"Father!"
On another battlefield, Neji rushed over after comforting Hinata and Hanabi.
Watching the two fighting, he finally shouted loudly.
Although many years had passed since they last met, the memories from back then were still vivid.
Though he was confused as to why his father was here, he would never be mistaken.
"Neji?"
"Neji..."
Both of them were stunned by Neji's arrival, but Hizashi continued his attack, which almost made Hiashi stumble.
Fortunately, Hiashi was not weak. He immediately stabilized himself and shouted loudly to Neji, "Neji, hurry and leave!"
"That's right, Neji, hurry and leave this place."
Although somewhat dazed, Hizashi recognized his son, which filled him with both excitement and a touch of melancholy.
"I apologize, I can't control my body. I've caused trouble for you."
"No, this is no trouble at all."
Hiashi parried his brother's fist, but at this moment, he couldn't help but smile.
"Hizashi, you have sacrificed too much for the family and for the village. If anything, I am the one who has caused trouble."
"But what does that make me?"
Hizashi looked a little lost, sighing as he gazed at Neji in the distance.
"I, who was supposed to protect the Main Family, have now become an enemy of the Main Family. Is this punishment for my past hatred of the Main Family?"
"Father..."
Neji's eyes widened. For a moment, he didn't know what to say, but Hizashi continued, "In the end, even my will to choose death for the village has been denied. Is this the fate of a Branch House member?"
"No, such a thing will never happen again!"
However, before Hizashi could finish speaking, Hiashi had already interrupted him.
"Have you forgotten? You entrusted me to tell Neji that you made that choice to protect him and everyone in the village. Why are you saying these things now?"
"For me, everyone in the village..."
Neji stared blankly at his father. Even though he had read the will long ago, his heart still stirred with emotion.
And Hiashi took a deep breath, stating firmly, "Moreover, that night, I also made a decision. I must change all of this, the Main Family and the Branch House..."
"Although the original intention was to protect the Byakugan, it eventually changed. I hope that in the future, the Hyuga will no longer have relationships maintained solely for the sake of bloodline."
"There will only be mutual protection between comrades. I have been working tirelessly for this very goal."
Hiashi's words stunned the surrounding Hyuga ninjas. They had never expected to hear such things from their clan head.
"Are you kidding?"
"Is it real or fake..."
"Clan head-sama, he..."
The surrounding Hyuga ninjas were incredulous, and Hizashi and Neji also showed expressions of disbelief.
"Will such an era truly come?"
After a long while, Hizashi finally showed a smile.
"Then, big brother, you must work hard."
"I will naturally work hard. Neji and everyone else will see."
Hiashi knew what he had said, but it truly was his innermost thought.
"Then, now... Hmm? Neji, you..."
Just as he was about to continue fighting, Neji had already walked over, adopting a combat stance as well.
"Neji, hurry and leave."
Hizashi was also stunned by this scene, but Neji shook his head.
"Clan head-sama, didn't you just say we are comrades?"
"This..."
Hiashi was somewhat speechless, and Neji continued, "Moreover, this time it's a mission Takemi gave me. Father, under Takemi's guidance, I have already changed."
"Takemi?"
Hizashi had died rather early. He had no idea who this 'Takemi' Neji was talking about was.
"He is someone who broke fate, and also someone who guided my direction."
Neji spoke with utmost seriousness, also setting up his combat stance.
"I also promised Takemi to come as reinforcement. I will not disappoint him!"
Hizashi stared blankly at his son. After a long while, he finally smiled.
Although he didn't know who this 'Takemi' was, he seemed to see the change in his son.
He also hoped to understand his son more through this battle, and at the same time, give more to his son.
"Since that's the case, then we..."
Hizashi nodded gently, but at that moment, a huge roar echoed through the sky, and a torrent of Chakra surged from outside the village.
This torrent of Chakra continuously reverberated, and the entire village seemed to be affected.
"What's going on over there?"
Everyone currently locked in fierce combat with the Akatsuki was stunned. Their gazes turned to the distance, and Jiraiya frowned in curiosity.
"Hey, look at them..."
Kakashi suddenly noticed something. He immediately alerted the people around him, and only then did Naruto and the others realize that the Edo Tensei's faces were off.
"It can't be..."
"That guy?"
"Damn it, is it really him?"
Most of these Edo Tensei had been defeated by the same person, so their reactions were naturally more intense.
They had even abandoned the Konoha ninjas in front of them, contemplating heading outside the village.
"Such powerful strength, could it be that person has arrived?"
On the high cliff, Orochimaru couldn't help but lick his lips. This burst of Chakra reminded him of someone.
"Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki?"
And within the Konoha Anbu base, Obito also paused.
"This power... No mistake, it's that guy! That's why the moonlight felt off."
Obito clenched his fists, painful memories seemingly flooding his mind at this moment.
He just didn't understand why, every time he tried to do something, either Takemi or that Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki would appear?!
"Damn it, what's happened again? What is that guy going to do now?"
Obito didn't know Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki's objective, but he knew he had to leave now.
He had already snatched the 'Senju relic' and didn't want to stay here any longer. He worried that Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki might have had this very goal in mind.
"Damn it, that bastard..."
Watching Obito instantly vanish from his spot, Tobirama cursed, glaring fiercely at his elder brother.
"It's all your fault! If we had switched to a suitable body earlier, would that evil Uchiha brat have gotten his hands on it?!"
"..."
Hashirama didn't speak, but his gaze already showed that he was angry. Moreover, he had also noticed something.
"That guy has a lot of my power on him. Could it be..."
"What do we do now? Damn it, we were actually ambushed by a guy like that."
Tobirama was still full of shame and indignation. He never dreamed he would be so disheveled.
"We will personally retrieve what we lost."
Hashirama took a deep breath, stood up, and looked into the distance.
"Now is not the time to worry about this. Takemi has definitely left a Flying Thunder God mark on the relic, which will make it easier for us to find it. For now, let's focus on other matters."
"Other matters?"
Tobirama sensed it and knew what his elder brother meant.
"This power, do you think Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki has arrived?"
"It must be him..."
Hashirama nodded, walking directly towards the door.
"I want to see what a so-called god is truly like. This will also prepare us mentally for future battles."
Everyone in Konoha was drawn to the battle outside, some even running to the village wall at the entrance to watch.
Only the 'family' of the Uchiha, all together, paused upon sensing this surge, then immediately started fighting each other again.
What was happening outside seemed irrelevant to them. Sasuke and Fugaku continued to relentlessly attack Itachi.