Uchiha's Taijutsu Supreme

Konoha~

Tonight was destined to be anything but peaceful. The Hyuga clan compound, usually as quiet as still waters, had turned into the epicenter of chaos, drawing the attention of nearly every ninja in the village.

For decades, the Hyuga clan had been known for its tranquility, a pond undisturbed by ripples. But tonight, waves had finally formed, and the wheel of their destiny began to turn.

.......

Hokage's Office~

Roused by an urgent report from the ANBU, the Third Hokage had hurriedly left the Sarutobi clan compound and arrived at the scene. Hyuga and Cloud ninjas were already gathered there, their tempers flaring, and the situation teetering on the edge of violence.

Several high-ranking individuals had also assembled, including Sakumo Hatake, Mitokado Homura, and Nara Shikame. They stood grim-faced on the sidelines, assessing the tension in the air.

The moment the Third Hokage arrived, a furious Cloud ninja stepped forward, his respect for the leader of Konoha entirely absent as he roared:

"We came to Konoha with the intention of forming an alliance, yet you murder one of our Jonin, trying to weaken our forces! Is this how you treat your guests?"

The Third Hokage was baffled. All he knew was that a disturbance had erupted within the Hyuga clan. The details, however, were still unclear—after all, the Hyuga clan was so secretive that even the ANBU struggled to penetrate their inner workings.

Turning to Hyuga Tenno, the clan head, the Hokage gestured for an explanation.

Tenno's face was dark, his mood equally grim. He had a sinking feeling that he had seen through the Cloud's scheme, but it appeared to be too late to stop it. Gritting his teeth, he summoned his resolve and loudly refuted the accusations:

"Today is my birthday celebration. Why would I waste time dealing with these brutes from the Cloud?"

"These scoundrels came under the guise of presenting gifts but used the opportunity to commit suicide and frame our clan for their deaths!"

The Cloud Jonin scoffed coldly, lifting the body of one of their own—Troy. Carefully wiping the blood from his face, the ninja bellowed with sorrow:

"You ignorant fool! This man was none other than Troy, our village's magnet release user. Do you think your Hyuga clan is worthy of using his death to frame anyone?"

The Third Hokage's heart sank as he recognized the deceased ninja's face.

"This is bad," he thought grimly. "It's him. This situation is going to be a nightmare…"

In the ninja world, while dojutsu bloodlines like the Sharingan and Byakugan were highly coveted, many powerful chakra-based kekkei genkai, such as Magnet Release, were equally formidable.

Ninja capable of mastering such techniques were often groomed as potential successors to their villages' Kage.

The Cloud ninja stood tall, exuding an aura of defiance as he sneered:

"Don't bother pretending, Third Hokage. You killed Troy to research his Magnet Release, didn't you?"

"Go ahead, attack us! I'll fight to my last drop of blood, but mark my words—Lord Raikage and the rest of the ninja world will not let Konoha's treachery go unpunished!"

Alarmed, the Hokage raised a hand, ordering the ANBU who had stepped forward to stand down. Sighing deeply, he responded earnestly:

"Please, let us not rush to conclusions. Allow me some time to think this through. Konoha will provide the Cloud with a fair resolution."

The Cloud Jonin's words had laid bare the precarious position Konoha was in.

If rumors spread that Konoha had targeted a Cloud kekkei genkai user, the truth wouldn't matter—other villages would pounce on the excuse to launch a coalition against the Leaf.

The Third Hokage's mind raced. After the grueling Second Shinobi War, Konoha's forces were depleted, and the village desperately craved peace. Any sign of renewed conflict could shatter the fragile morale of its shinobi.

After a moment's deliberation, the Hokage turned to an ANBU operative and ordered:

"Go to the Uchiha compound and request Chief Fuma to join us. The Police Force is responsible for village security. They may have some intelligence that could shed light on this matter."

Secretly, the Hokage had another motive. He hoped that Fuma, with his notoriously combative personality, would be provoked by the Cloud's accusations and redirect the tension toward the Uchiha.

Not long after, Fuma arrived at the scene, carrying a large green ledger. The Cloud ninjas visibly tensed at his presence, their palms sweating ever so slightly.

