Coalitions and Clans: Shaping Konoha's Future

A while later, as Hikari made his way back to the Hyuga clan residence, crossing the famous Naka River once again, his presence alongside his Hyuga entourage drew curious and stunned glances from the villagers and passing shinobi of Konoha the same as the last time.

Their visit to the Gekko clan had been a significant step forward, and in the coming days, their plan to solidify a coalition and its next steps with other smaller clans was set to unfold.

The sight of him walking with Sakumo earlier with his entourage, and their identities appearing so intimately, also given the swirl of rumors and Sakumo's recent reclusiveness, had undoubtedly sparked a wave of whispers and speculation throughout the village.

As he navigated through the streets of the village, Hikari was acutely aware of the ripples their actions were creating now, especially in the eyes of the Hokage's faction leadership. 

His thoughts returned to the successful discussion they had with the patriarch of the Gekko clan. The Gekko clan leader, like many leaders of the smaller clans in Konoha, possessed the strength akin to a standard Jonin only.

However, the agreement they reached successfully and quickly was a pivotal one: the formation of a new, albeit unofficial, faction within Konoha.

This faction, led by Sakumo Hatake, would serve as a collective of the smaller clans, banding together to amplify their voice and influence within the village.

The Hyuga clan, through Hikari, would extend its support to this new faction, bringing along allies like the Aburame and Inuzuka clans. 

The plan was for Hikari and Sakumo to act as the unofficial representatives of this burgeoning alliance, bridging the gap between the smaller clans and the more prominent families like the Hyuga.

The next crucial step involved reaching out to the Uchiha clan, a move that held the potential to truly cement the new coalition's strength and influence.

Hikari and Sakumo intended to approach the Uchiha clan once the smaller clan faction was firmly established, hoping to secure their participation and identify a representative who would represent their interests within this new alliance too.

However, this matter regarding the Uchiha clan would instead have to be done in secret instead, in order to be able to launch that 'surprise attack' during the next Jonin Council meeting successfully, unlike the other steps that he and Sakumo did relatively openly. 

In their alliance with the Gekko clan, Hikari personally and the Hyuga clan extended their support beyond mere political maneuvering into the commercial realm as well. And that would be also offered to the other smaller clans in the following days.

In Hikari and other Hyuga Elders' opinions, it was a very simple process in nature, the stronger those smaller clans got, the stronger the Hyuga clan got too both were allies. 

Recognizing the importance of economic strength in bolstering the clan's overall power and independence, they committed to providing the Gekko clan with a wealth of resources.

This support included sharing innovative business strategies, offering financial assistance through loans and investments, and facilitating new business opportunities to enhance the Gekko clan's standing in Konoha's competitive commercial landscape.

The target of these efforts was to counterbalance the influence wielded by the Hokage's faction in the economic sector, particularly the Homura and Mitokado clans, which not only led the commercial interests of the Hokage's faction but also held the biggest quantity of the significant low and mid-level administrative positions within the village governance overall.

By empowering the Gekko clan and other smaller clans economically, Hikari aimed to create a more leveled playing field, reducing the disproportionate influence of the Hokage's faction over Konoha's commercial and political arenas, allowing those smaller clans to fight for what they already lost in the past to that same monstrous faction that swallowed nearly all of Konoha. However, while the commercial support provided a tangible means of strengthening, navigating the village's administrative hierarchy posed a more formidable challenge for now.

The entrenched positions of power within the Hokage's administration were difficult to contest directly. However, the strategy to elect Sakumo Hatake as the new Jonin Commander represented a critical step towards penetrating the administrative stronghold.

Hikari's contemplative journey came to a pause as he eventually arrived at the entrance of the Hyuga clan's compound. The familiar sight of the towering gates and the guards stationed at the entrance brought a moment of transition, from the strategic musings of his mind back to the present reality. Stepping through the gates, Hikari was greeted with the respectful nods of the clan members, a subtle acknowledgment of his ever-rising status.

***

A few days later, standing on the grand terrace of the Hyuga Patriarch's estate, Hikari and the Patriarch shared a moment of strategic contemplation, "So, almost all the small clans are with us now? But we're keeping Sakumo-san's candidacy quiet until just before the Jonin Council meeting?", Hikari sought confirmation, absorbing the updates from the Patriarch.

