Night draped itself quietly over Konoha, and at first glance, the village looked no different than on any ordinary evening. But to any ninja with sharpened senses, it was clear—the village's defensive aura was tenser, heavier. A storm was brewing.
On a large tree at the intersection near the Hyuga compound, four silhouettes lingered in the shadows—Andrew, Shisui, and two Uchiha clansmen.
Down below, a masked ninja was slipping silently through the streets, unaware of the silent eyes tracking every movement.
"Andrew, are we really just going to sit here and watch?" one of the Uchiha ninjas whispered. "That guy is the one who disappeared from the Cloud Shinobi mission."
Andrew didn't look away from the figure below.
"And what do you want to do? Jump down and capture him? That's exactly what they'd expect—and exactly what would be used against us."
His tone was calm but laced with weight. "The Hokage already knows Cloud Shinobi is going to stir up trouble, but he doesn't want us to interfere. If we make a move now, we'll be the scapegoat again. Just keep watching. That's all we're doing tonight."
In truth, Andrew was well aware that the Third Hokage's inaction wasn't due to ignorance. Apart from having Anbu make a token gesture of "alerting" the Uchiha, the higher-ups had essentially chosen to look the other way.
Yet no one in Konoha was more familiar with the village layout and its inner workings than the Uchiha police department. Even with certain areas off-limits, they still had superior reconnaissance and surveillance abilities.
While Anbu continued to search blindly, Uchiha had already located the missing Cloud Shinobi agent and were tailing him quietly.
"The path ahead leads into Hyuga territory," Shisui said, narrowing his eyes. "Do we keep following him?"
It wasn't hard to guess—the Cloud Shinobi agent was likely targeting the Byakugan.
Andrew tapped the hilt of his kunai. "No. We stop here."
"Stay and observe. Don't engage, even if something goes wrong. Just make sure that no one lays a hand on the Byakugan."
Without another word, he vanished in a blur, leaving Shisui and the others in place.
Shisui exhaled slowly, glancing down at the masked figure once more. He had always believed diplomacy and understanding could bridge gaps. That he, through his own efforts, could ease the tension between the clan and the village.
But time had proven otherwise.
He had nearly lost his eye because of that belief.
Now, under Andrew's lead, Uchiha wasn't bending over backward for the village anymore—and strangely, it was working.
Surveillance had lightened. Hostility from the higher-ups had cooled. And though the tension still lingered, the atmosphere had shifted. It was now the village that extended its hand, while Uchiha looked the other way.
"Maybe this really is the better path…" Shisui muttered.
Meanwhile, Andrew approached the location where the Cloud Shinobi delegation was staying. As expected, none of them were resting.
They were all alert—waiting. Watching. Ready to act.
Inside, Tutai inhaled deeply, his nerves tight.
He had sent one of their own to infiltrate Hyuga grounds alone. The plan was clear: test Konoha's resolve, push their boundaries.
Capturing the Byakugan would be a bonus, but the real goal was to see whether Konoha had the spine to retaliate.
"Who's there?"
A window shattered as the Cloud Shinobi's Jinchūriki—Wooden Golem—burst through, her eyes snapping toward the treeline.
Perched atop the branches was a single figure, his arms folded.
Andrew.
The moment she saw him, a chill crept down her spine.
"Why is Uchiha here…?"
And then she noticed something else—the chakra mark she had placed on Kazuya, their agent, had vanished.
That was the signal.
"Uncle Tutai," Wooden Golem said urgently, "you go ahead. I'll hold this one off!"
She knew this wasn't going to be easy. But her role had always been clear. She was backup—insurance, in case things went wrong.
Now they had.
If Andrew had known that Raikage sent Jinchūriki specifically to guard against Uchiha, he might have laughed out loud. Putting a Tailed Beast against Sharingan? That was practically asking for a catastrophe.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
Wooden Golem stood her ground. The man ahead wasn't moving. And that only made her more uneasy.
