Naruto: Hyuga Warlord

To Konoha's current Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi—the revered Third Hokage—himself was the very embodiment of diligence, second to none since the village's earliest days.

Though serving as the supreme military commander overseeing tens of thousands of ninja in Konoha, Hiruzen had always prided himself on maintaining a relatively simple and upright lifestyle. Even when the embroidery on his Hokage's cloak faded, he merely had it repaired rather than replaced. At times, he even worked diligently past ten o'clock at night!

And yet, despite all that, Konoha was vast, and strange things inevitably occurred. There were always those who sought to challenge the Hokage's authority, attempting to place personal will above the collective interests of the village. This was something Hiruzen could never truly understand. Wasn't it better for them to live peacefully under the system he had designed, enjoying peaceful and worry-free lives as respected Konoha shinobi? Why provoke the ordained Will of Fire or engage in secret conspiracies?

Moreover, the "Shadow of the Ninja World"—his tool for balancing external dissidents and intimidating the powerful clans—seemed recently to have lost much of its former deterrence. That definitely wasn't good news.

Although Danzō had long coveted the Hokage seat, Hiruzen fully understood his old friend's decades-old obsession. Yet it hardly mattered. After all, Danzō's popularity was pitiful—if not nonexistent. Unless both of his longtime elder advisors died alongside him, Danzō would never gain support for such a position.

To be even more objective: should the visible F3 of Konoha collapse, the first to perish would undoubtedly be the Root hidden beneath the earth.

Therefore, although Danzō frequently stirred up covert schemes, everything remained within Hiruzen's control—at least that's what he believed.

However, figures like the restless elements from Hyūga, Uchiha, and even the White Fang faction proved far less predictable and significantly harder to manage for the Hokage.

If it were just Sakumo Hatake, that would be no big deal. After all, White Fang was a man of principle—a gentleman whom one could manipulate through conventional morality. So long as an ongoing war effort continued uninterrupted, Sakumo could be kept constantly deployed at the frontlines, preventing his influence from ever crystallizing into irreversible momentum.

But the Hyūga and Uchiha clans were no pushovers!

The union of elite scouts and elite shock troops had the potential to overturn anything. And to make matters worse, the Hyūga clan protected and gathered many fallen ninja clans under their wing.

Thus, after deep contemplation, the Third Hokage identified a key figure—Hyūga Soushu.

Born into the Branch House of the Hyūga clan, deeply entangled with a kunoichi from the Uchiha clan, locked in irreconcilable conflict with the Main House aristocrats of his own family, and having once briefly served under Sakumo Hatake in the past, Soushu had risen from an obscure chunin to tokubetsu jōnin thanks largely to a recommendation letter from his student Orochimaru and a furlough permit!

Even those eccentric, bombastic warmongers who incessantly raved about conquering the ninja world regarded Soushu as their role model.

Furthermore, the reason Danzō's power had diminished so greatly was precisely because he had suffered repeated crushing defeats at Soushu's hands.

Such a man was practically the thread connecting every visible and hidden force in Konoha!

If this tricky matter with Hyuga Soushu could be settled, at least half of Konoha's current internal crisis would be resolved. It would at least prevent the possible convergence of power between two powerful noble ninja clans and Sakumo Hatake's faction!

Sigh...

Thinking about it, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi found even his favorite kiwifruit had lost its sweetness.

He was meant to be the strongest Hokage in history, yet he still had to deal with such petty politics. Even his after-hours snacks no longer satisfied him. Definitely not how things should be!

Knock knock!

Just as Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi was lost in thought, a rhythmic knocking came from the main door of the Hokage Office.

"Come in!"

Third Hokage immediately straightened his expression, suppressing all visible emotions, and responded solemnly.

Creak...

With a cold expression, Hyuga Soushu pushed open the door and walked in. He gave a slight nod toward Third Hokage, who wore a kind smile: "Hokage-sama, I've come as ordered."

"Commander Soushu is still too formal."

Third Hokage chuckled, pointing at the chair in front of his desk. "Sorry for calling you in so late. Please sit down! There are some matters I'd like to discuss with you."

"Alright."

Though uncertain about what the old monkey was planning, Hyuga Soushu didn't hesitate. He stepped forward directly and sat on the visitor's chair, meeting Third Hokage's smiling gaze steadily.

"Your performance during the exam cleanup was excellent, especially your command and coordination abilities. The village has taken note."

Third Hokage randomly pulled a folder from the pile on his desk, glanced through it, then handed it to Hyuga Soushu.

"That is simply one of my responsibilities as a Jonin."

Hyuga Soushu calmly accepted the folder offered by the Hokage, though he didn't open it. Instead, he placed it on his knee and replied with steady, diplomatic formality.

He knew better than to think the old monkey had summoned him here just for something trivial.

"You've just returned from active service at the battlefield in the Land of Rain, so I'd like to hear your personal assessment of the situation."

Third Hokage said without getting straight to the point. "Besides, Orochimaru spoke highly of you."

"You know, before this, Orochimaru had never praised any Chunin so highly."

"Orochimaru, as one of the commanders of the Ninja Force, naturally possesses exceptional discernment."

Hyuga Soushu kept up his gift for diplomatic speech, offering perfectly measured responses with calculated politeness. Each word was delivered precisely, with no room for misinterpretation.

But that wasn't what Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to hear.

From Hyuga Soushu's demeanor and past behavior, it was clear he already understood exactly what the Third Hokage meant.

In other words, even after being cut off from communication with his clan, Hyuga Soushu still refused to move closer to the Hokage, treating the offered olive branch as if it didn't exist at all.

"Ah..."

The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi showed slight disappointment, but quickly regained composure. "But as you know, the situation in the Land of Rain cannot be resolved quickly. From your perspective, how should our village adjust its strategy to change the current circumstances?"

"Expand military recruitment, increase troop numbers, and spare no effort to defeat Sanshouo Hanzo!"

Hyuga Soushu gave what sounded like a reasonable answer—at least on the surface—but one that was practically impossible to fulfill.

"Hanzo of the Rain ninja, known as the 'Half-God of the Shinobi World,' is not someone who can simply be defeated by gathering regular Jonin and relying on numerical advantage."

The Third Hokage subtly implied something deeper. "Of course, any Jonin capable of defeating a half-god-level opponent would undoubtedly become a candidate for The Fourth Hokage."

"In that case, I believe Lord Sakumo and Jonin Orochimaru are both highly qualified to attain this honor."

Hyuga Soushu responded with a smile.

...

Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back, his smile slowly disappearing.

To be honest, as the leader of a Hidden Village, he had already gone out of his way by indulging in this conversation. Yet, Hyuga Soushu's deliberate refusal to get the point was starting to irritate him.

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