Although the few Cloud ninjas who breached the Main Family compound were incapacitated, Kakashi and Shisui quickly regrouped and proceeded to remove the masks from the fallen Cloud ninjas.
Since they had been executing a long-term guarding mission at the Hyūga compound, neither of them had participated in Konoha's reception for the Cloud emissaries, so they did not personally recognize these individuals.
However, the lack of personal recognition did not prevent them from confirming that the men were Cloud ninjas.
Due to geographical differences, the Cloud Ninjas' skin tone was generally darker than that of people from the Land of Fire. This geographically induced skin tone difference was very easy to distinguish.
Realizing that these individuals were highly likely to be the Cloud ninjas sent to Konoha to sign the peace treaty, both Kakashi and Shisui understood that this matter was beyond their level of authority to resolve.
Ignoring the fact that it was still night, Kakashi immediately summoned a messenger hawk to report the incident to his teacher.
The aftermath of the situation had little to do with Shinichi. He had already committed the layout of the scrolls on the ground to memory. He then quietly gathered the scrolls, intending to study them when he had time. These scrolls were the spoils of war he had "painstakingly" acquired.
After quickly confirming the identity of the invaders, Hyūga Shin also remembered the Cloud ninja squad that had been intercepted by the Branch Family elites outside the compound. With the immediate threat to Shinichi removed, he rushed out, hoping that not all of the Cloud ninjas had been killed.
The Branch Family ninjas, without Shinichi's prior warning to take prisoners, would have shown no mercy to the intruders.
Although Hyūga Shin rushed to inform the guards to capture the enemies alive, by the time he arrived, only two of the eleven Cloud ninjas showed signs of life. The other nine had been killed by the Hyūga clansmen.
Even the two who survived were barely breathing. Without immediate medical attention, they would likely die soon.
The situation had escalated far beyond an internal matter for the Hyūga Clan. Hyūga Shin ordered the two survivors to be sent to the hospital and led the clansmen back to the Main Family compound, locking up the four Cloud ninjas who had successfully broken in.
The intrusion into the Hyūga compound that night caused a significant commotion, and many Anbu and ninjas in the Village noticed the anomaly and rushed toward the area.
Unlike the approach a year ago, Hyūga Shin, representing the Hyūga Clan, gathered all the arriving "reinforcement" ninjas. He briefly recounted the entire incident and then brought the captured ninjas forward to be thoroughly "displayed" to everyone present.
Simultaneously, Hyūga Shin profusely praised Uchiha Shisui and Kakashi, claiming that it was entirely thanks to their efforts that the Hyūga successfully repelled the Cloud ninjas' assassination attempt.
Hyūga Shin had realized what was happening the moment he learned that clansmen had killed members of the Cloud delegation.
He rushed to maximize the influence of the incident before the Hokage's side could formally take over, aiming to firmly establish the Hyūga Clan's image as the victimized party in everyone's mind.
This would give the Hyūga Clan an advantage in the ensuing public discourse. A shrewd veteran like Hyūga Shin was far more skilled at handling these matters than Hyūga Hiashi.
...
"Hokage-sama!"
"It's terrible..."
The Third Hokage, sleeping soundly at home, was awakened by his trusted Anbu. From the Anbu's account, he learned that the Hyūga Clan had been attacked by Cloud ninjas and that they had subsequently killed and captured members of the Cloud delegation through combat. The news hit like a thunderclap, completely robbing Sarutobi Hiruzen of his sleep.
Almost simultaneously, Namikaze Minato also learned what had happened through Kakashi's message. After quickly dressing, he immediately rushed to the Hyūga compound.
On the way to the Hyūga compound, Minato appeared outwardly calm, but internally, his fury was intensifying.
Combining the Cloud Ninjas' actions after entering Konoha, Minato could broadly conclude that the Cloud Village never intended to negotiate sincerely with Konoha. From the very beginning, their goal was likely to steal the Byakugan.
