Chapter 79: The Hyuga Clan's Position
Hyuga Hiashi led Uchiha Douhuan into the clan's guest hall. The Hyuga, second only to the Uchiha in prestige within the village, demonstrated exemplary hospitality in both formality and manners.
After both had finished a cup of tea brought by a servant, Hiashi finally opened the conversation, "Captain Douhuan, may I ask what brings you to visit today?"
Upon hearing this, Douhuan smiled knowingly—Hiashi had already grasped the subtle meaning behind his visit. That saved him a lot of effort.
Douhuan retrieved several property deeds from a sealing scroll he carried and placed them on the table in front of Hiashi.
"Captain Douhuan, these are…?" Hiashi asked with some confusion.
Douhuan then handed him a list containing the names of several deceased branch family members of the Hyuga, explaining, "While investigating the collaboration between village shinobi and the rogue ninja Orochimaru, the Police Force uncovered evidence that during the Third Great Ninja War, the traitor Danzo Shimura conspired with Orochimaru to stage 'accidents' on the battlefield—resulting in the kidnapping of several Hyuga branch members for inhumane human experiments."
"I see…" Hiashi's brows furrowed as he examined the list. "Captain Douhuan, please wait a moment."
Douhuan gestured for him to take his time. He knew Hiashi needed to verify the authenticity of the claims.
Of course, when Douhuan had fabricated this list, he'd chosen the names carefully. These Hyuga branch members had indeed died on the battlefield during the war—coincidentally while on joint missions with members of the implicated clans—and had no surviving immediate relatives. So no matter how deeply Hiashi looked into it, he wouldn't find any red flags.
Douhuan calmly drank his tea as he waited. Before long, Hiashi returned.
"Thank you, Captain Douhuan, for bringing this to our attention," Hiashi said gravely.
"These properties were seized from the perpetrators," Douhuan explained, pushing the deeds forward. "The Hokage and the Police Force agreed they should be used as compensation for the families of the victims. All other affected families have already received their due. But considering the unique position of the Hyuga clan, I've come to deliver these personally."
Hiashi nodded. Douhuan's explanation made sense. The deceased were branch members with no close family, so by rights, compensation wasn't even strictly required. Moreover, the Hyuga had been unaware of the crimes at all until now—yet Douhuan still brought reparations. In that sense, the Police Force, or more accurately the Uchiha clan, had extended considerable respect to the Hyuga.
Hiashi glanced over the deeds. His expression shifted subtly.
The properties were prime real estate—situated in the heart of the village's commercial district. Their value was significant, but more than that, several were located very close to Hyuga-owned businesses, with one directly adjacent to Hyuga clan property. With these, the Hyuga's influence in the village's economy would grow significantly.
And the value of these deeds far exceeded the typical compensation for the deaths of three special jōnin.
Hiashi looked up at Douhuan and understood clearly. These were not just reparations—they were rewards.
This was Douhuan's way of expressing gratitude for the Hyuga clan's neutrality during the lockdown and chaos of a few days ago.
At the same time, Douhuan had come not as the Uchiha clan head, but as the Police Force captain—a political nuance that wasn't lost on Hiashi. It was also a subtle warning: remain neutral and stay out of the fray between the Hokage's faction and the Uchiha-led Police Force.
Hiashi understood Konoha's current political landscape well. He had no interest in taking sides.
With the size and influence of the Hyuga clan, whoever ended up on top—be it the Hokage or the Uchiha—the winner would still have to maintain the clan's favor for stability. Taking sides too early would be risky. A wrong move could bring disaster.
Looking at Douhuan, Hiashi said evenly, "Thank you for taking the time to deliver these, Captain Douhuan. And allow me to thank you and the Third Hokage for delivering justice to our wrongfully slain kin."
Douhuan nodded with a smile. By thanking both him and Hiruzen, Hiashi made his stance clear—Hyuga would remain neutral.
That was exactly the answer Douhuan had hoped for.
For Douhuan, Hyuga's neutrality was the best outcome. Even if they offered to side with him completely, he would have had to carefully consider whether to accept.
By remaining neutral, the Hyuga would still require some reward to keep peace—but it would be within manageable bounds. If they were fully onboard, Douhuan would have to offer much more—and they might one day become a new internal threat to the Uchiha's power.
Hiashi's astute political sense saved Douhuan a lot of trouble.
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After saying his goodbyes to Hiashi, Douhuan leisurely strolled toward BBQ Q.
At a street corner, he encountered Kakashi, who had been waiting for him.
"What are you doing waiting here? Why not just go inside?" Douhuan said with a grin.
"So, this is your method of 'making money'?" Kakashi asked. "Forging a victim list to divert part of the compensation?"
"Tell me," Douhuan replied calmly, "are the people on the list we made up those who died during the Third Shinobi War, or went missing during Danzo's reign?"
"They are," Kakashi admitted.
"And didn't the suspects we interrogated admit they committed these crimes?"
"They did."
"Then what's the problem?" Douhuan clapped his hands and shrugged. "Is there anyone who can say it's unjust?"
"…Or maybe you're upset because you didn't get a cut?" Douhuan raised a brow with a smirk. "I would've gladly given you a share, but the Hatake clan has only ever had one heir per generation. Even if I wanted to give you something, you'd have no way to claim it."
Kakashi: …
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