Moreover, if he remembered correctly, this little devil seemed to have said he wanted to spread the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist throughout Konoha.
Although he didn't make it clear in public, everyone understood the meaning behind it.
Then, Kawaki Aoba spoke again: "I'm only 10 years old this year, and I can already create various ninjutsu and taijutsu without seals, even S-rank ninjutsu and taijutsu. With my talent, I'll definitely become an amazing ninja in the future. So, Captain Fugaku, let's be friends. Maybe we'll have the chance to work together in the future."
Uchiha Fugaku's expression froze. He didn't expect Kawaki Aoba to say something like that. He looked at Kawaki Aoba with suspicion, wondering if this kid was trying to get close to him and drag the Uchiha clan into a confrontation with the Hyuga.
That seemed too naive and fantastical.
"You're thinking too much, Captain Fugaku. I just want to be friends with you. I don't need to ask for outside help to solve the Hyuga clan's problem."
"You, are you serious?" Uchiha Fugaku's gaze was unpredictable, wondering what kind of game this kid was playing.
"It's already come to this, and you still have the leisure to talk about this? Kawaki Aoba, you really are an interesting person. But do you know? By publicly saying those threatening words to the Hyuga clan, do you really think they won't come after you at all costs? Even your Jonin teacher will be implicated."
"No, as long as I don't push them to the point of completely tearing apart their faces, they will definitely not dare to do that."
Uchiha Fugaku was shocked. He really wanted to ask Kawaki Aoba, who on earth gave him the confidence? To think that what he did could still have room for reconciliation with the Hyuga.
"Kid, you said you wanted to spread the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist throughout Konoha, and even possibly throughout the ninja world in the future. Do you really think the Hyuga people won't kill you?"
Uchiha Fugaku's words were leisurely. He had already made up his mind that if Kawaki Aoba couldn't give him a reasonable explanation, then he would definitely walk away and never stay in the same room with a madman.
"Captain Fugaku, don't slander me. When did I ever say that I wanted to spread the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist throughout Konoha?" Kawaki Aoba responded, almost as if it were a matter of course.
"Nani?" Uchiha Fugaku was dumbfounded on the spot. He didn't expect to get such an answer from Kawaki Aoba's mouth. Was he really trying to deny something that so many people had heard?
"Don't make such a surprised expression. I'm just a child. Isn't it normal to say some angry words when I'm momentarily excited?"
Momentary angry words? Uchiha Fugaku felt as if he was about to be driven crazy by this little guy. He couldn't even tell if what the other party was saying now was true or false.
"Momentary angry words? Do you really not understand the consequences of saying those words?" Uchiha Fugaku even activated his Sharingan, staring at Kawaki Aoba intently.
"Consequences? What consequences? Think carefully, Captain Fugaku, when did I ever say that I wanted to spread the Hyuga Gentle Fist throughout Konoha? What I said at the time was that I wanted to spread what the Hyuga clan gave me throughout Konoha. From beginning to end, I never mentioned the words 'Gentle Fist.'"
Sarutobi Hiruzen: This matter ends here.
Uchiha Fugaku was stunned. Was this little devil so shameless?
But what was the point of saying this now?
"Of course, there's a point," Kawaki Aoba responded as if reading Fugaku's thoughts, once again surprising him.
"Sometimes, a fig leaf is so important. As long as it's still there, then both sides will have room for reconciliation. That way, they won't completely tear apart their faces.
Of course, the premise is that neither side has the ability to completely eliminate the other.
Captain Fugaku, what do you think my real trump card is? Is it Teacher Shinko's friends? Is it my own talent? Or is it the Hokage-sama's attention?
Although these are all cards in my hand, they are not the most important. My real reliance is my own strength, Captain Fugaku."
Uchiha Fugaku: …
He suddenly felt that either the other party was crazy, or he was crazy. A ten-year-old kid was saying in front of him that his strength could cope with the Hyuga clan, and he didn't even refute it immediately.
