A while ter, as Hikari made his way back to the Hyuga cn residence, crossing the famous Naka River once again, his presence alongside his Hyuga entourage drew curious and stunned gnces from the vilgers and passing shinobi of Konoha the same as the st time.

  Their visit to the Gekko cn had been a significant step forward, and in the coming days, their pn to solidify a coalition and its next steps with other smaller cns was set to unfold.

  The sight of him walking with Sakumo earlier with his entourage and their identities appearing so intimately, also given the swirl of rumors and Sakumo's recent reclusiveness, had undoubtedly sparked a wave of whispers and specution throughout the vilge.

  As he navigated through the streets of the vilge, Hikari was acutely aware of the ripples their actions were creating now, especially in the eyes of the Hokage's faction leadership.

  His thoughts returned to the successful discussion they had with the patriarch of the Gekko cn. The Gekko cn leader, like many leaders of the smaller cns in Konoha, possessed the strength akin to a standard Jonin only.

  However, the agreement they reached successfully and quickly was pivotal: the formation of a new, albeit unofficial, faction within Konoha.

  This faction, led by Sakumo Hatake, would serve as a collective of the smaller cns, banding together to amplify their voice and influence within the vilge.

  The Hyuga cn, through Hikari, would extend its support to this new faction, bringing along allies like the Aburame and Inuzuka cns.

  The pn was for Hikari and Sakumo to act as the unofficial representatives of this burgeoning alliance, bridging the gap between the smaller cns and the more prominent families like the Hyuga.

  The next crucial step involved contacting the Uchiha cn, a move that had the potential to truly cement the new coalition's strength and influence.

  Hikari and Sakumo intended to approach the Uchiha cn once the smaller cn faction was firmly established, hoping to secure their participation and identify a representative who would represent their interests within this new alliance, too.

  However, this matter regarding the Uchiha cn would have to be done in secret in order to be able to unch that 'surprise attack' successfully during the next Jonin Council meeting, unlike the other steps that he and Sakumo did retively openly.

  In their alliance with the Gekko cn, Hikari personally and the Hyuga cn extended their support beyond mere political maneuvering into the commercial realm as well. In the following days, that support would also be offered to the other smaller cns.

  In Hikari and other Hyuga Elders' opinions, it was a very simple process. The stronger those smaller cns got, the stronger the Hyuga cn got, too, and both were allies.

  Recognizing the importance of economic strength in bolstering the cn's overall power and independence, they committed to providing the Gekko cn with a wealth of resources.

  This support included sharing innovative business strategies, offering financial assistance through loans and investments, and facilitating new business opportunities to enhance the Gekko cn's standing in Konoha's competitive commercial ndscape.

  The target of these efforts was to counterbance the influence wielded by the Hokage's faction in the economic sector, particurly the Homura and Mitokado cns, which not only led the commercial interests of the Hokage's faction but also held the rgest quantity of the significant low and mid-level administrative positions within the vilge governance overall.

  By empowering the Gekko cn and other smaller cns economically, Hikari aimed to create a more leveled pying field, reducing the disproportionate influence of the Hokage's faction over Konoha's commercial and political arenas. This allowed those smaller cns to fight for what they had already lost in the past to that same monstrous faction that swallowed nearly all of Konoha. However, while the commercial support provided a tangible means of strengthening, navigating the vilge's administrative hierarchy posed a more formidable challenge for now.

  The entrenched positions of power within the Hokage's administration were difficult to contest directly. However, the strategy to elect Sakumo Hatake as the new Jonin Commander represented a critical step towards penetrating the administrative stronghold.

  Hikari's contemptive journey came to a pause as he eventually arrived at the entrance of the Hyuga cn's compound. The familiar sight of the towering gates and the guards stationed at the entrance brought a moment of transition from his strategic musings to the present reality. Stepping through the gates, Hikari was greeted with the respectful nods of the cn members, a subtle acknowledgment of his ever-rising status.

  ***

  A few days ter, standing on the grand terrace of the Hyuga Patriarch's estate, Hikari and the Patriarch shared a moment of strategic contemption, "So, almost all the small cns are with us now? But we're keeping Sakumo-san's candidacy quiet until just before the Jonin Council meeting?", Hikari sought confirmation, absorbing the updates from the Patriarch.

  "Yes, the Hokage is starting to worry about our actions, but I doubt he can grasp the full scope of our strategy in time...", The Patriarch responded, a hint of satisfaction in his voice and pride almost written on his face as he looked at Hikari who was much shorter than him.

