"Also, I have something else to tell you all," Yuuta Utatane said. "The martial law that night was actually a coup d'état led by Touko Uchiha and the guards! The Third Hokage made the decision to appoint him Hokage only after he was under house arrest!"
"What? The guards dared to house arrest our beloved Third Hokage and stage a coup?" a villager in the audience exclaimed indignantly.
When the Third Hokage was in power, he continued the policies of the Second Hokage, generally adopting a laissez-faire attitude towards ordinary villagers like them who often liked to make money on the edge of the law, leaving everything to the guards. Sometimes, if the guards' punishments were too harsh, he would even intercede. Wouldn't these troublemakers then deeply respect the Third Hokage? "Tomorrow morning, we'll surround the Hokage Building and force Uchiha Touko to step down!"
"Yes! We must force him to step down!"
Most of the villagers were rather dim-witted; after being incited by Yuuta Utatane's words, they immediately became agitated.
"But what if the police beat people up?" A few slightly more rational people in the crowd raised their concerns.
"What are you afraid of? There are so many of us; would he dare order the police to attack the villagers?"
"It's hard to say. Last time, there were almost three thousand people, and the police beat them up without hesitation."
"Don't worry about that." Yuuta Utatane smiled and invited an elderly man who looked to be close to sixty years old to the side.
"We have invited the elder of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Kazuki. The Hyuga clan will step in to uphold justice for everyone!" Yuuta Utatane respectfully bowed to Hyuga Kazuki and said, "Please, Elder Kazuki, say a few words to everyone."
...
Three hours earlier, within the Hyuga clan's territory.
After reviewing the expansion plan for the future village around the Uchiha clan's territory, delivered by Uchiha Touko, Hyuga Hiashi nodded. Uchiha Touko was even more generous than he had imagined, directly allocating an entire commercial street for the Hyuga within the new village development area.
However, before Hyuga Hiashi could even put the plan away, a servant came to announce that the main branch elders of the Hyuga clan had come to visit.
Hyuga Hiashi frowned upon hearing this. The Hyuga clan was different from the Uchiha clan. Unlike the Uchiha, who believed that might makes right, the Hyuga clan was far more complex. The main branch elders each possessed their own power, and even he, as the head of the clan, couldn't always have absolute authority.
"Please invite them in." Hyuga Hiashi wasn't sure why these elders had come to see him at this time, so he could only invite them into his home first.
In Hyuga Hiashi's reception room, he sat facing three elders.
"Hiashi, the Uchiha clan has already become Hokage. Don't you have anything to say?" Hyuga Kazuki, the head elder of the Hyuga clan's main branch, was the first to speak up. Hyuga Hiashi
frowned. He understood now that these old men had come together at this time, probably with ill intentions.
"Hiashi, why did you order no one in the clan to go out that night?" another elder questioned. "If the Third Hokage's lineage had the assistance of our Hyuga clan, the Uchiha probably wouldn't have succeeded."
"Has anyone come to see the elders?" Hyuga Hiashi said coldly.
Hiashi Hyuga didn't have a good relationship with these elders. Since Hizashi died in his place, Hiashi had matured a lot over the years and now understood that these elders had probably played a significant role in that incident. When the Third Hokage was still hesitant, it was these people who forced Hizashi to make the choice, all to seize the position of branch family head within his power base.
Therefore, Hiashi Hyuga had no intention of giving in to their somewhat threatening questioning.
"The current head of the Hyuga clan, Utatane and Mitomon, has approached us. They say if our Hyuga clan helps us oust Uchiha Touko, they'll support us in becoming Hokage."
Hyuga Hiashi nearly laughed in exasperation upon hearing this, saying, "Do you elders know what you're saying? Oust Uchiha Touko? He has eyes just like Madara Uchiha back in the day! Who do you plan to send to deal with him? You old bones who haven't fought in years?"
"We don't need to fight him!" Hyuga Kazuki said. "There are quite a few villagers dissatisfied with the guards. We just need to use public opinion to force him to step down."
"Public opinion?" Hyuga Hiashi chuckled. "Do you think Uchiha Touko is the kind of person who cares about that?"
"Hiashi, this is the best opportunity for the clan to become Hokage!" Hyuga Kazuki said.
"Shut up!" Hiashi Hyuga shouted angrily. "Don't think you're so clever, using such methods to fight against Uchiha Touko. Even the Third Hokage couldn't outmaneuver him in this regard, let alone you lot." "Hiashi
Hyuga, you..." Kazuki Hyuga stammered, exasperated.
