"Mom, he wasn't home..." Sako announced upon returning.
She had completely missed their meeting.
Seeing the disappointment on her daughter's face, Mikoto reassured her:
"Maybe he went out shopping for the New Year..."
"That's true..." Sako smiled, quickly regaining her cheerfulness.
Right now, he was probably with his parents...
But as she imagined Naruto's family, she didn't notice the shadow that crossed her mother's eyes.
"Sako... Naruto has no parents."
Sako: !
At those words, her expression froze — a mix of surprise and confusion.
"His parents gave their lives for the village. They're heroes," Mikoto explained gently.
She knew Sako wasn't ready yet to hear the full truth.
"Oh..."
Sako slowly nodded.
"That's why he seems a little dumb..." she murmured, her heart suddenly filled with pity.
No parents.
No one to teach him.
No one to care for him. He lived alone.
That must have been hard...
"In that case, he passed the second trial," she declared proudly.
"But to truly become my friend, there's still one final step!"
Mikoto smiled at her daughter's return to her usual tsundere attitude.
"Then we'll continue after the New Year..."
Sako: "Okay!"
...
Meanwhile, on the way home, Naruto was deep in thought.
"Sako's mother... she's so beautiful, so kind. I absolutely have to stop the Uchiha Clan tragedy."
Because if Sako lost her parents, her clan... how broken would she be?
Then his thoughts wandered back to those generous curves...
"Tch... You're mostly interested in her looks, huh?" grumbled Kurama, too tired to say more.
"A-Sha! Trouble!"
A panicked voice suddenly interrupted Naruto's thoughts.
Panting, a young Hyūga appeared before them.
Naruto had met him over the past few days while playing with the clan.
His name was Sujingtu, about the same age as Hinata, and her childhood friend.
"What's going on?!"
Hinata stood upright, instantly switching to a professional stance.
"T-The Hokage... the councilors... Danzō... They've surrounded the Hyūga district with Anbu squads!"
Hinata: "What?!"
"Tch..."
Naruto shrugged.
"Their training to stay calm is clearly lacking."
It was easy to stay composed when you'd never faced a real crisis.
"I, Uzumaki Naruto, was born a genius destined to dominate."
---
At the dawn of the New Year, a time that should have been filled with harmony, the Hyūga district faced an unprecedented threat.
The Anbu and Root had formed a discreet but firm encirclement around the clan.
Normally, Konoha's leadership would never take such a measure lightly.
The very involvement of Root proved how serious the situation was.
By the time Naruto and the others arrived, the formalities in the reception hall were ending...
Hiashi Hyūga, his wife, the clan elders — all the important members were gathered.
Branch members like Hizashi stood nearby, listening in from inside or just outside the room.
The simultaneous presence of all four Konoha leaders indicated a matter of grave importance.
In the center of the room stood the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, hands clasped behind his back.
His already-small frame looked even more hunched.
In truth, before Danzō had made his move, he had already received a new message from the Village of Kumo.
The Raikage was demanding that Konoha hand over the murderer of their diplomatic team.
And that "murderer" was none other than Hiashi Hyūga.
In other words, Kumo wanted to exchange the Hyūga's Byakugan for their withdrawal from the borders.
Otherwise, they'd launch a military offensive to avenge their fallen...
And war would break out.
If that were all, the four leaders might not have needed to come in person.
But Danzō had uncovered new information.
He hadn't shared the details yet — only promised that all would become clear soon.
"That's the situation," Hiruzen stated.
The Hyūga, who had partly anticipated this, showed various expressions.
"In that case..."
Hiashi slowly unclenched his fists.
"If my death can save the village..."
"Hiashi..." his wife murmured, worry etched into her voice.
"Not so fast."
An elder of the clan spoke in a calm tone.
"The Byakugan is a crucial asset to Konoha..." he reminded.
"It's the duty of the Main House to protect this treasure."
Then he turned toward Hizashi.
"That's why the Branch House exists..."
In this critical hour, the elder had found a countermeasure.
Whether or not the leaders had hostile intentions, they had to tread carefully.
Hiashi, as the clan head, could not die.
Hinata was far too young to succeed him.
His death would mean the Hyūga's collapse — leaving them vulnerable to everyone.
"We'll just hand over Hizashi!"
The decision was made. Konoha would have its answer.
"..."
Koharu and Homura's faces darkened.
Danzō, ever unreadable, showed no emotion.
So then...
How would the village's leaders respond?
The Hyūga elder stood motionless, awaiting their judgment.