Konoha – Uchiha Clan Compound
Inside Bai Ye's mansion, the atmosphere was tense.
When Hyuga Hiashi uttered the word "rebellion," Tsunade and Kushina snapped out of their shock, their gazes locking onto him.
Bai Ye, after a brief silence, looked at Hiashi with a strange expression.
Did he seriously just say rebellion?
Bai Ye couldn't help but admire—or rather, be baffled by—Hiashi's thought process.
Rebellion? How did Hiashi make that leap?
Sure, the Uchiha clan had entertained thoughts of rebellion in the past, but what did that have to do with him?
And more importantly, did Bai Ye even care who sat in the Hokage's chair?
The strong never confine their vision to just a single village.
Uchiha Madara was proof of that.
Yes, in a way, Madara was used by Black Zetsu, but his ideals weren't entirely wrong.
Konoha's so-called peace was merely a temporary balance, one bought by Senju Hashirama's sacrifices at the Five Kage Summit.
But that was not true peace—only a fleeting calm maintained by Hashirama's own lifespan.
Even if Madara had been manipulated, at least he had dared to step beyond the confines of a single village and set his sights on the entire ninja world.
And Bai Ye?
He had already moved beyond even that.
With the overwhelming advantages of the system, his ambitions extended beyond the shinobi world itself.
He let out a slow breath, then turned to Hyuga Hiashi.
"Chief Hiashi."
After a long pause, Bai Ye gave him a look that was half amusement, half disbelief.
"I think you may have misunderstood."
"I told you before—I brought the Uchiha Guard here out of duty. There is no special agenda, no hidden alliance."
He took a casual sip of sake, exhaling lightly.
"Even if you and the Third Hokage are locked in a struggle for power, I have no interest in interfering."
"I brought my men here solely as part of my role as Captain of the Guard."
That was the truth.
An alliance?
That only made sense when both sides stood on equal footing.
For the Hyuga clan, however, this was less about forming an alliance and more about seeking protection.
And Uchiha Bai Ye wasn't the kind of person who sought goodwill by begging for cooperation.
The Guard had its own rules.
Bai Ye was the one who set them, and he would be the one to uphold them.
"Don't be so cold," Tsunade interjected with a grin, slapping his shoulder.
She could sense Hiashi's growing discomfort and didn't want the conversation to become too awkward.
But Bai Ye merely shrugged, indifferent.
He wasn't here to play politics.
Strangely enough, though, Hyuga Hiashi's respect for him only deepened.
There weren't many in Konoha who truly prioritized the village's stability over their own interests.
But Uchiha Bai Ye?
He was one of them.
That didn't change the fact that their talk of cooperation had just been shut down in an instant.
Still, Hiashi was not an ungrateful man.
In the original story, his younger brother's death had weighed heavily on him, filling him with guilt. But as clan head, he had no choice but to follow the Hokage's orders and ensure the Hyuga clan's survival.
One could argue he had been too weak to resist.
But his nature wasn't evil—he was simply bound by duty.
And now, after a moment of thought, he came up with a different proposal.
"The conduct of the Uchiha Guard is admirable."
Hiashi's words carried weight.
"I heard that Captain Bai Ye has been recruiting non-Uchiha into the Guard. That your forces now include members from other clans as well."
He paused.
"If you ever find yourself in need of reconnaissance specialists, my Hyuga clan will gladly assist."
"And… when my daughter graduates from the Academy, I humbly request that you allow her to train under the Uchiha Guard."
The discussion of alliances was over.
But Hiashi's respect for Bai Ye remained.
This was his way of repaying that debt.
---
Hinata in the Uchiha Guard?
Bai Ye blinked.
Even Kushina, who had been silently watching, was stunned.
Did Hiashi realize what he was doing?
Kushina shot him a complicated look.
Was he pushing his daughter into the lion's den?
As someone who had personally experienced the kind of chaos Bai Ye attracted, she wouldn't wish that on Hinata.
Still, Bai Ye grinned.
"No problem at all."
He had no reason to refuse.
After all, Hinata was still a child—only three years old.
Even if he were a beast, there was no way he'd throw her into battle now.
Even he had a bottom line.
He was about to add something else when a sudden thought struck him.
For a while now, he had been pondering something.
And after capturing Samui, his curiosity had only intensified.
Just moments ago, when Tsunade had reached for her food, he had instinctively glanced in her direction.
And that was when it hit him.
His thirst for knowledge could no longer be suppressed.
He exhaled slowly, then snapped his fingers.
Boom!
The entire room shuddered.
A strange distortion rippled through the air, warping the very fabric of space.
Within seconds, a portal solidified.
And from within, two figures tumbled out, bound hand and foot.
The power of space manipulation!
One of his many newfound abilities.
Bai Ye smirked.
Why bother going all the way to the basement when he could just teleport them directly?
Tsunade frowned.
"And these two?"
"Oh." Bai Ye's tone was casual. "This is Samui—Cloud's envoy. She broke the rules, so I arrested her."
Tsunade stared at him.
So casual. So confident.
She sighed.
This guy was ridiculous.
Bai Ye gestured toward the second captive.
"And this little cat here—Eum-Yuugito."
"Cloud's Two-Tails Jinchūriki."
Tsunade's eyes widened.
Even Hyuga Hiashi was visibly shocked.
Bai Ye just… casually captured a Jinchūriki?
Ignoring their disbelief, Bai Ye positioned Tsunade and Samui side by side.
He studied them intently.
Both were of similar height.
Both possessed their own unique appeal.
Hiashi, sensing where this was going, suddenly excused himself.
Smart move.
Bai Ye appreciated his foresight.
Then, without hesitation, he activated his Sharingan.
He analyzed.
He calculated.
And then, he made his final conclusion.
"Water droplets…"
"Perfectly round…"
His eyes gleamed.
"As I thought… Samui, you win."