The Third Hokage: First Move Send Danzō to Prison

After Hiashi Hyuga left, Hiruzen Sarutobi's work was far from over. He had just received a response from the other side of the subspace Ace had replied.

"Thank you, strongest Hokage, the Third."

…

That title used to be fine, but now that Hiruzen was constantly arguing with people on the forums, hearing "strongest Hokage" again just gave him a headache.

"Are you mocking me, kid?"

The reply came swiftly. "Huh? No, I meant it sincerely."

Hiruzen thought for a moment, then explained how the subspace had enhanced his body, and asked about Ace's condition.

"I didn't get any younger I was already young. But all my internal injuries have healed completely."

Hiruzen nodded at the message. So the cheat only gave a light buff. Made sense if it was anything more, Ace would've already rampaged through the world solo.

"If only your old man had been chosen by this space instead."

Whitebeard, rejuvenated like Hiruzen, would've been an unstoppable force. That thought lingered in his mind as he typed back.

"By the way, Ace… when you got out, you didn't go charging at Akainu again, did you?"

"…Absolutely not. I got roasted on the forums over that. If I'd been chosen by this space before getting captured, I would've turned around and gone straight for Blackbeard."

"Speaking of which, who are you planning to send over? Jiraiya for intel?"

So you're also mixed up in forum arguments, huh? And yet you keep calling me the strongest Hokage with a straight face?

"Uchiha Itachi. At this point in time, he's the only one in Konoha qualified and available to intervene on your side. Let's talk payment aside from treasure, I'd like to receive a Mythical Zoan or Logia-type Devil Fruit."

"Sure. Itachi, huh? Reliable. Whether the mission succeeds or not, I'll pay you. But just so you know, treasure's no problem. A regular Devil Fruit is doable, but those Mythical Zoans and Logias are rare. Even in the Whitebeard Pirates, we've only had a few over the years."

"I trust you. Your name, Ace, is well known across the multiverse." Hiruzen paused. "But if Itachi ends up convincing Whitebeard not to rescue you, and you're executed, what then?"

"Then I die, simple as that, hahaha."

How am I supposed to collect payment if you're dead? Hiruzen nearly typed that, but before he could, Ace replied again.

"Don't worry. If I really die, I'll have Grandpa Garp deliver the treasure."

"Legend."

"Anyway, thank you, strongest Hokage."

"Glad to help, Flame-Flame Fruit user."

…Ace, don't tell me you're one of the guys slandering me in the forums?

The conversation ended.

Back in the real world, Hiruzen Sarutobi stamped the final document. His day as Hokage was finally over.

Cough.

With a flicker, the ANBU appeared. One wore a fox mask, the other a monkey.

"Let's go. Time to pay a visit to my foolish student."

Hopefully, that wayward disciple would soon see the light and return to the right path. Hiruzen thought to himself.

Once the Legendary Sannin were back, plus Guy and Kakashi, he would have the five Tiger Generals of Konoha gathered under his command. Add the wisdom of Shikaku and the power of the coming generation… what did Konoha have to fear?

…

Several days of clan meetings and the unrelenting pressure from the Hokage's office had taken their toll. Hiashi Hyuga's face grew darker by the day.

If he had a chance to sit down and chat with Fugaku Uchiha, they'd likely find they had a lot to talk about.

Of course, Hiashi's situation was still far better than Fugaku's. He only needed to convince a few elders from the main house.

But even calling them stubborn old fools was too kind. Their arrogance, ignorance, and delusion were boundless.

"This is a matter for the Hyuga clan."

"The Uchiha are gone. Does Konoha really think it can afford to lose us? Ignore it."

"If the First Hokage couldn't abolish the Caged Bird Seal, what right does the Third have?"

"Hiashi, as clan head, you should be protecting the Hyuga's interests. You're acting disgracefully."

Are you the clan head, or am I?

Hiashi voiced that thought more politely at the time, but it only provoked harsher accusations. Some even accused him of pushing the Hokage's agenda for personal reasons.

"Is it because of your daughters? Hiashi, you're failing your duty as clan head."

"Enough, Hiashi. This matter is not up for discussion. The ways of our ancestors must not be changed."

"If you truly believed this, why didn't you speak up back when Hizashi was alive? Seems being a father has changed you."