Andrew finally stepped forward from the shadows, his eyes locked onto her.
"You give off a strange energy. I came to see what it was."
Wooden Golem flinched.
He knows. He knows what I am.
But how? Only a handful of people in her own village even knew she was the host of Matatabi.
"Uchiha and Konoha… you people really don't care anymore, do you?" she said coldly. "You're just going to let this happen?"
Andrew smirked. "Unless it concerns Uchiha, what happens to Konoha is none of my business. That's Hokage's headache, not mine."
And then he vanished.
Wooden Golem's eyes widened. Her instincts screamed at her—move!
She barely managed to dodge the sudden grip that reached for her neck.
"Fast! Even with Matatabi's reflexes, I almost didn't avoid that…"
Andrew stood calmly again, Sharingan spinning slowly in his eyes.
"You're good. Not many could avoid that."
And then the tomoe in his eyes twisted and morphed—Mangekyō Sharingan.
Wooden Golem's heart sank.
She was now in the direct line of sight of one of Uchiha's most dangerous warriors.
At that same moment, chaos erupted at the Hyuga compound.
Hiashi stood over a slain Cloud Shinobi agent—the very one who had tried to kidnap his daughter. The body hadn't even cooled yet when Tutai and the rest of the delegation arrived, demanding answers.
"Lord Hokage!" Tutai shouted. "We came to Konoha in good faith—for peace talks! And now one of our comrades is dead?! What kind of welcome is this?"
Hiashi's face was dark, his voice sharp. "Don't twist the truth! Your man tried to abduct my daughter! This was no accident—this was premeditated!"
His fists trembled with barely-contained rage. He'd only been able to stop the abduction thanks to a warning from Uchiha Fugaku.
And even then, it had been close.
The Third Hokage said nothing, his face carved in a storm of emotions.
He knew Cloud Shinobi had staged the kidnapping. But what could he do? A war now would tear Konoha apart.
"You want to start a war over this?" Tutai pressed. "If you had a problem with our presence, you could've said so during the talks. But instead, you let this happen in the shadows. That's cowardice, Hokage."
Hiashi clenched his jaw. His eyes burned with fury, not just at the enemy—but at his own village's silence.
He glanced at Hiruzen, searching for even the slightest sign of support. Of loyalty. Of honor.
None came.
"Lord Hokage," Tutai continued, stepping forward now, "you must provide a proper explanation. If you believe Cloud Shinobi can be bullied, then test your strength and try. But we will not be intimidated."
A long silence followed.
Then, finally, the Hokage spoke.
"What explanation do you want?"
It was a soft reply. Deflated. Weary.
But everyone heard what it meant.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had already given in.
Tutai exhaled quietly, content. They hadn't won the Byakugan, but they'd confirmed Konoha's weakness. Just as the Raikage expected—the Third Hokage had grown too soft.
Across the room, Hiashi's face twisted in pure disappointment.
He had hoped—even prayed—that the Hokage would stand by the Hyuga clan. But now he saw the truth.
Konoha wouldn't fight for him. He was alone.
"Then give us the killer. Hand him over."
Tutai's words echoed coldly through the room.
Hiruzen looked toward Hiashi. "This happened in your territory. Resolve it as you see fit."
Hiashi's hands clenched. His brother Hizashi stepped forward instinctively.
And then—
BOOM!
A deafening crash echoed outside.
Everyone turned.
Wooden Golem came flying from the sky, crashing through several compound walls like a meteor, her body skidding to a halt in a heap of broken stone.
Though she wasn't seriously injured—her chakra cloak had absorbed most of the impact—the damage was clear.
A moment later, Andrew stepped into view, Mangekyō Sharingan glowing in the dim light.
**"Before you demand answers, maybe start by explaining this—why is your Jinchūriki hiding in our village?"
He stood tall, composed, as the ground seemed to tremble beneath his feet.
Hyuga Hiashi met his gaze.
And for the first time all evening, a flicker of hope returned to his eyes.
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