"Uchiha Fuma," one thought, "a man as temperamental as he is powerful. Lord Raikage warned us to be cautious of him. The real challenge begins now."

The Third Hokage stepped forward and succinctly explained the situation. With a serious expression, he asked:

"Captain Fuma, this incident concerns village security. As the head of the Police Force, do you have any relevant information to share?"

Fuma smiled faintly and raised the ledger in his hand.

"This is our patrol record," he explained calmly. "When Lord Fugaku and Namikaze Minato brought their concerns to me a few days ago, I ordered the Police Force to operate on high alert."

"Every patrol during this period has been recorded and validated with sealing techniques to prevent tampering."

Handing the ledger to the Hokage, Fuma added:

"While the Police Force oversees general village security, individual clans are responsible for their own compounds. This includes the Hyuga clan. As for ANBU's role, they might have more relevant information on this matter."

The Hokage's face stiffened. Something about the Police Force's newfound diligence felt entirely out of character.

"Did the Uchiha anticipate the Cloud's schemes? Or have they been secretly safeguarding the village all along?"

Flipping through the patrol records, the Hokage found that each entry had indeed been sealed with chakra, the timestamps verifiable and indisputable. The records began the very day the Cloud delegation arrived in the village.

Caught in an awkward silence, the Hokage realized he couldn't shift the blame onto the Police Force.

Meanwhile, the Cloud Jonin stood straighter, his confidence bolstered by the visible tension between the Hokage and Fuma.

"So, Uchiha Fuma isn't stepping in to cover for the Hokage," the Jonin mused. "Lord Raikage was right—the fractures within Konoha run deep. Truly a leader worth following!"

The Cloud ninja's tone grew harsher as he demanded:

"The Cloud Village has lost one of its prized kekkei genkai users! This is an unforgivable offense. We expect a fair resolution, or we will be forced to respond accordingly."

His voice carried a chilling warning:

"Don't forget, Third Hokage—while Konoha may have deeper roots, the Cloud Village has two Jinchuriki ready for war. And let's not even mention our Raikage!"

The Third Hokage clenched his hands tightly, realizing the full extent of the trap they had walked into.

One thing remained unclear to the Hokage: why had the Cloud Village invested so heavily in this endeavor? What exactly were they trying to achieve?

A Magnet Release ninja was a rare and valuable asset to any village, capable of becoming a cornerstone of their legacy, a power that could be passed down and shared. Why then would the Cloud sacrifice such a treasure for a mission that seemed destined to fail?

Furthermore, the fallen Magnet Release ninja, Troy, was a high-ranking jonin. Why would someone of such prestige accept a suicide mission?

The Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who once succeeded Tobirama Senju as the Third Hokage, could not comprehend Troy's willingness to die for his village. From his position of power, he dismissed the notion outright.

Perhaps this was simply a shift in perspective brought about by his role as Hokage.

As Sarutobi remained silent, the tension grew. The Cloud ninjas grew visibly impatient, and so did Hyuga Tenno, head of the Hyuga clan.

For once, the usually composed clan leader let his anger show. His voice was sharp as he addressed the Third Hokage:

"Hokage-sama, if the Cloud wishes to provoke war, the Hyuga clan will gladly take the frontlines and bear the brunt of battle!"

The Cloud ninjas sneered, ready to retort, but Sarutobi cut them off with a commanding voice.

"Silence, Hyuga Tenno! Whether to wage war or not is not a decision for a clan leader to make."

Tenno's face flushed red with anger. As the leader of the Hyuga clan, it was rare for him to be publicly reprimanded. Yet he held his tongue, offering only a cold snort to express his displeasure.

He understood that in this delicate situation, turning against the Hokage would only leave the Hyuga clan isolated.

Sarutobi, however, was growing increasingly frustrated. His gaze turned cold as he silently cursed:

"Time and time again, I've invited the Hyuga clan to join the ANBU, even offering them opportunities for their branch members."

"Yet they've refused every single time. Now, when they face trouble, they want me, the Hokage, to mobilize the entire village to protect their interests?"

"No other village would tolerate such one-sided benefits."

