"I'm at most at fault here. As the Patriarch, I didn't see through Tobirama's real genius and the darker motives behind his pns soon enough. This oversight has led us to our current predicament...", The Patriarch confessed, his tone den with regret,

  "The signs were also there when Tobirama effectively dissolved his own Senju cn into the civilian popuce, advising them to change their surnames, marry freely, and pursue their lives outside of the cn structure. This move drastically increased the genetic potential of Konoha's civilian popution. Though the full impact is yet to be realised, the early signs are unmistakable.",

  "Take, for example, Minato Namikaze, an early protégé of Jiraiya, one of Hiruzen's disciples. They already knew about him and approached him deliberately recently, through Jiraiya, while he was still in the Academy. He's a perfect example of this 'mixed' heritage and is being fast-tracked by the Hokage's faction.",

  "The next generation of Jonins will likely be even more dominated by these 'hybrid' civilians, boasting enhanced chakra reserves, stronger physical attributes, way more nature chakra affinities than they had previously, and other genetic advantages as the Senju lineage becomes entirely woven into the vilge's civilian fabric.",

  The room fell silent as the council absorbed the Patriarch's words. A mix of emotions was visible among the Elders—shock at the realization of Tobirama's long-term strategy and ruthlessness toward his own cn that raised him, a slight respect for the cunning with which he pursued his and his brother's ideals of 'unified' vilge, the 'Will of Fire' and 'one-family', and concern for what this meant for their own cn's positions in Konoha in the future.

  That's precisely why Tobirama aimed to elevate cns like the Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado. These groups were objectively weaker than the mighty Uchiha, Hyuga, and other dominant cns known for their formidable power.

  By bolstering these less powerful cns early on, Tobirama sought to unify the vilge further. The logic was clear: it would be simpler to control these four cns than to deal with the might of cns like the Hyuga and Uchiha. This approach was meant to bance power within Konoha, ensuring no single cn could threaten the vilge's stability.

  "However, what Tobirama perhaps didn't foresee was the extent of cronyism that would follow under Hiruzen and his advisors. It seems they've taken Tobirama's strategy but twisted it for their own ends, amassing wealth, power, and influence not for his ideas but for their personal gain..." Another Elder pointed out, his words tinged with disillusionment.

  "You're not alone in this, Patriarch; we've all made mistakes. It seems almost like fate gifted us Hikari at just the right moment. Without someone as uniquely talented as him, I'm not sure how we could stand against the Hokage's faction, which has grown so strong and now includes the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi cns on their side.",

  "This leaves us, along with the Aburame and Inuzuka, in the 'neutral' camp we currently lead, while Hiruzen's faction continues to undermine the Uchiha's interests...", Another Elder reflected, deepening the council's analysis of their situation.

  He continued, "As for the Uchiha, we've stayed out of their conflict with Konoha since they've served as a sort of 'shield' for us. They were the ones in the Hokage's faction's crosshairs and the noble 'boogymen', in the eyes of civilians, thankfully not us, since the founding of this vilge, sparing us that 'attention' even though we both shared a dojutsu kekkei genkai.",

  "But a 'shield' only works if it's still standing. From what we can see, it looks like they might move to eliminate the Uchiha cn completely in a few decades timeframe. And if that happens, there's a good chance we'll be next right after then.",

  "This leaves us with two choices: we either accept a significant loss of our power and capitute like Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi, but end up with a way rger loss of power than them, on both retive and absolute terms due to our current way higher 'starting strength and the level of vigince that the Hokage's group has toward us, or we fight and risk losing everything. Before, we might have chosen the safer route, but with Hikari Hyuga emerging, if we support his rise, we might have a fighting chance when the time comes.",

  For this Elder, the recent founding of the 'Root' organization under Danzo Shimura, with apparent approval from Hiruzen Sarutobi, was a gring warning sign. It suggested a more sinister agenda from Konoha's leadership, possibly aimed at undermining or even eliminating powerful cns that resisted total compliance with the vilge's directives in the long term.

  Danzo's occasional comments about wanting to recruit Hyuga members, combined with his known fascination with the Uchiha's dojutsu abilities, painted a troubling picture for the future of all major cns with unique, powerful bloodline abilities.

  The realization of Danzo's interest in bloodline abilities, especially in the context of his known obsession with the Uchiha, was a wake-up call for him. It underscored the severity of the position the Hyuga and Uchiha cns found themselves in.

