Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 256 Finding Another Way Out

Hearing this, Kakashi Hatake frowned and asked, "But haven't you always been loyal to Konoha? Why doesn't the village trust you?"

After a look of helplessness, Hiashi Hyuga sighed heavily and said, "The current Konoha Village is not the Konoha Village of the past. Haven't you noticed that all the strong members of Konoha have either defected or left the village? The village's higher-ups cannot tolerate them. Anyone who threatens their power can only face their oppression. Of course, they will be wary of our clan."

Kakashi Hatake felt a sense of helplessness; the complexity of this world exceeded his imagination. Each clan in Konoha had its own secrets and stories, and these secrets often became barriers between them. He knew that changing this situation wouldn't be easy, but as a ninja, he was willing to try. So he said to Hiashi Hyuga, "Perhaps we can find a way to eliminate the barriers between us. But I believe that as long as we treat each other honestly, one day we can truly unite."

"That's just wishful thinking on your part!" Hiashi Hyuga's tone was somewhat agitated: "Do you really think that Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi is so benevolent and kind? The annihilation of the Uchiha clan already shows his attitude. Look at the ninja clans in the village now, which one hasn't been suppressed by him if they haven't pledged allegiance to him? The clans that supported your father Sakumo Hatake back then are now on the verge of destruction."

Hiashi Hyuga's words shocked and angered Kakashi Hatake. He stared wide-eyed at Hiashi Hyuga in disbelief, as if the person before him had become a complete stranger.

"How can you say that about the Third Hokage? He's the Hokage of Konoha!" Kakashi Hatake couldn't help but retort.

However, Hiashi Hyuga was unimpressed, his eyes revealing a hint of contempt and disdain. "Hmph, so what if he's the Hokage? He's nothing more than a selfish person who will stop at nothing to maintain his power." Hiashi Hyuga's voice was filled with intense dissatisfaction and resentment.

Kakashi Hatake couldn't accept such remarks; he felt that Hiashi Hyuga had completely changed. The Hyuga clan had been through many things together, and now, Hiashi Hyuga, the head of the Hyuga clan, held such a negative view of the Third Hokage.

"Clan Chief Hiashi, I don't understand why you would say such a thing. The Third Hokage has always been our respected leader, and he has sacrificed so much for the village. You can't negate everything about him because of a few things." Kakashi Hatake tried to persuade Hiashi Hyuga to change his mind, but Hiashi Hyuga remained unmoved.

"You're too naive, Kakashi. You only see the surface, but you don't know how much darkness and conspiracy is hidden behind it," Hiashi Hyuga said coldly.

“How could a powerful figure like your father, Hatake Sakumo, choose to commit suicide because of some trivial rumors? He was a hero of Konoha!” Kakashi stared wide-eyed at Hyuga Hiashi in disbelief.

"And how much do you know about your father?" Hiashi Hyuga sneered and continued, "You only know that your father was a powerful ninja, but you don't know the pain and struggle deep in his heart."

Kakashi remained silent, recalling how his father would always sit alone at home when he was a child, a faint sadness on his face.

"Actually, your father was always under immense pressure. His strength aroused jealousy and fear in many, and the rumors plunged him into deep self-doubt. He had to choose between the peace and stability of the village and his own life. In the end, he chose to preserve his son and ended his own life." Hiashi Hyuga's voice was filled with regret and helplessness.

Kakashi's eyes gradually welled up with tears. He had never imagined that his father carried such a heavy burden. He began to reflect on whether his understanding of his father was too superficial, and perhaps he should try to understand the real Hatake Sakumo more deeply.

"And what about your teacher, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze? Don't you find that strange?"

Upon hearing this, Kakashi Hatake was filled with doubt and confusion. He knew that his teacher, the Fourth Hokage, had sacrificed his life to protect the village, but he had never considered whether there might be other reasons behind it.

“But…” Kakashi Hatake tried to retort.

"Don't rush, let me finish." Hiashi Hyuga interrupted Kakashi and continued, "At that time, Hiruzen Sarutobi was old and frail. If he had stepped in to help, he might have been able to save the situation. But he didn't do that. Instead, he chose to let Minato take the blame alone, which ultimately led to Minato's death."

Kakashi's eyes widened in disbelief as he asked, "Why is this happening? Doesn't Hiruzen Sarutobi care about the safety of Konoha?"

