Naruto: The Shadow of Uchiha

Hyuga Hiashi stared at the Third Hokage, suppressing the burning anger in his chest as he spoke slowly:

"Lord Hokage, this time, it was clearly the envoy from Kumogakure who infiltrated the Hyuga clan compound and attempted to kidnap my daughter. So why must we Hyuga pay for it with a life?"

He was not just the clan head of the Hyuga—he was also responsible for protecting the lives of his clansmen. That his people might not die on a battlefield but be sacrificed in such a humiliating way—it was something Hiashi simply couldn't accept.

The Third Hokage sighed.

"Ah… there's no other way. If we don't do this, how can we quell their fury?"

"How can we preserve peace for Konohagakure?"

"If war breaks out again, even more members of your Hyuga clan will die."

"This decision… it's to protect your clan."

"I understand this puts your clan in a difficult position. But the village will surely compensate the Hyuga in the future."

Hiashi still felt deeply dissatisfied, but the Hokage's words had already made his position clear. Perhaps… this was the only solution.

Some of the elder Hyuga at the scene, sharp and experienced, immediately understood what the Hokage was implying. And honestly, he did have a point.

Moreover, this might even be an opportunity for the Hyuga clan: sacrificing one clan member for the peace of the village could earn them rewards. In the long run, the Hyuga might rise to become one of Konoha's most powerful clans—maybe even produce a Hokage someday.

At this moment, Hyuga Hizashi—Hiashi's younger twin brother—stepped forward.

"Then… let me take my brother's place as the scapegoat."

Maybe this was the moment he could finally change his fate.

As a member of the branch family, Hizashi was born with the Caged Bird Seal and raised with the belief that his life existed to protect the main family. But this time, he wasn't just protecting the clan head—he was protecting his brother and the entire clan.

Besides, what did Kumogakure want? The Byakugan, the Hyuga's powerful dōjutsu.

But he, as a branch member, already bore the seal. Even if they took his body, the Byakugan would be rendered useless—this way, the Cloud would gain nothing from their treachery.

Hiashi's face changed dramatically. He had never wanted any of his clansmen to pay for this—let alone his only brother.

He rushed forward and stopped him, saying,

"I do not agree to this!"

"If that's the case, I might as well take my own life and offer my head to Kumogakure myself!"

The elders were immediately agitated.

"That cannot happen! The clan cannot lose you!"

"If Hizashi has agreed, then let him go!"

"That's right. The branch family exists to protect the main house. Now is the time for the branch family to do their duty."

Hizashi looked at his brother and felt a deep sense of peace. Seeing Hiashi so unwilling to let him go… made it all worthwhile.

So what if he was from the branch family? This was his choice.

But Hiashi still shook his head.

To him, there was no "main" or "branch" right now—Hizashi was his brother, and he had to protect him.

"Enough. I'm the clan head. I will not agree to this!"

At that moment, Uchiha Ryosuke, who had quietly watched this entire play unfold from the corner, decided it was time to speak up.

He stepped into the crowd, smiling coldly.

"So this is the proud Hyuga clan?"

"The shinobi from Kumogakure tried to kidnap your heiress, and yet you're willing to just swallow that humiliation?"

"You're actually discussing sacrificing one of your own to appease their anger?"

"Isn't that just… too disgraceful?"

The room froze. All eyes turned to Ryosuke, many of them burning with anger—especially the older Hyuga elders.

While the Uchiha clan was once the most powerful in the village, they had been marginalized by the village authorities. Their decline was already visible.

Meanwhile, the Hyuga had risen to become one of the village's elite noble families. If the Hokage offered them proper compensation, they could even surpass the Uchiha completely.

How dare this Uchiha brat insult them?

One elder couldn't take it anymore and barked back:

"How exactly is that disgraceful?"

"We are sacrificing for the peace of the village. Isn't that noble?"

Ryosuke laughed heartily.

"And you don't think that's disgraceful?"

"Kumogakure is the one at fault. Yet you're the victims, and you're the ones trying to calm them down?"

"Then who's going to calm your own fury? Or are you saying the Hyuga clan has no pride at all?"

"If this gets out, sure, some will think your clan is noble. But more people will think your clan is just weak and easy to bully."

"My Uchiha clan would never stoop to such behavior."

Those words made the Hyuga elders seethe.

He had a point—too valid to ignore.

If this matter became public knowledge, it would forever stain the Hyuga name. Even if they rose to power in the future, this disgrace would always linger.

They began to question whether they should go through with the Third Hokage's proposal. So what if they didn't get the Hokage's "compensation"? They were still one of Konoha's strongest clans, and with the Byakugan, they'd become a top-tier clan regardless.

The Third Hokage's face darkened.

Everything had been going so smoothly. If Hizashi took the fall, both the village and the Hyuga would benefit. It would've ended cleanly.

But this damn Uchiha—always scheming.

He finally spoke sternly:

"Uchiha Ryosuke, that's enough!"

"The Hyuga are sacrificing for the sake of the village. No one would ever look down on them for it!"

But even with the Hokage's reassurances, doubt had been planted.

The elders of the Hyuga clan cared deeply about their reputation. If this were another clan in the same position, they would never have considered them noble—only foolish.

Now they were being asked to do the same. If the truth came out, this Uchiha brat would never let them forget it.

Hiashi didn't even look at the Third Hokage. Everything he said was correct… but Hiashi simply couldn't accept it.

He was deeply disappointed.

Not only had the Hokage failed to deliver justice for the Hyuga, but he was now asking them to appease the enemies who had tried to steal their bloodline.

Who could possibly accept that?

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