CHAPTER 223: HINATA BLINKED AND MISSED HER MARRIAGE MEETING

{You guys fell short by just 70 powerstones, even if I want to take pity I have to be cold hearted.}

{Current Stones - 780}

{Needed Stones - 1060}

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Hiashi began, his voice steady and low, "The boy’s name, it first started showing up when he entered the academy. Took the second spot overall, right behind the Uchiha heir. Back then, nobody thought much of it. Just a kid doing well in tests. It wasn’t enough to raise alarms, so most dismissed it. But those of us watching closely knew better, knew it wasn’t just talent."

He looked around the room before continuing.

"The next time his name showed up, it was a little harder to ignore. He became a Genin at eight. Eight. When most kids his age were just learning how to properly throw a shuriken, he was already being given clearance to go out on actual missions, Not just D-ranks either. His name started floating around with whispers of a rising genius. But the real shock didn’t come until the Chunin Exams."

Hiashi’s voice dropped a fraction, eyes narrowing as he spoke.

"He beat the Uchiha heir. Not by luck, not by some fluke or underhanded trick. He beat him clean in the final round. That was the moment people realized that they were looking at someone different, someone dangerous. And mind you, this was still when most of the village thought he was just a civilian orphan. But those of us on the council... we knew. We knew his true lineage. After all, we were the very people who worked hard to hide it."

Hiashi gave a slight shake of his head.

"After that? It was like watching a dam burst. Every few weeks, his name showed up in reports. And every time, the contents were more shocking than the last. He joined the Numbers under the ANBU Commander, not just any ANBU squad, but the strongest, most elite one under the direct control of Commander Yoru. Missions started coming in. Intel retrieval, base infiltration, assassinations, high-level sabotage. Missions most jonin couldn’t survive, and he was executing them at terrifying speed. And that’s just what we saw. Who knows what wasn’t reported?"

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle, before pressing on.

"Then came the mission that gave him the name. ’Blue Menace.’ You remember that one, don’t you? The one where a squad of elite-level missing-nin, all of them with confirmed Kumo ties were found wiped out in less than twenty minutes. No survivors. No traces. Just a report and a rumor. That mission got buried fast, but the nickname stuck. Kumo called him a menace. We agreed."

Hiashi’s tone grew more bitter.

"Then he vanished for a few months. Everyone thought he was on deep-cover missions. Some of us even hoped he’d been sent to his death. But no. He came back. And when he did, he didn’t just show up for his jonin promotion exam, he tore it apart. Not just the strength test which left many with nightmares. He practically played with the council, with us, with words too.

You wouldn’t know that, but I do. He made a mockery of protocol. Spoke with authority, with audacity. Called out Danzo in front of everyone. Accused him of sending assassins after him, and the worst part? He was right. He proved it."

Hiashi exhaled slowly.

"And then, as if that wasn’t enough, he reclaimed the Senju seat on the council. Just like that. No debate, no opposition. He forced the council to acknowledge him and there was nothing we could do. Nothing."

He looked at the room full of elders. Some frowning, some looking away, and a few already starting to sweat.

"I’m sure you all remember that little uproar a few months back when Kumo started making noise, accusing Konoha of murdering another rising S-rank shinobi within our borders. Remember how that noise suddenly stopped, like someone yanked the strings from above?"

Heads nodded slowly.

"That ’incident’... that kill... that was him. The Senju heir. The reports of course didn’t mention him, but the right people knew that it was this boy who killed that person."

There was silence for a while.

One of the elders, voice shaking, finally asked, "Wh-what... what was his age when that happened again?"

Hiashi’s eyes didn’t even flicker. "Eleven. Just a few months past eleven. But don’t let that sink in too fast. Because the mission he just returned from, this recent one was even more insane."

He leaned forward.

"He fought Hoshigaki Kisame. The Demon of the Mist, and he walked away alive. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying he escaped. I’m saying he fought the demon and survived. Not as part of a team. Not with backup. He led the operation. I have read the whole report and I know what really happened."

The air turned heavy.

"Do you understand what that means? The only reason he hasn’t officially been ranked S-class yet is because none of his S-class kills have been confirmed. But they will be. Sooner or later, he’ll notch that final mark, and then it’ll be official, Konoha will have the youngest S-ranker in shinobi history, and the fact that he’s a Senju is just..." He shook his head and spoke, "Let that sink in."

