Chapter 66: The Deal between Orochimaru and Hyuga (Ch 66)

This scene made Hyuga Muneki suddenly realize that there seemed to be a chance of turning this matter around and there was still room for maneuver.
Otherwise, the ones coming today would not be Orochimaru and Harumi, but the Uchiha Police Department.
It was at this time that Haruki saw the subtle expressions on Orochimaru and Hyuga Muneki’s faces and frowned and said, “Patriarch Muneki, I hope the Hyuga clan will not forget their identity and position.”
After saying this, he left.
Seeing Haruki’s back, Orochimaru realized that the purpose of this trip had been achieved.
Sarutobi Hiruzen asked him to attack the Hyuga clan simply because taking action against a ninja clan in the name of Hokage would make other ninja clans also wary.
As for the Hyuga clan’s crime of privately selling supplies, in the eyes of the ninja clan, this was an unnecessary crime.
Who can guarantee that all members of his family will not be blinded by interests?
If you want him to take the blame, Orochimaru won’t give in so easily.
The matter of the Sharingan had already made Harumitsu dissatisfied with Danzo. Now, he could take advantage of this opportunity to sow discord between Harumitsu and Sarutobi Hiruzen. Afterwards, he only needed to comfort Harumitsu and express his helplessness.
This was all what Sarutobi Hiruzen meant, so that the relationship between him and Harumiu could be further improved.
“Lord Orochimaru, Harumitsu…” Seeing Harumitsu leave, Muneki’s heart skipped a beat.
Could it be that he went to the police department to pick someone up?
“Don’t worry, Patriarch Zonghui. Qingguang still has work to deal with in the police department.”
“But now that he’s gone, it will be more convenient for our next conversation.”
“After all, I have never doubted the Hyuga clan’s loyalty to Konoha.” Orochimaru picked up the teacup on the table and sipped it carefully.
Only then did Hinata Muneki completely put aside his worries. It seemed that this matter could be suppressed.
However, the Hyuga clan will inevitably have to pay some price.
As for the price, it is nothing more than the ninjas of the Hyuga branch. This is of no consequence to the Hyuga clan. It is like a consumable and cannot shake the foundation of the Hyuga clan.
“Haha, Lord Orochimaru is right. We, the Hyuga clan, joined Konoha when it was first founded, and it has been 36 years now. We are naturally loyal and regard Konoha as our own home.” As he said this, he even refilled Orochimaru’s tea with a slightly flattering tone.
At this moment, Orochimaru raised his hand to cover his teacup.
“Clan leader Muneki, the current situation in the ninja world is unstable. The Hokage hopes that the Hyuga clan can send more ninjas from the branch clan to guard the border.”
“After all, the Hyuga clan is a family of eye techniques that is as famous as the Sharingan in the ninja world. Even the Sharingan is not as good as the Byakugan in terms of reconnaissance.”
“What do you think?”
Sure enough, what Orochimaru said was just as Hyuga Muneki had expected, he came to ask for someone.
Hinata Muneki said with a face full of obligation: “Of course, as the eyes of Konoha, Hinata naturally has such an obligation.”
“Then I’ll trouble Clan Leader Muneki to send 5 more jonin, 15 chuunin, and 45 genin to the border of the Land of Fire tomorrow.” Orochimaru reported a very clever number, which was exactly the number of people in the Hyuga clan’s branch at the border.
“this……”
15 Chunins and 45 Genins were not a big problem for the Hyuga clan, but the need for 5 Jonins was a bit painful for them.
Although there are many ninjas in the Hyuga clan, due to the strict restrictions on soft fist techniques by the main family, it is extremely difficult for the branch family to produce ninjas of the level of Jonin compared to other ninja clans.
There are less than thirty jonin in the entire Hyuga clan, and nearly half of them are from the main family. They are always inside the family. Except for the five jonin who are now at the border of Konoha, the rest are responsible for protecting the safety of the elders of the main family.
If we need to transfer five more now, we can only select them from among the guards.
If it causes dissatisfaction among the elders, it will be difficult to deal with.
Orochimaru naturally knew what Muneki was worried about, and took out another note, which also mentioned the names of the three elders of the clan and some of the shameful things they had done.
For example, colluding with the Fire Nation nobles to set up casinos and build dance towns.
“Patriarch Muneki, it is a taboo in the ninja village to cross the village and interact with the daimyo nobles. The nine elders of the Hyuga clan, is this number a bit too many?”
After handing over the note, Hinata Muneki looked at it with a changing expression.
“Don’t worry, I investigated this matter in secret. Not even the Hokage knows about it.”
“I guess you, Patriarch Zonghui, don’t like those old, backward-minded, corrupt people either.”
Orochimaru was right. The Hyuga clan was too powerful. If they joined forces, they could even impeach the clan leader and elect another to replace him. Such things had happened in the Hyuga clan’s thousands of years of history.
If smuggling supplies is treason against the village, then colluding with nobles is betrayal of the one country, one village system.
He would even become the target of criticism from the entire ninja world, and he could also use this as a legitimate reason to dismiss the three elders, or even suppress them as branch families, in order to take control of some families.
“But even so, we are still short of a jonin. How about letting Hyuga Hizashi, the second son of clan leader Muneki, take over?”
“I heard that Hizashi, as a branch ninja, is as capable as his elder brother Hyuga Hiashi in soft fist and Byakugan, and was recently promoted to jonin. What does clan leader Muneki think?”
Hinata Muneki wanted to refuse, but when he looked up and saw the threat in Orochimaru’s almond-shaped snake eyes, cold sweat slid down his forehead.
“Hizashi…even though he is my son, he is also a Konoha ninja. If the village needs him, then he needs to step forward.”
After saying this, Hinata Muneki even felt a sense of relief.
For many years, he felt guilty towards his second son, Hiashi. Hiashi even offered to become the elder of the branch family in the future, but he rejected it.
Now, after this decision was made, the father-son relationship between him and Hiashi was completely severed.
It was equivalent to selling his son.
“Very good. I knew that Patriarch Zonghui was a smart man and would choose the most correct answer.”
“Tomorrow morning, I will be waiting for Master Hiashi at the river west of the village.”
“The tea is good, but don’t drink too much. I still have to report this matter to the Hokage, so I’ll take my leave now.”
Orochimaru stood up and left, leaving Hyuga Muneki sitting on the ground with empty eyes.
The problems caused by the elders were suppressed, and he still had the opportunity to seize the opportunity to consolidate power.
But the price he paid was that he tore apart the father-son relationship between him and Hizashi with his own hands, and severed the bond between Hizashi and Hiashi.
Even in Rizu’s eyes, he would be nothing more than a heartless father.
Is this kind of deal really worth it?