"The situation is getting worse now. Sunagakure and Iwagakure have fully involved themselves in a war against Konoha, centering around the village of Amegakure...", The Patriarch reported, his voice carrying the weight of the concerning developments on the broader shinobi world stage.
Due to the widening economic gap caused by the imbalance of economic development among countries, the power of village militants in various countries has risen sharply.
These militants, under the guise of advocating for fairer privileges and opportunities, have increasingly resorted to the use of force as a means to expand their influence and plunder resources.
This shift in strategy destabilized the previously stable situation after the First Shinobi World War, with conflicts between countries gradually escalating as each sought to protect its interests and assert its dominance, leading to the Second Shinobi World War.
As the Second Ninja War kicked off, the Kingdom of Rain, stuck right in the middle of the big three—the Earth, Wind, and Fire nations—became the main hotspot for fighting.
Being smack dab in the middle made it a key place that everybody wanted to control. This spot wasn't just another battlefield; it was crucial for any nation looking to get the upper hand in the war.
"Considering how the situation keeps getting worse, it looks like the Hokage can't wait any longer. He wants to wrap up the mobilization talks for our clan. The terms they laid out last time are staying the same...", The Patriarch explained.
"It seems we have no choice but to agree. After all, if Konoha loses this war, it will spell trouble for us, too, and they've promised us substantial monetary compensation. They're asking for about 45% of our shinobi force and 30% of our clan's Jonin. However, they are saying that at least half of these people need to be actual fighters, not just supportive roles.",
"This is pushing the limits of what we can comfortably manage. If they asked for even a few more Jonin, we'd be forced to send members from the Main Branch, which simply cannot happen...", The First Elder commented, his tone a mix of resignation and pragmatism.
But, the next words carried a hint of sarcasm, "It seems Danzo Shimura has been quite thorough in getting our intelligence...", It was a clear hint to the previous topic of discussion.
The silver lining in the negotiations was that there was no demand for Elite Jonins to be sent to the front lines. Given that all Elite Jonins in the Hyuga clan were from the Main Branch and about 70% of the standard Jonins as well, this was a significant relief. The distribution of Special Jonins was more balanced, with an even split between the Main and Side Branches.
The realization of how precisely Danzo Shimura had managed to gather information about their forces and their bottom cast a pall over everyone in the room. Faces darkened with concern and frustration.
"I also think it's the right move to agree for now. But the real issue is what happens after this war ends. What if they start expecting us to always contribute this much to Konoha's regular forces and ordinary missions in the future if this war lasts for long, and it becomes a new 'reality', not to mention that probably some time 'after' the war, it still won't be over, right?",
"By this time, from this raging war, the whole shinobi world already probably definitively realized that Hashirama Senju's dream of eternal peace is just that—a dream. There's always going to be another new war after a few decades of peace. In such a world, hoping to return to how things were before is nothing more than a fantasy. Heightened tensions will stay.",
"And what if, in some future conflict, they bump up those mobilization percentages again, actually making us send Main Branch members to fight for the first time? That could lead to us losing members and even risking our Byakugan secrets getting out... This isn't looking good for us either way...", The Ninth Elder expressed, clearly frustrated by the predicament.
His concern highlighted a deeper strategic worry for the Hyuga clan. Agreeing to the current demands set a precedent that could permanently alter the clan's role and expectations within Konoha.
"And let's not overlook the fact that this funding comes from the Daimyo's increased permanent budget for Konoha due to the war. The Hokage is paying us out of this.",
"He's not offering us any concessions or longer-term benefits in terms of commercial interests within the village or more influential administrative roles. It appears those perks are still reserved exclusively for the four families in their faction...", Another Elder chimed in, adding another layer of complexity to the discussion.
