**Chapter 163: A Cry for Help**

The nobles were in chaos. 

In the face of death, everyone is equal.

Now, it was their turn to face death. They were terrified, panicking, screaming…

They were even worse than ordinary people.

"Enough!"

The daimyo (feudal lord) couldn't hold it in any longer and shouted, "What's the point of you all arguing? Wouldn't it be better to come up with a plan?"

A plan?

What kind of plan could there be? 

A bunch of decaying nobles trying to deal with the rising stars of the shinobi world—could that really be an easy task?

It wasn't a fair fight at all! 

One noble shouted, "Konoha! We have to ask Konoha!"

"Yes, yes!"

"Let the ninjas fight ninjas!"

"We are nobles; we aren't good at combat!"

"That's what the ninjas are for, and that's Konoha's responsibility!"

Listening to the nobles' shouting, the daimyo felt stifled.

In truth, he wasn't satisfied just managing finances. He also wanted to have control over the ninjas, so for years, he had been secretly gathering his own group of them.

At this moment, he did have a small force of ninjas.

But he couldn't use them. 

They were for his last line of defense.

Of course, he also didn't dare offend so many nobles.

Since he was part of this circle, he had to follow the rules of this circle.

Unless, of course, he had absolute power to break free from it.

A thought suddenly flashed through the daimyo's mind: Uchiha Itsuki—his actions were so reckless. Could it be that he already had the strength to break free from this circle?

…

*Konoha!*

Sarutobi Hiruzen was still in power.

This was the era of the Third Hokage! 

Sometimes, even Itsuki, who had read the original story, couldn't understand what Sarutobi Hiruzen was thinking.

Several times, he had clearly decided to step down, but at the critical moment, he backed out.

Konoha still only had him as the Hokage.

It's not like there were no successors!

Jiraiya had stayed in Konoha for a long time.

And also, Tsunade! 

Itsuki knew how to find her. So, do you mean to tell me Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't find her?

Couldn't he?

Both Jiraiya and Tsunade were more than capable of becoming the Fifth Hokage, yet neither did.

In the end, it was all about not wanting to let go of power.

But!

Even if he didn't want to let go, others were not happy about it.

Under the leadership of Nara Shikaku, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio formally split off and established a rival faction.

Originally, Sarutobi Hiruzen planned to use force to take control of Konoha.

But first, Itsuki caused trouble, and later, Jiraiya returned, giving Nara Shikaku more time.

With the full support of the Ino-Shika-Cho, even Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo Shimura didn't dare act rashly.

After all!

There was still Uchiha Itsuki outside the village, and both Kumogakure and Iwagakure were eyeing them hungrily.

If internal conflict erupted, external enemies would certainly take advantage.

Konoha was now divided into three factions.

The first and strongest was the Hokage faction led by Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The second was the Ino-Shika-Cho faction, with the Aburame clan and the Inuzuka clan subtly supporting them.

The third was the neutral faction, who didn't care who became Hokage.

This faction was led by the Hyuga clan.

Yes! 

Once second only to the Uchiha, the Hyuga clan had now fallen to the bottom of Konoha's power struggle.

In the Hyuga clan's meeting room, Hyuga Hiashi sat quietly, surrounded by clan elders who were angrily arguing and slamming their fists on the table from time to time.

Hyuga Hiashi was used to it, his expression calm.

They argued every day.

At first, he would shout back a few times or try to mediate.

But eventually, he became numb.

What was the point?

Other than hearing it themselves, no one outside cared.

"Clan leader, why aren't you saying anything?" 

One elder shouted angrily, "Aren't you furious about Jinichi and the others betraying us?"

"I'm very angry!" Hyuga Hiashi nodded indifferently.

His calm demeanor only made the elders even more dissatisfied.

"Hiashi, as the clan leader, you must take responsibility for Jinichi and the others betraying the clan."

"I'll take responsibility!" Hiashi nodded again.

"You—"

*Bang!*

Suddenly, Hiashi flipped the table in front of him.

If the two elders hadn't jumped back quickly, they would have been crushed by it.

"Hiashi, what are you doing?"

One elder's voice trembled with both anger and fear.

"All you do is argue, day in and day out!"

Hiashi roared, "Is arguing going to help? Do you even realize what time it is, and you're still arguing?"

His outburst was so unexpected that the elders were stunned.

Hiashi had always been a well-mannered, obedient, and agreeable clan leader, exactly the kind the elders liked.

They had never imagined that Hiashi could lose his temper like this—let alone flip a table!

The elders' momentum faltered.

One of them cautiously asked, "What do you mean, 'what time'?"

"It's the time when the Hyuga clan could face extermination!"

"No way, absolutely no way!"

As soon as Hiashi said this, the elders shook their heads in denial.

"Hiashi, do you even realize what you're saying? We are the ancient Hyuga clan!"

Hiashi coldly replied, "Why did the Uchiha flee? If they hadn't fled, they might have been wiped out too. Do you think the Hyuga are stronger than them?"

"We…"

"Don't say anything foolish! You'll just make people laugh."

Hiashi's voice was cold as he said, "This is a matter of life and death for the Hyuga clan. Who here dares to spout nonsense?"

The elder blushed and fell silent.

The truth was, the Hyuga clan had about the same number of jounin as the Uchiha, but their strength was much weaker.

Two Hyuga couldn't even defeat one Uchiha!

"The Hyuga clan no longer has an advantage!" Hiashi said earnestly. "Our prized Byakugan is no longer unique. Even the Village Hidden in the Fire has it now—do you understand?"

The secret that the Hyuga's Byakugan had leaked was no longer a mystery.

The shinobi world already knew.

The Hyuga had confirmed that many of their clan members, previously thought dead, had appeared in the Village Hidden in the Fire.

Over thirty of them.

What did that mean? 

It meant the Village Hidden in the Fire had its own Hyuga clan!

Given a few decades to develop, they might surpass Konoha's Hyuga and become a large shinobi clan.

"Especially because!"

Hiashi lowered his voice, "They even have members of the main branch!"

Fear flickered in the elders' eyes.

The defection of branch members was worrisome.

But it was the main branch's betrayal that would seal their fate.

Though the branch family had broken the curse of the Caged Bird, they didn't know many of the Hyuga clan's secret techniques.

They weren't even sure if the defectors' Byakugan had retained its full power.

But the main branch was different!

The main branch was the true heir to the Hyuga legacy.

If the Village Hidden in the Fire had even one main branch member, it meant they could build a complete Hyuga clan.

Hiashi said coldly, "I remember that Hyuga Ryumaru is an exceptionally talented young man. He's learned almost all of the main branch's techniques. Even if he hasn't mastered them, he must have memorized them."

"Kill him!"

"We must kill him!"

The elders shouted in panic, "We are the Hyuga clan, the one and only!"

"So stop arguing!" Hiashi said, trying to reason with them. "What we need to do now is eliminate the Hyuga in the Village Hidden in the Fire!"

"Hiashi, do you have a plan?"

The elders looked at him with hope in their eyes.

"I do!"

A cold glint flashed across Hiashi's face as he said, "I heard the daimyo has already asked Konoha for help. The Village Hidden in the Fire is attacking them..."

The Village Hidden in the Fire wants the Byakugan, the Hyuga's legacy. But can they really bite off more than they can chew? 

(End of Chapter)