Inside the Hokage Office, the air seemed to have frozen into ice.
Hiruzen Sarutobi continued to smoke, taking a deep drag.
He knew all too well what Danzo was trying to do; he had simply been turning a blind eye to it. Now, however, the situation had been disrupted by a little girl.
Danzo Shimura's expression was so dark it looked as if it could drip water.
The situation he had painstakingly crafted—using external pressure to gain benefits, further suppress the Hyuga, or acquire more resources—had been completely ruined by this sudden variable!
The leader of the Kumogakure delegation was also dumbfounded.
The script wasn't supposed to go like this! According to custom, shouldn't Konoha apply internal pressure and then hand over the 'culprit' or a key figure to settle the matter?
"Ahem."
Ultimately, it was the Sandaime Hokage who broke the dead silence. He spoke slowly, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority, though his gaze first fell upon the Kumogakure leader.
"The evidence is conclusive regarding your Ninja's infiltration of my Konoha's noble clan with the intent to kidnap the heir of the Main House. They were merely acting in self-defense."
"This is all perfectly reasonable. Konoha will never hand over any innocent villager because of this."
The Sandaime paused.
"As for your so-called threat of war..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone turned cold as he lightly tapped his pipe against the desk.
"Konoha loves peace, but we never fear war! If Kumogakure insists on fighting, then by all means, come and try! Guards, show them out!"
The last two words were directed at the Anbu at the door, delivered with iron-clad resolve.
"You... you people..."
The Kumogakure leader trembled with rage, but seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's suddenly sharp gaze and Danzo's nearby look that was practically murderous...
He knew the matter was settled. He could only stomp his foot in resentment and leave dejectedly under the 'escort' of the Anbu.
He knew this attempt at extortion had completely failed. He didn't even know what kind of Raikage's wrath he would have to face upon his return.
Once the Kumogakure people left, the atmosphere in the office became even more subtle.
Danzo stood up abruptly, his cane thumping heavily against the floor.
"The Hyuga Clan has certainly produced a fine daughter! Sharp-tongued and disrespectful to her elders!"
Hiruzen glanced at him.
"Danzo, since when did you start getting angry at a small child?"
"I, for one, think this child has a great future. Like Itachi, she shows signs of early wisdom."
At the mention of someone from the Uchiha Clan, Danzo's face darkened further.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not give him another chance to speak.
"Enough, Danzo."
"Since the matter has been resolved, let it end here."
He looked at Hinata with a complex gaze.
"You did... very well today. You upheld the dignity of the Village and your Family. However, you are still young, and many things..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused, seemingly finding it a bit strange to say such things to a small child.
"Never mind. Hiashi, take your daughter back to rest."
"Yes, Sandaime-sama."
Hiashi glanced at Danzo, bowed to the Sandaime, and then led Hinata away.
Stepping out of the Hokage Building, the sunlight was somewhat piercing.
Hiashi looked at his daughter beside him; her breathing was steady, as if she had just gone for a stroll. He remained silent for a long time.
Now that Kumogakure had retreated, the Hyuga's dignity was preserved, and Hizashi... didn't have to die in his place. This outcome was all thanks to his daughter.
Hiashi walked back with Hinata while lost in thought.
Just then, Hinata suddenly stopped and turned her gaze toward a street corner.
Hiashi followed her gaze and saw a small boy with blonde hair, fox-like whiskers, and dirty orange clothes. He was crouching in a corner, staring longingly at the steaming ramen at a roadside stall, his stomach growling loudly.
[It's Uzumaki Naruto. He looks so lonely...]
Hinata pulled some money from her sleeve, went to the side to buy some candy and bread, and then walked over.
Hiashi stood in place, watching his daughter walk toward the 'demon fox' shunned by the villagers. His brow furrowed slightly, but in the end, he didn't stop her.
Hinata walked up to Naruto and opened her palm, revealing several pieces of candy.
"Here, for you."
Naruto was startled and jerked his head up, his blue eyes filled with wariness and confusion.
