HGBW: Ch. 116

"It looks like your progress is going well."

As soon as Mikoto left, Hizashi immediately jumped in.

"I really didn't expect this. The Uchiha clan actually produced a clansman like Mikoto."

After speaking, he glanced in the direction where Mikoto had left, his face showing a trace of intrigue. Ever since he took over as the clan leader, he had frequently dealt with other ninja clans. Among them, he had the most private interactions with the Uchiha.

Whether Fugaku or Setsuna, even though they acted humble in front of him out of fear of Tanaka's strength, deep down, they still carried the same Uchiha pride—an arrogance ingrained in their bones.

It wasn't just the clan head and the elders. Most of the other Uchiha he had met were the same. As long as they had awakened the Sharingan, they became stubborn and proud—each one more extreme than the last. The higher the level of their Sharingan, the more radical and cold they became.

Even when dealing with their own kin, they maintained this attitude.

The Uchiha would only reveal their gentle side when facing those they truly loved.

They were the complete opposite of the Hyūga main house. The Hyūga main house was too soft, while the Uchiha were too hard.

In Hizashi's view, Mikoto was an extremely rare anomaly among the Uchiha. She had already evolved her Sharingan to three-tomoe, yet remained neither arrogant nor extreme. Instead, she displayed a warmth and elegance that contradicted the typical Uchiha temperament.

Perhaps that was precisely why Setsuna was so determined to marry his daughter into the Hyūga clan.

After all, if it were any other female Uchiha with a three-tomoe Sharingan, they would have exploded with anger.

Even if they didn't outwardly rebel, they would never be as gentle and accepting as Mikoto.

Tanaka remained silent, simply watching the direction in which Mikoto had left, his gaze flickering uncertainly.

"Is something wrong?" Noticing this, Hizashi dropped his teasing tone.

"Hizashi-sensei, Do you think there's a possibility that the person who leaked the information about me defeating Shinnosuke in one move… was Setsuna?"

Tanaka's words were shocking after a few seconds of silence.

"Him? But why would he do that? If it really was Setsuna, then why go through all this trouble just to give you Mikoto?"

Hizashi looked stunned.

He had considered many possible culprits behind the rumors, but he had never thought of the Uchiha.

"Whether it's for an alliance or a marriage, he could have simply proposed it directly to us. There was no need for such schemes. After all, it's obvious to anyone that the Third Hokage is trying to suppress the Hyūga clan."

"And if word gets out, the already strained relationship between the Uchiha and the village will only worsen."

Hizashi furrowed his brows in thought.

"For the Hyūga, it's suppression. But for me, it's not necessarily the same. In the eyes of the Third Hokage, I'm only eight years old. Does my loyalty lie with Konoha or with the Hyūga? That remains uncertain."

Tanaka recalled something.

During the Hokage meeting, when the topic of the jonin exams came up, Hiruzen's attitude toward him had changed drastically compared to before.

At first, he hadn't noticed, but thinking back carefully, he now understood the reason. Hiruzen intended to use the same method he had used on Itachi—brainwashing him into loyalty.

"You mean, Setsuna noticed Hiruzen's change in attitude toward you. So he spread the rumors, creating a rift between you and the Third Hokage, as well as Shinnosuke."

"At the same time, this would also drive a wedge between the Hyūga clan and Konoha—or more accurately, between the Hyūga clan and the Sarutobi clan."

"And once the Hyūga are isolated, he can step in as a savior, forming a stronger alliance between the two clans."

Hizashi pieced together the logic and was suddenly struck by how likely it was.

Compared to Danzō and Orochimaru's usual schemes, this theory made even more sense.

After all, unlike most Uchiha who only cared about their dōjutsu and neglected strategic thinking, Setsuna was notorious for his cunning and deceit. It had to be said—Mikoto and Setsuna were truly father and daughter.

Within the Uchiha clan, both of them were considered anomalies.

The father was ruthless and scheming.

The daughter was gentle and kind.

If it weren't for the fact that both of them had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan, it would be hard to believe they were even related to the Uchiha.

"Your marriage with Mikoto is sealed; the alliance between the Hyūga and Uchiha is also set."

"By the time the truth comes to light, even if the rumors leak, we can only accept it. After all, this cooperation benefits us as well."

"Besides, he was careful with his actions. While he spread rumors, he never exposed the fact that you can use space-time ninjutsu."

At this point, Hizashi's face grew extremely serious.

At last, he had witnessed Setsuna's methods firsthand.

No wonder this man had dared to stage a coup during Tobirama's reign.

"Hizashi-sensei, you've forgotten one thing—Setsuna is a dying man."

"Even if I were narrow-minded and wanted revenge, by then, he'd already be dead. What am I supposed to do, hold a grudge against a corpse? A corpse who even sent his daughter to me?"

"Not to mention that he must have prepared a generous dowry for Mikoto—just the fact that he's giving me an Uchiha with a fully developed three-tomoe Sharingan is already enough to offset my dissatisfaction with him. At the very least, I won't take it out on Mikoto."

"After all, Mikoto is nothing more than a pawn in Setsuna's grand plan."

As soon as Tanaka finished speaking, Hizashi's breathing hitched slightly, and cold sweat began to form on his forehead. Everything was interconnected—every detail had been meticulously planned.

The dowry was for the Hyūga clan.

Mikoto was for Tanaka.

And the promise Setsuna had made earlier was also meant to neutralize any resentment when the truth inevitably came to light.

"That old fox, he's gambling with his own life to manipulate you, to manipulate the Hyūga, and to manipulate the Third Hokage."

Upon realizing all this, Hizashi wasn't even angry anymore.

Being schemed against always came with disadvantages. But in this case, the advantages far outweighed the disadvantages. Both for Tanaka and for the Hyūga clan.

Most importantly, whether they sought revenge or bore a grudge, Setsuna was destined to die anyway.

"A life as a chess piece, almost outplaying fate itself."

"At the end of his life, he arranged his daughter's future, paved a path for his clan, removed Shinnosuke from power, and stabbed the Third Hokage in the back."

"Family, clan, and personal grudges—he settled everything. This father-in-law of mine… he's not simple."

"But in the end, the shinobi world respects only the strong."

Tanaka wasn't angry either.

Setsuna had orchestrated all of this just to send Mikoto to him as a child bride, to form an alliance between the Uchiha and Hyūga, and to deal a blow to the Third Hokage.

What was there to be angry about?

Besides, this was Konoha. If it wasn't bloodshed, it was conspiracy. His ambition wasn't so small that he'd hold a grudge against a dying father-in-law over this.

With or without Setsuna's interference, his conflict with the Konoha Council was already beyond reconciliation.

Just as Setsuna had said, in Konoha, there were only two paths for bloodline clans:

Either you become the council's slave, or you make the council your slave.

Choose one.