Chaos began.
Amidst the clan's alert signal, one figure after another swiftly passed through the alleyways of the Hyuga clan's unique Japanese-style houses, converging like a tide towards the clan's main gate.
Old, young, male, female—
Regardless of their usual roles as servants, guards, parents, or children, all those still capable of fighting were gathered by the scattered members of the Hyuga main family and forced to march towards the gates of the clan compound.
Hinata Hyuga stared blankly at everything, her pure white eyes slightly vacant. The already young girl was holding the even younger Hanabi in her arms.
As the two sisters gazed upon this scene, which they had never witnessed before, they couldn't help but recall the Warring States period stories they had read in their textbooks.
Until one moment, they finally spotted a familiar figure in the crowd. Hinata, as if suddenly finding support, involuntarily cried out:
"Neji-nii-nii!"
Hyuga Neji stopped and glanced in their direction.
I don't know if it's just Hinata's imagination.
She always felt that Neji's eyes seemed to be bluer than before.
Not only that.
That overly calm gaze caused Hinata to unconsciously feel a sense of panic.
For a fleeting moment, she even wished that Neji would look at her with that familiar, disdainful gaze, just like he always did.
"We...should..."
Hinata Hyuga was as usual.
Timid, cowardly, and yearning to rely on the strength of others.
However, when the night actually arrived, Hyuga Neji was surprisingly calm, even letting go of the unspeakable hatred he once felt for the main family.
He spoke calmly and gave the order:
"You two stay here and don't wander around."
"It will be over soon."
As Hyuga Neji spoke, he turned and continued forward, following the crowd.
In his hand, he held a crumpled letter.
That was a message from Lord Aizen.
The further forward he went, the calmer Hyuga Neji's heartbeat became.
Yes.
All of this will soon be over.
When the Hyuga clan members who had been gathered arrived at the gate of the clan compound and saw the 'enemy' that the main family had mentioned, everyone was stunned.
The dark mass of people almost completely surrounded the clan's territory. Moonlight shone on the earth, and everyone's forehead bore the Konoha ninja emblem that they knew all too well.
The vast majority of people looked at them with indignation and hatred.
Former friends have taken to the opposing side.
Those faces looked so terrifying and unfamiliar.
Even now, many Hyuga clan members who have just gotten out of bed are still unaware of what has happened.
At the forefront of both camps stood Hiruzen Sarutobi and Hiashi Hyuga, maintaining a standoff.
Both sides were wary and neither intended to make the first move.
However, with his exceptional political acumen, Hiruzen Sarutobi realized almost instantly upon noticing the unusual expressions on the Hyuga clan members that he absolutely could not relinquish the initiative to Hiashi Hyuga, and immediately spoke:
"Hyuga Hiashi! Tonight you colluded with an enemy to attack the Hokage, which is already a heinous crime."
"But considering your past contributions to Konoha, I can spare your life!"
"If you still refuse to confess your crimes now and dare to incite innocent villagers, your crimes will be compounded, and there will be absolutely no room for leniency. Listen up, fellow Hyuga clansmen! We have come here to punish only the ringleaders, not the accomplices! Everyone must immediately lay down their weapons, stand aside, and never associate with Hyuga Hiashi!"
However, this energetic speech did not seem to have any effect.
The reason is quite simple.
The main clan elders who had previously summoned the Otsutsuki clan members with Hyuga Hiashi were now positioned on either side of the crowd, forming hand seals with their fingers together, their gazes coldly fixed on all the branch clan members present.
The main family has absolute control over the branch families.
This is the real reason why they are called caged birds.
Not to mention the still confused members of the Hyuga branch family, even Hiruzen Sarutobi himself felt a sense of powerlessness upon seeing this scene.
It's important to understand that while the individual strength of the Hyuga clan may not match that of the Uchiha clan, each member of the Hyuga clan is an invaluable strategic asset for any ninja village.
If we were to kill them all, it would be a double loss, like losing a thousand to ourselves and then another eight hundred.
I'm so sorry, I had to use it as my underwear.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi".
