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The morning mist had not yet lifted over Konoha's front gate.
Standing solemnly at the forefront was Hiruzen Sarutobi, cloaked in the Hokage robe and donning the Hokage hat. Behind him stood the high-ranking advisors Shimura Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado. Further back were the clan heads of the Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Aburame, and Inuzuka clans.
They were stationed on the street leading to the main gate, and on either side, throngs of people filled the area. Even with Konoha's police force maintaining order, it couldn't stop villagers from continuously gathering—shoulder to shoulder, the crowd buzzed with voices and movement.
"Clan Leader."
An Uchiha clansman named Uchiha Hachidai suddenly appeared behind Uchiha Fugaku. Seeing that his clan head was standing slightly behind the other clan leaders, he frowned slightly, then calmly bowed his head and reported, "Everything has been arranged."
Uchiha Hachidai wore a black skintight inner suit, overlaid with a sleeveless green jōnin flak jacket. His shoulders bore the insignia of the Konoha Military Police Force.
Fugaku, however, wore a dark blue long robe with the Uchiha clan's fan crest on the back—indicating that today, he appeared as the clan leader of the Uchiha, not as the head of the police force.
"Good. Make sure order is maintained. We can't afford a single slip-up—or it'll be our whole clan's face on the line."
Fugaku's face was cold and serious. After quietly giving his instructions, he turned his attention back to the front.
He gazed at Hiruzen Sarutobi standing at the very front of the formation, eyes flickering with thought, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"Once Konoha and Kumogakure sign this alliance, the Third's standing in the village will only grow stronger… Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, I can't say."
The Konoha Police Force was established by Tobirama Senju, and its members primarily came from the Uchiha clan.
Their primary duty was to maintain internal order and security in the village—establishing and enforcing regulations, apprehending those with criminal tendencies, and preserving public peace. They had no authority over the Hokage's personal Anbu.
Tobirama's original intent in assigning this task to the Uchiha was well-meaning. While he did view the clan and their Sharingan as a potential threat, he had spent his life trying to guide and integrate the Uchiha's strength into the village.
But when Hiruzen Sarutobi took power, things began to change.
The Anbu—an elite tactical unit—gradually saw many of its roles taken over by "Root," Danzo's covert organization.
This caused overlaps in jurisdiction, as Root started interfering with internal village security matters—stepping on the toes of the Police Force.
In the end, it was no surprise: Hiruzen and Danzo had been close friends for many years, both preferring to promote their own private "guard units."
Officially, the Anbu—short for "Special Assassination and Tactical Squad"—was only meant to handle reconnaissance, assassination, Hokage protection, and foreign threats.
But most of the Uchiha were headstrong and inflexible. Unlike the more adaptable Anbu, their rigid enforcement style earned them resentment from the punished villagers.
So the Anbu and Police Force frequently clashed over law enforcement practices.
Hiruzen's firm and uncompromising stance in handling disputes between the two factions only deepened the Uchiha clan's dissatisfaction—so much so that even the usually steady Hachidai was affected by the growing resentment within the clan.
Fugaku couldn't help but feel a headache coming on as he thought about all this. He even began to miss the time when Minato Namikaze served as the Fourth Hokage.
Not just because he and his wife had been friends with Minato and Kushina, but also because the Uchiha had genuinely respected the Fourth—despite his commoner background.
Hiruzen had already retired once. Yet after the Fourth's death, he returned to power—and showed no signs of finding a successor. His power grab was becoming a bit unsightly.
"I'll wait until the treaty is signed. When the Third is in a good mood… I'll bring up my suggestions then," Fugaku thought, glancing again toward Hiruzen.
At this moment, Hiruzen was indeed in high spirits. The villagers behind him were excitedly chatting and praising him, which warmed his heart. He completely ignored Danzo's cold expression nearby.
However, when he noticed the empty space behind him out of the corner of his eye, he frowned slightly.
"Hyuga Hiashi still hasn't arrived?" Hiruzen asked without turning around.
Behind him, Nara Shikaku gave a bitter inward smile, stepped forward, and replied in a low voice, "We sent someone to hurry them half an hour ago, but…"
Before he could speak in the Hyuga's defense, an Anbu appeared beside Hiruzen and whispered in his ear. Shikaku only faintly heard the words "Today is the Hyuga heiress's third birthday," and sighed deeply in his heart.
The Hyuga clan… was acting foolish today.
Perhaps when it came to self-preservation, the Hyuga were better than the Uchiha. But in terms of political awareness, neither clan had much wisdom. Today made that obvious.
Hiruzen's eyes flickered slightly, a flash of displeasure passing quickly through his cloudy gaze.
Hiashi, as father and clan head, could be absent. But if the Hyuga truly cared about this event, they could have at least sent a respected elder.
Their current behavior clearly communicated: We don't care.
To them, the third birthday of the heiress represented the future of the Hyuga clan—and was far more important than the "minor matter" of signing an alliance with Kumogakure.
And what Hiruzen despised the most… was ninja clans placing their own interests above the village's.
The Uchiha did it. Now the Hyuga did too.
"The Hyuga clan had important matters and couldn't attend," Hiruzen finally said calmly, though his heart was filled with irritation. "Fill their position. Prepare to receive the Kumogakure delegation."
Hearing this, many present were visibly surprised. Koharu and Homura frowned. Danzo, whether intentionally or not, let out a quiet chuckle—which made Hiruzen's face darken even more.
Still, Danzo had played a key role in orchestrating this alliance. Hiruzen couldn't scold him now—so he simply redirected all his frustration toward the Hyuga.
"They're here!"
A child who had climbed a tree to get a better view suddenly shouted, causing the noisy crowd to erupt even more.
In the distance, several figures approached Konoha's gate under escort from Konoha shinobi. Leading them were three Kumogakure ninja wearing their forehead protectors. Their dark, rugged features starkly contrasted with the appearance of the Konoha people.
From the upper floors on both sides, women leaned out of windows and scattered flower petals prepared in baskets into the air.
In the crowd, Hyuga Unkawa watched the scene with a calm expression—but sneered internally.
What a grand display—like oil poured on a blazing fire, like adding brocade to blooming flowers.
The more joyous they were now… the more terrified they'd be later.
Peace through compromise?
That opportunity no longer existed.
Only by stirring up this stagnant, dead pool called the Shinobi World…
Could he fish in troubled waters.
That's why… Hyuga Unkawa would make war arrive early.
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