Indra remained in the shadows near the Hokage building, his arms crossed as he leaned against the bark of a thick tree. The breeze gently stirred the leaves, but the storm brewing inside the Hokage office was far stronger than the wind rustling through the foliage.
The Third Hokage had ordered for his assistant to be summoned, and the ANBU had already disappeared to fulfill the task. The air around the building had grown heavier with tension.
Indra's sharp eyes didn't miss a single detail. He observed how the Cloud envoy was still pacing furiously inside the office while Hiashi stood quietly, his face a mask of cold control. The Hokage, for his part, had returned to his seat, but his fingers tapped rhythmically against the desk, betraying his inner frustration.
"He's trying to buy time," Indra mused. "He knows this can explode into something bigger."
The real problem, however, was already taking root. The presence of a surviving Cloud envoy changed everything. It wasn't just an internal matter anymore. Konoha had blood on its hands, and the Cloud Village now had the leverage to push blame and pressure.
Hiashi was unaware of the deeper play. He thought explaining himself and pointing out the truth would suffice. He thought that by trusting the Hokage, the matter would be resolved fairly.
But Indra knew better.
"Foolish trust," he thought. "He still doesn't understand who Hiruzen really is."
To Indra, Hiruzen Sarutobi was not a leader who prioritized justice or truth. He was a man who prioritized balance and diplomacy, even if it meant sacrificing his own people. He wouldn't protect Hiashi if it meant risking war.
"And I will use that," Indra muttered, his voice low and cold.
His plan was falling into place. He didn't intend to save Hizashi, Hiashi's twin brother and the likely scapegoat in the upcoming negotiations. Let the Hyuga family fall deeper into this hole. Let the branch members suffer. It would make them easier to manipulate later.
"I need their submission," Indra thought. "And for that, I need the branch family to lose faith in their leaders."
Only then could he rise above them all.
He would act like the savior after the pain. Not now.
Soon, the Hokage's assistant arrived. Indra saw the familiar figure walking briskly into the office, files clutched tightly under one arm. The ANBU closed the door behind them.
From this point, Indra could no longer hear the exact words. But he could see the shift in posture. The raised voices. The Cloud envoy's arms flailing angrily. The Hokage leaning forward. The assistant showing scrolls, most likely reports from the ANBU stationed around the Hyuga compound.
Then came the silent moment Indra had been waiting for.
Hiashi took a step back. His eyes were wide, his lips tight. The assistant bowed slightly to the Hokage and whispered something.
And then, slowly, the Hokage turned his gaze toward Hiashi with a grim, tired expression.
Indra smirked.
"Now comes the trade-off," he whispered.
Hiruzen would likely offer compensation. A symbolic act of peace. A scapegoat. And that scapegoat would be none other than Hyuga Hizashi. The twin brother of Hiashi, a man equal in strength and appearance but lower in status due to the cursed seal mark of the branch family.
He was the perfect candidate.
Hiashi would try to resist, of course. He loved his brother. But in the end, he would yield. For the clan. For the village. For diplomacy.
And the branch family would hate him for it.
That hatred was what Indra would later mold into loyalty.
"Hizashi's death is inevitable," Indra thought. "But it won't be in vain. It will lay the foundation for a shift in power. One that I will control."
He turned, finally leaving the scene.
The streets of Konoha were buzzing with rumors already. Whispers about the Hyuga incident spread like wildfire. Some said Cloud ninjas tried to kidnap the heiress. Others believed it was a mistake. Some even suspected betrayal within the clan.
Indra didn't care about the noise. What mattered was that the people were watching. Their trust in their leaders would start to waver. The seeds of doubt had been sown.
He walked past a group of young genin, their excited chatter fading behind him.
He looked toward the Hokage Monument in the distance, carved high into the cliffs.
"Soon," he muttered, "my face will be etched next to theirs. But not as a puppet. Not as a fool who plays by the rules."
He clenched his fists.
"I will become the true ruler of this village. And when the time is right... I will break every shackle that binds it."
His eyes burned with ambition.
The drama around the Hyuga clan had only just begun.