The emissary delegation was merely a pretext that allowed the Cloud ninjas to legitimately enter Konoha. Without it, a large ninja squad would have struggled to bypass Konoha's layers of defense and reach the Hyūga compound in the heart of the Village.
The Cloud Village's action inevitably reminded Minato of the past incident when the Cloud Village attempted to kidnap Kushina. If he hadn't detected them, Kushina would have been taken to the Cloud Village that night.
Namikaze Minato was a good-natured person, but to grow into a powerhouse of his caliber, he was certainly a man with intense self-respect. The Cloud Village's maneuver was a blatant act of disrespect, and even Minato felt furious.
Upon arriving at the Hyūga compound, the Anbu who had arrived earlier immediately bowed to Minato. The Hyūga clansmen, having received instructions from Hyūga Shin, immediately ushered Minato into the inner compound.
In the Main Family's rear courtyard, Minato saw the six bound Cloud ninjas and the corpses of the killed ninjas. A glance at the invaders' faces confirmed their identity, and Minato's expression grew grim.
After bowing to Hyūga Shin, Minato said solemnly:
"Elder Shin, this matter is the Village's negligence."
"As the Hokage, this is my dereliction of duty. I will certainly give the Hyūga Clan a satisfactory answer."
"I will take custody of these individuals, if you permit?"
Minato took the responsibility upon himself. This low posture significantly improved Hyūga Shin's perception of him. Truthfully, with the Hyūga having killed so many Cloud emissaries, Hyūga Shin was somewhat apprehensive.
Although these men were intruders, they were still nominally Cloud Village's "peace envoys." If this matter weren't handled properly, Konoha's "international reputation" would suffer a severe blow. Some leaders might choose to swallow their pride and compromise when faced with similar issues, but Minato's words made his stance clear to Shin.
Minato Namikaze would not only avoid blaming the Hyūga but would take responsibility, expressing his debt to the Hyūga Clan.
This was already beyond expectations. In Hyūga Shin's original calculation, Konoha would likely choose to downplay the issue, hoping to avoid major repercussions, as Konoha could not afford the consequences of a war with the Cloud Village. Minato's strong statement, however, greatly improved his standing in Hyūga Shin's mind.
"You are too kind."
"Fourth Hokage, we are the ones who have caused you trouble."
Since Minato was showing respect, Hyūga Shin did not stand on ceremony. He slightly bowed to Minato and replied courteously.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the captives and the bodies were taken into Anbu custody. Kakashi was temporarily relieved of his guard duty and returned with Minato. As a direct witness, he needed to provide Minato with the most specific details.
The next day, Konoha publicly disclosed the Cloud ninja attack, openly condemning the Cloud Village's despicable actions.
Konoha initially thought the Cloud Village, having been caught in the act, would not dare to respond publicly.
The unexpected result was that the Cloud Village directly accused Konoha of having no sincerity for peace talks, openly murdering their emissaries, and demanded that Konoha hand over the culprits, threatening war otherwise.
This outrageously counter-attacking maneuver only deepened Minato's fury. However, before he could express his anger, people within the Village began to undermine him. The threat of war from the Cloud Village caused panic in Konoha, and public opinion pushed the Hyūga Clan into the spotlight.
"War? No! We've been fighting for so long, do we have to keep fighting?"
"The Hyūga really shouldn't have killed them; repelling the enemy should have been enough."
"Must we go to war with the Cloud Village just for the sake of the Hyūga Clan?"
No one knew where these voices originated, but they swept through the Village's public discourse, genuinely shifting some people's opinions. Kakashi, who accidentally overheard some of the sentiment, felt that the current situation was eerily similar to the time when public opinion turned against his father...
If you want to read more, join my Patreon/kazama677
60+ advanced chapters available.
I will drop 1 bonus chapter for every 30 Power Stones.
Bonus chapter for every 20 reviews/comments