Hiashi Hyuga looked at him coldly, his tone harsh: "You forced your subordinates to use the Mangekyou Sharingan on me, forcing me to kill dozens of my clansmen with my own hands, and you still dare to say that your crime is compounded!"
"I have never seen such a shameless person!"
"Our Hyuga clan is the number one clan in the ninja world, and we will never tolerate such a disgraceful act!"
"Moreover, as long as one member of my clan remains, we can still summon members of the upper clan to descend to the lower realm. At that time, it will be as easy as turning one's hand to kill your entire Konoha village."
Although his words were full of threats, even the Hyuga clan members behind him could sense the underlying weakness beneath his tough exterior.
How can someone whose bones have been soft for many years suddenly become hard overnight?
Hyuga Neji pushed his way through the crowd to the front, quietly watching Hyuga Hiashi's back as he reviewed Aizen's orders in his mind.
The boy raised his head and looked at the crowd opposite him.
Aizen Sousuke stood to the side of Sarutobi Hiruzen, and seemingly noticing his gaze, suddenly gave him a smile.
Therefore, Neji Hyuga made up his mind.
Almost the instant the decision was made.
The young boy's small figure suddenly shot out from the silent crowd.
The instant I saw him.
The group of branch family members behind him instinctively widened their eyes;
The guards maintaining order around him stared at him in disbelief, momentarily forgetting to do anything;
When the members of the main family, who were maintaining the Caged Bird Seal, saw the figure suddenly rush out from the crowd, they instinctively activated the Caged Bird Seal.
But it didn't work?!
The moment he realized this, the head of the clan immediately shouted:
"The head of the family..."
However, what replaced him was an even more resolute roar:
"Eight Trigrams Empty Palm!"
Hyuga Hiashi subconsciously turned his head back.
With a deafening roar, an air mass filled with high-density Gentle Fist chakra transformed into a rolling stream that covered an area of several meters in front of him. Under Hiashi Hyuga's incredulous gaze, it suddenly exploded in front of him.
"A dull thud resounded, as if exploding deep within the hearts of all the branch family ninjas, striking the steel imprint of thought constructed by the caged bird deep within their minds, producing its first ringing sound."
Hyuga Neji...
How is that possible?!
More and more members of the Hyuga main family raised their hands and unleashed the Caged Bird Jutsu on him, just as they had done countless times when punishing members of the branch family.
However, Hyuga Neji seemed to have completely broken free from their constraints, like the first bird to peck through steel and fly out of its cage, launching a life-or-death attack towards Hyuga Hiashi.
Aizen Sousuke watched this scene quietly, his smile growing even gentler.
If you want to secure a sustainable, exploitative source of Byakugan resources, simply instigating a war between Konoha and Hyuga is not enough.
Such a crude method would cause too many casualties, create discord among Hyuga Hizashi who are currently loyal to him, bring uncertainty to the Hyuga clan who have fled to other countries in the subsequent ninja war, and greatly reduce the resources he should have.
In that case, the best approach would be to let the Hyuga clan 'awaken' on their own.
This is the main reason why he laid the groundwork for a series of steps, including those involving Hizashi, Neji, and Hiashi.
If the Hyuga branch family chooses to take up arms, they will be surprised to find that the main family, which has always ruled them, is much weaker than they imagined.
However, before they discover this, they need some external help, and... a small price to pay.
"Gentle Fist Technique - Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!!"
Neji Hyuga's footsteps left a deep mark on the ground, and his swiftly outstretched hand moved so fast in mid-air that it became almost a phantom.
His figure followed Hyuga Hiashi, who had been sent flying by an empty palm strike, like a persistent leech. Countless heavy blows and the sensation transmitted back to his fingertips when his pressure points were struck made the emotions that had been suppressed in his heart for years soar.
The distinction between lineage and class, born as a servant, the death of one's father, the once-contained talent, a caged bird with no way to cross the boundary!
All the sins he was born with were broken in this moment.
Exhilarating!
"boom!"
