Chapter 22: The Greatest Strategic Shift of Hyuga
"I'm at most at fault here. As the Patriarch, I didn't see through Tobirama's real genius and the darker motives behind his plans soon enough. This oversight has led us to our current predicament...", The Patriarch confessed, his tone laden with regret,
"The signs were also there when Tobirama effectively dissolved his own Senju clan into the civilian populace, advising them to change their surnames, marry freely, and pursue their lives outside of the clan structure. This move drastically increased the genetic potential of Konoha's civilian population. Though the full impact is yet to be realised, the early signs are unmistakable.",
"Take, for example, Minato Namikaze, an early protégé of Jiraiya, one of Hiruzen's disciples. They already knew about him and approached him deliberately recently, through Jiraiya, while he was still in the Academy. He's a perfect example of this 'mixed' heritage and is being fast-tracked by the Hokage's faction.",
"The next generation of Jonins will likely be even more dominated by these 'hybrid' civilians, boasting enhanced chakra reserves, stronger physical attributes, way more nature chakra affinities than they had previously, and other genetic advantages as the Senju lineage becomes entirely woven into the village's civilian fabric.",
The room fell silent as the council absorbed the Patriarch's words. A mix of emotions was visible among the Elders—shock at the realization of Tobirama's long-term strategy and ruthlessness toward his own clan that raised him, a slight respect for the cunning with which he pursued his and his brother's ideals of 'unified' village, the 'Will of Fire' and 'one-family', and concern for what this meant for their own clan's positions in Konoha in the future.
That's precisely why Tobirama aimed to elevate clans like the Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado. These groups were objectively weaker than the mighty Uchiha, Hyuga, and other dominant clans known for their formidable power.
By bolstering these less powerful clans early on, Tobirama sought to unify the village further. The logic was clear: it would be simpler to control these four clans than to deal with the might of clans like the Hyuga and Uchiha. This approach was meant to balance power within Konoha, ensuring no single clan could threaten the village's stability.
"However, what Tobirama perhaps didn't foresee was the extent of cronyism that would follow under Hiruzen and his advisors. It seems they've taken Tobirama's strategy but twisted it for their own ends, amassing wealth, power, and influence not for his ideas but for their personal gain..." Another Elder pointed out, his words tinged with disillusionment.
"You're not alone in this, Patriarch; we've all made mistakes. It seems almost like fate gifted us Hikari at just the right moment. Without someone as uniquely talented as him, I'm not sure how we could stand against the Hokage's faction, which has grown so strong and now includes the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans on their side.",
"This leaves us, along with the Aburame and Inuzuka, in the 'neutral' camp we currently lead, while Hiruzen's faction continues to undermine the Uchiha's interests...", Another Elder reflected, deepening the council's analysis of their situation.
He continued, "As for the Uchiha, we've stayed out of their conflict with Konoha since they've served as a sort of 'shield' for us. They were the ones in the Hokage's faction's crosshairs and the noble 'boogymen', in the eyes of civilians, thankfully not us, since the founding of this village, sparing us that 'attention' even though we both shared a dojutsu kekkei genkai.",
"But a 'shield' only works if it's still standing. From what we can see, it looks like they might move to eliminate the Uchiha clan completely in a few decades timeframe. And if that happens, there's a good chance we'll be next right after then.",
"This leaves us with two choices: we either accept a significant loss of our power and capitulate like Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi, but end up with a way larger loss of power than them, on both relative and absolute terms due to our current way higher 'starting strength and the level of vigilance that the Hokage's group has toward us, or we fight and risk losing everything. Before, we might have chosen the safer route, but with Hikari Hyuga emerging, if we support his rise, we might have a fighting chance when the time comes.",
For this Elder, the recent founding of the 'Root' organization under Danzo Shimura, with apparent approval from Hiruzen Sarutobi, was a glaring warning sign. It suggested a more sinister agenda from Konoha's leadership, possibly aimed at undermining or even eliminating powerful clans that resisted total compliance with the village's directives in the long term.
Danzo's occasional comments about wanting to recruit Hyuga members, combined with his known fascination with the Uchiha's dojutsu abilities, painted a troubling picture for the future of all major clans with unique, powerful bloodline abilities.
The realization of Danzo's interest in bloodline abilities, especially in the context of his known obsession with the Uchiha, was a wake-up call for him. It underscored the severity of the position the Hyuga and Uchiha clans found themselves in.