Back then, the Third didn't interfere with Hyuga internal matters.

But things had changed. The Hokage had reclaimed power and no longer governed with a soft touch.

Still, truth was the sharpest blade. Hiashi had flushed red with shame at their words. The guilt over his brother's death, and the weight of his daughters' future, crushed him.

Ultimately, his willingness to consider Hiruzen's reforms stemmed from his love for Hinata and Hanabi. He couldn't bear to see either one repeat Hizashi's fate.

Meanwhile, pressure from the Hokage's side only mounted. The demands for a decision from the Hyuga grew louder and more frequent.

Hiashi felt like a spring pulled taut from both ends. Eventually, it would either snap… or explode.

He had to find a way. If he didn't, the tragedy of the Uchiha would be repeated.

And if the Hokage issued a direct order, how could the sparsely numbered main house stand against the entire branch family?

How could Hiashi himself endure that?

"Father, are you feeling okay today?" his younger daughter, Hanabi, asked with concern.

Hinata, still timid as ever, didn't dare speak, but her worried gaze said enough.

Hiashi's voice softened. "I'm about to do something I never had the courage to do before."

You old fossils… you won't stop me. I'm not Fugaku Uchiha.

If I stand alone as the head of the main house… don't push me to the edge.

"Hinata, go fetch your cousin Neji."

His tone was so uncharacteristically gentle that Hinata immediately noticed something was different.

"Father…"

"Go. I just want to thank him for saving you during the Chunin Exams."

Though his voice was calm, it left no room for refusal.

Not long after, Neji Hyuga walked into Hiashi's room, his face cold and distant.

"Clan Head," he said curtly.

They sat across from each other at a low tea table, the Hyuga crest behind them, a folding screen painted with white cranes completing the traditional setting.

Once Neji was seated, Hiashi began with an expression of gratitude.

But Neji coldly dismissed it. He only acted because he couldn't stand to watch a comrade die, he said. If that was all, he'd be leaving now.

Hiashi didn't stop him. Instead, he slowly began to tell Neji the truth about what had happened all those years ago.

But Neji remained unmoved. He hadn't yet been "Talk no Jutsu'd" by Naruto. He couldn't forgive what he saw as the ultimate betrayal: his father's death, born of a broken system and the cowardice of the main house.

So what if his uncle had cried over it later?

If Hiashi had truly wanted to protect his brother, he should've started changing the system the moment he became clan head.

Then, Hiashi suddenly bowed deeply, pressing his forehead to the floor in a dogeza.

"Neji, son of Hizashi. As a father, I beg you please watch over Hinata and Hanabi."

"Clan Head! What are you doing?!" Neji's voice jumped in alarm.

"Please, Neji. I'm asking you."

Neji froze, unsure how to react. His eyes flicked between Hiashi's lowered head, the untouched porcelain tea set, and the crest on the wall. His heart swelled with a storm of conflicting emotions.

"Clan Head… what is this…" Neji's voice cracked, unsteady and confused.

Hiashi did not lift his head. His voice was low, but unwavering.

"Neji, I know you carry deep resentment against the main house. You grieve your father, my brother, and I failed you as a leader and as your uncle. Please forgive me."

Neji clenched his fists.

His feelings toward his two cousins, especially Hinata, had always been complicated. As children, he had protected her. After his father's death, that protectiveness twisted into bitterness. Watching Hinata constantly fall behind Hanabi, then being neglected himself… all of it left a mark he couldn't erase.

His heart wavered but long-held bitterness quickly returned like ice over thawing water.

"You think this makes it right?" Neji said coldly. "An apology won't fix the system that took my father's life."

Hiashi finally raised his head. His eyes locked onto Neji's.

"I know. That's why tonight, this cursed tradition may end for good."

Neji's pupils shrank. He looked stunned.

"If I fail, Hinata and Hanabi's futures are in your hands."

Neji finally understood.

His uncle the head of the Hyuga clan was preparing for the worst. This was a contingency. He was entrusting his daughters to him.

He's serious. What's he planning?

"Tonight may be the last meeting of the Hyuga main house regarding the abolition of the Caged Bird Seal. If they won't agree… then they won't need to."

Neji's entire body tensed. Goosebumps rippled across his skin. The sheer weight of those words filled him with both hope and dread.

"I am the head of the Hyuga clan."