"Don't believe it? Then let's make a bet."
"Bet on what?"
On the Uchiha Police Force side, Kawaki Aoba had already set his sights on the valuable items on Fugaku's body.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Yuhi Shinko and other Jonin had already taken a confrontational stance against the three members of the Hyuga Main House.
"Hokage-sama, that's how things are. Although Aoba's actions were excessive, it was also because he was worried about his companions that he did such an irrational thing. As his teacher, I want to ask the Hyuga clan: what exactly did that child Aoba do that you feel the need to put him to death?"
Saying that, Yuhi Shinko turned her head and glared sharply at the Hyuga Main House trio sitting on the other side of the conference table.
For what? Don't you really know?
The Second Elder of the Hyuga had an extremely ugly face. Looking at Yuhi Shinko, he thought she was openly mocking him.
With a bang, he couldn't help but slam the table and stand up.
"Enough, Yuhi Shin—"
Pa!
A loud slap rang out from Hyuga Kazuki, who was sitting next to him.
"You fool, you're going to disgrace the clan." A pair of Byakugan eyes stared at the Second Elder of the Hyuga, who had already been stunned. Hyuga Kazuki couldn't bear it anymore.
This fool was doing more harm than good. Look at what he had done.
Dealing with Kawaki Aoba, plotting against Yuhi Shinko—these things were not wrong, but what was wrong was that this guy was too stupid. He'd been caught with such a big handle.
And what did the Hyuga clan have? Except for the crime of monitoring and plotting against the ninja of the same village in the village, they had nothing.
Kazuki already knew the course of events. If there hadn't been that branch family ninja who jumped out first, this matter would have nothing to do with the Hyuga, and they could have made a fuss about that little devil attacking civilians for no reason. But what about now?
The Second Elder was a fool, and none of the ninjas from his line had any sense.
Now that they had been caught with a handle, they still wanted to boss people around like in the clan. It was simply the height of stupidity.
If this guy wasn't from the main family, Kazuki would have definitely beaten him to death today.
"Kazuki, Anmura, you've gone too far this time by attacking ninjas from the same village. As Hokage, I must give everyone an explanation." Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes remained calm as he looked at the two heads of the Hyuga Main House, his intent already clear.
"The Hyuga family is a member of the village. Please rest assured, Lord Hokage, that after returning to the clan, we will provide the village with an explanation." Hyuga Kyomura stood up and bowed respectfully to Hiruzen Sarutobi, then turned to Kurenai Yuhi.
"I apologize, Jounin Yuhi, for the actions of a foolish member of our Hyuga family. Afterward, we will make the necessary reparations and ensure that no such incident occurs again."
"There's no need for compensation," Kurenai Yuhi replied, her tone stiff and her gaze still stern. "I only hope the Hyuga clan leader will uphold today's promise and prevent similar incidents in the future."
Hyuga Kyomura, however, seemed not to notice her cold demeanor, maintaining an apologetic and respectful attitude.
Tap, tap!
At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi gently tapped the conference table with his pipe. When everyone in the room looked at him, he spoke in a calm tone. "Since you are all Konoha ninjas and the matter has been addressed, let's consider this resolved."
With that, the others fell silent. Only Hyuga Kyomura and Hyuga Kazuki exchanged a brief, silent glance.
They understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's meaning.
Hyuga Kazuki's eyes grew distant. Since that brat Kawaki Aoba had appeared, how much damage had the Hyuga clan suffered? Could it really end so easily?
Suddenly, a realization dawned on him.
Kawaki Aoba was already aligned with the Hokage's faction. Given his talent, it was clear Hiruzen Sarutobi was fully committed to protecting him.
As for the Hyuga clan's concerns, Sarutobi's silence spoke volumes. By handling the matter lightly, Sarutobi had shown them great leniency.