"No, he does care. But he cares more about his own status and power. After Minato became the Fourth Hokage, he held onto the Hokage's power under the guise of assisting him. As the Fourth Hokage, Minato didn't even control the Anbu, a force directly under the Hokage. Most of the village's power was also in the hands of the Konoha high-ranking officials. It could be said that Minato had no real power; he was like a puppet. However, as a genius among ninjas, Minato was very intelligent. He spent over a year reclaiming the power that belonged to the Hokage and gained the support of many clans. Hiruzen Sarutobi also realized that he was slowly losing control of Konoha. So he deliberately stood by and let Minato go to his death," the other person replied coldly.

Kakashi Hatake was filled with anger and resentment; he couldn't accept this fact. He had always regarded Hiruzen Sarutobi as a respected senior, considering him a great ninja. However, hearing these words now, he began to doubt Hiruzen Sarutobi's true motives.

"And then what happened? Why was the Third Hokage able to resume his acting Hokage duties?" Kakashi Hatake pressed.

“Because they still hold most of the power in the village, and they’ve placed all the blame for the Nine-Tails incident on the Uchiha clan, who were the biggest supporters of Minato Namikaze. Of course, there are many complex political factors involved. But that’s the truth,” Hiashi Hyuga explained.

Kakashi Hatake remained silent for a moment, pondering this information with a heavy heart. He had originally thought Konoha was a harmonious and united place, but now it seemed that too many contradictions and conflicts of interest were hidden within it.

"Actually, these things aren't that important. Even if the village lost the Fourth Hokage, it would only have lost one excellent Hokage at most, not enough to completely weaken Konoha. It wasn't until the Uchiha clan's annihilation that the village truly weakened and lost its future. Haven't you noticed? Most of the ninja clans in the village are now in a passive state towards Konoha. Many capable clan ninjas have chosen to leave the Konoha ninja ranks and no longer contribute to the village. They don't fight for any legitimate power, letting Hiruzen Sarutobi and other high-ranking officials hold all the power in the village without expressing their opinions, just calmly watching the village completely fall into decline. Some clans are even looking for a way out, preparing to completely leave the village. After all, Konoha Village now has no future to speak of, and it can no longer play its role in protecting the continuation of its clans, so the disintegration of Konoha is only a matter of time." Hiashi Hyuga said the words that were the biggest blow to Kakashi Hatake.

Having grown up in Konoha, he had an unbreakable emotional bond with the village. However, the other person told Kakashi that the village was on the verge of collapse. If most of the village's ninja clans ultimately chose to leave and seek other livelihoods, then Konoha would truly have no reason to exist.

At this moment, Kakashi Hatake was in complete turmoil, utterly unsure how to handle the situation. He desperately hoped that everything Hiashi Hyuga had said was a lie, a fabrication to scare him given the Hyuga clan's current predicament in Konoha. However, after observing the village's current state for some time, he realized that Hiashi's words didn't seem entirely unfounded. Coupled with the various events that had occurred in the village in recent years, and the Root ninja's rampant and reckless behavior, with Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, showing no sign of punishment or restraint, these facts forced him to admit that the village's leadership no longer cared about the village's development; their actions were solely driven by a power struggle for control and profit.

"So what are your plans, Hyuga clan? Don't you want to change the current situation in the village? I believe the Hyuga clan has lived in the village for many years and must still have feelings for it. Are you just going to watch the village head towards its demise?" Kakashi Hatake stared intently at Hiashi Hyuga, hoping to get an answer.

Hiashi Hyuga completely ignored Kakashi Hatake's expectant gaze, only letting out a slight sigh before saying with some helplessness, "Didn't you see the current situation of my Hyuga clan in the village? It's because my clan still has ties to the village that we keep choosing to back down under the pressure from the village's higher-ups. Even when they monitor our clan, they haven't made any reaction, just because they don't want to have an armed conflict with the village. And haven't you noticed that the village has already been taken over by Hiruzen Sarutobi? What can my Hyuga clan do? We can only choose to find another way out."

Kakashi Hatake stared at Hiashi Hyuga in disbelief. He never imagined that the Hyuga clan had already made plans to find another way out. It was probably not just a plan, but that they had already taken action.