  The Elder foresaw a scenario in which both cns could face existential threats from the vilge leadership in the upcoming decades. The Uchiha would likely be the first target due to their more hostile retionship with Konoha's authorities, followed by the Hyuga at that time, too.

  Such a prospect raised the stakes significantly for the Hyuga cn. The potential abolition of the ancient Cursed Seal practice, even if they capituted to vilge demands in the future, underscored the existential nature of the threat they faced.

  Tobirama and Hiruzen vioted many founding agreements with the cns of Konoha, but this move—establishing Root—was truly the sign that made this elder realize the existential threat facing the Hyuga and other powerful cns within the vilge.

  The deliberate creation of an organization designed to operate in the shadows, with the potential and will to recruit, or even coerce, members of powerful cns like the Hyuga into its ranks, was a stark deviation from the original ideals upon which Konoha was founded.

  "What should we do? Should we start secretly helping the Uchiha, then? But those guys are so proud; it's doubtful whether they even realize the existential risk they're facing now or if they'd be willing to accept help from others, especially our cn, with whom they've had a negative and competitive retionship throughout history...", Another Elder pondered aloud.

  "No, that would alert the vilge about the shift of our policy too early. We need to focus on raising Hikari as much as possible first, then start to resist and fight against the Hokage's group for our interests more aggressively...",

  Takumi responded immediately, "We should just focus on Hikari now. If we do something politically earlier, then it could be counterproductive to his potential for full and safe growth. "

  "Okay, gentlemen, I believe our discussion is coming to a close. After listening to all your valuable inputs, I suggest the following course of action. We will not intervene on behalf of the Uchiha. We'll maintain our current approach of appeasement toward the vilge leadership unless circumstances drastically change.",

  "However, our mindset this time is different. Instead of viewing this as a long-term strategy, we're essentially 'buying time', focusing on nurturing Hikari until he reaches his full potential; that is the first part of our new long-term strategy.",

  "This will then empower us to assert ourselves more boldly and protect our interests within Konoha in the future, which is the second part of our new strategy..." The Patriarch outlined, synthesizing the council's deliberations into a clear pn.

  He continued, "It's also very likely that the Hokage and other vilge leaders are already aware of Hikari's exceptional abilities as we have seen how easily they could obtain that kind of information now; after all, it all happened so openly back there yesterday, everyone in the cn now knows about it. So, instead of trying to hide his talents and arousing further suspicion, we should openly acknowledge that we are raising a very prodigious talent.",

  "However, we should still refrain from discussing the full extent of his 'upper limit' that we've theorized here; let's leave that part more ambiguous. Also, by making Hikari's genius public knowledge, we not only counter any underhanded moves by the Hokage's faction but also elevate our cn's standing in the eyes of other families, both rge and small, as well as the civilian popution. It's better if everyone knew about it instead, not just Hokage's faction's higher-ups alone, boosting our reputation and solidifying our position within the vilge.",

  With the Patriarch's pn id out, it was time for the council to formally vote on the course of action. One by one, the Elders expressed their agreement, casting their votes in favor of the Patriarch's resolution, reaching a full consensus this time.

  As the meeting concluded and the Elders began to file out, a collective understanding of the meeting's gravity lingered in the air.

  Their decision to pce Hikari at the forefront of their strategy was significant, marking a pivotal moment for the future of their cn.

  The Elders' thoughts varied as they contempted their next steps. Some were already considering the practical aspects of supporting Hikari's development, recognizing his importance not just as a talented individual but as a beacon of hope for the Hyuga cn.

  However, what resonated most deeply with the Elders as they departed was the significant shift in strategic doctrine they had just unanimously agreed upon—a first in the cn's history.

  This change underscored the grave nature of the threat posed by the Hokage's group and the immense potential they saw in Hikari.

  The Hyuga cn's tradition of staying out of the spotlight, a practice dating back even before Konoha's founding, was rooted in a cautious strategy.

  Unlike the Uchiha and Senju cns, who often found themselves at the forefront of shinobi affairs, the Hyugas preferred a more reserved stance.

  This approach was not born out of a ck of ambition or strength but was a deliberate choice influenced by deep-seated historical secrets.

  These secrets, known fully only to the Patriarch and a few senior Elders vaguely, shaped the cn's cautious engagement with the world around them for hundreds of years until today.

  Hanma_Jack