Kawasaki shrugged. They were utterly vulnerable.
After all, they had never expected Kawasaki to launch a sudden attack. Although his genjutsu skills were average, the power of his Mangekyo Sharingan was simply too overwhelming. In a mere instant, the men lost consciousness.
The sound of footsteps echoed as an Uchiha patrol team swiftly arrived.
"Lock these men up for now. We'll deal with them tomorrow."
"Yes, sir!"
The purpose of the Uchiha patrol was to prevent intruders from infiltrating their compound. However, these Anbu had been spying from a distance, just outside the compound's perimeter, making them difficult to detect and nearly impossible to guard against. Now, the clan would have to erect its own barrier. This would serve as a warning to the Third.
"Lord Hokage, four of the Anbu assigned to surveil the Uchiha compound have gone missing."
The Third Hokage, receiving this news first thing in the morning, was in an extremely foul mood. Previously, he had tentatively dispatched a few Anbu, and the Uchiha had taken no action. Emboldened, he had then deployed Anbu all around the Uchiha's territory to monitor their every move.
He never expected the Uchiha to strike so suddenly, especially not during the negotiations with the Hidden Cloud.
What were the Uchiha planning?
As it happened, today was the birthday celebration for the Hyuga clan's eldest daughter, Hinata. To thank the Uchiha for ceding certain powers, the Hyuga had extended a special invitation to Fugaku and Kawasaki. They had assumed the Uchiha, who had grown distant from the village, would decline.
Unexpectedly, both Fugaku and Kawasaki attended.
Because of the prior matter of ceded authority, Hizashi and Fugaku had grown close. After the banquet, Fugaku stayed behind to speak with him. Kawasaki, feigning boredom, excused himself to wander around.
In a flicker, he made his way toward the back of the Hyuga estate. That was where Hinata's room was located.
Positioned on high ground, Kawasaki watched as a stealthy figure slipped into Hinata's room. A short while later, the person emerged, carrying the unconscious Hinata. While the entry had been covert, the exit was brazen.
He was immediately spotted, and the one who found him was none other than an enraged Hiashi. For someone to dare and brazenly abduct the heiress of the main family from within the Hyuga estate was a flagrant act of disrespect.
Hiashi activated his Byakugan, instantly locking onto the target. With a few Body Flicker movements, he was in front of the kidnapper. The man quickly tossed Hinata aside and lunged toward Hiashi.
Hiashi adopted a Gentle Fist stance, preparing to attack.
Suddenly, a figure appeared at his side.
An enemy?
Even Hiashi's vision couldn't follow the person's movements. The newcomer had already struck the kidnapper's throat with a single punch. The kidnapper, offering almost no resistance, died on the spot.
Only then did Hiashi see that the person was Uchiha Kawasaki.
Kawasaki glanced down and saw the body of Nagasaki Shinichi, the third-ranking official in the Hidden Cloud delegation.
"It's you, Kawasaki. I didn't realize you were so skilled." Hiashi wasn't just being polite; even his Byakugan had failed to track Kawasaki's movements a moment ago.
"Lord Hiashi, this is no time to relax." Kawasaki could already hear a faint commotion outside. He quickly whispered something to Hiashi, who paused for a moment before frowning and nodding.
Kawasaki swiftly concealed himself.
All that remained at the scene was Nagasaki Shinichi's corpse and Hiashi, who was now holding Hinata. Just then, a series of footsteps approached. The newcomers were key members of the Hidden Cloud delegation. Yugito Nii and Killer B were among them, along with the Third Hokage, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado.
Hiashi's heart sank. It was just as Kawasaki had predicted.
Seeing Nagasaki Shinichi on the ground, Yugito's expression darkened, and she rushed forward to inspect the body. She found that he was no longer breathing. Her face contorted with rage. "Hyuga Hiashi! Why?!"
"We heard it was the birthday of the Hyuga heiress and came to offer our congratulations. Why is Shinichi dead here?!"
Hiashi's face was a mask of fury. "What a joke. This man broke into my daughter's room and attempted to abduct her. When I discovered him, he resisted and was killed. What is wrong with that?"
Yugito shot back, "Nonsense! The Hidden Cloud came here in good faith! Nagasaki was merely delivering a gift in advance, yet you killed him! Are you trying to provoke a war?"
Hiashi fell silent, quietly watching Yugito's furious accusations. His silence led Yugito to believe he was worried. She then turned her questioning to the Third Hokage.
"Third Hokage, you witnessed all of this. We knew the Hyuga were celebrating today and came specifically to offer our well wishes. We never expected Nagasaki Shinichi to lose his life here. Is this how you treat the Hidden Cloud?"
The Third Hokage's expression had been grim from the start. He recognized this for what it was—a plot by the Hidden Cloud.
As he was thinking, Yugito's words grew sharper. "Third Hokage, what is the meaning of this? If you are dissatisfied with the Hidden Cloud, just say so. Could it be that Nagasaki Shinichi was acting on your orders?"
She was directly trying to pin the blame on the Third Hokage.
Hiashi's gaze was as cold as water as he stared intently at the Hokage. The Third was in an awkward position.
Yugito pressed again, "For the sake of peace, if you wish to resolve this, Lord Third, the murderer must pay with his life! If you think the Hidden Cloud is a pushover, know that we are not afraid of war!" Her words were firm, filled with resolve.
Beside her, Killer B's chakra surged, and a cloak of Tailed Beast chakra quickly formed around him.
The Third Hokage sighed, looking at Hiashi apologetically. "Hiashi, this is a Hyuga clan matter. You should resolve it yourselves."
Koharu Utatane chimed in, "That's right, Hiashi. The Cloud came with peaceful intentions. You must handle this appropriately."
The look Hiashi gave the Third Hokage was filled with disappointment. Just as Kawasaki had said, the village leadership had lost its backbone.
At that moment, Fugaku and Hizashi arrived from the adjacent courtyard. A member of the Hyuga clan had informed them of what had happened. Seeing his brother Hiashi being cornered, Hizashi couldn't help but want to step forward.
Suddenly, the sound of clapping echoed.
Kawasaki emerged slowly from the shadows, a smile on his face as he surveyed the tense scene. "What a magnificent performance."
...
Both the Hokage's group and the Cloud ninja were stunned. The Third Hokage had no idea what Kawasaki's intentions were in appearing now, but he absolutely could not allow Konoha to go to war with the Cloud again.
Yugito frowned, not having anticipated the variable of Uchiha Kawasaki. She had been on the verge of succeeding, with the Hokage putting pressure on the Hyuga. She had intended to quit while she was ahead and renegotiate, but Kawasaki's sudden appearance had ruined her plans.
Yugito continued her act. "Kawasaki, one of our Cloud shinobi died a tragic death in the Hyuga compound, and you're here making sarcastic remarks?"
But Kawasaki didn't take the bait. "Stop acting. You just sent a sacrificial pawn to test Konoha's attitude, so what's with the pretense? And you got your answer. Konoha doesn't dare to fight another war."
Kawasaki held up a single finger.
"Unfortunately for you, you miscalculated one thing."