Naruto's Strongest Force - Chapter 31
Around the new Uchiha compound, several ANBU were patrolling.
They watched every move the Uchiha made with surveillance equipment, reporting daily to the Third Hokage.
A sensor ninja’s expression tightened as a detection chakra swept over him.
He immediately signaled an emergency, and the other ANBU quickly gathered.
“Run! We’ve been discovered!”
Without questioning how they were found, they hastily fled.
“Too late to leave now.”
Kashiwa descended from above, delivering a powerful kick that sent one ANBU flying.
“How is he so fast?”
The remaining ANBU felt a chill. If ANBU were captured in the tense relations between the Uchiha and the village, it would cause significant trouble.
Uchiha Kashiwa was now the Uchiha Deputy Clan Leader; did they stand a chance against him?
They looked at Kashiwa and were immediately struck as if by lightning, collapsing to the ground.
Kashiwa shrugged. How foolish it was to make eye contact with him, unaware of the power of Uchiha’s genjutsu.
Kashiwa misunderstood. The ANBU assigned here were only at the Chunin level, relying on each other to break genjutsu if needed. But Kashiwa’s Mangekyo Sharingan was too powerful, knocking them unconscious instantly.
Uchiha patrol quickly arrived, alerted by the commotion.
“Lock them up. We’ll deal with them tomorrow.”
“Yes!”
The Uchiha patrols were meant to prevent small-time thieves from invading the compound. The ANBU monitored from a distance, making them hard to detect.
With a barrier in place, it was time to warn the Third Hokage.
“Hokage-sama, four ANBU monitoring the Uchiha compound are missing.”
Upon hearing this early in the morning, the Third Hokage was distressed.
His probes previously showed no reaction from the Uchiha. He then increased surveillance around their compound, unaware that the Uchiha would suddenly retaliate, especially during the peace talks with Kumo.
What was the Uchiha planning?
…
Today was also the birthday banquet for Hinata, the Hyuga clan’s eldest daughter.
Grateful that the Uchiha had stepped back, the Hyuga invited Fugaku and Kashiwa to the event.
Contrary to expectations, Fugaku and Kashiwa attended despite the Uchiha’s strained relationship with the village.
Thanks to their excellent relationship, Fugaku chatted with Hiashi after the banquet. Kashiwa, claiming it was too stuffy, went for a walk, swiftly heading towards the Hyuga’s rear courtyard.
He saw a shadowy figure enter Hinata’s room and soon emerge with the unconscious Hinata.
The intruder, initially sneaky, became bold upon leaving the room and was quickly spotted by the furious Hiashi.
As the clan’s heiress, Hinata made her attempted abduction a severe insult to the Hyuga clan.
Activating his Byakugan, Hiashi swiftly located the culprit, using the Body Flicker Technique to confront them.
The intruder dropped Hinata and lunged at Hiashi, who readied his Gentle Fist.
A figure suddenly appeared beside Hiashi.
An enemy?
Even Hisashi’s Byakugan couldn’t track the newcomer, who instantly struck the intruder’s throat, killing him without resistance.
Hiashi then recognized the figure as Uchiha Kashiwa.
“Kashiwa, I didn’t expect you to be so skilled,” Hiashi said, genuinely impressed by Kashiwa’s speed, undetectable even to his Byakugan.
“Hiashi-sama, now isn’t the time to relax.”
Kashiwa had heard a faint commotion outside, quickly whispering in Hiashi’s ear. Hiashi’s expression shifted, and he nodded grimly.
Kashiwa swiftly concealed himself, leaving only the dead intruder and Hiashi with Hinata.
Soon, footsteps approached: critical figures from the Kumo delegation, including Yugito, Killer Bee, the Third Hokage, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado.
Hiashi’s heart sank, as Kashiwa predicted.
Yugito saw Nagasaki Shinichi dead on the ground, her face darkening as she rushed to check. Confirming his death, she turned angrily to Hiashi.
“Hiashi Hyuga! Why? We came to celebrate your heiress’s birthday, and now Shinichi is dead here!”
Hiashi, equally furious, retorted, “Nonsense! This man broke into my daughter’s room to kidnap her. I killed him in defense. What’s wrong with that?”
Yugito countered, “Lies! Kumo came here in good faith. Shinichi was merely delivering a gift. You killed him, provoking war!”
Hiashi fell silent, watching Yugito’s furious claims and not responding, which Yugito mistook as hesitation.
Turning to the Third Hokage, Yugito demanded, “Third Hokage, you saw everything. We came to celebrate the Hyuga’s occasion, yet Shinichi is dead here. Is this how Konoha treats us?”
The Third Hokage, dark-faced from the beginning, recognized the Kumo’s ploy. As he pondered, Yugito’s accusations grew more intense.
“Third Hokage, what do you mean? If you resent Kumo, say so. Did you order Shinichi’s murder?”
She aimed to implicate the Hokage directly.
Hiashi’s gaze remained fixed on the Third Hokage, who was in a dilemma.
Yugito pressed on, “For peace, the killer must pay with their life!”
“If you think Kumo is weak, we won’t hesitate to fight!” she declared firmly.
Beside her, Killer Bee’s chakra flared, forming a layer of tailed beast chakra.
The Third Hokage sighed, turning to Hiashi with a guilty look. “Hiashi, this is your problem to solve.”
Koharu Utatane echoed, “Yes, Hiashi. Kumo came in peace. You must resolve this reasonably.”
Hiashi’s gaze at the Third Hokage was filled with disappointment.
Just as Kashiwa said, the current Hokage needed more backbone.
At that moment, Fugaku and Hizashi arrived, having been briefed on the situation by other Hyuga members.
Seeing his brother pressured, Hizashi moved to intervene.
Suddenly, applause rang out.
Kashiwa stepped from the shadows, smiling at the tense scene.
“What a show,” he remarked.
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