"And it's not like we're in desperate need of cash at the moment. What we really need is more influence within the village to secure our long-term prosperity. Yet, it seems all the new influence, administrative positions, and commercial ventures are being funneled mainly toward the Hokage and his three advisors' faction.",
"They've even started encroaching on the interests of other smaller ninja clans and the Uchiha clan. Who's to say they won't start doing the same to us after a while...", Another Elder voiced, deepening the council's concerns.
"And not only that, we shouldn't just be looking at this specific proposal, but at the bigger picture. Ever since Konoha was founded, there's been a constant push for more and more of our clan shinobi to fight for the village. Initially, it seemed like a good deal; we earned more money through missions and such.",
"But now, it's just too much. We're giving up too much of our trained human capital for cash we don't really need. If they compensated us with more influence, maybe it would be worth it, but that hasn't happened. We're still sitting on the same level of influence and holding the same positions we secured when the village was first established decades ago...", The Second Elder pointed out, expanding the council's concern.
"My take is also that we should agree this time to buy more time in order for Hikari to fully rise, but let's make it the last time we just go along with what the Hokage's Office wants like this. We need a big shift in how we deal with the village. Up till now, we've kept a low profile, always appeasing, staying neutral, not really pushing back, which made us fit into the village more smoothly than the Uchiha clan did, drawing less attention from the Hokage's circle...",
"But it's obvious now that even this approach hasn't stopped us from slowly losing our grip on the Hokage's faction and losing relative power more and more. Plus, we will also have the capital to speak up and fight for our interests more in the future - Hikari Hyuga...", Takumi declared, his voice ringing with conviction, making everyone else suddenly think about it.
"Also, let's not forget the sinister way Hiruzen has influenced the boy's parents, turning them into his lackeys, starting from their time in his Ninja Academy, when they were the most 'vulnerable', and gradually continuing over the years. And how brazen Danzo Shimura was in directly moving against our clansmen to steal our internal intelligence this time around.",
"Under Hiruzen, the Ninja Academy that Tobirama Senju established has become a factory producing loyal soldiers for his faction. Our past approach might not have been the best.",
"We've lacked a Kage-level shinobi since the founding of Konoha, which has made us less assertive. But who's to say Hikari won't reach that level or even surpass Hiruzen and his disciples? We need to bide our time and invest everything we have in Hikari until he's fully grown...", Another Elder chimed in, echoing Takumi's sentiments after some deliberation.
As the council members pondered the Elder's remarks, their thoughts turned to the Ninja Academy's role within Konoha. Initially, many within the Hyuga clan, and indeed other clans, hadn't seen the Academy as a significant threat to their influence, believing that true power would continue to reside within the clans, even with the Academy's founding due to their pride and knowing history.
However, they were not entirely right, and they underestimated Tobirama's genius. Therefore, now they recognized that while the clans still produced the majority of Elite Jonins and about half of the ordinary Jonins, the dynamic had shifted considerably at the lower ranks.
Civilian-trained shinobi from the Academy had come to dominate these levels. Although individually weaker, these shinobi were numerous, numbering in the thousands, effectively diluting the clans' dominance and shifting power towards the centralized village governance that Tobirama Senju had envisioned and his protégé, Hiruzen Sarutobi, actively developed, with the help of his three former teammates and Tobirama's other students under a carefully designed grand strategy that took every clan in Konoha by surprise when it was too late.
For example, the shift caused by the Ninja Academy gaining steam was not initially seen as entirely negative. Many clans believed that, although they might lose some relative power, the burden of constant warfare would lessen, with the bulk of fighting falling to these civilian 'cannon fodder.'
However, this perception has been upended by the outbreak of the Second Shinobi World War. The reality that even these vast numbers of Academy-trained shinobi were not enough to prevent the clans from being heavily leaned on once again highlighted a miscalculation in the clans' initial assessments. So, essentially, they lost a big chunk of their relative power to the village for 'nothing'.
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"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.
Up to 60 additional chapters ahead are available on my Patreon. The link is below as well on this story's main page!
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