The Hyuga clan had no choice but to accept this. Any resistance would lead to a movement against them, one spearheaded by the civilian ninjas.
And the power to initiate that movement lay squarely in Sarutobi's hands.
Looking again at the Second Elder of his family, who had been knocked unconscious, Hyuga Kazuki slowly closed his eyes.
What could be done with such a reckless ally?
The three members of the Hyuga family departed, leaving with the last vestiges of their dignity intact.
Kurenai Yuhi could only watch helplessly. Though she was unwilling to accept the outcome, she knew it was the best one possible.
If the actions of the Hyuga clan had been those of a lesser family, the result would have been entirely different.
Kurenai Yuhi glanced at the Konoha executives present. For the first time, she entertained a bold thought—what if she, too, could one day sit in one of those positions?
This experience had only deepened her understanding of the importance of power and influence. At the same time, a desire began to take root within her heart.
If she didn't see hope, she wouldn't dare dream, but Kawaki Aoba's presence gave her enough confidence in the future.
The Konoha executives before her were unaware of the rebellious thoughts stirring in her mind. Their eyes were filled only with admiration—for her brilliant student, Kawaki Aoba.
"Kurenai, now that the Hyuga have left and there are no outsiders here, please, sit down," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, offering a gesture of goodwill.
Kurenai didn't refuse. Accepting the Hokage's gesture was also a step toward building a closer relationship.
"Lord Hokage, you know Aoba. His heart is full of the Will of Fire. If the Hyuga clan hadn't gone too far and targeted my daughter, Aoba wouldn't have acted the way he did. Even if he was under surveillance by the Hyuga, he would've kept quiet and not caused trouble for the village."
Kurenai's words were sincere. Kawaki Aoba had become a tragic figure, bearing the weight of the Will of Fire and accepting all burdens alone to avoid causing problems for the village.
And Sarutobi Hiruzen was precisely the type of person most susceptible to such sentiment.
"I understand, Kurenai," Hiruzen Sarutobi said after a moment of thought. "This matter is not Aoba's fault. I can see the Will of Fire in that child more clearly than anyone else."
Hiruzen paused, contemplating further. "That boy is still with the Uchiha Police Force, right? I've already sent someone to bring him here. After today, the Hyuga clan will likely not trouble him again, but there are still some matters I need to address with him."
He sighed. "I must apologize. I've been so preoccupied lately that I neglected to resolve the tension between Aoba and the Hyuga family sooner."
"Lord Hokage, you're being too hard on yourself. How could we blame you, given how busy you've been? If anyone is to blame, it's me, as his teacher." Kurenai Yuhi spoke earnestly. After her return to the village, her focus had been on developing the Chakra Cloak technique, leaving her unaware of how far the Hyuga clan's actions would go in targeting her daughter.
At the same time, Kurenai understood the deeper meaning behind Sarutobi's words. It was clear that Hiruzen was referring to Aoba's sharp, angry words from earlier.
Kurenai knew that with Aoba's usual cleverness, he would never have spoken out so irrationally unless something truly pushed him to his limit. And what could have caused him to react in such a way? His love for her daughter was the only answer.
As a ninja, it was shameful to lose one's composure, but if a person who was normally calm could be so moved by love, it meant that person truly cared.
In the Hokage Building, several Konoha officials were waiting for an Anbu ninja to bring Kawaki Aoba to them.
But what was Kawaki Aoba doing at that moment?
He had been winning big in a gambling match with Fugaku Uchiha.
Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique, Fire Style...
Looking at the ninjutsu scrolls Kawaki Aoba had won from him, Fugaku Uchiha fell into deep thought.
How had things escalated to this point?
It had all started when Fugaku had become curious about where Aoba's confidence in his abilities came from. Intrigued, he had agreed to the gamble.
But instead of seeing Aoba's so-called strength, Fugaku ended up learning an assortment of unusual combat techniques.
And the price? More and more Fire Style ninjutsu in Aoba's possession.
Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters