Chapter 30: There Are No Rivals Ahead of Us!
"The Cloud Village's abduction of Hinata is simply an attempt to acquire the Byakugan from the Hyuga clan for research."
"I even suspect that this celebratory event is part of their plan."
"Even the ninja envoy leader they sent is a swift release one."
"If you think from this perspective, you can guess their intentions."
"They are using this opportunity to force the Hyuga clan to hand over the Byakugan, but they have always valued the secrecy of the Byakugan, even creating a divide between the main and branch families."
"Especially when Hizashi comes out to see Neji for the last time; while being a ninja, he is also a father."
"Lord Hokage, separation is always a depressing matter, whether it's death or distance, so at that moment, Hizashi's gaze at Neji betrayed him."
Haru spoke all at once, presenting the lines he had prepared.
However, he had turned the concrete details from the anime into his own conjecture.
This kind of realistic lie is often the most difficult to unravel.
Because he had not lied from beginning to end, but narrated a bloody truth.
To Sarutobi Hiruzen, Haru's speculation showcased his reasoning ability.
It was important to note that only a few people knew about the events of that day, as well as the pressure from the Cloud Village, and none of them would have revealed the details to Haru.
In fact, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not think Hizashi was someone who would gossip.
Rather, he had asked such a question to hear Haru say this.
Moreover, Haru did not recount what happened that day, as if they had an unspoken understanding.
With the power of Hashirama Senju, combined with the intellect of Tobirama Senju,
Haru's growth was only a matter of time.
What he needed to do was guide him onto the right path and inherit the Will of Fire.
Not become someone like Orochimaru or Danzo.
"Lord Hokage."
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen lost in thought, Haru spoke again.
"Hmm?"
"You really…" Haru deliberately paused, glancing toward Koharu and Homura as if hinting at something.
Realizing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen gestured for Koharu and Homura to head back first.
Although Koharu and Homura were dissatisfied with Hiruzen's instruction, they had no choice but to comply due to his status as Hokage.
However…
This did not mean they wouldn't learn about the conversation between Haru and Hiruzen.
"Go ahead."
"Do you really support sacrificing the Hyuga clan?" Haru struck straight at the core.
He was well aware that without Sarutobi Hiruzen's tacit approval, the Hyuga main family would never sacrifice Hizashi.
Earlier, he had not aimed the spear at him; he had merely given him face.
Looking at Haru, Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly grasped this point.
"After I said those things?"
Seeing Hiruzen remain silent, Haru pressed on.
Currently, he had no qualms about Sarutobi Hiruzen, nor did he fear the higher-ups of Konoha behind him.
In fact, this was also the reason Haru chose to unleash the Advent of the Tree World instead of releasing his full chakra, preserving his strength.
Because there was no need!
With chakra at the level of Hashirama Senju, plus the Wood Release that belonged to him,
in this period of the ninja world, the Akatsuki organization was understaffed, Orochimaru had not yet perfected the Rebirth technique, and Kabuto was still unable to use the Edo Tensei.
Not to mention Obito had no Tailed Beasts at hand.
To put it frankly, right now, he could definitely proclaim,
There are no rivals ahead of him!
This was the real reason he chose to unleash the Advent of the Tree World to inform the Konoha higher-ups.
'I can use Wood Release', the Cloud Village is not worth mentioning; we should retaliate!
That way, they won't dare to return!
The Will of Fire, ever radiant and unyielding!
Moreover, do you Konoha higher-ups think this is all my power, my peak?
If you think so, then let me tell you are mistaken!
My biggest trump card, my peak strength, will always be the rewards obtained from the next system task!
Even if the tasks occur once a year, before the story of Naruto officially begins, I still have six or seven chances to sign-in!
There's truly nothing to fear.
If communication fails, then just defeat them! Smash them!
Of course, Haru was not someone who idolized violence; if Sarutobi Hiruzen was willing to sit down, listen to his suggestions, and then implement them, it would save him a lot of effort.
Sarutobi Hiruzen gazed at Haru, noticing that his eyes showed no signs of flinching but instead were resolute.
It had been a long time since he had seen such determination in someone.
Although on the surface, Sarutobi Hiruzen remained expressionless, internally, he was shocked by Haru's thinking.
Before this, Sarutobi Hiruzen had always thought that Uchiha Itachi was the only rare genius with a Hokage-like mindset.
But he never expected Haru to be equally remarkable.
It was just that Uchiha Itachi was closer to the First Hokage, while Haru leaned towards the Second.
"Haru."
After a long silence, Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly spoke, "You should know that this matter is not as simple as you think. Perhaps your Wood Release technique is impressive, but the conflict between Konoha and the Cloud Village could very well escalate into war."
"This is not just one person…"
Seeing this, Haru directly interrupted him. "I understand, Lord Hokage, do you know how I've spent these past five years?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent.
"I have been studying the history of the ninja world and various texts. In one of the books, I came across this strategy."
"Northward Expedition."
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "???"
"To shift internal conflicts through external struggles."
Haru paused, not giving Sarutobi Hiruzen the chance to question him. "Now the Uchiha clan is growing stronger and acting arrogantly. If we continue to let it go, they may become a problem for the village."
"So I think, why not take this opportunity to let them go to war with the Cloud Village? If they refuse, we can take this chance to strip them of their duties and detain them."
"Conversely, we can not only retaliate against the Cloud Village but also weaken the Uchiha clan's power and stabilize the village's balance."
"The most crucial thing is that they will be fighting for the village. Such a battle will not only earn the villagers' respect for them but also help them find a sense of belonging."
Haru finished speaking and clearly saw the changes in Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression from initial surprise to astonishment, ultimately leading to him standing there in a daze.
Protecting the Hyuga clan, attacking the Cloud Village, and weakening the Uchiha clan.
In such a simple manner, it was a strategy that killed three birds with one stone!
This truly is…
The Haru I know?
This is simply like he has transformed into another person…