Chapter 65: Being a Dutiful Daughter - The White Eyed Princess of Konoha

Chapter 65: Being a Dutiful Daughter Hinata suddenly glanced at Sasuke, leaving him puzzled. Could she be thinking of something troublesome again? Orochimaru might already be here, so Hinata had no time to jest and was seriously pondering a matter. Currently, the only real threat to the Hyuga clan within the Hidden Leaf is Danzo. As for the Third Hokage, once Hinata fully matures and displays a formidable strength that poses a threat, he might turn a blind eye to some of Danzo's actions. After all, the Third is a kind old man. In the end, all he needs to do is shift all the responsibility onto Danzo. Then the Third could lower his stance and vouch for Danzo. It’s the perfect partnership. Hinata had to think more about these things—it's not just paranoia. The Third Hokage has controlled the village for too long. Even though he deeply loves the village, such prolonged power would naturally foster a desire to control everything. Anything beyond his grasp is considered an anomaly. Without a doubt, in this regard, the Third and Danzo share a commonality in their thinking. And in the natural order of predator and prey, the Third would die at Orochimaru's hands, and Orochimaru as well as Danzo would meet their end at Sasuke's hand. This is set to occur within the next three years. Orochimaru’s later resurrection isn’t much of a concern. By that time, Hinata believes she will have the strength to protect herself. Thinking in this way, perhaps letting Sasuke follow Orochimaru isn’t all that bad. Sasuke could quickly gain power, and by leaving the village, avoid becoming the target of Danzo’s schemes. Once the Third dies and Tsunade returns to the village to become the Fifth Hokage, Hinata plans to immediately side with Tsunade. From the original story, it’s evident that after Tsunade assumed the Hokage role, the Ino–Shika–Cho trio promptly showed their support, and Shikaku Nara was heavily relied upon. Although the Hyuga’s fate isn't explicitly depicted, they weathered through the Fourth Shinobi World War effortlessly. Hinata’s mind was a chaotic mess, "Forget it, I’ll leave these complicated matters to Hiashi. I’m just a child after all." The village’s affairs are too complex for me to handle. However, after Sasuke kills Orochimaru, Hinata could bring back the body of the White Phosphorus Snake. At the most, she could split the earnings equally with Kabuto... For one, it would help with clearing up Orochimaru's body, a character she quite admired in her previous life; and secondly, she could use the White Phosphorus Snake to brew some concoctions to prolong Hiashi's health, granting her more years of freedom. A dutiful daughter is what I aim to be. Hinata quickly formed a plan, deciding to leave current troublesome affairs to Hiashi. Once Naruto, that fool, steps up and she becomes the Hokage’s advisor, the village will be devoid of danger. By then, she could even let Hanabi handle clan affairs, leaving Hinata free to enjoy her role as both clan leader and advisor without much worry. Simply perfect. Hinata encouraged herself inwardly: "All this effort now is for a brighter tomorrow. Hang in there, Hinata!" In the forest, Orochimaru suddenly felt a chill down his spine, an unsettling sensation washing over him. “Not good!” Despite being a shinobi with shadow-level prowess, only a more formidable opponent could incite such fear in him. “Could it be the Third and that fool Jiraiya?” With this thought, Orochimaru felt the urge to withdraw. There’s ample time to entice Sasuke. The Chunin Exams still have a month to conclude. Engaging the Third and Jiraiya now might reveal some of his plans, giving the village an opportunity to prepare. Reflecting on this, Orochimaru cast a deep glance at Sasuke, then at Hinata, before finally deciding to depart. The ominous feeling subsided. Activating her Byakugan, Hinata scanned the area, verifying that nobody remained nearby. Sasuke gazed at Hinata and asked, “What’s wrong?” Hinata shook her head gently. “Nothing. Let’s eat first! More people will likely arrive soon. We need to be full of energy to fight.” The first group to arrive should be Gaara’s group. Back in her previous life, when she watched Naruto, Gaara was someone Hinata admired as well. Yet, admiration aside, this is the Chunin Exams. Hinata had a thought—should she cripple Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro to prevent Lee from being injured? If they’re incapacitated, they can’t pass the second exam, and Lee won’t have to suffer. Considering this, Hinata turned to Naruto and Sasuke. “When people show up, hit them hard.” Naruto obediently nodded, “Got it, no problem!” Curious, Sasuke inquired, “What are you planning now?” “I’m not planning...” Halfway through her sentence, Hinata remembered she could indeed initiate something. Excluding Orochimaru and Kabuto, none of the candidates in the Forest of Death were a match for her. Threats were only Gaara and a Lee using the Eight Gates. Suddenly interested, Hinata cheerfully proposed, “Naruto, Sasuke! What if we block the entrance here and snatch everyone’s scrolls, so only Team 7 passes? Wouldn’t that be impressive?” Sasuke glanced at her, nonchalantly asking, “What about those fellow students?” Hinata pondered for a moment, acknowledging that Sasuke made a valid point. If she took the scrolls from other main characters now, it wouldn’t be beneficial for the Hyuga’s diplomatic relations. Yet charging them toll fees was too unrefined. Hinata, deep in thought, motioned Naruto and Sasuke closer, whispering, “How about this: let them treat us to meals. They must treat Team 7 to one month’s worth of meals to pass.” Sasuke turned away, opting to ignore Hinata, while Naruto, excited, exclaimed, “Hinata, you’re brilliant!” Hinata, wearing a ‘well-taught’ expression, looked at Naruto, bemused, “Right! Kiba’s team, Shikamaru’s team, and my cousin Neji’s team too—each group treats us for a month, making it three months in total!” “Not only do we get to feast every day, but we also save quite a bit of money.” Terrified of poverty, Naruto nodded vigorously, fully endorsing Hinata’s plan. Hinata glanced at Sasuke, remarking, “Sasuke, it’s two against one.” Sasuke: "What a pair of fools!" Elsewhere in the Forest of Death: “Sand Coffin… Sand Burial!” Gaara clenched his right hand into a fist, and the three shinobi from the Hidden Rain Village were instantly crushed into nothing but blood and flesh, their remains raining down. Gaara stood silently amidst the blood rain, holding an umbrella with one hand. Kankuro picked up a scroll from the Rain shinobi, smiling, “It’s the Heaven Scroll—how convenient.” “Alright, let’s hurry to the tower!” Gaara coldly ordered, “Shut up!” His gaze swept over to where Kiba, Shino, and Sakura were hiding, but then turned abruptly towards the direction of the tower. “What is this feeling?”