"This—what is this?!"
Hiashi Hyuga's expression shifted dramatically. In an instant, he found himself transported to a different space. Five steps ahead of him stood towering glass windows, nearly ten meters high. Through the panes, a vast sea of golden clouds stretched out endlessly, rolling and churning like waves. It felt as though he were standing atop a mountain observatory.
"Who exactly are you?!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, veins bulged on Hiashi's face as he activated his Byakugan. His expression changed again as the 360-degree vision revealed a massive construct—over 600 meters in length. In the central area of this colossal object, dozens of human figures moved about. He and Naruto were currently standing at the very front of it.
They were… in the sky.
"Hiashi-senpai, no need to be so tense. Konoha is just down below."
Naruto walked over and sat on an elegant sofa, then gestured invitingly to the one across from him. "My father, Minato Namikaze, was the Fourth Hokage. My mother, Kushina Uzumaki, was the previous Nine-Tails jinchūriki. Who do you think I am?"
"You… know your origins?"
Hiashi eyed Naruto warily. "But the real Naruto is only twelve. That space-time ninjutsu you just used—wait, that's the Fourth's—wait, you—!"
"No need to doubt. I am the Nine-Tails jinchūriki of Konoha."
Naruto's eyes glowed with slitted crimson pupils, radiating a chakra that sent chills down Hiashi's spine. "You're not unfamiliar with this kind of chakra, are you?"
"You really are…"
A drop of cold sweat slid down Hiashi's temple. Moments ago, he had assumed this was some kind of high-level Transformation Technique he couldn't see through. But the moment that familiar Nine-Tails chakra appeared, he realized just how serious the situation was.
Not only was Naruto in control of the Nine-Tails' chakra—he could remain completely lucid while doing so. And judging by how easily he used Shadow Clones to evade surveillance, it was clear that Konoha's higher-ups, led by the Third Hokage, had no idea about his current capabilities.
"Space-time ninjutsu like the Flying Thunder God, mastery over the Nine-Tails' chakra, and a floating fortress in the sky..."
As thoughts raced through his mind, Hiashi's expression grew solemn. He stepped forward and sat opposite Naruto, deactivating his Byakugan. "You said you wanted to give me a chance. What did you mean?"
"To be precise, I'm offering a chance to the entire Hyuga Clan."
Naruto smiled, but his blood-red pupils gave his smile a menacing edge.
"What is it that you want?!"
A sense of unease crept up in Hiashi's heart.
"I bear no ill will toward the Hyuga."
Naruto's smile didn't waver. "On the contrary, I arranged this meeting specifically to help the Hyuga avoid the same fate as the Uchiha Clan."
"There's not much time left."
"What did you just say?!"
Hiashi stared at him, shocked. "Even the Uchiha massacre—you—"
Naruto shook his head. "Hiashi-senpai, I can use the Flying Thunder God Technique. Why continue probing pointlessly? I'll tell you plainly—within three months, a major upheaval will strike Konoha. Danzo will become the Fifth Hokage."
"If that happens… tell me, what do you think will become of the Hyuga Clan, who have long been on Danzo's blacklist?"
"The Third and the other clans won't let Danzo—"
Hiashi stopped mid-sentence. A chilling thought struck him. But then he calmed down. Even if Danzo became Hokage, the Hyuga Clan wouldn't end up like the Uchiha. They never craved political power the way the Uchiha did.
Naruto looked at him meaningfully. "You're probably thinking that Danzo wouldn't dare do anything to your clan, right?"
Hiashi said nothing, but his expression said it all.
"So Hiashi-senpai is ready to abandon the opportunity that Hinata earned for the Hyuga."
As Naruto spoke, his eyes shifted back to their familiar azure blue. He stood up, formed a hand seal, and created a Shadow Clone. With a tinge of regret in his voice, he said, "Pity. I wonder how many Hyuga will survive once Danzo and Orochimaru complete their plan."
"Orochimaru?!"
Hiashi instinctively tried to stand, but realized he couldn't move. In a flash, Naruto was before him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You—!"
Hiashi tried to channel chakra—but his right arm lit up with dense black seals.
He had shaken Naruto's right hand earlier back at home!
As the seals spread, Hiashi realized with horror that he couldn't channel even a trace of chakra.
"You've sealed my chakra!"
"Yes," Naruto replied calmly, nodding. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. I just want to erase your memory of today using a memory-erasure technique."
"Wait!"
Seeing Naruto calmly form another series of hand seals, Hiashi quickly spoke up. "At least tell me what this 'chance' is! And what's this about Orochimaru?!"
Naruto paused. Hiashi breathed a sigh of relief—but then Naruto's hands began moving again, even faster this time.
Smack!
Naruto placed his palm on Hiashi's shoulder. A brief flash of black light. Then he turned and returned to his seat.
"Huh?"
Hiashi stared at him in confusion. The seal didn't seem to activate. Was it a delayed trigger? He tried to move but remained frozen.
"We've got ten minutes left."
Naruto glanced out the window. "Since you're willing to talk, I'll answer your two questions."
