, which is far different from Itachi Uchiha's seemingly far-sighted but actually arrogant and extreme approach.

Even without Itachi Uchiha's so-called act of sacrificing his own family for the greater good, the Uchiha clan wouldn't have the ability to overthrow the Hokage faction. The current ninja clans would have already been half-dead by Tobirama Senju, unless the Uchiha clan united with all the other ninja clans to take action.

So, will the Uchiha clan unite with other ninja clans? Is it possible for the Uchiha clan to unite with other ninja clans?

The answer is no, and it's not possible.

Because the Uchiha clan can't bend down, and because the other ninja clans aren't stupid either.

If the Uchiha clan were the kind of people who could be humble and insincere, they wouldn't have been forced to the point where they had almost no choice but to rebel.

Even if Fugaku Uchiha were truly willing to stoop down and beg other ninja clans.

It's estimated that the other ninja clan leaders would smile and agree readily on the surface, but as soon as Fugaku Uchiha left, they would immediately report to Hiruzen Sarutobi, fearing that the other ninja clans would rush to label them as accomplices and show their loyalty.

Because the ninja clan is not a monolithic entity, there are also "pro-Hokage factions" within the ninja clan.

Hyuga Kumokawa even felt that the reason why Senju Tobirama chose to make Sarutobi Hiruzen Hokage instead of Shimura Danzo was definitely not just because Sarutobi Hiruzen had given Danzo a strange reason for being willing to cover the rear and sacrifice himself to protect his comrades.

Rather, it was because Sarutobi had good relations with the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans, and only Sarutobi Hiruzen could divide the major ninja clans of Konoha by taking over, because Sarutobi Hiruzen's status was more suitable for that position.

Even now, Danzo Shimura still believes that he missed out on the Hokage position because of a momentary lapse in judgment.

Well, all I can say is that his loss to Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed well-deserved.

"very good."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept over the crowd, and his previously composed heart lightened considerably. He said solemnly, "As long as everyone works together, neither the Hidden Cloud Village nor anyone else can defeat us."

Konoha has indeed become weaker.

But this doesn't mean that those defeated opponents have become stronger.

and……

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Hyuga Kumokawa standing to the side, thinking of Shisui of the Uchiha clan, who was known for his Body Flicker Technique, and Naruto, who was now as young as a blank sheet of paper. A look of relief flashed across his cloudy eyes.

Konoha still has a future.

The future looks bright!

Click.

The meeting ended quickly, and everyone left one after another.

Hiruzen Sarutobi left Hyuga Kumokawa behind, along with another person of similar age.

Kakashi Hatake, a member of the Anbu and a Jonin of Konoha.

Yun Chuan saw that dead fish eye and immediately recognized the guy.

"Let me introduce you. This is Kakashi Hatake," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile. "Speaking of which, you two became Jonin at a similar age, both of you are the future hope of Konoha."

After the teasing, he became serious and said in a deep voice, "Hyuga Kumokawa, I hope you can join Hatake Kakashi's group and go to the Land of Hot Springs to investigate the so-called 'Abyss' as the troops set off. It's initially determined to be an S-rank mission. What do you think?"

The Abyss? The Land of Hot Springs? An S-Rank Mission?

Kakashi Hatake glanced thoughtfully at Hyuga Kumokawa, pondering what this so-called "Abyss" was.

It seems that the escort team's failure and casualties were not simply due to an ambush by the Hidden Cloud Village.

"I do." Hinata Kumokawa nodded without hesitation.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't brought it up, he would have taken the initiative to ask. Being able to join Kakashi Hatake's team was an unexpected bonus.

He knew very well who was in Kakashi Hatake's team.

The current "Tenzo" is the future Uchiha Itachi.

Even for the sake of the Wood Release cells of "Tenzo", Hyuga Kumokawa had to join Kakashi's group.

After giving them a few more instructions, Hiruzen Sarutobi let the two leave.

He still has a lot to do.

However, before leaving, Hiruzen Sarutobi patted Hyuga Kumokawa on the shoulder and whispered in his ear with a smile, "Before you set off with the troops, remember to visit the Forbidden Techniques Library."

Upon hearing this, Hinata Kumokawa's eyes flickered slightly, knowing that this was both compensation for him and an incentive to win people's hearts.

The Forbidden Arts Treasury, the Book of Sealing Techniques—those are truly valuable items.

Click.

A moment later, Hinata Kumokawa walked out of the conference room and saw Hinata Higo standing at the door.

At this moment, the wounds on Hyuga Higo's face had almost healed, but the trauma and humiliation were still etched in his heart.

"Hyuga Kumokawa".

Seeing Hyuga Kumokawa walk out of the conference room, Hyuga Higo said in a cold and threatening tone, "Do you think that just because the Third Hokage values ​​you, I can't do anything to you?"

Hyuga Kumokawa did not answer, nor did he even glance at Hyuga Higo. Ignoring the other's gloomy gaze, he brushed past him and left.

If Hyuga Higo dared to activate the cursed seal the moment he stepped out of the meeting room, Hyuga Kumokawa might be somewhat surprised and think more highly of him.

Now?