"No matter what, given Konoha's current internal and external situation, the war has reached a point where it must be brought to an end. Therefore, any obstacle that interferes with this goal must be removed."
Although his voice was calm, the Third Hokage's words carried a faint trace of helplessness.
"Although Kumogakure's attempt to seize the Hyūga clan's Byakugan was an extremely serious incident, compared to the overall course of the war, we simply cannot pursue their responsibility at this time."
From Konoha's standpoint, this was a rational and correct judgment.
From the Hyūga clan's perspective, however, it was anything but.
After all, the Hyūga were the victims.
Yes, because the response had been swift, the clan had not lost the Byakugan a second time. But consider the implications carefully—if Kumogakure had successfully abducted Hyūga Hinata last night, Konoha would very likely still have chosen this same course of "silent acceptance."
And that—
That was terrifying.
Would the Hyūga not reach that conclusion on their own?
They weren't fools.
If that line were crossed, the Hyūga might very well have followed the same path the Uchiha were now walking.
"As Hokage, judging from the current situation, this approach may indeed be the most appropriate decision," Hagoromo said calmly. "But that doesn't mean there's no problem with it."
"So-called superior–subordinate relationships aren't absolute domination. They're simply a division of responsibility and obligation. No matter how you look at it, the Hyūga have fulfilled everything expected of them as Konoha's shinobi. They've been exemplary."
"But the village hasn't fully shouldered what it owes them."
A leader of a village—or a nation—had to possess the resolve to bear what their subordinates endured.
Even criminal organizations understood this: if a subordinate was bullied, the boss was responsible for reclaiming honor.
When forced into a corner, mutual destruction might be foolish.
But swallowing humiliation carried its own costs—often greater ones.
The Hokage could not control hearts.
And when hearts were lost, fragmentation followed.
Fortunately, the Hyūga were loyal to the core. And this time, they had only been frightened—not truly harmed. Swallowing the grievance was still possible.
Otherwise—
Konoha might have faced a joint rebellion of both the Uchiha and the Hyūga.
The Third Hokage truly carried a heavy burden.
Konoha's problems were numerous: the loss of top-tier combat power, the instability of the Uchiha, and more—each one weakening the village as a whole.
But on the other hand, Kumogakure's situation wasn't any better.
From Hagoromo's point of view, if negotiations failed, then so be it. Let the stalemate continue and see which side collapsed first.
Of course, Hiruzen understood all of this.
As Hokage, he had long since considered these issues—and far more deeply than Hagoromo, who spoke from the perspective of an outsider.
Hagoromo was, at heart, a lone operator.
In some matters, his thinking leaned too emotional.
When it came to governing a village, the Third Hokage outclassed him by miles.
"The Hyūga did suffer greatly from this incident," Hiruzen said. "The village leadership has already decided to compensate them."
Emotional loss would be offset with material favor.
In the coming period, village resources would naturally tilt toward the Hyūga. It wouldn't erase the grievance, but it would help soothe it.
Besides—
The resources originally meant for the Uchiha couldn't be allocated to them anymore anyway.
Tear down the east wall to patch the west one.
Standing in the cherry blossom grove, the Hokage's expression barely changed—but his anxiety was real. Unconsciously, he lit his pipe again and placed it between his lips.
He decided it was time to get to the real matter.
"You were summoned back to Konoha because the Uchiha situation has reached a critical point," Hiruzen said gravely.
"According to joint intelligence from ANBU and Root, they are indeed preparing for rebellion."
At this stage, the Uchiha uprising was no longer speculation—it was practically confirmed.
That was why Hagoromo had been recalled.
Why had the Uchiha turned away from Konoha?
Forced integration with their mortal enemies, the Senju, at the village's founding?
The Second Hokage's shadowed policies?
Danzō Shimura—the true disciple of Tobirama?
Or the lingering ambition of the so-called cursed clan?
At this point, the reasons no longer mattered.
What mattered was how to respond.
Konoha's ability to "digest" power was truly frightening.
The two strongest clans from before the village era—the Senju and the Uchiha—had both been swallowed whole.
Not even bones remained.
"Has your training in Shikkotsu Forest borne fruit?" Hiruzen asked.
Hagoromo had not fought personally in a long time.
But even judging by his strength five years ago, he possessed overwhelming suppression power.
And since then, he could only have grown stronger.
He was still only twenty.
"More or less," Hagoromo replied. "The time wasn't wasted."
Five years had been enough for him to wield his own form of Sage Mode—one distinct from others.
"That's good," Hiruzen said.
"The moment you returned, the Uchiha undoubtedly received the news. A new deterrent may force them to reconsider their actions."
"The time we gain—hopefully, we can find the correct solution."
Even now, the Third Hokage still hadn't given up on resolving the Uchiha issue without bloodshed.
There was a simple solution—allow the Uchiha to secede and form their own state.
But Konoha would never accept that.
In situations like this, Danzō's thinking was brutally straightforward:
The Sharingan either remained in Konoha—or it was destroyed entirely.
The logic was identical to Hagoromo's demolition work in Rōran.
"Even with me back, will it really matter?" Hagoromo said.
"Given Uchiha pride… Shisui alone is more than enough to handle me."
The Uchiha currently possessed two Mangekyō Sharingan—
Uchiha Shisui, the Body Flicker.
And Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head.
This was precisely why Hagoromo had rushed to seal the Nine-Tails the moment he returned.
If rebellion broke out, the Uchiha would have no reason not to target Kurama.
In that sense, Hagoromo and the Uchiha were natural enemies.
For the second time.
The Hokage didn't agree with Hagoromo's assessment.
In fact, Hagoromo severely underestimated his own deterrence.
Among those who truly understood the Kumogakure incident years ago, Hagoromo wasn't seen as merely powerful—
He was viewed as a genuine madman.
At that time, he had charged into Kumogakure severely injured and missing an arm. No one believed he would survive.
Yet not only did he return alive—
He had completely liberated the Eight-Tails.
Madness, paired with cold execution, backed by sufficient strength—
That combination was terrifying.
"Shisui… isn't someone you need to worry about," Hiruzen said.
Indeed.
Shisui stood on the village's side.
Hagoromo had already guessed as much and didn't pursue the topic.
"Where's Jiraiya?" he asked instead.
"At a time like this, he should've returned."
Mobilizing all available high-end combat power was the obvious move.
If one of The Three Sannin(Legendary Sannin)—Jiraiya—returned to the village, the Uchiha would almost certainly reconsider rebellion.
Unfortunately, Hiruzen couldn't reach him.
Jiraiya was tracking Orochimaru.
And Orochimaru's talent for hiding was absurdly high—making Jiraiya just as elusive.
Unreliable meant unreliable.
The Hokage had no choice but to give up on him.
"Your task, for now, is to keep the Uchiha under close watch," Hiruzen said.
Then, suddenly, he added—
"Until further instructions, you must remain restrained."
He had just realized something.
Hagoromo also harbored hostility toward the Uchiha.
"Don't worry," Hagoromo said with a smile.
"I have no interest in destroying the Uchiha. I'll follow your orders."
"But I'll need a bit of autonomy."
…He lied.
In truth, he wasn't entirely uninterested in wiping them out.
He had some intention.
And he would only restrain himself when restraint was necessary.
When it wasn't—
He wouldn't hold back at all.
If anything—
When the time came, the Third Hokage might need to keep a closer eye on Hagoromo than on the Uchiha themselves.
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