As his eyes scanned the room, Sarutobi noticed an absence:

"Where is Danzo? He hasn't shown up for two months now... In a situation like this, his presence would have made things much easier. Now I don't even have someone to back me up."

Homura stood stiffly by the Hokage's side, pushing up his glasses repeatedly without uttering a word.

Sakumo gripped his newly forged blade tightly, his eyes fixed on the neck of the lead Cloud jonin, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Meanwhile, Fuma leaned casually against the wall, a faint smirk playing on his lips. If not for the tension in the room, he might have started whistling a tune.

Sarutobi sighed deeply, turning his gaze to the Cloud ninjas. His voice was low and measured:

"Since the unfortunate incident has already occurred, I trust the Cloud delegation is here to resolve matters rather than escalate them further. So, let us dispense with the pretense. State your demands."

The lead Cloud jonin locked eyes with the Hokage, his voice icy as he pointed to Tenno:

"We have lost our only Magnet Release user, Lord Troy, to the actions of the Hyuga clan. That is an undeniable fact. As compensation, Konoha must hand over a Kekkei Genkai."

"Our terms are simple: surrender the culprit who killed Lord Troy so that we may take him back to the Cloud and offer him as a blood sacrifice to appease his spirit."

The moment he finished speaking, Tenno activated his Byakugan. Veins bulged around his eyes as he unleashed a killing intent that filled the room.

"Dream on! The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan has remained secure for centuries. We will never hand it over to savages like you!"

"Your demand is nothing more than robbery, and we will never accept it!"

Fuma shook his head, barely suppressing a chuckle. If not for the serious nature of the meeting, he might have openly mocked Tenno's arrogance.

Although the Byakugan and Sharingan were famed across the ninja world, they weren't as rare as the Hyuga clan liked to believe. In the Warring States period, other powerful dojutsu, such as the Blood Dragon Eye and the Red Eye, rivaled or even countered these legendary powers.

The Uchiha clan, despite their Sharingan's exposure, relied on ruthless measures to ensure no enemies dared covet their eyes.

In contrast, the Hyuga clan's claims of an untouchable legacy rang hollow. Even a Mist jonin like Ao had managed to possess a Byakugan for decades without facing any real repercussions.

Predictably, Tenno's bold words did little to sway the room.

On one side stood the Hyuga clan, whose power peaked at elite jonin level. On the other, the Cloud Village, with a leader like the Third Raikage and two jinchuriki at their disposal. The choice seemed obvious.

Moreover, the Cloud's carefully orchestrated scheme offered Sarutobi a diplomatic exit, sparing Konoha from losing too much face.

The Hokage's aura grew heavier as his gaze bore into Tenno. His voice was sharp and unyielding:

"Hyuga Tenno, this is your last chance to explain. Did Hyuga Yen personally kill Lord Teroyin?"

Tenno's anger surged, but it was Hyuga Yen, a pampered heir of the main family, who finally cracked under the pressure.

Kneeling before the Hokage, tears streaming down his face, Hyuga Yen sobbed:

"Hokage-sama, I swear I never intended to harm the Cloud delegation! I did take the sword, but I don't know how it ended up striking Lord Troy!"

The room fell silent. Sarutobi's face darkened, as did Tenno's.

Tenno, furious at the humiliation, kicked Hyuga Yen aside and growled:

"Our clan's legacy has always been the Byakugan and our Gentle Fist technique. We've never sought out other Kekkei Genkai. This is common knowledge!"

"And today, on my birthday, these Cloud barbarians showed up uninvited. Does that not speak to their intentions?"

Sarutobi cast a glance at Tenno, his voice calm but firm:

"If war breaks out again, how many troops can your clan contribute? How much financial support can you offer to the village? How will you compensate the families of fallen shinobi?"

"No matter how you twist it, the Hyuga clan's internal failures have brought us to this point. The Cloud delegation came in peace, and trouble occurred in your territory. What more is there to argue?"

"Should all of Konoha be dragged into war for the sake of your clan's pride? Tell me, Hyuga Tenno, is Konoha a village for all its ninja, or is it merely a pawn of the Hyuga clan?"

"Think carefully before you answer me."

With his voice like a hammer, Sarutobi bore down on Hyuga Tenno, his presence suffocating.

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