The heavy palm strike landed squarely on the center of Hyuga Hiashi's chest and abdomen, sending his tall figure flying and crashing heavily to the ground.
Hiashi Hyuga fell to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood, yet still staring incredulously at the boy who looked almost exactly like him.
Neji Hyuga was also looking at him.
This unexpected scene caused the entire audience to fall silent.
Only a few Hyuga clan members loyal to their clan leader rushed out from the crowd and surrounded Hyuga Neji's figure from all directions.
"Return to Heaven!"
The surging, massive amount of tangible chakra rolled these figures apart and scattered them in all directions.
This time, everyone realized it.
This child's strength far exceeded their imagination.
Hyuga Neji turned around, facing the clansmen who were covering their foreheads with their headbands, took a deep breath, and raised his voice:
"A caged bird can untie itself!"
"Gag him!"
At this moment, the eldest elder of the clan finally reacted and shouted to the guards beside him.
Regardless of how the child managed to do it, we can't let him continue talking now.
More and more Hyuga clansmen rushed around him, trying to use their numbers to pin him down.
Many of the branch families, however, subconsciously looked in Neji's direction, their steps hesitant, yet they still did not move.
They looked at this boy who had once been just like them.
Hyuga Neji relentlessly refined the chakra within his body; his small figure was obscured by numerous figures, but his voice remained clear:
"One must have strong enough emotions and the courage to give one's life!"
"Bang!"
A hand, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, landed heavily on his back, causing the young man to stagger.
Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to order his men to protect the child, and many of the Konoha ninja around him were also itching to act, they were all stopped by Danzo Shimura, who suddenly reached out and calmly stopped them.
"This is an internal matter of the Hyuga clan."
"Wait a little longer."
At the same time, more and more hands appeared in Hyuga Neji's field of vision, trying to interrupt his voice.
"Return to Heaven!"
Another massive release of chakra barely cleared a space around him, but his breathing became increasingly heavy.
Hyuga Neji looked at his clansmen who were still standing in place, breathing heavily. He ripped off the cloth covering his forehead, his voice trembling slightly:
"This is what a caged bird looks like after it has been freed."
Did you see that?
Having witnessed this scene firsthand and realizing that the spells cast by the surrounding clansmen had no effect on him, the crowd gradually began to stir, and more and more people subconsciously moved their feet.
Helped to his feet by the guards, Hyuga Hiashi stared wide-eyed at his younger brother's son. Blood was still flowing from his mouth, but his mind was made up. He gritted his teeth and shouted:
"Kill him!"
The Hyuga clan must not be destroyed in his hands.
This time, the guards around him did not approach rashly. Several empty palms were shot out in succession, quickly depleting the boy's strength.
As he drew closer, more and more palms rained down on him.
"etc!"
Finally, someone in the crowd shouted for the first time, while others silently rushed forward, trying to stop the guards from moving.
"Kill them!"
As these people reacted, many more members of the clan unhesitatingly unleashed the Caged Bird Technique, causing those who tried to advance to fall to the ground, howling in pain.
One, two, three...
However, compared to the number of Hyuga clan members, these people lying on the ground seemed so insignificant.
Even as others fall, some people still continue to step forward.
As more and more people took to the ground, the caged birds of the main family became increasingly flustered, unable to restrain one before another leaped forward.
Throughout the entire Hyuga clan, the main family numbers only a dozen or so people.
However, the number of ninjas who branched out from the family was in the hundreds or thousands.
Moreover, they are not ordinary people.
Instead, they were ninjas who had undergone complete training since childhood and had experienced countless battles, bloodshed, and sacrifices.
As more and more people attacked the main family members who were being protected in the middle, even though the number of guards was still large, they could not stop them all.
The once orderly crowd began to descend into chaos, and the quiet front door became intense and noisy, gradually evolving into an unstoppable trend.
This was due both to Hyuga Neji's words and to the fact that the Konoha ninja army, which appeared to be larger in number, was still stationed in front of them.
