Only I can make Konoha Village great again.

Even if the Uchiha ninjas considered themselves superior to the Hyuga, they couldn't be certain that they wouldn't be thrown out by the Hokage to appease the Hidden Cloud Village.

The feeling of betrayal and fear fueled their anger, and the Konoha ninja roared:

"We fight desperately to protect Konoha, not so that the higher-ups can bully us, nor are we sacrificing our lives to please the enemy!"

"The Hyuga clan did the right thing, we support them!"

"The higher-ups must give an explanation, they must issue a public apology! They must guarantee that no Konoha ninja will be sacrificed to appease the enemy!"

Hiashi Hyuga arrived just in time at the plaza in front of the Hokage Building. Dressed in a white kimono, he announced in his loudest voice:

"Villagers of Konoha, ninjas of Konoha, today, I, Hyuga, have only one demand: justice!"

Hiashi Hyuga's voice was resolute, filled with long-suppressed anger.

"Under the guise of negotiations, the Cloud Village ninjas infiltrated the Hyuga clan's territory, murdered the Hyuga clan members, and kidnapped my daughter to steal the Hyuga's Byakugan."

"To protect my daughter, to prevent the Byakugan's bloodline limit from being lost, I killed that Cloud Village ninja. Was I wrong?"

"No!"

But very few people answered, and their voices were scattered and disorganized.

After all, this was in front of the Hokage Building, where the Third Hokage was located, and most people were still hesitating.

Perhaps sacrificing Hyuga was not the Third Hokage's decision?

Hiashi Hyuga was not disappointed, but continued, "But such a clear defense was described by the Third Hokage as the crime of 'stirring up conflict'."

"Lord Danzo Shimura even said that if the Hyuga clan didn't intentionally start the war, they should have chosen to die so as not to cause trouble for the Hokage."

"We, the Hinata! Want to live! Is that so troublesome?"

"Shimura Danzo also spread rumors, slandering us as selfish, cowardly, and disregarding the safety of Konoha!"

Hiashi Hyuga's tone grew even heavier: "My Hyuga clan has fought and bled for Konoha since its founding!"

"During the three Shinobi World Wars, Hyuga ninjas charged to the front lines, using their Byakugan to discern enemy movements and their Gentle Fist to defeat the enemy."

"A thousand of our people lie buried on the battlefield, and many more are left disabled for life, yet we have never uttered a word of complaint!"

"Because we believe we are part of Konoha, protecting Konoha is protecting ourselves."

"But now, we're protecting our own children, and we're being falsely accused of harming Konoha Village. This is unfair!"

As planned, the Hyuga ninjas shouted in unison, "This is unfair!"

Upon hearing this, the Konoha ninjas and villagers, their emotions stirred, joined in the shouting.

"That's not fair!"

"The Hyuga clan, that's right!"

"The Third Hokage must give us an explanation!"

Hiashi Hyuga shouted, "The Third Hokage said that Hyuga should consider the bigger picture."

"But the bigger picture he's talking about requires me to kill my own brother to appease the defeated enemy!"

"The so-called 'big picture' means ignoring the feelings of Konoha ninjas, all for the sake of achieving peace!"

Is peace achieved by sacrificing innocent Konoha ninja and pandering to the enemy truly peace?

People shouted again, "No!"

Hiashi Hyuga raised his arms and shouted, "Hyuga does not recognize this kind of peace, much less accept the so-called 'big picture'!"

"Today, we reveal the whole truth to let everyone know that hurting the feelings of Konoha ninjas is the true betrayal of Konoha!"

While Hyuga Hiashi was giving his speech, Hyuga ninjas defied the ban and activated their Byakugan within Konoha Village.

Pairs of pure white eyes carefully examined each ninja, searching for traces of Root ninjas.

The Byakugan has a single function, but its insight surpasses that of the Sharingan. No subtle fluctuation in chakra can escape the Byakugan's gaze.

The Root ninjas didn't witness this scene. They were used to the idea that the Hyuga ninjas would abide by the Hokage's prohibition and wouldn't activate their Byakugan in Konoha.

Therefore, they disguised themselves without any scruples, then infiltrated the crowd to spread rumors and try to confuse the public.

A Root ninja disguised as a vendor whispered to the surrounding villagers, "Don't believe the Hyuga clan's lies. They deliberately killed the people from Kumogakure."

The villagers asked in confusion, "That's not right. The Hyuga clan leader said they wouldn't benefit from killing Kumogakure, so why would they deliberately kill them?"

The Root ninja sneered, "What else could it be? Of course, it's to start a war and elevate their own status."

"As long as the war continues, it is always ordinary people like us who suffer..."

Before he could finish speaking, two pairs of pure white eyes appeared behind him.

A cold gaze fell upon him, making him stiffen, a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

A member of the Hyuga branch family remarked, "They really are Root ninjas. They've arrived after all!"

"The Root ninjas are still spreading rumors, just like they did when they dealt with Lord Sakumo Hatake!"

Before the Root ninja could react, the Hyuga ninja appeared in front of him instantly, his Gentle Fist landing precisely on his pressure points, sealing his chakra.

"take away!"

The Hyuga ninja stepped forward, grabbed the Root ninja, and dragged him to the Hokage Building plaza.

This action occurred several times in the crowd, all when Root members were spreading rumors and were spotted by the Byakugan of the Hyuga ninja.

The captured Root ninja had his chakra sealed by the Hyuga ninja, his hands were tied behind his back, and he was placed with his head down next to Hyuga Hiashi's feet.

Hiashi Hyuga pointed at the Root ninjas and said, "Look everyone, these are the Root ninjas!"

"They were acting under Danzo Shimura's orders, secretly spreading rumors and slandering my Hyuga clan in an attempt to cover up the truth!"

"Look, these flyers are irrefutable proof!"

Hiashi Hyuga will show the collected flyers, coded messages, notes, and other items to everyone.

Just as guessed, the contents of the flyer were all rumors slandering the Hyuga clan.

The evidence is irrefutable and leaves no room for argument.

The discussion below the stage reached its peak once again. Everyone looked at the Root ninjas with anger and disgust, and their gazes toward the Hokage Building were filled with suspicion.

At this moment, the Third Hokage was sitting at his desk, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

The cheers and questions from the square outside the window reached his ears; each word felt like a needle piercing his flesh.

It hurts a little, but I can bear it.

But there is absolutely no solution.

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled. The smoke blurred his vision, but the problem remained and was getting worse.

He felt extremely wronged.

The Third Hokage dedicated his life to protecting the peace and stability of Konoha. In the hearts of the ninjas and villagers of Konoha, he has always been a symbol of kindness, dignity, and justice.

But now, the Hyuga clan's counterattack has exposed his compromises and injustices to the villagers of Konoha, causing him to lose face and fall into an unprecedentedly embarrassing situation.

The Third Hokage certainly knew the truth and was very clear that the Cloud Village ninjas were deliberately causing trouble.

However, he had to consider the bigger picture. Although the Hidden Cloud Village had been defeated, it was still a formidable force that could not be easily destroyed.

If the Cloud Village ninjas are not satisfied, the war will not end and more Konoha ninjas will die. Shouldn't Hyuga Hizashi have chosen to die?