Chapter 6: The Noble Yuto Hyuga

For the shinobis of the village, meeting the Hokage is not particularly difficult. Especially for someone like Yuto Hyuga, who has just completed a mission and returned to the village, reporting to the leader is a routine matter.

After being led into the Hokage's office by an Anbu wearing a dog-faced mask, Yuto kneeled on one knee and respectfully said, "Greetings, Hokage-sama!"

In the room, the fifty-year-old Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly turned around. He wore the Hokage's robe, held a pipe, and his hair was already white. He didn't look like a leader of a village; rather, he resembled a thin and short neighborly uncle. But Yuto knew that at this age, Hiruzen Sarutobi, as a shinobi, was at the tail end of his peak, with immense power. He was undoubtedly Konoha's strongest force at this time!

Sixteen years later, during Orochimaru's attack on the village, Hiruzen's body had already deteriorated. Even if he hadn't used the Reaper Death Seal, he wouldn't have lived for many days after the battle. As the Hokage, Hiruzen was not only powerful but also far wiser and more skillful than most. During his tenure, strong shinobi clans had consistently subdued and obeyed the will of the "shadow," while geniuses continually emerged in Konoha, leading to a prosperous village.

Praising him as a "hero" is not flattery.

"Yuto, stand up. No need to kneel," Hiruzen said, exhaling a ring of smoke and looking at the young man standing up.

"The barrier squad reported that they only detected your chakra."

"My deepest apologies, Hokage-sama," Yuto said, his handsome face showing evident pain. "Tetsuro Sugiura, Satou Masato, Reiro Yamagata, and Eiji Hirahara... all perished. The special assault reconnaissance team is down to just me."

"So, Tetsuro-kun is also gone," Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed softly.

"Yes, Tetsuro-senpai was surrounded and couldn't escape. Hokage-sama, this is the scroll."

Yuto handed over the cylinder.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took it, gently tapped it a few times to break the seal with a special secret sign, and then carefully read it. Throughout the process, Yuto kept his head down. He didn't peek, and even his fingers didn't move.

Estimating that Hiruzen had almost finished reading, Yuto began his well-rehearsed "mission report," which he had mentally prepared dozens of times:

"The first half of the mission went smoothly."

"We reached the Land of Hot Water and retrieved the intelligence from the agreed-upon cave, but we encountered problems on the way back."

"In the Land of Hot Water, we were ambushed by Kumo shinobi, and continuous attackers followed us as we moved toward the Fire Country border, defending ourselves as we went. We didn't expect an enemy Jonin to appear..."

What Yuto said was 99% true. Except for the crucial part where he ambushed Tetsuro Sugiura, he hid nothing, even detailing the locations where the Konoha shinobi died.

After this, the Anbu would clean up, and according to Yuto's description, they would retrieve the bodies of the fallen shinobi and conduct autopsies, reconstructing the events of that day based on their experience.

This is the rule and procedural justice; every shinobi village has similar tracking systems and can't simply trust the words of subordinates.

After Yuto finished speaking, seeing that Hiruzen remained silent, he obediently stood still.

Throughout, his gaze remained fixed on his toes.

"After you leave here, go to the Anbu to assist in the investigation," Hiruzen suddenly said. "As a Jonin, Tetsuro Sugiura's death must be recorded independently without any errors."

"Yes, Hokage-sama, I understand. I will cooperate with the Anbu."

"Good... As expected of the Jewel of the Hyuga, Yuto-kun. Though you are young, you handle matters with the maturity of an adult," Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and handed the scroll to Yuto Hyuga. "Take a look. As a learned member of the Hyuga clan, you should understand."

The handsome boy nodded, understanding the value of this intelligence after just a few glances. "The price of grain in the Land of Lightning is continuously rising... Are they preparing for war?"

"Yes, the war-hungry Kumo shinobi are about to stir up trouble again."

"Victory will belong to Konoha," Yuto said respectfully, chanting the slogan loudly.

Hiruzen chuckled. He wouldn't discuss such matters of national war with a twelve-year-old Hyuga branch member; he merely used this intelligence to lead into the topic:

"The value of this scroll is significant, not only exposing Kumogakure's war intentions but also revealing a few supply lines. Kumogakure will have a headache now, knowing we are aware of the locations. They will need time and effort to re-establish supply routes."

"Not only that, you killed several enemy shinobi during the mission, including a Jonin."

"Including Tetsuro-kun, all members of the team except you are dead. Konoha will deliver their pensions to their families, but the credit will all fall on you."

"Since becoming a Genin, you have completed ninety-two missions, five of which were high-risk A-rank missions, all perfectly accomplished."

"With this mission... well, you have accumulated significant merit."

"Go to the Anbu, Yuto Hyuga. I will give you special permission to enter. One of the Anbu captains under my command is aging. You still have time to grow."

If it were an ordinary Konoha shinobi, they would undoubtedly be overwhelmed with excitement. The Anbu is the Hokage's personal army, and all the captains are Hiruzen Sarutobi's confidants. Climbing to the captain's position would mean leaping into Konoha's middle and upper echelons!

However, Yuto merely kept his head down and responded without hesitation, "I apologize, Hokage-sama. I haven't thought thoroughly about the reward yet... May I have a few days to consider?"

Hiruzen didn't respond immediately. He exhaled a puff of smoke, filling the room with the spicy and peculiar scent of white smoke. The fifty-year-old Hiruzen felt a surge of displeasure.

—Are the rules of the Hyuga clan more significant than those of the village?

As the Hokage of Konoha, he naturally knew that upon returning to the village, Yuto Hyuga first went to the Hyuga clan's grounds. Although discreet, this small act did not escape him.

Did Hiashi Hyuga instruct you to respond this way? Stalling for time to seek a reward that best benefits the Hyuga clan, Hiruzen sighed inwardly.

The village's interests and authority must override all shinobi clans, including the Hyuga and Uchiha... The journey is still long.

Nonetheless, as the "Professor," Hiruzen Sarutobi did not lose his composure. He was not so petty as to take out his frustration on a twelve-year-old Hyuga branch child.

"Alright, you can take your time," Hiruzen said calmly. "But, Yuto-kun, you must give me an idea of what kind of reward you want."

Upon hearing this, Yuto's heart tightened.

Here it is! Finally, the moment he had been waiting for!

There was no need to give a grandiose reply or express any resentment towards the Hyuga clan or the Caged Bird Seal. In his response, he only needed to show a hint of a certain "quality." Based on his identity, Hiruzen Sarutobi would certainly make a big deal out of it, allowing Yuto to proceed with his next step.

Emotions... Actions... Words... Everything had to be adjusted perfectly.

In the quiet Hokage's office, Yuto Hyuga remained silent for a moment.

Then, he looked up for the first time, revealing his snow-white eyes.

With a gentle, firm voice, tinged with a bit of the unique shyness and hesitation of a young boy, he said, "Hokage-sama... I was thinking, if the reward you give me could make everyone in the village happy, that would be wonderful."

(End of chapter)