Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 168: Shikaku: My Father is Dead

"Are you really planning to return, Elder Chiyo?"

"And what? Are you all going to stop me?"

At the Konoha embassy, Chiyo stared coldly at Shikaku Nara and the group of Konoha shinobi blocking her path. Her voice carried a sharp edge.

"Your wish has come true—Sunagakure has been invaded, humiliated, and turned into a laughingstock among nations. The Land of Wind is now in chaos. Can't I even return to bury my brother?"

The shinobi standing behind Shikaku stared back coldly, unshaken by Chiyo's reproach. After all, they had yet to settle the score for the Fourth Hokage's death, so what gave her the right to act as if she were the victim?

Shikaku raised a hand, signaling his men to stand down, before stepping forward to face Chiyo with a sincere demeanor.

"You're mistaken, Elder Chiyo. None of us wanted things to escalate to this point. As allies, we are truly saddened by the turmoil in Sunagakure…"

Chiyo's eye twitched. The sheer audacity of his words made her livid.

Saddened?

If you hadn't deliberately hindered me, Sunagakure might not have fallen to such a state!

"…Given that the forces who attacked your village may still be lurking in the shadows, I have a suggestion. To ensure your safety on your return to the Land of Wind, we'd like to assign some Konoha shinobi to escort you."

Shikaku's carefully chosen words finally unveiled his true intent, and Chiyo's expression darkened.

"You want to use me to breach our border defenses, then hold me hostage as leverage against Sunagakure, don't you?"

Despite the heavy losses Sunagakure had suffered, the Land of Wind remained one of the great nations. Several Suna shinobi had already pledged their loyalty to the Wind Daimyō, so its border defenses were still formidable.

Holding Chiyo hostage would indeed tip the balance in Konoha's favor. Her influence in Sunagakure was second to none, and if the Suna shinobi learned she was being held captive by Konoha, they would undoubtedly be forced to negotiate or launch a rescue mission.

Such a scenario would leave the Land of Wind with even fewer options to recover.

Chiyo might have lost faith in the Wind Daimyō's leadership after his recent actions, but as someone who had witnessed Sunagakure's rise firsthand, she couldn't bear to see the village's legacy fade into history.

"You must be joking," Shikaku replied with a warm smile. Producing a document from his sleeve, he continued, "Elder Chiyo, you misunderstand us. The Land of Fire holds nothing but good intentions. We've already prepared aid for Sunagakure to assist with its rebuilding.

"This escort mission is also intended to facilitate discussions regarding your village's reconstruction. We understand Sunagakure has suffered heavy losses, and as allies, Konoha is more than willing to share the burden."

"Enough of your lies!" Chiyo snapped, her tone seething with frustration. "You're not letting me return; you're holding me hostage to manipulate Sunagakure! What if your so-called negotiations fail? Do you think your hostages in Sunagakure will remain unharmed? Or did you have the foresight to evacuate Koharu and the others beforehand?

"Perhaps this entire attack was orchestrated by Konoha from the very beginning!"

Chiyo's words grew increasingly intense, and she braced herself for the possibility that Shikaku might resort to killing her on the spot.

Shikaku sighed deeply, retracting the document and instead presenting another piece of intelligence to Chiyo. His expression was somber, his tone laced with a quiet sadness.

"I won't deny it any longer, Elder Chiyo. Just today, we received confirmation that every Konoha ninja stationed in Sunagakure's embassy has been slaughtered."

Chiyo's breath hitched. Taking the report from Shikaku's hand, she scanned its contents, and her face grew rigid.

According to the report, enraged by the Sharingan that had appeared in Shukaku's eye, Sunagakure shinobi had gone on a rampage. After Shukaku was taken by the mysterious Uchiha, the chaos culminated in the massacre of the entire Konoha embassy.

How was this possible?

Even if some shinobi had lost their minds in the chaos, surely others would have stepped in to stop them...

Wait. Her brother, Ebizō, along with the rest of the Suna council, had all perished. The Kazekage's office had collapsed, and Sunagakure's leadership had been decimated. Who would have been left to stop such madness?

In that light, the events described in the report didn't seem so implausible after all.

As Chiyo processed this grim reality, Shikaku maintained his mournful expression, his voice calm and measured.

"You can verify this information with your contacts in Sunagakure. Most of the village is aware of what happened. The bodies of our Konoha shinobi remain in Sunagakure's possession—conclusive evidence of the massacre."

"The reason we want to send an escort with you is so that we can retrieve the remains of our comrades," Shikaku continued. His tone grew heavier, more resolute. "And if anyone dares block our path, the Land of Fire will have no choice but to declare war on the Land of Wind."

Chiyo's mind was in turmoil, her anger now directed at the Suna shinobi whose recklessness had handed Konoha a perfect excuse to wage war.

Unlike the Fourth Hokage's death, where no concrete evidence implicated Sunagakure, the embassy massacre had occurred in plain view, leaving no room for denial.

What an idiotic, reckless act!

Chiyo sighed inwardly, reflecting on her last contact with Sunagakure. The final report she had received described the collapse of the Kazekage's office and the defection of several Suna shinobi.

Since then, communication had ceased entirely.

At the time, she had assumed Sunagakure's chaotic state had simply disrupted their lines of communication.

Now she understood.

It wasn't that the ninja responsible for contacting her had died in the chaos. No, they likely believed her to be a dead woman as well!

After all, if Konoha's embassy had been wiped out, the logical conclusion would be that Chiyo had been executed to appease Konoha. She had been sold out.

"This must be a misunderstanding," Chiyo said stiffly, her tone now echoing Shikaku's earlier politeness. "The Uchiha involved isn't from Konoha. Perhaps it was one of Hyuga Fuji's subordinates? They might've used the Sharingan to manipulate some shinobi into attacking the embassy, sowing discord between our villages—"

She stopped herself, realizing how desperate she sounded.

She had come prepared to die in Konoha if necessary, but the idea of being betrayed by her own village left her utterly humiliated.

But this time, it was Shikaku who wasn't interested in entertaining her explanations.

He interrupted her coldly, his voice low and firm. "Elder Chiyo, you may not have known about this, and for that reason, I've kept my tone civil until now.

"But my father was stationed at that embassy. He was among the dead."

Chiyo looked at Shikaku's pale, bloodshot eyes and suddenly found herself unable to speak.

The exhaustion on his face was painfully obvious, though she had deliberately ignored it until this moment.

"The Land of Wind has sealed its borders. We require permission to enter and recover the bodies of our comrades. That is why I'm here speaking with you," Shikaku said, his tone steady but laced with icy resolve.

"If we're blocked at any point, the Land of Fire will have no choice but to go to war with the Land of Wind."

(End of Chapter)

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