He looked at the girl in front of him, who was dressed exquisitely and had strange white eyes, then looked at the delicious-looking candy in her palm. He swallowed hard but didn't take it.
"Who... who are you? Why are you giving this to me?"
Naruto asked warily.
"My name is Hyuga Hinata. You look like you're very hungry."
She introduced herself, a small smile appearing on her face.
"Here, eat. I've already had plenty, and these are extra. It's not good to let them go bad; we shouldn't waste food."
Hinata knew Naruto was embarrassed, so she intentionally phrased it that way.
Naruto lowered his head, his eyes darting away.
[Tsk, look at how pitiful this kid is. It's a miracle he doesn't turn evil in the future. If it were her, she'd have turned the entire Ninja World upside down.]
Hinata kept her hand extended, not rushing him.
Ultimately, hunger and a craving for sweets won out. Naruto carefully took the candy, peeled off the wax paper, and popped it into his mouth.
A rich sweetness and an indescribable feeling of comfort spread through his mouth, making him squint his eyes happily.
Speaking of which, in the original story, three-year-old Hinata couldn't stand the oppression of the Hyuga Clan and ran away, which was when she met Naruto. Now, her arrival had changed that.
"Is it good?"
Hinata asked.
"Yeah! It's super good!"
Naruto nodded vigorously, his gaze toward Hinata losing some wariness and gaining a bit of curiosity.
"Aren't you... afraid of me?"
Hinata just smiled and didn't answer. She pressed the bag into Naruto's hands, turned back to Hiashi's side, waved at the boy, and gradually walked away.
Naruto watched the white-clad figure disappear into the crowd, the sweetness of the candy still lingering in his mouth... He clutched the bag she had handed him, which was full of food.
Naruto pursed his lips.
Aside from Grandpa Sandaime, this was the first time anyone had been so kind to him... Hiashi, in the distance, took all of this in.
Was it out of kindness and sympathy? Such emotions were redundant. Hinata was his heir; she must not be distracted by such weaknesses.
Since this child showed early wisdom and was fully qualified to be his successor, he had to dedicate himself to her training.
"Have less contact with him in the future."
Hiashi spoke indifferently, having no favorable impression of Naruto.
"Okay."
Hinata just wanted to get on familiar terms with him early. He was the protagonist of this world; changing his future would surely earn her a lot of points.
Of course, it didn't matter if the change was good or bad; she only wanted the points.
[Ding! Successfully changed the plot node 'Death of Hizashi'. Reward: 1000 points! The world line has shifted slightly!]
[Ding! First interaction with key plot character Uzumaki Naruto. Reward: 100 points!]
[System Evaluation: The host stirs the winds of change with one hand and feeds the child of prophecy with the other, grasping both profit and favor. Truly worthy of being the host I selected!]
"Heh..."
Hinata merely smiled at the evaluation. Her concern for Naruto wasn't entirely for profit.
Naruto was a good kid and the son of a konoha hero; he shouldn't be treated this way.
That old bastard Sandaime... even if he just gave Naruto the wealth left behind by Minato and his wife, the boy wouldn't be living like this.
He did it on purpose, allowing the Konoha villagers' hatred and fear from the Nine-Tailed incident to be transferred onto Naruto.
Not only did Naruto become a vent for their anger, but he was also treated as a strategic weapon. It was a case of maximizing benefits—wanting to have it both ways.
And then there's that piece of trash Danzo.
The Sandaime essentially allowed Danzo to do the dirty work while he played the good guy who cared for Naruto.
The two of them are like those cartoon duos, Shuke and Beta.
They've got the good cop, bad cop routine down perfectly.
Dark. Truly damn dark.
Poor Naruto can only be toyed with in the palm of their hands... After returning to her room, Hinata began to organize her thoughts.
Now the Kumogakure storm had temporarily subsided, and Hizashi had survived.
According to the original plot, there wouldn't be any major events for a while. She could peacefully Cultivate and improve her strength.