  "Indeed, who would've imagined the Hyuga and Uchiha coming together like this? It's almost unheard of, given our usual low profile and the Uchiha's known pride and isotion...", Hikari added with a light smile.

  "Ha, Hiruzen will be in for quite the shock when he realizes what he's missed and sees that there are still those in the vilge ready to stand up against his faction. But Hikari-kun, we owe a lot of this breakthrough to your close retionship with Sakumo and your innovative thinking and pnning regarding this entire matter in general...", The Patriarch acknowledged, appreciation evident in his tone.

  "Don't give me all the credit, Patriarch-sama. This pn is unfolding smoothly mainly because of our cn's resources and the full support of the Hyuga Council. This time, it was also the cn that managed to reach out to the Uchiha in such a covert kind of manner, not me...",

  Hikari humbly deflected, acknowledging the collective effort behind their strategic moves.

  As he mentioned the Hyuga cn's outreach and colboration with the Uchiha, his gaze naturally drifted toward the Uchiha compound, which was quite visible from their current location.

  Situated across the Naka River from the Hyuga Compound, it stood prominently and was simir in size to the Hyuga Cn compound or the now defunct Senju Cn compound.

  Unlike the more secluded Hyuga estate, the Uchiha's grounds were slightly closer to the heart of the vilge, adjacent to the Konoha Police Force Headquarters, which they oversaw.

  Beyond the Uchiha compound, the Hokage's Building loomed, a central hub for Konoha's administrative operations housing most of the civilian administrative departments. To the right of this horizontal residential and political panorama stood the majestic Hokage Rock.

  However, Hikari was well aware of why the Hyuga cn was positioned on the outskirts of Konoha, further away from the Uchiha cn and right on its borders.

  It was all intrinsically linked to the critical role the Hyuga pyed in vilge security through the "Hyuga Border Surveilnce Division."

  While this division was not as rge as the Police Force run by the Uchiha, it was vital for Konoha's defense and intelligence.

  The main building of the organization was adjacent to the Hyuga living area.

  Through that organization, the Hyuga cn leveraged their Byakugan's unique capabilities to serve as Konoha's eyes, monitoring for any threats or unusual activities around the vilge's perimeter.

  This division wasn't just about keeping an eye out; it was an integral part of Konoha's early warning system, alerting the vilge to potential dangers before they could even escate.

  Their responsibilities also included conducting reconnaissance missions outside of Konoha to gather intelligence on potential threats and ensure Konoha remained ahead of any potential adversaries.

  Moreover, the division worked in close coordination with the ANBU for covert operations and the Military Police, contributing to a yered defense strategy that protected Konoha from external threats and internal issues.

  Hikari admired how seamlessly the Hyuga cn had woven their unique strengths into the fabric of Konoha's defense, marking them as an indispensable part of the vilge's interests.

  The Border Surveilnce Division was primarily staffed by Byakugan users who specialized in long-distance vision, and it was, therefore, obviously predominantly comprised of more supporting-like Side Branch members.

  Despite this, the head of the division was still nominally the Patriarch himself, a member of the Main Branch. Hikari himself had never visited the division, and his lineage, traditionally, did not py a part in its management.

  The Patriarch, looking thoughtful, turned to Hikari and began, "Ah yes, there's something else we need to talk about, about the Uchiha cn now that you brought them up. Once we're all through with the secret voting for the Jonin Council, we're going to try and elevate our retionship and start communicating more openly in the future; after all, we aren't breaking any ws, and this seems to be truly necessary after I thought about it some more recently...",

  "You know, sending letters back and forth or using other more covert ways to chat isn't that great. It's hard to get our points across that way, and it's not as precise and efficient a format as a human-to-human interaction could be, especially if you are responsible for that part."

  He paused for a moment, then continued, "So, as the guy in charge of making alliances for our cn, you'll start meeting with someone from the Uchiha cn with also a simir role probably as soon as possible to improve our overall communication and information flow.",

  "This is to help us start getting along better and make sure this new alliance we have goes smoothly from now in continuity. After all, we haven't been close to the Uchiha before; in fact, our retions were quite cool, so it's a big step for both of us if we want to succeed.",

  His voice carried a sense of importance, underlining the critical nature of Hikari's upcoming role in nurturing the fragile alliance with the Uchiha cn as soon as the voting there finished.

  Hanma_Jack