Hiashi’s gaze swept across the room again.

"And now, I want you to think, really think, do we, or any of the clans, have the strength or coordination to suppress someone like that? Even if every clan allied together... even if we could agree on a strategy, could we stop him? Could we even delay him?"

A grim silence fell, thick and cold.

Hiashi gave them one final blow.

"Let’s say somehow, by miracle or madness, we do suppress him. Then what? You forget who stands behind him. Tsunade Senju, Princess of the Slug, one of the Legendary Sannin. And Yoru, the ANBU Commander. The man who’s watched over the Hidden Leaf Village for decades."

He gave a dry, bitter chuckle.

"If someone raises their hand against the boy, there is only one option for every single person, forget that hand ever existed."

Most of the younger clan members sat in thoughtful silence, their minds clearly churning over the weight of Hiashi’s words.

The older ones, however, wore deep frowns, their gazes shifting subtly to one another in quiet, almost conspiratorial glances. Finally, one of the more senior elders spoke up, his tone cold and laced with irritation.

"Hiashi, enough of this boasting about the Senju clan. Remember, you are the Hyuga clan head."

Hiashi scoffed, a short, derisive sound that made the elder’s lips press into a thin line.

"I am the Hyuga clan head," Hiashi replied evenly, "and that is precisely why I have to tell you the truth. My duty is to ensure our clan knows exactly what we are up against if we ever choose to cross swords with the Senju heir. Pride has its place, but there’s a line between pride and arrogance. That boy’s growth has been... exponential. Every time we turn our heads for a moment, he’s stronger than before. Fighting him now would already be a difficult task. Give him more time, and it might be outright impossible."

The same elder gave a dismissive snort. "Hmph. Our Hyūga clan is not so weak that we’d lose to some mere brat."

Hiashi’s gaze sharpened. He let a beat of silence pass, then deliberately looked at the elder and spoke. "Alright then, Elder Tomura, if we decide to go to war with the Senju heir, would you be willing to lead the assault force yourself?"

Tomura, who moments ago had been brimming with arrogance, froze. His face stiffened as he realized the trap in the question. If even half of what Hiashi had just revealed about the boy was true, charging at him head-on would be suicide. He didn’t answer.

Hiashi let the silence hang for a moment before speaking again. "Exactly as I thought. Listen to me, to the villagers, the Hyūga may look like one of the great noble clans, but compared to the Senju and the Uchiha, we are... average. We hold our heads high because of tradition and reputation, not because we can match their historical dominance in power or influence.

If we cling to meaningless pride, we will end up like the Uchiha, stripped of our strength, isolated, and staring down the edge of extinction. Arrogance is what drove them to the brink. If we’re wise, we’ll rein ourselves in before we make the same mistake."

The room fell into a tense, grudging silence. Finally, one elder spoke bitterly. "So what do you suggest? That we simply bow before the Senju clan?"

Hiashi shook his head. "No. We are still a force to be reckoned with. Bowing outright would only destroy our standing. We will approach the Senju as equals, that is the goal."

Another elder leaned forward. "And do you truly believe they would see us as equals?"

It was then that Tomura, regaining some of his earlier confidence, spoke again. "They might, if we were bound by blood."

Several heads turned toward him. "Explain," one elder prompted.

"If we were to wed one of the Hyuga clan leader’s daughters to the Senju heir, we would become in-laws. Such a connection would give us leverage. We could gain favorable terms in dealings and secure a more permanent place in their good graces. In essence, we would tie our fates together, making it far less likely they would act against us."

Surprise rippled through the room, but the logic was hard to dismiss. One by one, eyes turned toward Hiashi, for the suggestion inevitably touched on his family. After all, if such an arrangement were to be made, it would likely involve his own daughter.

Hiashi met their stares calmly. "I agree with Elder Tomura."

The reaction was immediate as several elders visibly stiffened. They had expected resistance, perhaps a long debate, not such swift agreement. Tomura himself frowned faintly, unsettled by how readily Hiashi had accepted the proposal.

