Hiashi Hyuga carried Hinata away in his arms, and Kurozawa Ren watched with a satisfied smile.
> This way, the Uchiha clan—and my own position—won't remain isolated and powerless within Konoha.
Ren walked home alone through the quiet streets. To his surprise, the lights were still on. His father Fugaku Uchiha and mother Mikoto had just returned after a lengthy clan assembly.
"Why are you back so late?" Fugaku asked.
"I stayed out training. I ran into some trouble while refining the Body Flicker Technique. I didn't notice the time pass," Ren answered calmly.
"Cultivation is good, but you need to take care of your body too," Fugaku advised with a stern but approving tone.
"I understand."
Just then, Mikoto brought out three bowls of freshly made soba from the kitchen. She and Fugaku had missed dinner due to the prolonged meeting.
"Come eat with us. You must be exhausted after training this long," Mikoto said, her expression filled with maternal concern.
"Thanks, Mom." Ren accepted the bowl and sat down, but after a brief pause, he added with a hint of hesitation, "Something minor happened earlier—it might cause a bit of trouble."
Fugaku looked up sharply. "What is it?"
"I saw some shinobi from Kumogakure trying to abduct the heiress of the Hyuga clan—Hinata. I intervened. Later, Lord Hiashi arrived and eliminated the kidnappers."
Clack.
Fugaku's chopsticks dropped to the table. Mikoto's face turned pale with worry.
"Were you hurt?" she asked urgently.
"No. Lord Hiashi arrived quickly, and I'm not that weak," Ren replied. Mikoto let out a breath of relief.
"You're saying you prevented Kumogakure shinobi from kidnapping Hiashi's daughter?" Fugaku repeated, stunned. Ren's rapid growth had already caught his attention, but this incident opened up unforeseen political opportunities.
Ren asked cautiously, "Will this cause problems?"
"Absolutely not," Fugaku said firmly. "Even if it did, the Uchiha clan would stand behind you. Besides, you didn't do anything wrong—on the contrary, this was an act of merit. You protected a major clan's heir. That's significant for our standing in the village."
Fugaku then praised Ren for nearly an hour straight, only stopping when Ren pretended to feel sleepy and excused himself.
Meanwhile, word of the incident had reached the Kumogakure delegation. What had begun as a pretense of diplomacy was quickly spiraling into a confrontation.
---
The next day, under the Third Hokage's orders, Fugaku was appointed to participate in the negotiations with Kumogakure's envoys. At Ren's insistence, he accompanied his father under the pretext of acting as a witness. They encountered Hiashi Hyuga en route, and shared a few quiet words under the warm sunlight.
When they reached the negotiation room, the tension was palpable. Minato Namikaze sat at the head of the Konoha side, flanked by Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Orochimaru, and other high-ranking personnel.
The envoys from Kumogakure had yet to arrive.
Fugaku made his way toward his seat when Danzo spoke.
"Fugaku, what do you mean by bringing your son to a high-level negotiation like this?"
Ren noticed Danzo's eyes glaring at them, filled with disdain—a relic of Tobirama Senju's prejudice passed down like an heirloom.
Fugaku ignored him and instead addressed the Hokage.
"Lord Hokage, before the talks begin, I wish to report a matter of grave importance from last night."
Minato blinked in surprise, then smiled politely. "Go ahead, Fugaku-san."
From the side, Ren observed Minato closely. It was his first time seeing the Yellow Flash of Konoha in person.
Minato indeed exuded warmth and composure, just as Ren had seen in the anime. But up close, the difference was striking—his killing intent was sharper than even Orochimaru's.
It made sense. His battlefield reputation wasn't built on kindness. Other villages had issued standing orders to flee on sight if confronted by the Yellow Flash for good reason.
Fugaku continued: "Last night, while Ren was training, he witnessed a group of Kumogakure shinobi attempting to kidnap Lord Hiashi's daughter. He was attacked by the perpetrators and nearly lost his life. Fortunately, Lord Hiashi arrived in time. I believe this matter warrants investigation."
At Minato's signal, Fugaku omitted Ren's role in saving Hinata, staying consistent with the story he and Hiashi had agreed on.
"My daughter was nearly abducted by Kumogakure shinobi," Hiashi said coldly. "Such behavior shows utter disregard for Konoha's sovereignty."
This, too, was coordinated. Hiashi now owed Ren a favor, and in return, he helped conceal the extent of Ren's strength.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a long drag of his pipe, frowning. "We are here to negotiate an armistice. Since Lady Hinata wasn't harmed, perhaps we can avoid escalating the matter. Peace among the Five Great Nations must take precedence."
He turned to Ren. "And you, young man—Kurozawa... Ren, was it? Nothing serious happened, correct?"
His eye twitched slightly at the name Ren—perhaps reminded of someone else. There had been rumors Fugaku named his son "Ren" to provoke certain sentiments. But that was speculation.
Bang!
Just as Hiruzen finished, the doors flew open. The envoys from Kumogakure entered with hostile expressions.
"Fourth Hokage," the leader barked, "is this how Konoha treats diplomatic overtures? We came to negotiate an armistice, yet the Hyuga clan ambushed and murdered our shinobi in secret! Is this your idea of peace?"
The Kumogakure shinobi laid a body on the ground and pointed at it.
"This man was killed with Hyuga Gentle Fist techniques. He was a jonin-level operative! If Konoha doesn't hand over the perpetrator, we will consider this an act of war!"
Hiashi trembled with barely restrained fury. Ren, though prepared for the confrontation, was still amazed by Kumogakure's audacity in twisting the truth so brazenly.
> Even after losing their previous Raikage in the Third Great Ninja War, they dare threaten Konoha, now led by the Yellow Flash, at its peak? The nerve.
Among those in the room were four Kage-level combatants—Minato, Hiruzen, Orochimaru, and Fugaku. Ren truly couldn't fathom what courage these envoys were drawing from.
And then something happened that Ren didn't expect.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up.
"Let us all calm down. This is a serious accusation. Konoha will investigate thoroughly and ensure justice is served. I urge you not to jeopardize the progress of these peace talks."
> Even now, when Konoha's power is unmatched… the Third Hokage still leans toward appeasement?
Ren had heard of Hiruzen's diplomatic tendencies, but witnessing them firsthand was another matter entirely.