"Hmph, what's so special about the Hyuga clan's trained ninja dogs?"
Seeing the two people who had fallen to the ground unconscious, Kawaki Aoba activated his Byakugan, and after confirming that their chakra was indeed exhausted, he added another layer of insurance.
"Binding Technique Number 4: This Rope."
Chakra turned into golden ropes, binding the two tightly. Then, Kawaki Aoba took out another real rope from his ninja tool bag and tied them up, feeling a sense of relief.
It's never wrong to be cautious when your strength is still weak.
Kawaki Aoba looked down at the two people he had captured alive. He had already made plans for how to deal with them.
Uchiha Fugaku
At the Uchiha Police Force Headquarters, Kawaki Aoba dragged the two Hyuga Chunin, who looked like beaten dogs, across the floor.
Now that he had captured two Hyuga Chunin, if Kawaki Aoba did nothing and allowed the Hyuga clan to recover, what awaited him would surely be another round of targeting.
Wouldn't that make him no different from a fish on a chopping board?
Therefore, Kawaki Aoba chose to take the initiative. Rather than waiting for the Hyuga clan to react, he decided to cause them some trouble first.
As for why he chose the Uchiha clan, one reason was that the Hyuga and Uchiha, two major Konoha clans, had always been at odds. Another reason was that even if he reported this matter to the Third Hokage, given the Third Hokage's nature, he would most likely not make a move against the Hyuga clan for the sake of a genin who was only considered somewhat talented.
On the contrary, the possibility of the Hokage throwing him under the bus for more tangible political gains was much greater.
As for whether he would offend the Third Hokage or someone else hiding in the shadows by involving the Uchiha, Kawaki Aoba didn't believe that possibility was high. With the value he was showing now, it was hard to imagine him attracting the attention of Konoha's higher-ups.
If it weren't for this sudden awakening of the Byakugan, Konoha's higher-ups might not have paid much attention to him, a mere low-ranking ninja.
When Kawaki Aoba explained his intentions under the gaze of two Uchiha police ninjas and informed them of the identities of the two Hyuga Chunin, the two Uchiha ninjas showed a ghostly expression, just as expected.
"You said that these two Hyuga Chunin attacked you in front of your house, so you suspect they are spies sent by other villages?" Fearing he was hallucinating, the Uchiha ninja asked again, repeating the question.
In response, Kawaki Aoba nodded heavily, giving a definite answer: "That's right. Attacking Konoha ninjas in our village, and even a rare genius like me, gives me reason to suspect these two Hyuga ninjas might be spies from other villages. They want to use this method to silence Konoha's geniuses. This conspiracy is incredibly malicious. Please, officers, ensure these traitors are punished severely. Find out the truth and expose all of these spies."
Uchiha Police Ninja: …
This was truly like having an old bone stuck in his throat, unsure of how to proceed.
Are there spies from other ninja villages in Konoha? Of course. Even Konoha ninjas may turn traitor. But to claim that the Hyuga clan members were spies? That was a stretch.
Whether it was the main family or the branch family, the likelihood of betraying Konoha and becoming spies was almost nonexistent.
The former had high status in the family. As long as they didn't want to, they didn't even have to leave the village, let alone participate in missions. As for the latter, the caged bird curse made betrayal nearly impossible.
But whether they believed it or not, the Uchiha Police Force still had to investigate, especially given the "evidence" presented by Kawaki Aoba.
Soon, the Uchiha Police Force took action. While separating Kawaki Aoba and the two Hyuga Chunin for questioning, a group of Uchiha ninjas went to Kawaki Aoba's house to verify the traces of the supposed attack.
As for why "a group of" was necessary, it was because there were many Uchiha ninjas involved. The overlap with the duties of the Anbu made the Uchiha Police Force handle mostly small matters. But now, they were handling a big case—one involving the Hyuga clan. Naturally, the Uchiha were excited.