"First, the opportunity: I'm offering your clan a way to leave Konoha."
"Second, in half a month, during the Chunin Exams, Danzo and Orochimaru will initiate the Konoha Crush plan. Orochimaru has already contacted Sunagakure. They'll bring the One-Tails jinchūriki into the village. During the final round, the tailed beast will be unleashed."
Hiashi fell silent for a long time. Finally, he spoke, exhausted: "So it's come to this. Back then, we stumbled upon one of Danzo and Orochimaru's taboo experiments… and my brother Hizashi died to protect the truth."
"And you also saw Danzo's right eye."
Naruto's tone remained flat. "The Sharingan—it belonged to Shisui Uchiha. That's when you ordered Hyuga members not to activate their Byakugan freely in the village."
"But even then, some of your clansmen, thanks to their natural abilities, uncovered how Danzo and Orochimaru were secretly kidnapping villagers for human experimentation."
"You confirmed it, then reported Orochimaru to the Third Hokage. But the Third… let him go."
"Killing the snake halfway only lets it fester. And by reporting him, you not only offended Danzo—you crossed Konoha's top leader."
"You think the Third didn't know what his own student was doing?"
"He turned a blind eye because as long as Danzo and Orochimaru worked for Konoha, the results of their experiments would benefit Konoha too. But your report turned allies into enemies—divided master and student. No matter your intentions, you were branded as dangerous."
"Then look at what happened next. Despite being Konoha's strongest clan, the Hyuga let a small-time leader from the Hidden Cloud infiltrate your home, kidnap Hinata, and get away clean."
"And the best part? Right after you unmasked the dead kidnapper, the Cloud delegation dragged the Third over and had the Hyuga surrounded. Even though the whole thing reeked of a setup, you were forced to sacrifice your brother that very night."
Hiashi slowly closed his eyes. "The branch house guard who 'let Hinata be taken'—he was controlled. Afterward, he lost all mental faculties."
"You should know by now—if the Hyuga stay in Konoha, it's only a matter of time before the clan falls."
As Naruto finished, his Shadow Clone stepped forward and placed another hand on Hiashi's shoulder.
"Even if you've been restricting the number of ninja you train, your clan still outnumbers the combined strength of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Once the Senju and Uchiha faded, who do you think Konoha will throw into the next Great Ninja War?"
"I know that very well."
Hiashi stared at Naruto. "But you're talking about the Hyuga leaving Konoha—completely. That's impossible!"
"You know it's possible—but you won't admit it."
Naruto smirked. "Since I've offered you a chance, it means I'll take action. You understand that. You just won't say it out loud. Clan pride, is it?"
Hiashi's gaze sharpened. "Even if what you said is true—even if you'll help—I have deep doubts about your motives. This so-called opportunity Hinata earned for us? I don't buy it."
"You got me."
Naruto made a helpless face. "But come on, Hiashi-senpai—don't you get it?"
Hiashi's pupils shrank. A terrible possibility flashed through his mind. Naruto gave him such an eerie, unpredictable feeling.
"You're doing this… for revenge?"
"That's one reason."
Naruto nodded. "The second is Hinata. The third—my promise to my father: No matter what, I won't personally harm Konoha unless it's over personal grievances."
Hiashi wanted to frown—but all he could do was move his eyes. Had Naruto really… met the Fourth Hokage?
How was that possible?
But if not… how else would he know his own origins? The Flying Thunder God Technique alone was proof enough.
What now?
He knew too much. If he didn't go along with Naruto's plan, would he really be let go? Naruto said he wouldn't kill him, but could Hiashi really believe that?
Naruto had grown up under surveillance in Konoha—yet had quietly gained this level of power. And he knew the entire truth about himself. That kind of patience and calculation chilled Hiashi to the bone.
"Hiashi-senpai, two minutes left."
As Naruto spoke, his Shadow Clone approached again.
"One last question!"
Hiashi took a deep breath. "You said Hinata earned this chance for us. What did you mean by that?!"
Naruto smiled gently. "Her eyes."
"Huh?"
Hiashi didn't understand.
Naruto pointed to himself. "In the eyes of people like you, I'm a demon fox, a weapon, a monster—the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, and only then the Fourth Hokage's orphan. I made you feel threatened. Afraid."
"But in Hinata's eyes, I'm just Uzumaki Naruto. No labels. Despite your clan and everyone else warning her again and again to stay away from a 'dangerous' person like me—her gaze never changed."
Hiashi closed his eyes again, his voice filled with emotion. "Hinata is kind… and she always said it was you who changed her. But it's still hard to believe you'd help us just because of that."
"I never said you had to believe me."
Naruto stood up. "One minute left. It seems you've chosen to perish with Konoha."
The Shadow Clone, face expressionless, raised a hand toward Hiashi's head.
"Wait!"
Hiashi's eyes flew open with steely resolve. "How do you plan to help the Hyuga safely leave Konoha?!"
Naruto smiled. "So, you've decided to go?"
Hiashi spoke with difficulty, "If we don't leave—neither you nor Konoha will let us live."
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