The Intimate Celebration (7:00 PM)
The main house of the Hyūga compound was in formal calm. The celebration of Hinata Hyūga's third birthday was not a social event; it was an internal clan ritual, strictly limited to the Main Branch and selected members of the Branch Family, all under the Caged Bird Seal. It was a sober party, focused on presenting the heiress to the clan elders.
Hiashi Hyūga did not have to deal with guests from Konoha or diplomats from Kumo. The presence of the Kumogakure delegation was restricted to a guest house on the edge of the central District, far from the Hyūga clan.
However, this did not calm Hiashi; on the contrary, it made the situation more dangerous. Kumo's envoy was a chief ninja of the Cloud Village's Main Branch (a member of the Raikage's clan), an expert.
"At nine o'clock. The Konoha guard change on the district periphery. It's the only moment of weakness," Hiashi repeated to himself.
His father, Akimitsu, sat beside him during the gift ceremony, acting as a silent pillar. The Branch Family, led by Hizashi, was already in combat position, concealed in the hallways and rooftops, disguised as usual compound sentries.
The Infiltration (8:45 PM)
At eight forty-five, the celebration concluded. Hinata was taken to her bedroom and cradled by her mother. The general atmosphere was one of relaxation.
Hiashi activated his Byakugan. The chakra flow of the Hyūga sentries was regular and constant. The key was the external flow: that of the Konoha security force patrolling the edge of the Hyūga District.
At 8:55 PM, Hiashi detected the alteration. The Konoha guard team was withdrawing to make way for the incoming unit. During that five-minute interval, the Village's chakra coverage was minimal.
Right at that moment, Hiashi detected a chakra signature moving at an incredibly high speed, with expert suppression that only an elite ninja could achieve. Kumo's Emissary had used the shift change as a smokescreen to infiltrate.
"Straight to the dormitory wing. Just as Chronos warned," Hiashi thought.
The Bedroom Trap (9:00 PM)
Hinata's room was the bait. It was empty, with subtle alert seals designed to notify Hiashi of any breach. The real Hinata was safe in her mother's room, heavily guarded by Akimitsu.
Hiashi had positioned himself inside his daughter's room, hidden behind a traditional folding screen, his chakra suppressed. He held a kunai, ready.
The Emissary, masked and dressed in spy attire, burst into the room, moving with lightning speed. He didn't care about the noise; only efficiency.
Upon seeing the empty bed, the Emissary stopped, his mind processing the trap.
"Damn!"
That microsecond of confusion was all Hiashi needed. He leaped from behind the screen, his right hand channeling chakra for the attack.
"Jūken!"
The blow struck the Emissary's side. The Jūken penetrated the light armor of his uniform and shattered the internal chakra flow at that point. The Emissary coughed, his chakra dispersing with the shock.
The Emissary turned, furious, his Kunai raised. His eyes found him in the darkness. "You? How did you know?"
"You should never have infiltrated here, Emissary," Hiashi replied.
The Emissary lunged at Hiashi, but the Hyūga leader had already activated his Byakugan at full power, seeing every chakra point of the attacker.
Hiashi initiated a rapid and devastating series of Jūken strikes.
"Hakke Rokujūyon Shō (Eighty-Four Palms)!"
The Emissary was cornered. The Jūken gave him no time to cast even a Rank D ninjutsu. His chakra points were sealed, his body paralyzed. He fell to the floor, incapacitated.
"The Byakugan belongs to Kumo! We will claim it!" the Emissary roared, struggling to move a finger.
Hiashi could not allow the Emissary to be captured alive. A live Emissary would mean Konoha would have to negotiate and expose the Jūken and the Byakugan. A dead Emissary meant a closed incident.
With a final, fatal blow to the heart, Hiashi ended the kidnapper's life. The Emissary's body lay inert on the floor.
The Dilemma of Sacrifice
Silence returned to the room, a heavy silence. The fight had lasted less than a minute.
Hizashi and two members of the Branch Family entered the room, their Byakugan activated. They saw the dead Kumo envoy and Hiashi standing.
"Clan Leader..." Hizashi began, understanding the gravity.
"The plan worked. The kidnapping was prevented, and the attacker neutralized," Hiashi said, covering the body with a piece of cloth.
Now came the most painful stage. If Konoha found the Emissary killed by the clan leader, tensions would explode. A scapegoat would be needed to justify the death to Kumogakure and prevent war. Traditionally, that goat would be from the Branch Family.
"The body must be moved. The Hokage must believe this was an act of defense by the Branch Family, that the attacker was neutralized... but not by me," Hiashi declared, ready to give the order to Hizashi.
Hizashi straightened up. "I will take responsibility, Brother. It is my duty as..."
"Stop!" The grave voice of Akimitsu cut off Hizashi's phrase. The elderly patriarch had entered the room.
Akimitsu looked at the Emissary's body, then at his two twin sons.
"Fate is not always fair with duty. Hiashi, you are the pillar. Your life and your position are irreplaceable for the Main Branch. Hizashi, your life is necessary to guide the Branch Family."
Akimitsu stepped forward. "This man's body will be found on the periphery of the compound, Hiashi. The Hokage must believe that the attacker was killed by the ninja of the highest authority available in the compound. And that that ninja sacrificed himself immediately after to comply with the treaty's demands and avoid war."
Akimitsu looked at his son, Hiashi. "I, as the eldest patriarch, assume responsibility and will be the scapegoat before Konoha. I will be the 'sacrifice.' My death is the one that least destabilizes the Main Branch. Hizashi, you take my place as advisor. Hiashi, you protect Hinata."
Hiashi, for the first time in years, felt panic. "Father! It is not necessary. I—"
"Time is everything, Hiashi. Chronos gave us the advantage. Now, we must pay the price to close the door," Akimitsu said, with terrifying calm.
Akimitsu did not wait. He gave his final orders to Hizashi for the disposal of the body and the official narrative. In front of his sons, he destroyed his eyes so that they would not fall into the hands of others. The plan had been fulfilled, but the cost had escalated from the Branch Family to the figure of the elder. Sora had not been able to predict this painful deviation.
UNOFFICIAL COUNTDOWN: KONOHA'S REACTION0 Hours and 10 Minutes