"Yes, the Hokage is starting to worry about our actions, but I doubt he can grasp the full scope of our strategy in time...", The Patriarch responded, a hint of satisfaction in his voice and pride almost written on his face as he looked at Hikari who was much shorter than him.

"Indeed, who would've imagined the Hyuga and Uchiha coming together like this? It's almost unheard of, given our usual low profile and the Uchiha's known pride and isolation...", Hikari added with a light smile.

"Ha, Hiruzen will be in for quite the shock when he realizes what he's missed and sees that there are still those in the village ready to stand up against his faction. But Hikari-kun, we owe a lot of this breakthrough to your close relationship with Sakumo and your innovative thinking and planning regarding this entire matter in general...", The Patriarch acknowledged, appreciation evident in his tone.

"Don't give me all the credit, Patriarch-sama. This plan is unfolding smoothly mainly because of our clan's resources and the full support of the Hyuga Council. This time, it was also the clan that managed to reach out to the Uchiha, in such a covert kind of manner, not me...",

Hikari humbly deflected, acknowledging the collective effort behind their strategic moves.

And as he mentioned the Hyuga clan's outreach and collaboration with the Uchiha, his gaze naturally drifted toward the Uchiha compound that was quite visible from their current place.

Situated across the Naka River, from where the Hyuga Compound was, it stood prominently and was of similar size as the Hyuga Clan compound or now defunct Senju Clan compound.

Unlike the more secluded Hyuga estate, the Uchiha's grounds were slightly closer to the heart of the village, adjacent to the Konoha Police Force Headquarters which they oversaw.

Beyond the Uchiha compound, the Hokage's Building loomed, a central hub for Konoha's administrative operations housing most of the civilian administrative departments. To the right of this horizontal residential and political panorama, the majestic Hokage Rock stood.

However, Hikari was well aware of why the Hyuga clan was positioned on the outskirts of Konoha, further away from the Uchiha clan, and right on its borders.

It was all intrinsically linked to the critical role the Hyuga played in village security through the "Hyuga Border Surveillance Division."

This division, while not as large as the Police Force run by the Uchiha, was also very vital for Konoha's defense and intelligence.

The main building of the organization was similarly adjacent to the Hyuga living area as well.

Through that organization, the Hyuga clan leveraged their Byakugan's unique capabilities to serve as Konoha's eyes, monitoring for any threats or unusual activities around the village's perimeter.

This division wasn't just about keeping an eye out; it was an integral part of Konoha's early warning system, alerting the village to potential dangers before they could even escalate.

Their responsibilities also included conducting reconnaissance missions, outside of Konoha, to gather intelligence on potential threats, ensuring Konoha remained ahead of any potential adversaries.

Moreover, the division worked in close coordination with both the ANBU, for covert operations, and the Military Police, contributing to a layered defense strategy that protected Konoha from both external threats and internal issues.

Hikari admired how seamlessly the Hyuga clan had woven their unique strengths into the fabric of Konoha's defense, marking them as an indispensable part of the village's interests.

The Border Surveillance Division was primarily staffed by Byakugan users who specialized in long-distance vision and it was therefore obviously predominantly comprised of more supporting-like Side Branch members.

Despite this, the head of the division was still nominally the Patriarch himself, a member of the Main Branch. Hikari himself had never visited the division. His Lineage, traditionally, did not play a part in its management. 

The Patriarch, looking thoughtful, turned to Hikari and began, "Ah yes, there's something else we need to talk about, about the Uchiha clan now that you brought them up. Once we're all through with the secret voting for the Jonin Council, we're going to try and elevate our relationship and start communicating more openly in the future, after all, we aren't breaking any laws, and this seems to be truly necessary after I thought about it some more recently...",

"You know, sending letters back and forth or using other more covert ways to chat isn't that great. It's hard to get our points across that way, it's isn't a very precise and efficient format as a human-to-human interaction could be, especially if you are responsible for that part."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "So, as the guy in charge of making alliances for our clan, you'll start meeting with someone from the Uchiha clan with also a similar role probably as soon as possible to improve our overall communication and information flow.",

"This is to help us start getting along better and make sure this new alliance we have goes smoothly from now in continuity. After all, we haven't been close to the Uchiha before, in fact, our relations were quite cool, so it's a big step for both of us if we want to succeed.",

His voice carried a sense of importance, underlining the critical nature of Hikari's upcoming role in nurturing the fragile alliance with the Uchiha clan as soon as the voting there finished.