At this moment, it was exactly as Hyuga Hizashi had thought.
Almost the instant Hyuga Hiashi's figure appeared before everyone, even though the entire Hyuga Compound entrance was packed with a dense crowd, the momentum of the Hyuga Branch Family was immediately seized the moment their eyes met his.
Though he was alone, Hyuga Hiashi showed no signs of backing down in the face of the Hyuga Branch Family members blocking the entrance.
"Lord Head of the Family."
Everyone present bowed in unison.
Hyuga Hiashi glanced at Lord Shinma, who was bound and kneeling on the ground, a hint of veiled anger flashing in his eyes, his expression remaining serious:
"It seems you already know."
How could such a significant event be kept secret within the small Hyuga Compound?
Almost the moment he spoke, everyone involuntarily looked up, their hopeful gazes converging on him, as if to burn him whole.
Promoting a Branch Family member to the Main Family.
This was an unprecedented event in the Hyuga Clan, which had existed for a thousand years.
Someone couldn't help but inquire, their voice trembling: "Lord Head of the Family, what about Hokage-sama's order...?"
However, what he didn't expect was this.
Almost the moment he mentioned Hokage-sama, Hyuga Hiashi suddenly raised his voice, interrupting him, and angrily declared:
"Hokage-sama?"
"Do you know what this beast did?!"
Just one sentence was like pouring a basin of cold water on a raging fire.
The Hyuga Branch Family members present were stunned.
Hyuga Hiashi's voice didn't stop: "Falsely reporting military achievements! Deceiving superiors and subordinates! Forging orders!"
"He even dared to make false requests in the name of the Hyuga Main Family before Hokage-sama!"
He shook out his sleeve, took out a new Hokage order, and his gaze coldly swept over everyone present:
"Now, the situation has been clearly distinguished. Third Hokage was greatly enraged upon learning of the situation and has handed this scoundrel over to our clan for internal handling."
These words, one after another, were like heavy hammer blows, striking hard at the hearts of everyone present.
Their fervent thoughts, at this moment, rapidly cooled down at an incredible speed.
Indeed.
They already knew this outcome.
The Hyuga Clan had stood in the Ninja World for a thousand years.
Even if they had joined Konoha now, what of it? Even if common Ninja were rising, what of it?
From the moment the Caged Bird Seal was branded on their foreheads in their youth, the fate of all of them was already sealed.
No.
Perhaps, it was already sealed from the moment of their birth.
"..."
In an instant, the entire Hyuga Compound entrance fell into a deathly silence.
Hyuga Hiashi watched this scene coldly, but his heart gradually calmed.
The Branch Family will always be the Branch Family.
If they were to see hope, no matter how slim.
This family would fall into chaos.
There has never been a daimyo in this world willing to be a king of a fallen country.
For Hyuga Hiashi, was not the Hyuga Clan a small kingdom?
Precisely because of this, he could not tolerate this outcome.
What he needed to do now was to extinguish the fire in the eyes of these people, one by one.
And it was indeed so.
Before the unique authority of the Head of the Family, before that Hokage's personal order representing Konoha's highest will, these Branch Family members, branded with the Caged Bird Seal, couldn't even muster the emotion to resist.
Just as Hyuga Hiashi thought everything would settle then and there.
"No! It's not like that!"
Suddenly, Lord Shinma, who had been kneeling on the ground, struggled, tore off the cloth in his mouth, and with difficulty, raised his head, trying to look at his fellow clansmen around him, shouting loudly:
"Third Hokage personally promised me!"
"A Hyuga that only the Main Family can control is not the Hyuga he wants!"
"We, the Branch Family, who have been slaves and servants for generations, are the true..."
He shouted loudly, his hoarse voice, in the deathly silent crowd, was surprisingly clear at that moment.
"Silence!"
Hyuga Hiashi's expression immediately tensed, and he suddenly joined two fingers.
Caged Bird Seal!
In an instant, Lord Shinma, who was still roaring, his voice abruptly turned into a piercing wail, and he fell to the ground, rolling around, as if enduring unbearable pain.
The surrounding Branch Family members watched this scene, still quiet, only their pure white eyes filled with sorrow.
They had seen such scenes far too many times.
Hyuga Hiashi's tone became even more severe: "Even at death's door, you dare to slander Third Hokage!"
However, his own emotions suddenly turned urgent.
He had originally intended to wait three days to publicly execute him before the clansmen, but Lord Shinma held too many secrets, making him dare not delay until that day.
Hyuga Hiashi's expression was decisive, and he quickly spoke:
"The bloodline of the Hyuga Clan must not be defiled! The honor of the Hyuga Clan must not be desecrated!"
"Hyuga Shinma."
"As a Branch Family head, you dared to presume on your achievements, covet the position of the Main Family. Furthermore, you colluded with outsiders, deceived superiors and subordinates, and shook the foundation of our clan."
"Today, in the name of the clan head, in accordance with clan rules, I sentence you to death!"
"Lord Head of the Family!"
Just as he was about to give the order, an urgent child's voice suddenly rang in his ears.
Hyuga Hiashi's voice faltered, and he slowly turned his head.
Hyuga Neji, his eyes red, watched this scene, forced his way through the crowd in front of him, and knelt before him.
The child, who usually kept a cold expression and couldn't open his heart to anyone, at this moment, uncharacteristically revealed the softest part of his inner self, his voice trembling:
"Please, spare Lord Shinma."
Since his father's death, he hadn't shown such a vulnerable appearance for a long time.
In his short life, he always encountered suffering.
His mother died before he could remember, he was branded with the Caged Bird Seal at just four years old, and shortly after, his own father died in place of the clan head... These continuous blows made him close off his heart, and he moved forward with revenge as his goal.
However, even in such a life, there were always people like Lord Shinma who brought him some warmth.
What's more.
As a Branch Family member, they wanted to tear off this ugly scar on their heads, to break this cage that confined them to a narrow space.
What was wrong with that?!
Why should they be born to sacrifice for another group of people?
Hyuga Neji bowed his head heavily to the ground.
The flames burning in the young boy's pure white eyes, however, grew fiercer.
Listening to Neji's lament and plea, Hyuga Hiashi's eyelids drooped slightly; after all, this was Hizashi's son.
So, his high-pitched voice softened a few shades, and he said calmly:
"Neji."
"This is not where you should be."
"Lord Head of the Family—!"
Hyuga Neji suddenly looked up.
Hyuga Hiashi, however, turned his head, no longer looking at him, and coldly stared at Lord Shinma, who was lying on the ground, ordering:
"Execute him immediately."
"Yes!"
With his command, amidst the deathly silent gazes of all the Hyuga Branch Family members, a clan head's guard stepped forward and immediately landed a heavy Gentle Fist blow on Lord Shinma's chest.
A heavy thud sounded.
Finally, Lord Shinma lay weakly on the ground, his eyes empty.
Hyuga Neji knelt on the ground.
Unbeknownst to him, his blood-stained, bandaged knuckles had already dug deep into the soil.
Hyuga Hiashi walked past him, his steps pausing for a moment, his voice solemn:
"Neji, don't blame me for being cruel."
"Everything I do is for this family."
As his words fell, his steps resumed, and he walked directly into the depths of the Hyuga Compound.
The guards behind him dragged away Lord Shinma's corpse, and the surrounding, deathly silent Hyuga Branch Family members dispersed.
Only Hyuga Neji remained kneeling on the ground, his head deeply bowed.
"Such a family..."
"What meaning does it truly have left?"
The raging flames scorched his heart.
At this moment, he yearned for power like never before.
The power to overturn everything.