"Alright, it's only a small disagreement. No need to turn it into something so serious."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, smoothly moving past the matter, then turned back to the others with a serious expression. "Back to the main topic. What are your thoughts on the proposal I just made?"
Thoughts?
Hyūga Hiwa was practically seething with rage, yet he didn't dare utter a single word of protest.
The example was sitting right there in front of them. What thoughts could they possibly have? What thoughts would they dare to voice?
But war wasn't a game of house. People died in war.
If they pulled shinobi from their clans, the ones who would fall would be their own family, friends, brothers, sisters, and loved ones…
A perfect silence fell over the meeting room. Everyone could hear their own breathing, even the rapid beating of their hearts.
Until one of the jōnin from a civilian background finally spoke up, stating he was willing to follow the Third's orders.
"This matter also involves a mistake on the part of the Hyūga clan."
Hyūga Hizashi finally broke the silence, his voice low and steady. "On behalf of the entire Hyūga clan, we are willing to obey the Third's commands."
Beside him, Hyūga Hiwa opened his mouth, but no words came out.
This meant the authority to mobilize the clan's shinobi had been handed over completely to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Excellent!" Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction, his tone warm with approval. "The Hyūga clan truly lives up to its reputation as one of Konoha's great clans. Your loyalty to the village's safety is beyond reproach!"
At the words "great clan of Konoha," Uchiha Fugaku's cheek twitched.
No matter how politically dense he might be, even he could hear the jab aimed straight at the Uchiha. He had no choice but to follow the Hyūga's lead and agree.
In the crowd, Nara Shikaku let out a quiet sigh in his mind. At the same time, he, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Chōza spoke up together, their voices respectful. "The Ino–Shika–Chō will do the same."
With the Hyūga and the Ino–Shika–Chō clans on board, the other ninja clans had no real option left. Even if they were unwilling deep down, they put on willing faces and agreed, some even rushing to outdo one another in declarations of loyalty.
"…"
Hyūga Kumokawa watched the entire display—the arrogance from before now replaced by eager submission—and felt strangely calm. A faint urge to laugh even rose inside him.
Was he supposed to be some loyal Konoha hound?
No. Of course not.
The philosophical line about unhappiness in a vile world and being forced into vileness was simply a fleeting thought that crossed his mind and vanished.
Hyūga Kumokawa had agreed to become Sarutobi Hiruzen's figurehead not because of some noble belief in sacrificing himself for the village, but because he understood that the great clans were no longer the all-powerful forces they had been when Konoha was first founded.
This was also why he admired Senju Tobirama far more than Senju Hashirama.
Tobirama's genius wasn't limited to developing new ninjutsu. His true brilliance lay in political insight and strategic vision that surpassed even his elder brother.
From establishing the Academy and the Chūnin Exams to cultivate talent from civilians, to publicly sharing his own ninjutsu techniques so the other clans that had their jutsu stolen could say nothing, to creating the ANBU and the Konoha Military Police Force to greatly strengthen the Hokage's centralized power.
Even guiding the Senju clan to abandon the "Senju" honor and surname, marrying into civilian families—this single move dramatically raised the average aptitude of civilian-born shinobi from the ground up. It turned the Senju into true fertilizer and nutrients that enriched Konoha's soil and helped the great tree of the village thrive.
Tobirama had truly stepped beyond clan interests and led by example. His reforms and ideas influenced the entire Senju clan and shaped the Konoha of today, unlike Uchiha Itachi's seemingly far-sighted but actually arrogant and extreme approach.
Even without Itachi's so-called "greater good" patricide, the Uchiha clan lacked the power to overthrow the Hokage faction. Tobirama had already crippled the great clans. The only way they could have a chance was if the Uchiha somehow united every other clan against the village.
Would the Uchiha unite with the others? Could they?
The answer was no. They would not, and they could not.
Because the Uchiha could not bend, and the other clans were not fools.
If the Uchiha had been the type to bow and play nice, they would never have been pushed to the brink where rebellion was almost their only option.
Even if Uchiha Fugaku somehow swallowed his pride and begged the other clans for help, the moment he left the room the other clan heads would immediately report everything to Sarutobi Hiruzen, terrified that someone else might beat them to it and paint them as accomplices just to prove their own loyalty.
Because the clans had never been a unified front. Some were already firmly in the Hokage's camp.
Hyūga Kumokawa even suspected that Tobirama's choice to make Sarutobi Hiruzen the Third Hokage instead of Shimura Danzō had nothing to do with some sentimental story about Hiruzen being the first to volunteer to stay behind and sacrifice himself for his comrades.
It was because Sarutobi was close to the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans. Only by placing Hiruzen in power could the major clans be divided. Hiruzen's background simply made him the better fit for the position.
Shimura Danzō still believed to this day that he had lost the Hokage seat by a single moment of hesitation.
Heh. In the end, he had lost to Sarutobi Hiruzen fair and square.
"Excellent."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze swept across everyone present. The weight in his heart had lightened considerably. "As long as we stand united, neither Kumogakure nor anyone else will be able to defeat us."
Konoha had grown weaker, it was true.
