Hyuga Soushu had made his first miscalculation.
Though he agreed to this arrangement as part of a political trade, accepting what was presented as a prestigious external command post, he had effectively cut himself off from the heart of Konoha's power. Unless he trained a loyal successor, he would have to relinquish command of the Border Forces before returning to the Hidden Leaf.
But in truth, training someone both capable and loyal was easier said than done.
Not that it really mattered in the end. After all, even among the most hardened members of the Martial Faction, none believed a Hyuga Branch House member—whose life and death were always controlled by others—could ever reach the pinnacle of Konoha's power structure. And while some more imaginative members of the faction admired Soushu for his battlefield achievements, their admiration was purely out of respect for strength, with no ulterior motives.
What Soushu had actually miscalculated wasn't the role or its authority. It was something deeply personal between him and Mahiru Uchiha—their wedding plans.
Although they had received the blessings of both the Hyuga and Uchiha clans after deciding to abandon revenge, granting them legitimacy to be together openly, they had both forgotten one critical detail—Konoha's legal marriage age.
Minors could slaughter and raze entire villages without consequence—but take a sip of sake in public and you'd be breaking the rules. Mass murder was acceptable, but marrying before reaching the legal age—even if mutually desired—was not permitted, at least not with a grand public ceremony.
Mahiru Uchiha had felt disappointed when she only realized the truth too late, but there was nothing she could do. She had no choice but to accept the situation.
Nevertheless, neither the Uchiha nor the Hyuga Clans wavered even slightly from their pledges.
After Tatsuma Uchiha completed his mission as negotiator and departed, Uchiha Toshimichi immediately rushed over, declaring that he and his subordinates would willingly leave the Policing Department and join the Border Forces, pledging full obedience to the dual command of Soushu Hyuga and Mahiru Uchiha—a somewhat peculiar arrangement whose implications Soushu chose not to dwell on for now.
As for the nine Byakugan-bearing Branch House members promised by the Hyuga Clan, there wasn't even a hint of hesitation—Hizashi Hyuga secretly sent word that Soushu could personally select from a list of candidates, which Soushu accepted without refusal, simply checking off the first nine names in order.
In addition, as the soon-to-be commander of the Northern Border Defense Force, Soushu used his authority to promote his apprentice Might Duy from Genin to Chunin—an action swiftly approved with an official stamp from Hokage Tower.
"Ah… The sweetness of power is truly intoxicating."
Soushu couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
It had taken him a full year of relentless struggle before he was finally promoted to Chunin on the battlefield of the Land of Rain. Ever since becoming a Jonin, even with its fair share of twists and turns, life had mostly gone his way—even now, recalling those days stirred up waves of emotion.
However, after the incident in the Death Forest, Might Duy underwent a dramatic change.
Especially after learning the full truth behind the attack, Might Duy—who had once held only positive feelings toward Konoha—nearly couldn't bear it all. If Mahiru Uchiha hadn't immediately put him into a hypnotic trance using her Sharingan's genjutsu, the reality-shattering truth Might Duy experienced might have sent him spiraling into chaos right then and there.
But from that day forward, although Might Duy continued training just as rigorously as before, he became significantly more reserved and quiet. Although he still insisted on doing dozens of handstands around Konoha every morning, he no longer shouted out those overly dramatic proclamations of youthful power. Although his respect for Hyuga Soushu remained unchanged, he no longer eagerly interacted with other Konoha ninja like he used to.
It was as if he had matured overnight.
This painful maturity also caused The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi—who originally had some interest in recruiting him—to abandon his intention of bringing Might Duy onboard.
Although Might Duy's power after unlocking his full potential was indeed astonishing, from the perspective of a true Kage, it was nothing more than a one-time use tool. A ninja without enough stamina might shine in certain moments, but overall would still be less versatile compared to traditional ninjas who maintained a balanced skillset across ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu.
Moreover, while [Eight Gates] did have a long heritage, due to its difficult training regimen and poor cost-to-benefit ratio, it had become an obscure taijutsu method buried within the Scroll of Seals, rarely pursued by anyone nowadays. Except for Might Duy himself, Konoha had no other users of this style to serve as references. Therefore, after sending a few Anbu agents to subtly test him—and being rejected—The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped considering this minor figure worth further attention.
With the smooth conclusion of the Chunin Exams, decisions made at the Ninja Clan Summit poured in one after another.
To quell the backlash from the clans and preserve Danzo along with the weak Daimyo, the Hokage faction gave in on many fronts.
In addition to handing over the Northern Border Defense Force—which had proven especially ineffective due to their constant battles against the barbaric Kumo forces—the Third Hokage also transferred the Cipher Unit under Konoha's Intelligence Division to the Hyuga Clan. With this move combined with the Hyuga's previous assignment to reconstruct the Eastern Coastal Defense Garrison, the Hyuga instantly transformed from a wealthy yet powerless leisure clan into a ruling powerhouse controlling two major border units and influencing Konoha's core departments.
Likewise, the Uchiha Clan—another prestigious dojutsu family—leveraged both their strength and support for the clan summit's coercive actions to break through numerous restrictions imposed upon the Policing Department.
Firstly, the staffing quotas of the Policing Department were completely lifted, meaning all internal affairs, promotions, and appointments no longer required approval from the Hokage Tower, and their budget had multiplied several times over compared to before. Moreover, Uchiha ninja were no longer restricted to serving solely within the Policing Department and could freely join other divisions or Overseas Ninja Forces to earn merits and reputation.
This essentially meant that the invisible glass ceiling previously looming over the Uchiha Clan had now completely vanished.
Regarding this, the Uchiha Clan Leader was still quite satisfied.
After all, the Uchiha Clan had not played a major role in forming and building the alliance of Ninja Clans. Their influence stemmed mostly from their position and power, compelling the Hokage branch to tread carefully. Therefore, for the Uchiha Clan, the current returns were nothing to scoff at.
Moreover, the Northern Border Defense Force—which was soon to be commanded by Hyuga Soushu—already had the Uchiha Clan's foundational shares and angel round investment as its cornerstone. For a clan like the Uchiha, long plagued by financial strain, it was simply a matter of whether they were raking it in or just cashing in nicely—it hardly mattered.
As for those smaller and mid-tier Ninja Clans participating in this Ninja Clan Summit, they too received favorable support in terms of funding, secret jutsu, and even positions of real power. All in all, it was difficult to fully describe everything they gained.
In short, the Hokage branch had taken a serious hit this time around.
And just as the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was feeling the world shifting beneath his feet and the cruel passage of time pressing down, Orochimaru secretly returned to his beloved Konoha under the pretext of coordinating military preparations within the Ninja Force.
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