"Elders, please leave." Hiashi Hyuga took a deep breath. "Don't mention this again. The Fifth Hokage just presented the clan with a generous gift; don't do anything to upset everyone."
"Hmph, Hiashi, I think you've already forgotten the grudges between the clan and the Uchiha during the Warring States period." Kazuki Hyuga slammed his hand on the table and stormed off with the elders.
After the elders left, Hiashi Hyuga frowned and thought for a while, then called over a servant.
"Have Neji come here." After giving the order, Hiashi Hyuga turned and went into the study.
Not long after, Neji Hyuga was brought to the study by the servant. "Master," Neji bowed respectfully.
"Neji, you should just call me Uncle," Hiashi Hyuga said, glancing at his nephew and sighing inwardly.
"Master, etiquette cannot be disregarded," Neji maintained his bow.
Hiashi Hyuga couldn't be tough with his nephew, and could only sigh inwardly before taking out a letter.
"Take your two sisters to the Uchiha clan's territory and deliver this letter to Elder Fugaku. If possible, stay there for the night."
Neji looked up, somewhat puzzled.
Hiashi Hyuga was about to explain when he heard a commotion, so he could only say coldly, "Obey orders! Go out through the back door! Protect your two sisters."
"Yes!" Neji could only nod in agreement and hurried towards Hinata and Hanabi's room.
...
At the main gate of Hyuga Hiashi's residence, Hyuga Hiashi slowly walked out. As soon as he stepped outside, he saw a group of fully armed branch family members led by three elders.
His direct branch family members stood guard at the gate, confronting them.
"What are you trying to do, elders?" Hyuga Hiashi said coldly. "Do you think you didn't participate in the coup a few days ago in the village, so you're planning to do it again within the clan?"
"Hyuga Hiashi, a man as indecisive as you is no longer qualified to be the head of the Hyuga clan. Today, on behalf of the Hyuga clan elders, I strip you of your position as clan head," Hyuga Kazuki stepped forward and said. "I advise you to surrender and await the clan rules!"
Hyuga Hiashi sighed, looking at the situation before him. He hadn't expected these elders to be so audacious.
Even more unexpected was that these elders, who usually harbored their own agendas, would unite at this moment.
[Is the position of Hokage really that tempting?]
Hiashi Hyuga sighed inwardly, remaining silent for a while. He calculated the time, and only gave up resisting after estimating that Neji had already run out of the clan compound with his two daughters.
...
Inside the Uchiha clan compound, Fugaku Uchiha was also surprised to see the three children at the gate.
Fugaku had a fairly good personal relationship with Hiashi Hyuga when he was the clan head, but if Hiashi needed something from him, he wouldn't send three children to deliver a message, especially since one of them could barely walk.
"Elder Fugaku, this is a letter from the clan head." Neji meticulously presented Hiashi's letter with both hands. Fugaku simply read it at the gate, and after reading it, his expression immediately changed. "You three, you'll sleep here tonight."
"Mikoto!" Fugaku turned and called his wife's name. Soon, Mikoto Uchiha came out.
"Take care of the three of them. I have urgent business at the Hokage Building." After saying this, Fugaku Uchiha pushed Neji and Hinata, who was carrying Hanabi, towards the house and hurried towards the Hokage Building.
...
Inside the Hokage Building, after receiving Fugaku's report, Touko Uchiha immediately took out the crystal ball given to him by Hiruzen Sarutobi.
After infusing it with chakra simulating Hiashi Hyuga, Touko saw the scene within the Hyuga clan's territory.
Hiashi Hyuga had been sealed with a sealing technique, and two members of the branch clan were guarding his room, seemingly under house arrest.
"Touko, should we make a move now?" At this moment, Kakashi slowly emerged from the shadows of the Hokage's office and asked.
"There's no need for that." Uchiha Touko shook his head with a cold smile. "I was just thinking of finding a reason to teach the Hyuga clan a lesson, but they've delivered the reason right to my doorstep. Let's take this opportunity to wipe out all the unsung heroes in the village."
"I understand. I'll go prepare then," Kakashi said.
"By the way, don't go to those nooks and crannies in this office anymore. I don't know where you picked up that bad habit," Uchiha Touko said.
Kakashi: ...
*Support me*
Read 30+ Chapters Advanced chapters ahead at Patreon.
[email protected]/Horizons685
(End of Chapter)