But that did not mean their former defeated enemies had grown stronger.
And besides…
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at Hyūga Kumokawa standing nearby. He thought of the Uchiha's Shisui of the Body Flicker and of the still-young Naruto, whose mind was like a blank sheet of paper. A flicker of relief passed through his clouded eyes.
Konoha still had a future.
A bright one, at that.
The meeting ended quickly. The participants filed out one by one.
Sarutobi Hiruzen asked Hyūga Kumokawa to stay behind. Surprisingly, one other person of similar age remained as well.
Hatake Kakashi—ANBU operative and Konoha jōnin.
The moment Kumokawa saw those dead-fish eyes, he recognized him instantly.
"Let me introduce you. This is Hatake Kakashi," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile. "Interestingly enough, the two of you became jōnin at nearly the same age. Both of you represent Konoha's future."
After the light remark, his expression grew serious once more. "Hyūga Kumokawa, I would like you to join Hatake Kakashi's squad. You will deploy with the main force and then head to the Land of Hot Springs to investigate the so-called 'Abyss.' This is tentatively classified as an S-rank mission. What do you think?"
The Abyss? The Land of Hot Springs? An S-rank mission?
Hatake Kakashi gave Hyūga Kumokawa a thoughtful sideways glance, wondering what this "Abyss" actually was.
It seemed the escort team's failure and heavy casualties had been far more than a simple Kumogakure ambush.
"I accept," Hyūga Kumokawa answered without hesitation.
If the Third hadn't brought it up, he would have suggested it himself. Joining Kakashi's squad was an unexpected bonus.
He knew exactly who was in Kakashi's team right now.
The current "Tenzō." The future Uchiha Itachi.
Even for the sake of Tenzō's Wood Release cells, Hyūga Kumokawa had to get into that squad.
After giving them a few more instructions, Sarutobi Hiruzen dismissed the two of them.
He still had plenty of work to do.
Just before they left, however, the Third Hokage patted Hyūga Kumokawa on the shoulder and whispered with a smile, "Before you deploy with the troops, remember to stop by the Forbidden Scroll repository."
Kumokawa's eyes flickered slightly. He understood this was both compensation and a way to win his loyalty.
The Forbidden Scroll repository—the Book of Seals. That was quite the prize.
A short while later, Hyūga Kumokawa stepped out of the meeting room and found Hyūga Hiwa waiting by the door.
The cut on Hiwa's face had almost healed, but the wound and the humiliation it represented were still carved deep into his heart.
"Hyūga Kumokawa."
The moment Kumokawa emerged, Hiwa's voice came out cold and threatening. "You think being favored by the Third means I can't touch you?"
Hyūga Kumokawa didn't answer. He didn't even glance at him. Ignoring the dark glare, he walked straight past Hiwa and continued on his way.
If Hyūga Hiwa had dared to activate the Caged Bird seal the instant Kumokawa left the room, he might have earned a sliver of respect.
But now?
It was nothing more than the impotent barking of an old dog.
Hyūga Hiwa watched him go, his whole body trembling, veins bulging on his forehead, yet completely powerless to act.
Moonlight from the window fell across his temples, already streaked with gray.
He truly didn't dare make a move.
He truly had grown old.
The morning sun streamed into the Raikage's office in Kumogakure, shattering the early calm with a thunderous crash.
Bang!
A massive dark fist smashed straight through the solid-wood desk. Papers and documents flew everywhere. The floor beneath cracked in a spider-web pattern from the force of the blow.
"How dare Konoha?!"
The Fourth Raikage's body crackled with lightning, hair standing on end. His face held nothing but fury and disbelief.
Beside him, Mabui wore an equally grave expression as she read the declaration of war that had arrived from Konoha.
The Fourth Great Ninja War had begun.
The news spread across the entire shinobi world in an instant, stirring unrest in every hidden village and shadowy organization alike.
Many were stunned by how quickly and decisively Sarutobi Hiruzen had reacted. They immediately sent scouts to the Land of Hot Springs while activating their spies inside Konoha to gather information.
An indecisive Sarutobi Hiruzen and a resolute, iron-willed one posed completely different levels of threat.
They wanted to know exactly what had happened between Konoha and Kumogakure to make the Third move with such speed and unify the clans so rapidly.
Aside from Kumogakure and Konoha, the only group that knew part of the reason was the Akatsuki, still lying low in the Hidden Rain Village and yet to seize real power.
Even so…
"With Sarutobi Hiruzen's usual personality, he should have been hesitant and full of doubt in a situation like this. Why the sudden decisiveness this time?"
In the Land of Rain, beneath a curtain of endless darkness, a hoarse voice spoke with surprise, then quickly regained its calm.
"Nagato, it looks like the plan has changed. You must act immediately."
***
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[Marvel Apex Predator]
Synopsis:
What would happen if you were born into a world filled with bizarre races wielding even stranger powers, as a species whose sole purpose is to evolve by devouring every other race?
Chaos.
That's exactly what happens when the universe's one and only true Apex Predator is born into Marvel.
This is the story of how Xenomorph tears apart the cosmic food chain and reshapes the hierarchy of life itself.