The news spread quickly within the Uchiha Police Force, and soon reached the ears of Uchiha Fugaku, the current head of the force.
This was the kind of case that involved the Hyuga clan and was considered a major event within the Uchiha Police Force. It was no surprise that Fugaku took an interest.
The Uchiha's efficiency should not be underestimated. Under the genjutsu interrogation of three Sharingan, the two Hyuga Chunin quickly revealed everything they knew.
Meanwhile, Kawaki Aoba's treatment was much more comfortable. After being questioned thoroughly, no further follow-ups were needed.
When questioned, Kawaki Aoba honestly explained everything that happened after the two ninjas appeared. However, he conveniently left out any mention of his Byakugan. Even when the Uchiha asked, he maintained his ignorance.
Inside the Uchiha Police Force captain's office, Uchiha Fugaku flipped through the interrogation reports of the two Hyuga Chunin, his expression mixed with confusion and curiosity.
A member of a foreign clan with thin Hyuga blood, but who had wandered on the fringes of the Hyuga clan, awakened the Byakugan? That was rare, even by Uchiha standards.
If this had happened in their clan, it wouldn't be as shocking—after all, the Sharingan was not something everyone could awaken from birth. But this was the Hyuga clan, where Byakugan talent was supposedly predetermined from birth.
Fugaku thought back carefully. He was certain that before Kawaki Aoba, there had never been a case of someone with diluted Hyuga blood awakening the Byakugan, at least not in any official records since the founding of Konoha.
Though it was odd, Fugaku didn't find it too difficult to accept. What troubled him was how to handle this matter. Should the Uchiha Police Force take this further?
Fugaku picked up Kawaki Aoba's record, now visibly troubled. Despite the apparent truth in every statement, there was a glaring omission: the Byakugan.
To claim Kawaki Aoba hadn't activated the Byakugan and didn't know the intentions of the two Chunin was pure nonsense. If Aoba were truly as innocent as he claimed, why wear sunglasses?
Injured eyes, sensitive to light? It was hard to believe, especially since they were inside, and not under the blazing sun.
Moreover, Aoba's behavior was starting to look like a way to shift the blame, trying to exploit the tension between the Uchiha and Hyuga clans to his advantage, hoping to escape the fallout.
It was a clever strategy, but unfortunately for him, too naive.
Shaking his head, Fugaku muttered in disdain for the Hyuga clan. What kind of system was the main family versus branch family? To Fugaku, the Uchiha clan was clearly the superior.
Facing Fugaku, "Reinforcements" Arrive
"Based on information that may or may not be true, two Hyuga Chunin attacked a genin who had been in the village for only a year. As the Konoha Military Police Force, it's our right to demand an explanation from the Hyuga clan."
Uchiha Fugaku's face twisted into a malicious grin, clearly relishing the thought of humiliating the Hyuga clan.
The Hyuga had handed him the perfect excuse, and just thinking about their reactions made Fugaku want to laugh out loud.
At the same time, Fugaku was only in his early 20s—just a young man. So, when the chance to step on his rivals and embarrass them came, how could he resist?
He was too eager to follow through.
As for Kawaki Aoba, although his talent was acknowledged in the reports, the fact that he'd awakened the Byakugan placed him in a precarious position.
While Fugaku disliked the Hyuga clan, as the future heir of the Uchiha clan, he was well aware of the importance of prioritizing Konoha's interests.
A little pride-driven trouble for the Hyuga clan might be acceptable, but going too far and risking the clan's bottom line would be a grave mistake.
And the potential outflow of the Byakugan had undoubtedly crossed that line.
But what did Kawaki Aoba, a mere kid, think he could do by using the Uchiha to deal with the Hyuga?
Fugaku had made his decision.
He stood up, walked out of his office, and headed toward the room where Kawaki Aoba was being held.
The door creaked as it opened, and there stood Kawaki Aoba, who, behind his sunglasses, locked eyes with Fugaku. He immediately recognized the fierce gaze of the Uchiha.