The Elder foresaw a scenario in which both clans could face existential threats from the village leadership in the upcoming decades. The Uchiha would likely be the first target due to their more hostile relationship with Konoha's authorities, followed by the Hyuga at that time, too.
Such a prospect raised the stakes significantly for the Hyuga clan. The potential abolition of the ancient Cursed Seal practice, even if they capitulated to village demands in the future, underscored the existential nature of the threat they faced.
Tobirama and Hiruzen violated many founding agreements with the clans of Konoha, but this move—establishing Root—was truly the sign that made this elder realize the existential threat facing the Hyuga and other powerful clans within the village.
The deliberate creation of an organization designed to operate in the shadows, with the potential and will to recruit, or even coerce, members of powerful clans like the Hyuga into its ranks, was a stark deviation from the original ideals upon which Konoha was founded.
"What should we do? Should we start secretly helping the Uchiha, then? But those guys are so proud; it's doubtful whether they even realize the existential risk they're facing now or if they'd be willing to accept help from others, especially our clan, with whom they've had a negative and competitive relationship throughout history...", Another Elder pondered aloud.
"No, that would alert the village about the shift of our policy too early. We need to focus on raising Hikari as much as possible first, then start to resist and fight against the Hokage's group for our interests more aggressively...",
Takumi responded immediately, "We should just focus on Hikari now. If we do something politically earlier, then it could be counterproductive to his potential for full and safe growth. "
"Okay, gentlemen, I believe our discussion is coming to a close. After listening to all your valuable inputs, I suggest the following course of action. We will not intervene on behalf of the Uchiha. We'll maintain our current approach of appeasement toward the village leadership unless circumstances drastically change.",
"However, our mindset this time is different. Instead of viewing this as a long-term strategy, we're essentially 'buying time', focusing on nurturing Hikari until he reaches his full potential; that is the first part of our new long-term strategy.",
"This will then empower us to assert ourselves more boldly and protect our interests within Konoha in the future, which is the second part of our new strategy..." The Patriarch outlined, synthesizing the council's deliberations into a clear plan.
He continued, "It's also very likely that the Hokage and other village leaders are already aware of Hikari's exceptional abilities as we have seen how easily they could obtain that kind of information now; after all, it all happened so openly back there yesterday, everyone in the clan now knows about it. So, instead of trying to hide his talents and arousing further suspicion, we should openly acknowledge that we are raising a very prodigious talent.",
"However, we should still refrain from discussing the full extent of his 'upper limit' that we've theorized here; let's leave that part more ambiguous. Also, by making Hikari's genius public knowledge, we not only counter any underhanded moves by the Hokage's faction but also elevate our clan's standing in the eyes of other families, both large and small, as well as the civilian population. It's better if everyone knew about it instead, not just Hokage's faction's higher-ups alone, boosting our reputation and solidifying our position within the village.",
With the Patriarch's plan laid out, it was time for the council to formally vote on the course of action. One by one, the Elders expressed their agreement, casting their votes in favor of the Patriarch's resolution, reaching a full consensus this time.
As the meeting concluded and the Elders began to file out, a collective understanding of the meeting's gravity lingered in the air.
Their decision to place Hikari at the forefront of their strategy was significant, marking a pivotal moment for the future of their clan.
The Elders' thoughts varied as they contemplated their next steps. Some were already considering the practical aspects of supporting Hikari's development, recognizing his importance not just as a talented individual but as a beacon of hope for the Hyuga clan.
However, what resonated most deeply with the Elders as they departed was the significant shift in strategic doctrine they had just unanimously agreed upon—a first in the clan's history.
This change underscored the grave nature of the threat posed by the Hokage's group and the immense potential they saw in Hikari.
The Hyuga clan's tradition of staying out of the spotlight, a practice dating back even before Konoha's founding, was rooted in a cautious strategy.
Unlike the Uchiha and Senju clans, who often found themselves at the forefront of shinobi affairs, the Hyugas preferred a more reserved stance.
This approach was not born out of a lack of ambition or strength but was a deliberate choice influenced by deep-seated historical secrets.
These secrets, known fully only to the Patriarch and a few senior Elders vaguely, shaped the clan's cautious engagement with the world around them for hundreds of years until today.
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