If she changed into a boy's clothes and went out claiming to be a boy, no one would believe her.
"So cute—it must be a boy!"
"Mhm."
Hinata had heard such praise too many times. But Yan simply intended to help ease the tense atmosphere, and Hinata's father, Hiashi, accepted this effort for what it was—a small courtesy.
After all, educating your daughter in public wasn't easy.
If they were within the Hyuga estate, Hinata would have missed many reprimands.
"Forget it, thank you, Senior. Let's sit."
"It's my father," Hinata corrected, bowing submissively and whispering, "Thank you, Senior."
Hinata had been far too soft as a child. No wonder Hiashi once considered abandoning her as heir and instead cultivating Hanabi, her younger sister.
Fortunately, Hiashi was someone who deeply loved his family. That love had made him hesitate and postpone such decisions.
Had it been one of the more rigid elders of the Hyuga clan, the abandoned Hinata might have already been placed in a branch cage and resigned to a life of arranged marriage for the family's benefit.
Like Fugaku, Hiashi also enjoyed the traditional tea ceremony.
He often indulged in it when free—some loved the ritual, others found it dull enough to fall asleep.
Luckily, there was no tea set here for Hiashi to fidget with, or it would have taken ages just to finish one cup of hot tea.
He poured himself a cup, took a sip, and set it down with a subtle shake of his head—clearly unimpressed.
"Uchiha's current situation is extremely dangerous. If you keep drawing attention to yourself, I fear you'll only bring more trouble."
A sincere warning.
But Hiko Yan could not accept these words.
"Uchiha's situation is dangerous indeed, but sometimes, making noise isn't always a bad strategy. For example, the Hyuga clan is also dancing on a blade's edge. Would you say the Hyuga patriarch hasn't noticed?"
"What are you implying?"
Are you trying to drag the Hyuga clan into Uchiha's situation?
Hiashi's gaze turned cold.
"Literal meaning."
Yan wasn't interested in provoking Hiashi but neither was he afraid of him:
"I won't dwell on the past, but the way the village treats the Hyuga—I'm sure you understand. Even that confrontation between Uchiha and Hyuga during the Chunin Exams was something the Hokage himself permitted."
"He wanted that tension."
"The real question is—when Uchiha falls, who do you think will be next in line for scrutiny?"
Yes, Uchiha was in turmoil. But the Hyuga clan wasn't faring much better. In some ways, they were suffering even more.
Hiashi had implemented the branch family system to ensure the survival of the clan as a whole. Yet the Third Hokage had never been fond of it.
To him, the branch system represented control—enslaving members of the family indefinitely.
The clan system placed family interest above that of the village, and that was something Sarutobi Hiruzen could never fully accept.
So the Hyuga were under surveillance too. Just not as overtly as the Uchiha.
Hiashi opened his mouth, hesitated, and then closed it again without speaking.
There were things he understood clearly—things he didn't need to voice.
In this way, Hiashi was more restrained and perceptive than Fugaku.
Yan didn't press further but continued his point.
"Now that Tsunade-hime has returned to the village, assuming nothing goes wrong, she'll accept Uchiha's assistance. That allows Uchiha to shift from an isolated faction to a neutral support base. I won't claim this solves all our problems, but at least it gives us room to breathe."
Yan smiled, the corners of his lips tugging upward with quiet confidence.
"Uchiha needs that breathing space. But what about the Hyuga?
You don't have time. The branch family system remains a thorn in the side of the higher-ups."
"In some ways, the Hyuga clan may be in even more danger than Uchiha."
Uchiha needed time—time to maneuver, to adjust. They could still potentially redirect their fate.
The Hyuga clan, on the other hand, was like a sealed scroll—unchanging, unmoving.
Look at how the higher-ups handled the Hyuga Affair.
When a foreign assassin kidnapped Hinata, the village's response was not to pursue justice. No, they demanded Hiashi's life as an apology. In the end, it was his brother Hizashi who volunteered to die in his place.
The whole thing reeked of irony.
The Third Hokage had tried to convince them it was necessary—for the village. And the Hyuga clan had gone along with it.
Amazingly.