The Hyuga branch family is not a single term, but rather a collection of individuals with independent thinking abilities and the capacity to assess situations.
They are able to discern the current situation and the balance of power.
They remembered their identity within the tribe.
servants, slaves, guards, and servants.
They remembered the punishment they had suffered, the kind of soul-deep pain that comes from being a caged bird.
They also remembered the branch family members who were inexplicably executed some time ago, when Hiashi Hyuga started to go mad.
The fire suppressed deep in his heart was ignited, transforming into the purest form of anger.
And so, like the other clans, they uttered the same words:
"Kill them!"
These anti-heavenly words, like an inextinguishable wildfire, suddenly surged through the crowd.
Hiashi Hyuga watched this scene, and even his hands trembled.
On the other side, Hyuga Neji, who had been subdued by several guards, had blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and was kneeling on the ground with his knees pressed down.
Behind him was a figure with its palm raised high, pointing towards the back of his head.
When Hyuga Neji saw this chaotic scene, he couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips into a genuine smile.
He remembered that after Aizen untied his caged bird, he had asked him a question.
Now, you can remove the bandages from your head, just like all other members of the clan, and stand openly in this clan territory, issuing commands to everyone.
Even so, do you still harbor that intense resentment?
At that time, whether out of personal shame or anger, he answered without hesitation and desperately longed for the power to change everything.
But now that he has calmed down and thought about it more carefully, Hyuga Neji realized that what he craved was not just power.
Hyuga Neji's long hair cascaded down his back, obscuring his slightly relaxed expression, but his mind unconsciously recalled his father's figure, and he murmured to himself:
"Father."
"Perhaps I just don't want to follow the path that others have already chosen."
Even if he has to choose a way to die, he must choose it himself.
The next moment.
A gust of wind whistled behind him.
"Pfft!"
However, Neji Hyuga, who had already closed his eyes, did not experience the pain he had expected.
Suddenly, a warm and large hand gently landed on his head, causing Neji to pause in surprise.
"Neji-kun, you did a great job."
That familiar, gentle voice rang in his ears.
Hyuga Neji suddenly opened his eyes.
Aizen Sousuke smiled gently as always, standing quietly in front of him, turning slightly to the side.
Following the white banner that he had cleared, Hyuga Neji looked into the distance.
Countless wooden figures and three other creatures have already launched an attack on the Hyuga main family and their guards, who are still stubbornly resisting.
Together with the three Hyuga members who began to resist, they formed an irresistible torrent that rapidly engulfed the scattered figures.
Also witnessing this scene was Hyuga Hiashi, who was lying on the ground.
His eyes were glazed over, and his limbs felt weak.
Even the intense pain emanating from deep within his internal organs paled in comparison to the devastating blow to his spirit, causing him to vomit more and more blood.
Finally, a figure that seemed strangely familiar appeared before him.
"Who are you..
Hiashi Hyuga stared at him blankly.
The man opposite him slowly removed his mask, revealing a face that looked exactly like his own.
The next moment.
The slender blade swiftly pierced Hiashi's chest, leaving a trail of crimson blood.
Hyuga Hizashi nestled close to him, speaking calmly:
"I'm sorry, elder brother."
Hiashi Hyuga's expression was initially one of disbelief.
Only when the blade had completely pierced his heart and the emptiness before his eyes felt real did he seem to finally come back to his senses.
He slightly raised his drooping hand, and Hyuga Hizashi's wary gaze fell on that hand, but he did not detect the slightest trace of chakra.
Then, he saw that hand weakly pat his back and gently stroke it.
Hiashi Hyuga's voice gradually faded:
"The one who should apologize..."
"It should be me."
Hyuga Hizashi's eyes trembled slightly, but he ultimately said nothing.
Only when the body in his arms stopped moving did he pull out the blade again, turn his face towards Dai Tian, and turn his back to the corpse lying on the ground.
He gazed at the hordes of people in the well ahead, at the clan members and guards being killed one after another, and finally let out a long sigh.
in this way.
This emptiness that has lasted for a thousand years, let's just say it's over.