"?"
Halfway there, Samui looked at Kiyoshi in confusion. However, Kiyoshi soon began to explain it to her. This left Samui staring at him in shock. Was this guy really a member of the Yotsuki and Uchiha? Among those two great clans, she had never heard of anyone capable of acting like Kiyoshi.
…
"Hello, my companion reserved a seat here."
Kurenai looked at little Atsui inside the sushi shop. Atsui was carrying a large square plate filled with various types of sushi.
"The name?"
Atsui turned around, looking at a delinquent youth and a clean, fair-skinned older sister.
"Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi Uchiha."
"Please follow me."
Atsui understood and led the way. It happened that he was also going to deliver food.
Click...
The door was knocked.
Samui, who was nervously eating her "takeout," almost lost her composure.
"You're here," Kiyoshi said with a smile, adjusting his seating position.
"Mm."
Kurenai nodded slightly. Looking at the tablecloth that covered the table and hung down to the floor, she felt the place was quite clean and hygienic. Speaking of which, didn't she and Kiyoshi meet because she accidentally bumped into his sushi? It seemed to be this very shop. Thinking of this, Kurenai sat down.
Samui, curled up under the table and surreptitiously eating her "takeout," flicked her ears. Suddenly, she saw a pair of legs appear beneath the tablecloth. She quickly shifted her body. Not long after, another pair of legs appeared. Samui could only squeeze into the middle position, pressing close to Kiyoshi's leg.
"Come, try these and see if they suit your taste," Kiyoshi spoke.
"Atsui, why don't you sit down and eat with us?"
"No thanks, you are the guests."
Atsui scratched his head. The incredibly nervous Samui subconsciously quickened the pace of swallowing her 'takeout'.
…
Hokage Building.
"The people of the Land of Water have appeared near the border line. We must send people to defend it."
Hiruzen Sarutobi had a grim face as he set down a report. This was a report he had just received. And a few hours ago, there was another explosive piece of news.
War had broken out!
Due to the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, the Hidden Sand Village was left leaderless. The Land of Lightning, which promoted military expansion, took advantage of the chaos to raid the Land of Wind and declared war on the Land of Earth. In just one day, the Hidden Cloud troops had invaded the Land of Wind and occupied a portion of its territory. Now the Hidden Sand was in a complete mess, urgently needing a leader to stabilize order and reclaim the seized land.
But before the Land of Lightning struck, there was the restless Land of Water. The Land of Fire was the most fertile and vast territory among the Five Great Nations. It could be said that there wasn't a single country that didn't want its unique geographical resources. Correspondingly, it attracted a considerable amount of covetous eyes. If it weren't for the First Hokage back then, it would have been impossible for the Hidden Leaf Village to be built right in the middle of the Land of Fire.
"Let the Uchiha go," Danzo Shimura spoke.
The Third Great Shinobi War had already begun, so they should squeeze every bit of value out of the Uchiha. These fellows grew stronger the more they suffered anyway; they were perfect as war expendables. As long as someone like Madara Uchiha, who was beyond their control, did not appear, it would be fine.
"I agree."
Homura Mitokado pushed his glasses, his expression solemn. The Hidden Mist Village had already clashed with the soldiers and ninjas guarding the border, showing signs of attacking the interior of the Land of Fire. They had to push outward and keep the battlefield in other countries. Otherwise, given the destructive power of ninjas, a single battle could cause irreversible damage to the fertile lands of the Land of Fire and change the terrain.
"Koharu, what about you?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Koharu. He was the Hokage, but the power of these Hokage Advisors was equally vast. For a matter of this magnitude, they had to be in total agreement.
"I also agree," Utatane Koharu's voice was aged. They were all middle-aged or elderly people with half their bodies already in the grave.
"Fine. But let's add the Hyuga clan as well."
…
Afternoon. Hyuga Clan Estate.
Hiashi Hyuga's brows were tightly knit together. War had actually broken out. The Hyuga clan had always been a clan that sought stability. Therefore, although they were a great dojutsu clan like the Uchiha, their reputation was much better.
"This is the list for this time."
Hiashi Hyuga casually handed a list to a member of the branch family, telling her to distribute it. This was the mobilization list he had compiled immediately after receiving the news. It included members from both the head and branch families. The advantage of the branch family was that they would not leak the Byakugan, while the head family generally had higher combat power but far fewer numbers.
"I... have to go to the battlefield too?"
Hyuga Tetsu looked at the slip handed him, his legs trembling. Once on the battlefield, anything could happen. Aside from the anxiety and fear on Hyuga Tetsu's face, other Hyuga members who received the slips felt the same.
"Lord Hiashi, have you made a mistake? I have to go to the battlefield as well?"
Hyuga Ginka was stunned the moment she received the list. Her fiancé guarded the border year-round; why did a woman like her have to go to the battlefield?
"The Uchiha are the vanguard. We only need to provide support and gather intelligence, using the Byakugan for reconnaissance and perception."
Hiashi Hyuga glanced at Hyuga Ginka. Every clan had its useless parasites. Without a doubt, Hyuga Ginka was one of them. But she was of the elder of clan and had been a ninja; no matter how lax she was, the power of her Byakugan was stronger than the branch family's.
"...Yes."
Looking at Hiashi Hyuga's majestic face, Hyuga Ginka did not dare to argue further and lowered her head.
"By the way, our clan is now in a position of fighting side-by-side with the Uchiha. We must change our past policies and try to build a good relationship with them," Hiashi Hyuga said in a deep voice.
Hearing this, cold sweat broke out on the back of Hyuga Ginka's neck. Her hands inside her wide sleeves clenched tightly. Kiyoshi Uchiha had not forgiven her. If this came out, would the Clan Head punish her severely to show friendliness toward the Uchiha, using her as an example to warn other dissatisfied clan members? The most effective and severe punishment would be applying the [Caged Bird Cursed Seal], stripping her of her head family status and making her a member of the branch family.
"Do you have a grudge with the Uchiha?"
Hiashi Hyuga saw that Hyuga Ginka's lips were somewhat pale. Thinking about her usual behavior, it was possible such a thing had happened.
"No, no, Lord Clan Head. How could I do something so brainless?"
Hyuga Ginka denied it repeatedly. Hiashi Hyuga stared at Hyuga Ginka suspiciously, seemingly wondering if it was as she said.
"Cough, cough... Hiashi, I want to go too."
Among the head family, a sickly beauty coughed softly twice.
"Hinatsuki, you don't need to go."
Hiashi Hyuga looked at Hinatsuki with heartache. Ninjas could get sick too, and ninjas with Bloodlines were even more prone to it. It was called Bloodline Disease, and depending on the ability of the Bloodline, the state it presented would vary.
***
Read 30 Chapters early on P-atreon.com/Redestro666