Shisui was visibly agitated.
Kind by nature, he couldn't accept such darkness.
And yet—
Though his face was filled with anger and his eyes radiated killing intent, he didn't act recklessly.
Because this was the Hyuga's family affair, and he was only an Uchiha.
That was the law of Konoha.
The Hokage only oversaw the village and its officially registered shinobi.
Only during wartime did he have the authority to mobilize and command clan ninja.
Within their own clans, each family governed itself.
That particular Hyuga from the main family was detestable, but he wasn't a shinobi on Konoha's roster.
Even in wartime, the Hyuga main family refused to fight.
So no matter how furious Shisui was, this wasn't his to meddle in.
Otherwise, it would mean outright war!
Under such circumstances, he could only turn to Nara Kazama.
Just as he had said before—the Nara clan's minds were the sharpest. Perhaps they could devise a solution.
But to this…
Kazama only looked helpless, shrugging before replying.
"Captain, you give me too much credit." Nara Kazama sighed. "This is the Hyuga's internal matter. We can't interfere."
"And because of the Caged Bird Seal, Aya has no way to refuse in the first place."
"The only thing I can think of is—before the war ends—finding a long-term mission outside the Land of Fire."
"And it would have to be one that only we could handle."
"Only then would the Hyuga have no choice but to bow to the Hokage."
"But pulling that off… is extremely difficult!"
"And even if we managed it, at best we'd just be delaying things."
"Missions always come to an end—there's no changing that."
"This problem has no solution."
Silence fell over the group.
No one blamed Kazama for failing to come up with an answer. Everyone knew in their hearts just how complicated this situation was.
Hyuga Aya smiled softly.
"There's no need to look like this. This is simply the fate of the Hyuga branch family."
"I accepted that long ago. I'm just glad I was able to meet all of you."
"That alone is enough."
Her face was full of gentleness. Though her smile carried bitterness, she still tried to comfort everyone.
Clearly—
Just as she had said, she had already accepted her fate.
Uchiha Kai remained silent.
His eyes flickered, but he said nothing.
This matter was far too complex.
And even if resolved, it brought little benefit to him.
To be blunt, Hyuga Aya's fate might be cruel, but at least it meant her life would be spared.
But himself?
The shadow of the Uchiha massacre still loomed over him.
In truth, not just him—
Even Shisui, even Kazama…
They weren't much better off. Everyone carried their own burdens.
And then—
Shisui suddenly turned to Uchiha Kai, speaking in a grave tone.
"Kai, I want to help Aya."
"I know you must have a way. We've been through life and death together."
"Please… help her!"
Shisui's face was deadly serious.
Yes—
Though he hadn't known his cousin for long, he had come to understand him somewhat.
That lazy, ordinary look was just a disguise.
In truth, Shisui was filled with anger and frustration over Hyuga Aya's plight.
His kind heart truly wanted to help.
And with his words, both Kazama and Aya turned their gazes toward Uchiha Kai as well.
Shisui's reaction wasn't surprising. He knew a bit of Kai's nature, and so he looked on thoughtfully, waiting to see if his comrade could think of something he could not.
As for Hyuga Aya—
She looked at Uchiha Kai with surprise, even disbelief.
Yes.
She couldn't understand it.
She had known him for three days now, and honestly, she had felt nothing special.
Completely ordinary. No distinguishing features at all.
So she couldn't understand why a genius of Shisui's caliber would turn to this seemingly unremarkable Kai for help.
Uchiha Kai: "…"
He was utterly dumbfounded.
Especially now, with everyone's eyes fixed on him—his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
Good grief!
What's this got to do with me?!
Still, he hadn't expected Shisui to be this soft-hearted.
Thinking this, he fell into contemplation.
He truly hadn't planned on getting involved. But with the atmosphere this heavy, even if Aya's request didn't warrant it, Shisui's certainly did. He couldn't just ignore him.
And so, with a sigh, he spoke faintly.
"This matter… it can be as hard as you make it, or as easy."
"The reason none of you can think of a solution is because you're still playing by the rules."
"In reality, once you step outside the rules, there are plenty of ways to solve it."
"I'll just throw out a few examples."
"First—frame him."
"Even if the Hyuga main family refuses to fight, they can't stay cooped up in the compound forever, can they?"
"When he leaves, we create a conflict with some villagers, then make sure a few civilians end up dead. After that, we stir things up and get the villagers to petition the Hokage."
"Even if he's from the main family, unless he's one of their most important members, the Hyuga won't risk shielding him."
"As for how to provoke him—there are countless ways. The simplest is to control him with the Sharingan. Or knock him out, hide him, and use Transformation Jutsu to stage it ourselves."
"If that seems unreliable, then we go more direct."
"Disguise ourselves as Cloud shinobi, break into the Hyuga compound, kill him, steal his Byakugan, and retreat."
"With Aya being from the branch family, even if the compound is heavily guarded, finding a loophole wouldn't be too difficult."
"If even that feels risky, then keep it quiet. Use the Sharingan to plant a suggestion in his mind—make him feel like staying in the compound forever is suffocating, like it's a prison."
"Make him want to leave Konoha for a stroll."
"And once he's outside, we kidnap him, dispose of him, and sell the body on the black market."
"Whether we disguise as Cloud shinobi, missing-nin, or bounty hunters—it doesn't matter."
"In short, there are plenty of options."
"As long as we don't confine ourselves to the mindset of Konoha shinobi—once we're ready to think outside the rules—well, we are Konoha shinobi, and one of us is even a Hyuga."
"Finding a loophole… is that really so difficult?"
"Yes, the Hyuga compound is well-defended. Other villages might struggle to get a Byakugan."
"But don't forget—"
"We're insiders. If we plan carefully, it might not be easy, but the odds of success are high."
"And once Hyuga from the main family is dead, Aya's problem disappears on its own."
"…"
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