Inside the Hokage's office.
"Lord Third, Gakuya requests an audience."
Hiruzen Sarutobi set down the document in his hand. "Let him in."
Hyuga Gakuya stepped into the office upon receiving the summons and knelt on one knee.
"Greetings, Lord Third."
"Ah, Gakuya. What brings you here?" Hiruzen asked, frowning slightly. He didn't recall assigning Gakuya any recent missions.
"The Hyuga clan intends to mark me with the Caged Bird Seal."
Hiruzen exhaled a slow stream of smoke. "Do you not wish to truly join the Hyuga clan?"
"No, I do. I want to prove myself for my father's sake. But the Main Branch has attempted to use me to probe into Konoha's classified information. I refused to comply, yet they remain unwilling to give up. Now, they seek to control me through the Caged Bird Seal."
"I believe that if I am marked, I will no longer be able to serve you, Lord Hokage, to the best of my abilities. I would be at the mercy of the Main Branch."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "The Main Branch ordered you to gather intelligence on Konoha? Why did you not report this sooner?"
"I have failed in my duty," Gakuya said, lowering his head, avoiding the Third Hokage's gaze.
Hiruzen fell silent, deep in thought. If what Gakuya said was true, then it was possible that other Branch Members placed within the ANBU were also compromised.
"Enough. You may leave. I will consider this matter carefully."
"Yes, sir!" Gakuya swiftly exited, having planted the seed of suspicion in the Hokage's mind.
As long as he provided Hiruzen with a reason to doubt the seemingly obedient Hyuga clan, the Hokage would naturally start scrutinizing them. And once ANBU started investigating the Branch Members in their ranks, they would undoubtedly uncover irregularities. After all, leaking mission details to the clan and leveraging that information for internal benefits was already a common practice.
Everything Gakuya had said was true. The Main Branch had indeed approached him for intelligence on mission targets to track the progress of the war. He had refused, but that only made them more determined to place him under their control.
...
Leaving the Hokage's office, Gakuya made his way to Konoha Hospital, where he sought out a retired ANBU medical ninja, Matsuo Seiichi.
After his retirement, Matsuo had taken on the role of chief physician at the hospital.
"Seiichi, I need a favor."
Matsuo, with his perpetually furrowed brows and grim expression, looked up. But when he saw Gakuya, he allowed himself a rare, albeit awkward, smile.
"You? Asking for a favor? What is it—an admission, a medical referral? Just say the word."
"I need you to publish a research paper," Gakuya said. "One that discusses how applying the Caged Bird Seal too early stunts the growth of the Byakugan. At the same time, I need a formal report submitted to Lord Hokage."
Matsuo's smile vanished. "You're asking me to dig up the roots of the Hyuga clan. That's a dangerous request."
"Relax. The paper doesn't need to criticize the Caged Bird Seal itself. Just propose that delaying the seal's application until a child fully matures at nine years old would benefit Konoha, producing stronger shinobi."
Matsuo scoffed. "And that's supposed to make it any less risky? You want me—a civilian medic—to provoke the Hyuga clan?" He stood up, intending to usher Gakuya out.
But Gakuya simply smiled and pressed him back down into his chair, producing a medical report.
"No need to be so hasty. I came in a rush and didn't bring a gift, but I do have this. Consider it a small token."
Matsuo took the file, glancing at the listed blood type and age. His eyes widened in shock, and he shot to his feet.
"Where is this person?"
Gakuya calmly poured him a cup of tea.
"In Konoha's prison. I recently captured a Suna spy. A tough one—held out even after Sunagakure realized she was missing. Now, they want to ransom her back."
"Since we're in a period of peace with Suna, she won't be executed. They'll take her back soon enough."
Gakuya stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"But I have the evidence to ensure she never makes it out alive. If I release that evidence, she'll be sentenced to death. And when that happens, I'll make sure her body is delivered to you."
His tone was like the whisper of a devil tempting a mortal.
"Think about it, Seiichi. Your sick daughter—she needs a transplant. Are you really going to let her waste away in that hospital bed?"
"And don't worry about the Hyuga. They won't lay a hand on a fellow Konoha ninja. Even if they wanted to, Lord Hokage would never allow it."
Matsuo clenched his fists. His daughter was all he had left. She suffered from a severe heart condition and kidney failure, and her rare blood type made finding a match nearly impossible. He had spent years mastering medical ninjutsu just to keep her alive, had endured the harsh realities of ANBU to afford her treatment. Now, he finally had the money, but no donor.
Now, an opportunity had appeared. An opportunity to save his daughter. How could he refuse?
"Fine. I'll do it. I'll write the paper and submit the report—but I want her heart and kidneys by tomorrow."
Gakuya nodded, placing the medical file on the table. "Pleasure doing business. I'll make the arrangements now."
He had anticipated Seiichi's response and had already passed the order to Captain that morning. By tomorrow, the organs would be ready.
In the shinobi world, the concept of 'ethical warfare' simply did not exist. Taking a fallen enemy's organs was hardly considered a crime.
...
The next day, Gakuya delivered on his promise. The captured Suna spy was executed, her organs carefully extracted. To ensure future cooperation, Gakuya went further—harvesting all viable organs and sealing them inside a storage scroll before handing it to Matsuo.
"Here. Heart, liver, lungs, kidneys—you name it, I got it. If your daughter ever needs another transplant, you'll have options."
Matsuo's hands trembled as he took the scroll. "Thank you… my daughter will live."
"Then stop wasting time. The sooner you perform the surgery, the better."
"Right, right—I'll start the transplant immediately."
Gakuya stayed behind to oversee the process. After all, even in the underworld of Konoha, good customer service was key.
"Perfect match," Matsuo murmured as he studied the compatibility report. Relief flooded his features. "This was meant to be."
Gakuya smirked. "Then congratulations. Your daughter has a future now."
...
The scandal rocked Konoha.
Matsuo's research paper was published across multiple channels, even making the front page of the Konoha Times:
'The Hyuga Clan Sacrifices Its Own: Hindering the Village's Future'
The civilians didn't care about Main or Branch Families. They only saw one thing—the Hyuga harming their own children. The Hyuga seemed crueler than beasts.
And with public outrage mounting, the pressure was now on the Hyuga and the Hokage to respond.