"I’ll raise this matter with the Senju heir when I meet him at the ceremony marking their clan’s return," Hiashi continued.

One elder tilted his head. "Will there even be a ceremony?"

Another elder answered before Hiashi could. "Of course, it’s tradition. Whenever a dormant clan reclaims its seat, they hold a public ceremony to announce their revival. The Senju are no exception."

The others nodded in agreement, their expressions thoughtful. The room grew quiet once more until Hiashi spoke again.

"Alright. We’ll revisit this matter once we have more information. For now, Elder Koshiro, you will keep track of developments. I’m granting you temporary authority to mobilize clan forces for intelligence gathering, focus on anything relevant to the Senju heir and his allies."

Koshiro bowed deeply. "Understood," he said before rising and leaving the chamber. One by one, the other elders followed suit until only a single figure remained behind with Hiashi.

Hiashi’s gaze shifted toward the lone figure who had stayed behind after the others had left.

His voice was calm but direct as he spoke, "What is it that you need to speak about, Elder Higura?"

The elder’s eyes narrowed slightly, and instead of answering the question, he spoke in a softer, almost wounded tone. "What, I don’t even deserve to be called father anymore?"

Hiashi’s reply came evenly, but there was no warmth in it, only a faint edge of long-held bitterness. "You lost that right the day you suggested that the clan should sacrifice your second son, my own brother’s life in exchange for mine."

Though his tone never rose, the weight behind his words carried years of resentment.

Higura let out a slow sigh, the kind that carried resignation rather than apology. "You were the clan leader, Hiashi. If you had given your life back then, I’m sure you could understand what the consequences would have been for the entire clan."

Hiashi did not rise to the bait. He simply cut back to the matter at hand. "What is it that you needed to speak about, Elder Higura?"

For a moment, the elder just looked at him, his gaze heavy and measuring. Then, in a colder, more deliberate tone, he spoke.

"If you are planning what I think you are by wedding Hinata to the Senju heir then you had better give up that thought immediately. That is not going to happen."

Hiashi’s expression didn’t shift an inch. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Elder Higura."

The elder’s lips curled slightly, as if he didn’t believe that for a second. "The Senju have never liked our caged bird seal. Since the founding of the village, they’ve tried to meddle in our traditions more than once, but they’ve never succeeded, mainly because any interference would violate the original terms under which Konoha was founded.

But if you marry Hinata to that boy, you’re not just opening the door for them, you’re inviting them to step right in and start dictating our internal affairs."

He took a step closer, his voice tightening. "So I’ll ask you again, stop with this wishful thinking. If you go down this path, it will not end cleanly. It will end in blood."

Hiashi remained perfectly composed, his tone as even as ever. "You’re overthinking it, Elder Higura. I would never do something as reckless as harming our clan’s age-old traditions, no matter how... absurd those traditions may be."

The two men locked eyes for several long seconds. Neither looked away, and the tension between them was thick enough to cut. Finally, Higura’s gaze broke. He drew in a slow breath, then bowed his head slightly.

"As expected of the clan leader."

With that, he turned and walked out, the echo of his footsteps fading into the distance until Hiashi was alone in the hall.

For a while, Hiashi sat there in silence, his mind far away. Then, almost to himself, he muttered softly, "I’ll make sure Neji has a happy future, brother."

~

Outside the hall

Higura walked out of the hall, a maid appeared behind him, shutting the door of the hall, and as if waiting for him to appear Tomura appeared behind him and the two men began walking.

After a while Higura muttered softly, "Contact Danzo."

Tomura’s face brightened, then with a nod he flickered away.

Left walking alone Higura muttered, "Forgive me Hiashi, but you are not working for the best of the clan."

~~~~~

{Well, how was it?

I know Hiashi might be a bit different from the canon, but even in canon he did want to change the Hyuga Clan and I just explored that a bit more.

Also, if anyone is wondering why Hiashi is suddenly speaking in Ren’s favour, don’t forget that Hiashi had a meeting with Yoru, who knows what happened it it.

One more thing, Is Hinata the fml?}

{If you want, you can support me on pat-reon}

{ h t t p s : / / w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / Z e e n o n }

{You know what else}

{280 Stones = Extra Chapter}

{STONES!!!!}