The following day, a secret and low-key handover took place in a special isolation ward at the Konoha Hospital.
Several Hyuga Branch Family members who had fallen unconscious were escorted by a squad of Anbu Ninja and handed over to the solemn-faced Hyuga Hiashi. Accompanying them was an ANBU Captain directly subordinate to the Hokage.
"Hiashi-sama," the ANBU Captain said, his respectful tone tinged with a subtle awkwardness.
"While we were clearing out... the abandoned facilities left by Danzo, we discovered these members of the Hyuga Clan. They appear to have suffered some form of Mental Restraint and Chakra Extraction, but their vital signs are stable. The Medical Team is working hard to treat them and release the Seals."
Hiashi looked at the pale faces of his clansmen; a flash of anger crossed his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. After carefully examining their condition and confirming they were only weak but had no fatal injuries, he spoke in a deep voice.
"Thank you, Sandaime, and thank you all."
"Furthermore," the ANBU Captain continued, handing over a Scroll.
"This is a Letter of Apology jointly signed by the Hokage-sama and the Elders and Advisors. The Konoha Leadership expresses deep regret for the misfortune suffered by your clan members. Upon investigation, this incident was caused by the personal uncontrolled actions of the late Elder Danzo Shimura, who acted unilaterally due to his extremist ideology. Konoha will take this as a warning, reorganize internal discipline, and promises to provide appropriate compensation to the Hyuga Clan."
These words shifted all the blame onto the deceased Danzo, effectively giving the Hyuga Clan a resolution.
Hiashi accepted the Scroll expressionlessly, but his heart felt cold. Personal actions? Uncontrolled? He was all too familiar with this kind of official rhetoric.
Danzo was certainly the chief culprit, but was the Konoha Leadership truly completely unaware? Now that he was dead, he was conveniently used to bear all the blame and maintain superficial stability.
"On behalf of the Hyuga Clan, I accept the Village's apology and resolution," Hiashi said, his voice betraying no emotion. "I hope such incidents will not happen again."
The ANBU Captain breathed a sigh of relief; the mission was largely complete. He paused, seeming hesitant, but finally spoke.
"Finally... Hokage-sama asked me to inquire, how has Young Miss Hinata been recently? Is she within the Clan Compound? Hokage-sama has a matter he wishes to consult Young Miss Hinata about."
Hiashi's heart sank abruptly.
Asking about Hinata's whereabouts? Did something happen to Hinata? Why was the Sandaime asking about her?
He replied calmly, "My daughter is currently cultivating quietly at home and has not gone out. I will relay Hokage-sama's inquiry to her."
After seeing the Anbu group off, Hiashi stood outside the ward, watching his clansmen receiving treatment inside, his brow tightly furrowed. He needed to see his daughter.
Hyuga Hiashi returned to the Clan Compound, his steps steady but carrying a subtle urgency, and walked straight toward Hinata's Courtyard. He waved away the clansmen who greeted him along the way, his gaze sharp.
Inside the Courtyard, Hinata had just finished guiding Hanabi through the Ending Posture of the Gentle Fist. Seeing Hiashi arrive, she turned around.
Hanabi sensed the change in atmosphere and obediently stood aside.
Hiashi did not beat around the bush and immediately dropped the bombshell.
"The Village found the missing clansmen; Danzo was responsible. The Anbu just returned them and informed me that Danzo Shimura is dead."
He stared intently at Hinata, watching for any subtle change in her expression.
Hinata's reaction was calm.
"Since the true culprit has been identified and is already dead, and the clansmen are safe, does this mean the matter is concluded?"
This answer caused Hiashi's heart to sink completely.
He lowered his voice: "The Anbu said they found the people in Danzo's abandoned facilities, but the Sandaime specifically asked about your whereabouts, saying he wanted to consult you on a matter. Hinata, tell me the truth, did you leave the compound at some point? How involved were you in Danzo's death?"
Facing her father's almost interrogative gaze, Hinata did not flinch and answered his question directly.
"I did go. Danzo sent people to capture my clansmen, so naturally, I went looking for him. However, the person who killed him in the end was not me, but Uchiha Sasuke."
Her words were concise and direct, without any embellishment, yet they exploded in Hiashi's ears like thunder.
Although he had already suspected it, hearing his daughter admit it so casually still made Hiashi feel dizzy and incredulous.
"You... do you know what this means?!"
"Danzo was a Konoha Elder, and his influence runs deep. Even though he's dead, those 'Root' hidden in the shadows will target you, and what about the Village Leadership? How will they view you? You've put yourself right in the eye of the storm!"
Hiashi's expression shifted: shock, fear, worry... The fear was that his daughter had disobeyed him, run off on her own, and confronted that insidious and cunning Danzo. This time the outcome was good, but what if Hinata had... Hiashi didn't dare to continue the thought.
Ultimately, Hiashi's complex emotions coalesced into a complicated sigh, but when he looked up again, his gaze had become incredibly resolute.
"I understand," Hiashi's voice was steady and strong.
"Since Danzo dared to lay hands on the Hyuga Clan, he had to be prepared to pay the price. You did the right thing."
He took a step forward, looking at Hinata.
"Remember, no matter what you did, no matter what storms rage outside, don't be afraid. If the Hokage dares to use this to make trouble for you, your clansmen stand behind you."
These words were powerful and full of the responsibility of both a Clan Chief and a father.
He might not fully understand his daughter's power, and he might worry about the coming storm, but in this moment, he chose to unconditionally trust and support her.
Just then, a Main Family Servant hurried over and reported respectfully.
"Clan Chief-sama, Young Miss, Hokage-sama has sent a messenger with a verbal message, requesting the Young Miss to come to the Hokage Office for a discussion."
Hiashi's eyes narrowed, and he let out a cold snort: "They move fast." He looked at Hinata and said gravely, "Go. You don't need to have any concerns."
Hinata nodded to Hiashi, then walked straight out of the Courtyard, her steps steady, without the slightest hesitation or fear.
Hiashi watched his daughter's figure disappear through the Courtyard gate, his gaze sharp as an eagle's. He immediately turned and whispered instructions to his trusted clansmen nearby.
"Pass down the order: all Jonin are to cancel all external missions and remain on standby within the Clan Compound. No one is to act without my command."
He didn't know what the Sandaime intended, but Hinata's involvement in killing Danzo was a fact, and he needed to prepare for the worst.
At that moment, a voice popped up in Hinata's mind.
[Wow! host, your dad is awesome! That protective stance, overflowing with dominance! I didn't expect him to have such a Daughter Complex. Now this is great—with Family power backing you up, you'll have three times the confidence when meeting the Old Man Sandaime!]
Although Hinata feared nothing, the feeling of having someone support her was truly wonderful.
------------------------
There are already 70+ chapters available on my Patreon!
The story will continue to update 1 chapter per day on Webnovel,
while early access chapters are posted on Patreon.
Maybe it's not worth it today but it could be later
[email protected]/Kazenova223
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"