Naruto: Saving the Uchiha

Chapter 507.You Dare Refuse?

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"Lord Advisor."

Shortly after Ino, flustered, had left, Kazuki was eating.

Then Hiashi arrived.

The guards on duty outside didn’t stop him or announce him first. They let Hiashi in directly.

"Eaten yet? Have some?"

Kazuki put down his fork and pointed to the barbecue just delivered by the Logistics Division. The command post was filled with the aroma of grilled meat.

Hiashi, who hadn’t eaten breakfast, didn’t decline. He accepted.

Sitting down in a seat nearby, he cut himself a piece of meat, carefully sliced it into small pieces, and ate slowly.

Compared to Kazuki’s hearty eating, the poise of a great clan leader was on full display.

Someone else might have commented, but Kazuki was already accustomed to this.

Whether in public or private, Hiashi couldn’t break these daily habits. They were etched into his bones.

"The clan is giving you a lot of pushback, I imagine?"

As he ate, Kazuki suddenly asked.

Hiashi didn’t react much. He nodded slightly.

Swallowing the meat in his mouth, he took a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped the grease from his lips, placed his hands on his knees, and answered seriously.

"The Main House’s reaction is stronger. The Branch House is fine. After all, these changes are quite beneficial for the Branch House."

"That’s true."

The Main House elders reacting strongly was within expectations.

If they’d shown no reaction at all, that would be suspicious.

For these Main House elders, they didn’t care about how many in the village were lost. It didn’t matter if Branch House members died, as long as their own powers weren’t cut.

Weren’t Branch House members meant to be expendable?

That’s how it should be.

Kazuki fell silent. Hiashi quietly continued eating.

When Hiashi finished, Kazuki asked Izumi to pour two cups of hot tea.

After finishing the tea, Kazuki took out two scrolls and tossed them to Hiashi.

"Take these back and make the arrangements. I want to see Hyūga clan members moving out within an hour."

"Yes, sir."

Hiashi stood, bowed, and left with the scrolls. He didn’t bother guessing what tasks they contained. They were certainly aimed at the Main House elders.

"Clan Leader! What did Lord Advisor say?"

"Clan Leader."

Hiashi returned to his tent. The Hyūga elders, who had been up all night, were all gathered, waiting for his report.

Precisely because they couldn’t contain themselves and had come to wait early in the morning, Hiashi had gone to the command post without breakfast.

"Lord Advisor didn’t say anything. He just gave me two mission scrolls and ordered that Hyūga clan members must leave camp within an hour to carry them out."

Kazuki said, and Hiashi did. He was the perfect tool.

He took out the scrolls and showed them to the elders.

The mission contents were simple.

He needed the Hyūga clan to send out multiple reconnaissance teams to the battlefield to gather important intelligence.

Unlike regular reconnaissance missions, these teams consisted solely of Hyūga clan members. No outsiders were involved.

More frighteningly, the numbers were absurdly high.

Nearly half of the Hyūga clan members currently at the camp were needed.

"Sss!"

Reading the mission, many sucked in cold air. Even Hiashi, who had been mentally prepared, was startled, his eyelid twitching several times.

If something happened with so many people deployed, the Hyūga clan’s losses would be enormous.

"Damn it! This is clearly targeting us!!"

"Exactly! What kind of mission is this? Why are only Hyūga clan members being sent on reconnaissance missions?"

"Lord Advisor is obviously targeting us."

The elders started shouting.

Hiashi put on a stern face and barked.

"Watch your mouths!"

Talking badly about Kazuki in the camp – are you crazy?

As clan leader, he still had to remind these elders, lest something happened and they blamed him.

Saying he hadn’t fulfilled his duties as clan leader.

I’ve warned you. If you can’t control your mouths and the clan gets punished, that’s your own fault.

Scanning the frustrated yet helpless elders, Hiashi said coldly.

"Everyone, prepare. Within an hour, the people we need to send out must leave camp and head to the mission sites to gather intelligence. We don’t have much time. Since you’ve already rejected the village’s request, facing retaliation is only natural. Go prepare, everyone."

You reject the village’s demands. You’re unhappy when targeted. And you want to take back your decision? Nothing’s that cheap in this world.

"The clan may face significant losses in the coming days. Prepare yourselves, elders."

The reconnaissance area wasn’t just limited to the battlefield Konoha controlled. The missions also entailed infiltrating the Land of Earth. This was clearly sending Hyūga members to their deaths.

How many?

That was a question mark.

It would depend on when Kazuki decided to stop.

Damn it!!

Is there no shame in retaliating so blatantly?

Aren’t you afraid the Hyūga clan will resist?

Well... the Hyūga clan indeed dared not.

But is this going too far, Uchiha Kazuki?

Frustrated, downtrodden, but not daring to disobey.

That was the feeling in many Hyūga elders’ hearts.

They only had one hour to prepare. Half the time was gone. If the required teams weren’t dispatched within the deadline, they would be punished.

The retaliation was sudden and fierce.

"Eh? What’s going on with the Hyūga? Why are so many of their ninja leaving camp?"

"Who knows? Maybe they got some special mission."

"Don’t be nosy. You’ll be arrested as a spy."

The camp’s ninja were curious: what kind of mission required deploying so many Hyūga?

Those being sent out had already been cursing internally for a long time.

Damn it. The elders start trouble, and we suffer for it. What the hell?

"What? Another new mission?"

What the Hyūga elders never expected was that by midday, before those who couldn’t eat from anger had figured out how to break the deadlock – already realizing if Kazuki kept this up, the Hyūga would be in serious trouble, with God knows how many would die – a new order came.

Hiashi, sitting in the main seat, said expressionlessly.

"According to Anbu investigation, signs of enemy activity have been spotted on the village’s supply routes. We need skilled trackers to investigate. If enemies are found, they are to be expelled or eliminated immediately."