Indra remained in the shadows near the Hokage building, his arms crossed as he leaned against the bark of a thick tree. The breeze gently stirred the leaves, but the storm brewing inside the Hokage office was far stronger than the wind rustling through the foliage.
The Third Hokage had ordered for his assistant to be summoned, and the ANBU had already disappeared to fulfill the task. The air around the building had grown heavier with tension.
Indra's sharp eyes didn't miss a single detail. He observed how the Cloud envoy was still pacing furiously inside the office while Hiashi stood quietly, his face a mask of cold control. The Hokage, for his part, had returned to his seat, but his fingers tapped rhythmically against the desk, betraying his inner frustration.
"He's trying to buy time," Indra mused. "He knows this can explode into something bigger."
The real problem, however, was already taking root. The presence of a surviving Cloud envoy changed everything. It wasn't just an internal matter anymore. Konoha had blood on its hands, and the Cloud Village now had the leverage to push blame and pressure.
Hiashi was unaware of the deeper play. He thought explaining himself and pointing out the truth would suffice. He thought that by trusting the Hokage, the matter would be resolved fairly.
But Indra knew better.
"Foolish trust," he thought. "He still doesn't understand who Hiruzen really is."
To Indra, Hiruzen Sarutobi was not a leader who prioritized justice or truth. He was a man who prioritized balance and diplomacy, even if it meant sacrificing his own people. He wouldn't protect Hiashi if it meant risking war.
"And I will use that," Indra muttered, his voice low and cold.
His plan was falling into place. He didn't intend to save Hizashi, Hiashi's twin brother and the likely scapegoat in the upcoming negotiations. Let the Hyuga family fall deeper into this hole. Let the branch members suffer. It would make them easier to manipulate later.
"I need their submission," Indra thought. "And for that, I need the branch family to lose faith in their leaders."
Only then could he rise above them all.
He would act like the savior after the pain. Not now.
Soon, the Hokage's assistant arrived. Indra saw the familiar figure walking briskly into the office, files clutched tightly under one arm. The ANBU closed the door behind them.
From this point, Indra could no longer hear the exact words. But he could see the shift in posture. The raised voices. The Cloud envoy's arms flailing angrily. The Hokage leaning forward. The assistant showing scrolls, most likely reports from the ANBU stationed around the Hyuga compound.
Then came the silent moment Indra had been waiting for.
Hiashi took a step back. His eyes were wide, his lips tight. The assistant bowed slightly to the Hokage and whispered something.
And then, slowly, the Hokage turned his gaze toward Hiashi with a grim, tired expression.
Indra smirked.
"Now comes the trade-off," he whispered.
Hiruzen would likely offer compensation. A symbolic act of peace. A scapegoat. And that scapegoat would be none other than Hyuga Hizashi. The twin brother of Hiashi, a man equal in strength and appearance but lower in status due to the cursed seal mark of the branch family.
He was the perfect candidate.
Hiashi would try to resist, of course. He loved his brother. But in the end, he would yield. For the clan. For the village. For diplomacy.
And the branch family would hate him for it.
That hatred was what Indra would later mold into loyalty.
"Hizashi's death is inevitable," Indra thought. "But it won't be in vain. It will lay the foundation for a shift in power. One that I will control."
He turned, finally leaving the scene.
The streets of Konoha were buzzing with rumors already. Whispers about the Hyuga incident spread like wildfire. Some said Cloud ninjas tried to kidnap the heiress. Others believed it was a mistake. Some even suspected betrayal within the clan.
Indra didn't care about the noise. What mattered was that the people were watching. Their trust in their leaders would start to waver. The seeds of doubt had been sown.
He walked past a group of young genin, their excited chatter fading behind him.
He looked toward the Hokage Monument in the distance, carved high into the cliffs.
"Soon," he muttered, "my face will be etched next to theirs. But not as a puppet. Not as a fool who plays by the rules."
He clenched his fists.
"I will become the true ruler of this village. And when the time is right... I will break every shackle that binds it."
His eyes burned with ambition.
The drama around the Hyuga clan had only just begun.
End of Chapter 24
---
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