radicalducati Chapter 193 Taking Action
Chapter 193 Taking Action
In the Hyuga clan's spacious and bright training hall, a petite four-year-old figure was intently practicing her tiny fists, each punch filled with power and determination. This little girl was Hinata Hyuga, who strictly followed her father's teachings, practicing the clan's inherited martial arts techniques again and again.
Sweat poured down Hinata's face, soaking her hair, but she dared not stop, for she knew that only through continuous effort could she become stronger. In stark contrast to Hinata, Hiashi Hyuga, standing to the side, was lost in thought, completely oblivious to his daughter's slightly trembling body, as if he were utterly indifferent to everything.
Just then, Hyuga Neji, who had been silently observing Hinata, noticed something was wrong. Having inherited Hyuga Hizashi's personality, Neji was filled with deep love for his family. Seeing Hinata working so hard, he felt a pang of heartache. Without hesitation, he interrupted the distracted Hyuga Hiashi, his voice tinged with anxiety: "Clan leader, look at Hinata, she seems quite tired."
Hearing Neji's words, Hiashi Hyuga snapped out of his daze, his gaze quickly shifting to the two adorable children before him. Looking at Hinata's resolute eyes and the large beads of sweat on her forehead, a wave of guilt washed over him. He realized his negligence during training; he hadn't even noticed his daughter's exhaustion.
Hiashi Hyuga stepped forward, gently patted Hinata's head, and said with a smile, "Hinata, you did a great job! But you should still train hard and catch up with Neji." Then, he turned to Neji and said, "Neji, thank you for reminding me. We can't let Hinata overwork herself; we need to arrange her training time reasonably."
Hinata smiled happily upon hearing her father's words. She knew that her father wasn't indifferent to her; he was just sometimes distracted by other things. Neji was also very gratified, because his concern had been reciprocated and Hinata had gotten adequate rest.
Hiashi Hyuga carefully examined Hinata's physical condition after training and found no injuries, only muscle spasms due to overexertion. He was relieved that she would recover with some rest. He then began to inquire about the problems Neji encountered during his training and started explaining and guiding him.
He had only just begun explaining one problem when a noise from outside interrupted Hiashi Hyuga's explanation and guidance. As the head of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi knew that unless something was important, the servants outside wouldn't disturb him while he was instructing the children. He could only gently pat the two children's heads to comfort them before rising and leaving the training hall.
Upon reaching the outside, Hiashi Hyuga saw an ANBU ninja standing not far from the doorway and immediately understood why the servant had disturbed his instruction of his child. The presence of an ANBU ninja signified that the Hokage had issued an order; after all, ANBU ninjas were the Hokage's most important subordinates, representing the Hokage's authority within Konoha.
Although the relationship between the Hyuga clan and the Konoha leadership was not harmonious at the moment, as long as they wished to continue living in Konoha, they had to give the Hokage sufficient respect, even if it was just a superficial formality. Hyuga Hiashi, as an excellent clan head, naturally understood this and would never openly embarrass the Hokage over a trivial matter. When he learned that the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had personally summoned him, a sense of doubt arose in his heart. After all, although the conflict between the Hyuga clan and the Konoha leadership had been resolved, a delicate balance of mutual non-interference remained. At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen's sudden summons must indeed be for important matters to discuss. Hyuga Hiashi dared not delay, quickly giving a few instructions to his servants before rushing towards the Hokage Building with the Anbu ninja. He was eager to know what had prompted Sarutobi Hiruzen's urgent summons.
Upon arriving at the Hokage Building office, Hiashi Hyuga saw that almost all of Konoha's high-ranking officials were already waiting for him, and their expressions were not good. In particular, Shimura Danzo was staring at him with a sinister look. Hiashi Hyuga knew that something important must have happened to make all of Konoha's high-ranking officials look like this.
As the Third Hokage and the leader of these Konoha high-ranking officials, Hiruzen Sarutobi was naturally the first to explain the urgent reason for summoning Hiashi Hyuga. The matter was quite simple: the Konoha high-ranking officials had received news that Hyuga Kanan was rapidly approaching Konoha and would arrive within two days at most. The reason for summoning Hiashi was to inquire about the reason, since Hiashi had stated during their discussions that he wouldn't recall Kanan, but simply wanted him to deal with the advancing Cloud Ninja forces on the border. Now, Kanan's unexpected march towards Konoha raised suspicions that Hiashi might be deceiving them, trying to force Kanan's return.
