Staring at the fanatical and twisted faces of his clansmen, Shisui felt a chill run down his spine for the first time. If this madness was allowed to spread within the room, the only fate awaiting the Uchiha clan would be destruction!
With his mind made up, Shisui stood up and said, "Clan leader, force is not the answer. And with just our clan's strength, we're no match for the village."
"Shisui, what nonsense are you talking about!?"
"Are you afraid?"
"The Uchiha are the strongest! As long as we take down the Third Hokage, the villagers will support us!"
The room erupted into noisy chaos.
"Ahem..."
Clan head Fugaku lightly cleared his throat, instantly silencing the clamoring Uchiha.
Shisui remained firm, "A blind uprising will only lead our clan into the abyss!"
Fugaku stared deeply at Shisui for a moment, then waved his hand. "That's enough for today. Meeting dismissed."
Alone on his walk home, Shisui held a hand over his eye, thinking to himself, "Maybe I awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan to save my clan... but can Kotoamatsukami really change our fate?"
---
At Hyuga Kagami's home.
Hyuga Kagami sat flipping through a scroll on the Four Symbols Seal, lost in thought.
Learning the Four Symbols Seal was far more difficult than he anticipated. It even involved transforming chakra properties, making it a sealing technique that truly grasped the essence of chakra transformation.
Perhaps that's why many powerful forbidden jutsu are built on the foundation of the Four Symbols Seal.
At that moment, Bell entered the room with a steaming tray of food.
The aroma hit him instantly, and Kagami's mouth watered. He smiled, "Smells amazing!"
Bell knelt beside him, speaking softly, "When there was no word from you, I thought something had happened... I was really scared."
Kagami smiled gently, "Didn't I tell you not to worry? This mission wasn't as dangerous as it seemed. It just took some time sneaking around."
Bell pouted, "You always say that. You sugarcoat dangerous missions just to stop me from worrying."
Trying to shift the topic, Kagami asked, "By the way, did the clan suffer much in this conflict?"
Bell sighed, visibly upset. "Including Kō's father, we lost more than ten clan members."
Hyuga Kō was Bell's neighbor and close friend. His father, one of the Hyuga clan's few elite jōnin, was killed by Aida, a Cloud ninja skilled in Storm Release.
With his death, the number of elite jōnin in the Hyuga, even counting the retired elders, could now be counted on one hand.
Kagami's face darkened as he thought of the many new orphans in his clan.
Bell added, "The clan head said, if you have time, please visit the clan estate."
Kagami nodded. Now that he could freely activate and deactivate his Tenseigan, he no longer had to avoid being seen by the clan.
After finishing Bell's home-cooked meal, Kagami set out for the clan estate.
Though the Hyuga hadn't relocated the entire clan together like the Uchiha, most of them still lived near the main household's estate. So this area was still referred to as the Hyuga clan's district by the villagers.
When he arrived at the gates of the main house, Kagami was about to knock when a servant stepped out.
"Lord Kagami, the clan head is waiting for you inside."
Kagami blinked in surprise.
This was the first time anyone in the clan had called him "Lord," especially a chūnin-ranked servant. This would've been unthinkable before.
He walked through the estate slowly, passing corridors until he reached the inner room, where the current Hyuga clan head, Hyuga Hiashi, was seated.
"Clan head."
Kagami bowed politely.
Hiashi nodded, "Sit."
After taking a seat across from him, Kagami asked, "Did you call for me about something?"
Hiashi pondered briefly before asking, "Uchiha Shisui is your teammate in the ANBU, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then you must have heard something about the Uchiha situation."
Kagami frowned slightly, "What do you mean, sir?"
Hiashi said bluntly, "This conflict with the Cloud has completely exposed the village's distrust and suspicion of the Uchiha. I'm concerned the village may act against them."
As the head of the powerful Hyuga clan, Hiashi deeply understood the importance of balance. Whether the Uchiha were destroyed by the village or rose to dominate it, both outcomes were unacceptable for the Hyuga.
Only a delicate balance between the village and the Uchiha would allow the Hyuga to be courted by both sides, ensuring their own security.
But that balance was quickly crumbling. To any perceptive observer, a major conflict was imminent.
Hiashi continued, "The Uchiha and our Hyuga clan are both elite bloodline clans. If they're easily eliminated, our own prestige in the village will suffer. But if they gain too much power, we'll be distrusted and excluded. That's why I hope you, with your position in the ANBU, can do your best to prevent this conflict."
Just like Shisui's situation among the Uchiha, Kagami was currently the only Hyuga serving in the ANBU. So no matter what the clan wanted to do, they needed his cooperation.
Kagami replied immediately, "Understood."
On the matter of the Uchiha, he fully aligned with the clan's stance: the Uchiha must not fall.
The Hyuga's good standing in the village was built in contrast to the Uchiha's growing infamy. If the Uchiha disappeared, it might be the Hyuga who would be seen as the next threat and quietly pushed out.
After discussing the Uchiha situation, Hiashi took out a few wanted posters and handed them to Kagami, warning, "You should be extra cautious for the time being."
Kagami looked at the posters. To his surprise, they all bore his own face. He stared at the bounty amount, his jaw dropping.
"Twenty million ryō?!"
Hiashi added calmly, "There's another one."
Kagami flipped to the second poster. Again, it was his face. This time, the bounty was even higher.
"Twenty-five million ryō? What the heck?!"
Hiashi wasn't too concerned. "You must have offended someone. Bounties like these are rare and could attract bounty hunters. So be careful. Don't leave the village unnecessarily."