"Heh…"
Hiashi's anger simmered just beneath the surface. His dry chuckle betrayed his frustration.
"What, are you saying Uchiha wants to join forces with the Hyuga?"
"It's not out of the question."
Yan had considered the idea. Hiashi had only said it mockingly, but Yan wasn't joking.
If the two clans formed even a partial alliance, their collective influence would rise significantly.
Was he serious?
Hiashi had meant it sarcastically, but Yan wasn't laughing.
Uchiha and Hyuga? Two clans competing for dominance in dōjutsu? The very idea was outrageous.
And yet…
It wasn't impossible. No one had thought of it, attempted it, or tried to push it forward.
"Patriarch Hyuga, there's no need to be so surprised," Yan said with a calm smile.
"Just intelligence sharing and strategic coordination—nothing explicit. Nothing the village could easily criticize. As long as we remain subtle, who's to say what's wrong or right?"
There was much buried in his tone.
Hiashi's frown deepened.
"Take this situation, for example," Yan added.
"Hokage-sama wants Tsunade-hime to return to Konoha to deal with the Daimyō's court. Thanks to her Senju heritage, she's got ties there. It seems simple—but gaining the full trust of the Daimyō won't be so easy."
"After all, even when a shattered mirror is glued back together, the cracks remain."
"You mean the Fifth Hokage?"
Hiashi stood up, stunned.
If what Yan said held weight, it could truly come to pass.
The Daimyō despised Danzo and had grown disillusioned with the Third Hokage. Under normal circumstances, that wouldn't matter—but now Tsunade had returned.
It could go either way. She might resolve the Daimyō's grievances and win his trust.
If that happened, could the Third Hokage retain power?
If the Daimyō demanded Tsunade's appointment as the Fifth Hokage to restore stability, would Sarutobi Hiruzen accept?
"So you're planning to—?"
"No, no, no. Uchiha would never be involved in such political games," Yan interrupted quickly.
"Come now. Do you think we're foolish enough to start something like that?"
He shook his head.
"I'm just theorizing. Who knows how things will unfold? The important part is, Uchiha needs this pause, this calm. But your Hyuga clan… your troubles have just begun."
"Tsunade-hime is fair—a symbol of balance. But even she despises the Hyuga's branch family system."
Whether it's Sarutobi or Tsunade, neither will ever support a hierarchy where loyalty to clan surpasses loyalty to the village.
That's exactly what the Hyuga system represents.
While Uchiha may be in crisis, it's the Hyuga clan that is structurally incompatible with the village's ideals.
Alliance?
It wasn't impossible—especially if it remained low-key. Quiet cooperation could be promoted.
As long as the clan elders saw the strategic advantage, they wouldn't reject it.
But the challenge was trust.
No one would trust an alliance built on words alone.
At this point, the conversation was nearing its natural end. The so-called alliance was still hypothetical—a fleeting idea.
As for the rest of their talk, Yan wasn't afraid of leaks. Even if Hiashi repeated everything, it wouldn't be a problem.
If Uchiha could be executed over idle talk, they would've been destroyed long ago.
"I'm grateful for the Hyuga Patriarch's matchmaking. Since the Shimura clan has no intention of negotiating, I'll take my leave. Tsunade-hime is still asleep at my estate. I need to attend to her."
It was about time to leave.
"Wait!!"
What Yan hadn't expected was for his words to plant a seed of deep concern in Hiashi's mind.
Even if everything Yan said had just been speculation—who could say what tomorrow would bring?
If Uchiha truly was planning something, would they inform Hiashi in advance?
But when Yan casually mentioned Tsunade was sleeping at his residence… something clicked in Hiashi's mind.
People like him couldn't take things at face value.
"?"
Yan, who had just stood up, sat back down again, confused.
Hiashi took a slow sip of tea. Then, after a prolonged silence, he said:
"That cooperation you mentioned earlier—I think it's worth discussing. After all, we're only talking about cooperation in certain aspects, not an open alliance."
Cooperation would benefit both clans.
And if they led the effort, perhaps other clans would follow suit. The village had long sought to dilute the power of the old ninja clans…