Upon hearing this, Hyuga Hiashi was slightly taken aback, a look of astonishment on his face, resembling the bewildered expression of someone completely lost. In fact, the scroll he had given Hyuga Hizashi didn't contain a clause requiring Hyuga Kanan to return to Konoha. Knowing Kanan's personality, he was well aware that she abhorred wasting time and causing trouble. Even if Hiashi himself pleaded with Kanan to return, she probably wouldn't be willing. Returning now would not only waste a lot of time but could also trigger numerous problems, which was contrary to her style. Therefore, Hiashi didn't harbor any hope of her return. However, he also understood that if Kanan returned to Konoha, it would bring immeasurable benefits to the Hyuga clan, and could even exert a powerful deterrent effect on the Konoha leadership, making them acutely aware that the Hyuga clan was not one they could manipulate at will.
Seeing the expressions on Hiruzen Sarutobi's and the others' faces, Hiashi Hyuga knew that the information about Kanan Hyuga's return to Konoha was probably true. However, Hiashi truly had no idea what Kanan's purpose was in returning to Konoha. He didn't believe the Hyuga clan had enough influence to make Kanan waste his time returning specifically to Konoha. Most of the Hyuga clan's higher-ups were aware of Kanan's attitude towards the clan—completely devoid of affection, even harboring some resentment. Therefore, Hiashi was completely unaware of Kanan's true motives for returning to Konoha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others noticed the change in Hiashi Hyuga's expression and formed a rough guess about the truth. Clearly, Kanan Hyuga hadn't been specifically summoned back to Konoha. After all, the other party was a figure who commanded respect throughout the entire ninja world, far beyond the control of the mere head of the Hyuga clan. As for what actions he would take, Hiashi Hyuga probably had no idea. However, the most important thing right now was to get Hiashi Hyuga to make a promise, ensuring that Kanan, upon returning to Konoha, could persuade that powerful figure not to change the current situation in Konoha.
Danzo Shimura, the leader of Konoha's hawkish faction, could no longer suppress the surging anxiety within him. In his eyes, no matter how powerful Hyuga Kanan was, as a member of Konoha, he was entitled to obey the orders of Konoha's leadership, including himself. Now that Hyuga Kanan had returned to Konoha, this was undoubtedly a golden opportunity for Danzo—to bring him under the Root's control and make him his strongest ally in ascending to the Hokage throne! After all, as long as someone is human, they inevitably have weaknesses that can be exploited, meaning they could potentially be controlled. Currently, the Hyuga clan seemed to be a major weakness for Hyuga Kanan: after a long period of silence, once Hyuga Hiashi sent a distress signal, Hyuga Kanan stepped forward without hesitation, not only helping the Hyuga clan escape their predicament but also facing the Cloud Ninja army alone. Given this, could he seize this opportunity to mobilize the Root's power and firmly grasp the Hyuga clan under his control? Unlike Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was weak, Hiashi Hyuga merely discussed countermeasures with him.
Thinking this, Shimura Danzo could no longer suppress his inner impulse and anger. His face turned extremely gloomy, and his eyes flashed with intense rage. He roared directly at Hyuga Hiashi, "Hyuga Hiashi! As the head of the Hyuga clan, you can't even control your own members? This is simply a huge joke! In my opinion, you are deliberately deceiving us all, secretly recalling Hyuga Kanan, attempting to launch a coup that shakes the world and try to overthrow the existing political system of Konoha! Guards! Seize this treacherous fellow immediately! At the same time, send another elite force to the Hyuga clan's headquarters to take control of the entire clan and interrogate them thoroughly! I want to see how the Hyuga clan can deny it when faced with such irrefutable evidence!"
Danzo Shimura's sudden attack shocked Hiruzen Sarutobi and other Konoha high-ranking officials. If they were to launch such an operation against the Hyuga clan, there would be no turning back. Even if the Konoha leadership could completely subdue the Hyuga clan, once Kanan Hyuga returned to Konoha, a full-blown war would likely erupt. Kanan Hyuga had already demonstrated strength capable of overwhelming the entire ninja world in his battle against the Cloud Ninja; Konoha might truly be destroyed.
At this moment, Hiashi Hyuga also wore an expression of disbelief. The Konoha leadership dared to attack him and his clan under such circumstances. However, regardless of the circumstances, since the Konoha leadership had already decided to deal with the Hyuga clan, the Hyuga clan wouldn't simply surrender and be obediently taken down by the Konoha leadership. So, let's see what each of them can do!