Chapter 66: Target Acquired
Upon hearing Hyuga Hiashi's hesitant reply, Uchiha Dali gazed at him meaningfully.
The entire Hidden Leaf had just endured the brutal Third Great Ninja War. Countless ordinary clans were all but wiped out, leaving behind no heirs.
Even among the prestigious clans like theirs, the losses were heavy. Their strength had been severely depleted.
Given such a backdrop, it was understandable that Hyuga Hiashi was reluctant to involve himself in the village's internal power struggles.
Perhaps, more than anything, he didn't want to witness infighting among the villagers.
With that in mind, Uchiha Dali gave a faint smile. "Don't worry. We just want a stance from the Hyuga clan—we won't ask you to fight."
"All we need from you, Brother Hiashi, is a promise. That shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
As he finished, he stared at Hyuga Hiashi with a half-smile.
That smile appeared warm and harmless, even friendly, yet it sent a chill down Hiashi's spine.
Memories of the battlefield surged up—images of Uchiha Dali single-handedly massacring hundreds of Hidden Cloud ninja without leaving a single survivor. Hiashi couldn't help but feel a shiver run through him.
This man was definitely not as courteous and mild-mannered as he appeared.
If the Hyuga clan became entangled in the village's internal strife, the consequences would be catastrophic.
After much deliberation, Hyuga Hiashi slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Answer one question for me first."
Hiashi stared intently at Uchiha Dali, his voice grave.
"Ask away."
"Why does the Uchiha clan want to rule the Leaf?"
"How do you expect me to answer that?"
Uchiha Dali let out a wry chuckle and shook his head, locking eyes with Hiashi. "To make the village more prosperous and peaceful? To make the Leaf, or even the Land of Fire, greater?"
He gave a self-deprecating shake of his head.
"Let me put it this way, Brother Hiashi—what matters most is that the Uchiha clan survives, develops, and endures."
"Everything else is secondary. If the Uchiha clan no longer exists, then there's no point in the Leaf existing either. I wonder if you can understand that."
He stared at Hiashi after speaking.
After a moment of silence, Hiashi finally gave a slight nod, indicating that he understood.
At that, Uchiha Dali spoke again, this time with a solemn tone: "I can promise you one thing. Whether or not the Uchiha clan becomes the ruling power in the Leaf, we will never betray our beliefs or turn our backs on this land beneath our feet."
After a few seconds of contemplation, Hiashi replied calmly, "Since you've already laid it out so clearly, what more can we say?"
"So you agree then, Brother Hiashi?"
A glimmer of joy appeared on Uchiha Dali's face, the corners of his lips curling up unconsciously.
When he saw Hiashi silently nod, he finally broke into a genuine smile.
"From now on, the Hyuga and Uchiha clans are on the same boat."
He gave Hiashi a hearty pat on the shoulder. "Right, don't forget to inform Brother Hizashi of this. I'll be off now."
With that, Uchiha Dali turned and vanished in a flash.
Several Hyuga clansmen nearby had witnessed the entire exchange.
At that moment, their expressions were all a mix of confusion and unease as they looked toward the now-silent Hyuga Hiashi.
Coming back to himself, Hiashi turned to them and, as if nothing had happened, frowned and said, "What are you waiting for? Go deliver the order. No matter what happens between the Uchiha and the village—"
Before he could finish, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them like a ghost.
The sudden arrival startled everyone.
Only upon closer inspection did they realize it was Uchiha Dali, who had returned.
"Almost forgot something, Brother."
"The Uchiha clan won't cause any major bloodshed in the Leaf. Rest assured, we won't lay a hand on anyone who supports us—whether they're from a noble clan or just ordinary villagers."
"Well then, goodbye."
He beamed a dazzling smile, waved cheerfully, and vanished once again.
Hiashi and the surrounding clansmen still wore expressions filled with deep wariness.
Their hearts were heavy and conflicted.
They couldn't help but wonder if Uchiha Dali had deliberately shown off his power just now to send them a warning.
But that ghost-like stealth and movement—so silent and sudden—was certainly awe-inspiring.
"Send the order," Hiashi said gravely as he came back to his senses, commanding his clansmen, "No matter what happens in the village, not a single Hyuga clan member is to stand against the Uchiha!"
…
After leaving the Hyuga compound, Uchiha Dali quickly arrived at the grounds of another prominent clan in the Leaf.
Young Nara Shikaku and his wife, Nara Yoshino, were preparing to go to bed.
Suddenly, Shikaku sensed something, frowned, and climbed out from under the covers.
"What's wrong?" asked Yoshino, confused by her husband's behavior.
But Shikaku said nothing. Wearing a serious expression, he quietly stepped outside to investigate.
Under the moonlight, he could clearly see a figure standing in their courtyard.
The man had his back turned toward him—
Clearly intending to reveal the Uchiha clan crest on his back.
"An Uchiha… What are you doing here?"
Shikaku asked cautiously.
Uchiha Dali slowly turned to face him with a smile. "I heard you're very intelligent, so I came to test it myself."
"…Looks like this is going to be a pain," Shikaku muttered, his expression grim.
A late-night visit from a member of the Uchiha clan was far from normal.
The two clans weren't exactly close; their interactions had always been limited at best.
And of course, Shikaku had heard about the growing tensions between the Uchiha and the village. Thanks to his exceptional intellect, he had an even clearer understanding of the situation than most.
So the moment Uchiha Dali opened his mouth, Shikaku knew something was wrong.
Dali paid no attention to his reaction and went on speaking as if to himself:
"I have a question I'd like your opinion on."
"There was once a ninja village. Within it was a clan of immense strength—their elites were capable of defending the entire village's interests."
"But they were never given that opportunity. Instead, they were deliberately suppressed by certain factions within the village. Eventually, they woke up. They chose to stop tolerating it and stood up to resist their oppression, determined to reclaim everything that was rightfully theirs."
"So here's the question: Faced with such a powerful clan rising up—a clan far stronger than the rest—what should the other families in that village choose to do?"
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