"Bloodshed! It's clear that the shinobi from your Kumogakure were coveting the Byakugan of our Hyuga Clan and abducted my daughter in the dead of night. And now you dare play the victim?" Hizashi Hyuga shouted furiously, ignoring Hiruzen Sarutobi and lashing out directly at the delegation from the Hidden Cloud.
"Hmph! Threatening Konoha with war? You think we're intimidated?" Danzo Shimura, half his face wrapped in bandages, snorted coldly. "I never agreed to this truce. If it's war you want, Konoha will meet you head-on!"
Kurozawa Ren hadn't anticipated Danzo joining the verbal fray. With the atmosphere thick with hostility, only Orochimaru and the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, maintained their calm.
"Heh! Do you have any proof we kidnapped your daughter?" The Kumogakure shinobi countered with a sneer. "Your comrade killed one of our own in your village. That's a fact. And Danzo—are we to take your words as the official stance of Konoha? If your village has no intention of preserving peace, I will return to Lord Raikage and report this immediately!"
The ninja's voice echoed through the room, drawing all eyes toward Minato. He had been quietly observing the exchange, but upon hearing the Cloud envoy's challenge, he finally spoke.
"First, let me express my condolences over the loss of your shinobi in Konoha. However, the sequence of events suggests your men attempted to abduct a member of the Hyuga clan. And we have a witness."
Minato turned to Sasuke Uchiha, who stood at his father's side.
"That's right!" Sasuke nodded. "Last night, I saw people wearing Kumogakure forehead protectors carrying away my friend Hinata Hyuga. When they noticed me, they tried to kill me. Luckily, I was saved and they were stopped." Kurozawa Ren spoke up, his voice slightly trembling from the memory.
"Convenient story." The Kumogakure envoy folded his arms. "A child's word? This is all just conjecture. Where's the hard proof?"
"Then let's do this properly." Minato's tone remained steady. "Give us three days. If we cannot present evidence that proves an attempted abduction by Kumogakure shinobi, Konoha will formally provide you an explanation. However, if evidence is found, your village will not only sign the ceasefire agreement but issue a formal apology to the Hyuga Clan."
One of the Cloud ninja opened his mouth to argue, but a colleague beside him placed a hand on his shoulder and subtly shook his head. The first shinobi exhaled and altered his response.
"Very well. You investigate. But if Konoha cannot substantiate these accusations, we expect you to uphold your word."
With that, the Kumogakure delegation retrieved the body of their fallen comrade and departed the room.
Kurozawa Ren found Minato's proposal reasonable. In truth, Konoha didn't have direct evidence—only Sasuke's eyewitness account. And Minato's phrasing, "give an explanation," left room for interpretation. Could that "explanation" be... a Rasengan?
Moreover, the Cloud shinobi's attitude differed from what Kurozawa remembered from the original timeline, where they demanded recompense from Hiruzen Sarutobi that very night. It appeared Minato's presence altered the course of events significantly.
"What's everyone's take on what just happened?" Minato asked once the envoys had left. Fugaku Uchiha and Hizashi Hyuga had returned to their seats. Sasuke stood silently beside his father.
"I believe the armistice remains paramount," Hiruzen said. "A Kumogakure shinobi was killed, by Hizashi no less. The Hyuga Clan bears some responsibility here."
"Are you suggesting I hand myself over?" Hizashi's expression darkened.
"I'm saying this incident originated with the Hyuga Clan. Therefore, it is yours to resolve," Hiruzen replied.
"I will comply with the Fourth Hokage's decision," Hizashi said, bowing his head slightly toward Minato.
With that, Minato officially delegated the investigation to the Hyuga Clan. Should they produce concrete evidence within the allotted time, the matter would proceed per his stated conditions.
"Peace doesn't come from sacrificing your comrades unnecessarily," Minato said. "If Kumogakure insists on leveraging this to spark conflict, it only proves they were never interested in peace to begin with."
Later that day, Kurozawa Ren and Fugaku returned to the Uchiha household. Shortly after, Hizashi arrived with Hinata.
"Fugaku-dono," Hizashi began, bowing respectfully, "I must thank your son Sasuke. If it weren't for him, our enemies may well have succeeded."
At the table, he gently nudged Hinata forward. "Go on, Hinata. Thank him properly."
The young girl peeked out from behind her father's robes and gave a small bow. "T-thank you... Sasuke-san."
"Ah, there's no need for that," Kurozawa Ren interjected. "If Uncle Hizashi hadn't arrived when he did, I would've been in serious danger too."
Kurozawa Ren felt no special bond with Hinata and didn't want to get too involved. He admired Sasuke from the original series—quiet, aloof, and focused. He barely spoke to Hinata at all.
"Still, you needn't keep this burden on your mind, Hizashi-dono," Fugaku said with a kind smile.
As the conversation continued, Hizashi sighed, glancing toward Sasuke.
"I truly envy you, Fugaku-dono. Both of your sons are gifted. Itachi graduated early, and now Sasuke is showing such promise. When do you plan to enroll him at the Academy?"
Fugaku sipped his tea before replying. "There's no rush. I'd prefer Sasuke complete the full curriculum rather than graduate early like Itachi. The Academy offers vital foundational knowledge."
Kurozawa Ren didn't quite agree. He was itching to become a shinobi. The thrill of combat, the surge of chakra during a life-or-death fight—that's what drove him. Enrolling would be a turning point.
Looks like I'll stir up the waters a bit when I enroll, he thought.
As Hizashi rose to leave, he offered one final word of caution.
"Fugaku-dono, allow me to speak as a friend. The Konoha Police Force holds a delicate position. Your clan's strict enforcement has caused growing discontent among the other families."
"Thank you for the reminder, Hizashi-dono. I'll be mindful," Fugaku responded seriously.
He had long been aware of the Uchiha clan's deteriorating image. The radicals within the clan ignored his warnings, creating friction throughout the village. Minato's new plan to include other clans in the Police Force might help—if only it wasn't too late.
Once Hizashi had gone, Fugaku turned to his son.
"Sasuke, have you been struggling with the Body Flicker Technique lately?"
"Yes," Sasuke admitted. "I can't seem to get the movement right—it doesn't even take me a full meter."
In truth, Sasuke had been attempting to adapt Shunpo, the flash step technique from the Soul Reaper arts that Kurozawa Ren had introduced to him. His spiritual energy far exceeded his chakra pool—his spiritual energy was at 12,360, while his chakra was only three-quarters of that.
"Your brother's friend, Shisui, has mastered the Body Flicker. I've asked him to tutor you tomorrow afternoon."
Sasuke blinked in surprise. Shisui's mastery of the technique was so refined, he could produce real afterimages using raw speed alone.
"Really? Thank you, Father!"
Fugaku smiled at his son's reaction, heartened to see his enthusiasm.