Sign in From Naruto

Where there is light, there must be darkness. Without both, the world cannot function properly.

This has always been the philosophy of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

It was also the reason why, time and time again, after Danzo had made mistakes, Hiruzen had let them slide.

Especially on the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage.

The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki, along with countless villagers, had sacrificed their lives.

This tragedy led Hiruzen to agree to Danzo's proposal for human experiments—transplanting Hashirama Senju's cells into ordinary people to obtain the Wood Release technique, thereby gaining the power to suppress the Tailed Beasts.

Even though he initially held optimistic thoughts, Hiruzen knew deep down that such experiments would inevitably cost many lives.

In other words, when faced with the village's interests and human lives, the scales in Hiruzen's heart tipped.

At that moment, his heart darkened.

However, the results were the opposite of what he had hoped for. Without exception, none of the test subjects could withstand Hashirama's cells.

Not only did Konoha fail to regain mastery of Wood Release, but the entire experiment ended in disaster.

Even Hiruzen, who had steeled his resolve, wavered and chose to abandon the project.

But...

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo were not just childhood friends—they were the light and shadow of Konoha.

Hiruzen knew that even if he gave up out of mercy, Danzo would continue the experiments until he achieved Wood Release.

As it turned out, Danzo and Orochimaru joined forces, kidnapping children from nearby villages and successfully creating Yamato, who could use Wood Release.

When Hiruzen saw Yamato, he publicly condemned Danzo's actions but secretly rejoiced.

This way, the village regained possession of Wood Release—a power capable of suppressing the Nine-Tails.

This undoubtedly aided Naruto's growth and the village's stability.

Most importantly, Hiruzen seized the opportunity to bring Yamato into the Anbu, keeping him away from Danzo and ensuring he inherited the Will of Fire—to cherish his companions and his village.

This reinforced Hiruzen's belief in his philosophy:

Where there is light, there must be darkness, and the world cannot function without both.

To obtain the Wood Release of the First Hokage, he had stained his hands with blood, darkened his heart, and allowed Danzo to continue inhumane experiments. Yet, in the end, Konoha grew stronger, like a towering tree.

Now, Hiruzen stared wide-eyed, his heart shaken by Xu Fan's display.

If Xu Fan had revealed his Wood Release from the beginning, why would Hiruzen and Danzo have bothered with human experiments?

Xu Fan himself was the successor of Hashirama—the God of Shinobi reborn in a new era!

Hiruzen swallowed hard, his throat dry.

In fact, it wasn't just Hiruzen who was stunned.

Koharu and Homura, who had also been disciples of the Second Hokage, were equally shocked and filled with anticipation for Xu Fan's future.

Their thoughts, however, were far more pragmatic than Hiruzen's.

Xu Fan's Wood Release alone was enough to make them side with him.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that if forced to choose between the Hyuga Clan and Xu Fan, they would choose the latter without hesitation.

Even if the main family were wiped out, they could simply elevate the branch family. After all, children born into the branch family, despite the Caged Bird Seal, would still possess perfect Byakugan.

Therefore, even if Xu Fan was aggressive toward the Hyuga Clan, Koharu and Homura chose to remain silent, refusing to intervene.

"What exactly do you want?"

The Hyuga elder finally broke the silence, unable to remain calm. Several minutes had passed since Xu Fan had sealed the Hyuga Clan members, yet the Konoha executives hadn't lifted a finger to stop him or even spoken a word of reprimand.

This was clearly condoning Xu Fan's actions.

"I will not allow Hinata to die!"

Xu Fan declared, his voice firm. He wasn't just speaking to the Hyuga Clan but also to the Konoha executives behind him.

One thing surprised Xu Fan, though.

He had expected the Third Hokage to side with the Hyuga Clan after his actions.

Yet, Hiruzen hadn't said a word.

Even now, as Xu Fan reiterated his stance, the Konoha executives simply watched, as if this were a spectacle.

Could it be...

That aside from sacrificing Hinata, the Konoha higher-ups had another way to quell the conflict?

Was their true goal to suppress the Hyuga Clan, using this opportunity to remind them of their dependence on the village?

On the surface, they were handing over Hinata's body, but in reality, they were forcing the Hyuga Clan to bow to Konoha's authority.

Of course, this was just Xu Fan's speculation.

But the fact that the Konoha executives seemed indifferent to Hinata's fate suggested there might be some truth to it.

Regardless, the matter was far from over.

The Hyuga elder glanced at Xu Fan, then at the Konoha executives standing nearby.

After a moment of thought, he sighed and explained in a somber tone, "Whether it's the main family or the branch family, we are all part of the Hyuga Clan.

Our actions were merely to protect the secrets of the Hyuga Clan while compromising with the Cloud Ninja Village for the sake of the village's stability.

I watched Hinata grow up. How could I want him to die?

All of this... was for the sake of the village!"

The elder spoke with a grave expression, as if his words were truly for the greater good.

But Xu Fan found them laughable.

If he hadn't read Naruto, he might have been fooled.

In reality, the branch family was nothing more than a tool in the eyes of the main family.

If they truly valued the branch family as equals, why hide the truth for years, never even telling Neji?

Even Hiruzen's actions felt wrong to Xu Fan.

A regime that sought peace by betraying its own people—was this the Will of Fire?

In nicer terms, it was a compromise for the village's sake.

In harsher terms, it was weakness.

In the world Xu Fan came from, the Chinese were always protected by the bravest among them.

This was the spirit of a great nation!

"Hyuga Clan, listen carefully.

We love peace, but if we seek peace through struggle, peace will endure.

If we seek peace through compromise, peace will...

Perish."