Chapter 51 – Hiashi: Hmmmm!
Hyūga Hiashi glanced again at the furious Uchiha Sihu, and suddenly noticed a subtle hint of performance in his expression. Realization dawned, and he quickly swallowed back the words that had almost left his lips.
Bowing his head slightly, his mouth twitched in frustration, and he cursed inwardly:
"Nara Shikaku… you all conspired behind my back, didn't you!"
At high-level council meetings, the Fifth Hokage always held the deciding vote. Uchiha Sihu, as an Advisor, was the Hokage's loyal supporter. Nara Shikaku, the Hokage's Assistant, also leaned toward the Hokage's stance. That made three votes. Whatever Hiashi said was, to be frank, useless.
The prestige he had gained recently as a Hokage's Advisor had made him arrogant. Only now, staring at the reality, did he understand—and his mindset instantly sobered.
Uchiha Fugaku, watching Hiashi's aloof demeanor, almost burst into laughter.
This Hyūga had grown conceited since becoming an Advisor. Today's meeting was deliberately arranged to remind him of his place. Fugaku had already discussed matters with both Shikaku and Sihu beforehand, though he hadn't expected Hiashi to take the bait so easily. But judging from his expression now, it seemed Hiashi had understood—and would be much more obedient in the future.
Fugaku cleared his throat, and Nara Shikaku knew it was his cue.
Noticing Shikaku's regretful yet meaningful gaze, Hiashi shivered slightly. He clenched his fists inside the wide sleeves of his robes, but when he looked up at the Hokage, his eyes were filled with determination.
From now on, no matter what Hokage-sama decided, his answer would always be: agree! Absolutely agree, fully support, and carry out the Hyūga Clan's long-standing policy of backing the Hokage's line.
A trace of exasperation flickered in Shikaku's eyes before he spoke aloud:
"Advisor Sihu, there's no need for such anger. Courtesy comes before force. Besides, perhaps there has been some delay with the Fire Country's Royal Family. We should first send someone to inquire."
The 'fury' on Uchiha Sihu's face immediately vanished, replaced by a humble expression. "Assistant Shikaku is right. I was reckless—this old man lost his composure."
Hiashi, watching this performance, hid his clenched fists deeper into his sleeves.
"Advisor Hiashi, what is your opinion?" Shikaku asked with a smile, turning toward him.
Hiashi's heart burned with resentment, but his words came out steady: "I have no objection. I agree with Assistant Shikaku."
"Hokage-sama," Shikaku continued, bowing respectfully to Fugaku.
Fugaku nodded. "Shikaku is right. Courtesy before force. Perhaps the Fire Country's allocations are already on their way. Let's proceed this way: Assistant Shikaku, send someone to the Capital to investigate."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Shikaku bowed.
"I agree," said Sihu, quick to follow.
"Mm-hmm." Hiashi forced a nod. Whatever you say, I'll just agree.
"Good. Then it's settled."
Fugaku rose, dismissing the meeting, and personally escorted the three Advisors out of the Hokage's Office.
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Konoha's Main Gate
At the village entrance, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane yawned as they pushed open the heavy gates. Behind them, a line of villagers carrying goods entered.
Outside, another group of similarly dressed civilians waited to be let in.
Once the gates were open, Izumo and Kotetsu took their usual posts on either side, barely glancing at the civilians. This was routine. Some of these people had come into Konoha the previous night to purchase supplies, intending to resell them in the nearby settlements the next day.
Konoha was the safest place in the Land of Fire, and many villages thrived around it thanks to this protection. The villagers would buy goods in Konoha and sell them back in their smaller communities.
This safety was no coincidence. Konoha regularly issued missions to eliminate bandits or wild beasts in the surrounding mountains. These were mostly C-rank missions, which Genin and Chūnin loved to take. Bandits posed little challenge for trained shinobi.
Occasionally, rogue ninja wandered too close and caused minor casualties, but for a village as large as Konoha, the loss of a few Genin or Chūnin was, sadly, not uncommon.
Izumo and Kotetsu, as gatekeepers, didn't usually bother with civilians. Their true duty was to monitor shinobi arrivals. Civilians could enter freely, while ninja required scrutiny. If they were from Konoha, they were admitted; if outsiders, a report was sent up the chain of command.
The barrier around Konoha prevented unauthorized shinobi from slipping inside, but it had no effect on ordinary civilians. Thus, the two Chūnin focused only on chakra-users.
"Oi, Izumo—let's get a massage again tonight," Kotetsu said, smirking beneath the white bandage across his face.
Izumo, half-asleep moments ago, instantly perked up. "You say that, and now I'm wide awake!"
He raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Heh, alright. But I want to try a different girl this time. That number… what was it, 004?"
Kotetsu snorted. "It's technician. Number 004 technician."
Izumo's face flushed. "Right, right! Technician number 004—booked for me tonight!"
"I'll stick with mine from last night, thanks," Kotetsu said, both of them exchanging lewd smiles.
They had discovered the new shop just the night before—a massage parlor on Asakusa Old Street, right next to the Akimichi barbecue restaurant. At first, they'd laughed at the idea. Who needed a whole shop just for massages?
But acquaintances had highly recommended it, insisting they try it at least once. The price wasn't high, about the same as one meal at the barbecue place.
For two bored, single Chūnin, it was an easy choice. So, curiosity led them inside.
And right at the entrance, they were greeted by a wall lined with ten photographs…
(to be continued)
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