News that the Uchiha Patriarch and Hyuga Patriarch were sitting down at a ramen shop with the Hokage's aide would probably raise eyebrows...
Actually, a lot of people in Konoha had already gotten used to it.
Because that aide of theirs had always done things his own way, and nobody found it weird when the Uchiha Patriarch went along with it.
It was the Hyuga Patriarch that made the scene feel a bit out of the ordinary.
After all, the Hyuga clan really cared about appearances.
When word got out, it was probably only the Hyuga members who'd be uncomfortable.
Their clan leader, sitting at Ichiraku Ramen slurping noodles with his son-in-law\...
"Teuchi, three bowls of ramen. One of them, same as usual."
"Just a moment!"
Teuchi smiled and got to work, while outside the door, Fugaku noticed that Hiashi looked a little uneasy.
"Let's go."
It's just ramen, no big deal—only the Hyuga clan would make a fuss about something like this.
Fugaku lifted the curtain and sat down next to Yan. Hiashi stood there awkwardly for a moment, then finally clenched his teeth and stepped forward.
"I thought you guys weren't coming in."
Seeing the two big clan leaders sitting down, Yan couldn't help but grin teasingly. Fugaku stayed calm, but Hiashi looked a little uncomfortable.
"Yan, maybe next time we should pick a more proper place."
Hiashi wasn't looking down on Ichiraku Ramen. It's just that the Hyuga clan had too many rules. If word got out that he was sitting here eating ramen, it would definitely stir up complaints from the clan.
Thankfully, Yan was the one leading the way, and Fugaku was also here, so most people in the clan wouldn't dare speak up.
"The Hyuga clan just has too many rules."
Yan shook his head, picked up his chopsticks, and dug in. After slurping down a couple bites of ramen, he continued,
"You two don't need to overthink this whole thing. Just stay calm and wait. The war might not even involve our Konohagakure."
"Even if someone wants to drag us into it, it won't be that easy."
"We're going to war?"
Teuchi had just finished making Fugaku and Hiashi's ramen when he overheard that last part, and he instantly looked shocked.
Yan looked up and smiled.
"Something big just happened in the Land of Wind. It's going to pull in Sunagakure and Kirigakure, but it doesn't involve us. The news hasn't gone public yet, so I can't say too much."
As he spoke, he made a small hand gesture.
Teuchi nodded.
"Don't worry. I'll keep it to myself. Until the news is made official, I won't say a word."
To be honest, Teuchi was a good guy. And when it came to keeping secrets, he was solid.
He never blabbed about anything.
And even if the news did get out, it wouldn't matter much. They wouldn't be able to hide it for long anyway.
"So the war really can't be avoided now?"
Fugaku asked as he took a few bites of ramen. Judging by how natural he looked, it seemed he'd snuck off for noodles more than a few times.
Hiashi glanced at him strangely, then clenched his teeth and picked up his chopsticks.
At this point, whatever—might as well eat first.
If anyone in the clan started running their mouth, he'd just throw Yan under the bus.
What?
The Hokage's assistant offered you ramen—you gonna say no?
Can you even say no?
Hiashi was sure those words alone would shut everyone up.
"Yeah, probably."
If the Akatsuki wasn't involved, maybe things could still be worked out.
As long as they could calm down the Land of Water's daimyo, even if it meant paying up and apologizing with a long face, it might still be doable.
But with the Akatsuki involved behind the scenes, even if the Land of Water's Daimyo is willing to accept an apology and compensation, the Akatsuki won't let things calm down.
This war has to happen.
And not just happen—it needs to get worse. Ideally, it should drag the other villages into it too.
"For now, the only thing we can do is keep the village stable and be ready. In the short term, it won't affect us."
War isn't something that starts or ends just because someone says so.
There's always a long period of back-and-forth before it escalates.
And honestly, when it comes to Kirigakure and Sunagakure, it's not like one's way stronger than the other.
Their power levels aren't that different, so once a war breaks out, they'll probably be stuck in a long tug-of-war.
After finishing his ramen, Yan wiped his mouth with a napkin, left some money on the counter, and stood up.
"So we just go on like normal?"
Hiashi also put down his chopsticks and glanced at Fugaku, who was still sipping soup, with a bit of a strange look.
"What else can we do?"
Fugaku put his bowl down with a satisfied smile:
"Some things are out of our hands. All we need to do is follow Yan's lead. He won't let us down."
"Besides, Yan and Hokage-sama aren't like the ones who came before. You don't need to worry so much anymore."
The Hyuga clan's ninjas might be more active soon, but that's mostly for reconnaissance—not to throw them into suicide missions.
Why did Hiashi and Fugaku want to hint at Yan having a talk?
Simple—they care about their own clansmen. They just wanted some reassurance, and Yan gave it.
Clan ninjas may be the backbone, but they aren't disposable.
That might sound harsh, but it's just the truth.
When war really breaks out, it's the clans who carry the fight—but the ones who get used up are often the large numbers of average civilian ninjas.
Luckily, both Yan and Tsunade aren't heartless. They won't favor one side or intentionally send waves of weaker civilian ninjas to die.
That's their bottom line.
"Besides, we still have some time to prepare. The flames of war probably won't reach Konohagakure right away. Just be mentally ready."
The Uchiha have never feared war!
But things are a bit more complicated with the Hyuga. The branch family is always ready to act, but the main family… let's just say it's complicated.
That's why Fugaku can loudly declare that the Uchiha don't fear war—Hiashi can't say the same.
He'd risk getting slapped in the face by reality.
Konohagakure has started moving.
A group of five-hundred-strong elite ninjas has been gathered. They're heading to the border under Jiraiya's lead to set up a camp and prevent any surprises.
At the same time, messenger hawks have been sent out from Konohagakure, flying toward Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure as fast as possible.
As for Kirigakure, they don't even need a warning—because right now, they're already in the middle of an emergency meeting.
All the higher-ups are shouting, cursing Sunagakure, pointing fingers.
Plenty of them are demanding a full-on counterattack to get justice for the village and the Daimyo.
The Mizukage represents Kirigakure's pride. And the Daimyo represents the pride of the entire Land of Water.
Now that the Daimyo has been assassinated—and it was clearly Sunagakure's doing—how could they just let that go?
When the news got back, the higher-ups in Kirigakure Village were completely shocked.
Had Sunagakure lost their minds? Were they tired of living? Were they trying to start a war with Kirigakure?
So a meeting with the top officials was called immediately.
After all, a Daimyo is a red line—an untouchable one. Unless you're a complete maniac with a death wish, assassinating another country's Daimyo is basically declaring war.