Not long after, Might Guy stormed out of the Hokage's office, both angry and anxious. He couldn't understand what had happened to Konoha—how could the village condone such actions?
"The Hokage, given Guy's straightforward nature, will likely head directly to the Security Division to rescue the captive," his assistant, Ryoma Aburame, remarked.
Danzo, unperturbed, nodded. "Good. Send word to Seito and instruct him to stall Guy by any means necessary today. He must not interfere with our plans."
"Understood, Hokage-sama," a Root ninja replied before departing.
Danzo gazed out the window and slowly rose.
"Is everything prepared on that side?"
Ryoma Aburame nodded. "It's done."
"Then we wait for nightfall," Danzo said, his eyes gleaming with greed.
At the Hyūga compound, the vast estate of Konoha's foremost ninja clan, an eerie atmosphere enveloped the night.
An elderly member of the main family had just finished dinner and was aimlessly wandering the courtyard.
Suddenly, he looked toward the direction of the clan's outer grounds. "Why haven't Seito and the others returned yet?"
A nearby maid involuntarily shivered but tried to respond in a calm tone, "Master, they haven't come back yet."
"How insolent! Ever since Danzo became Hokage, he's grown increasingly audacious. Taking members of the Hyūga clan without so much as a request—how dare he!"
"Even if they're from the branch family, he should still seek the approval of the main family first!"
The Hyūga clan's main family had long been corrupted by their arrogance and complacency, becoming foolish and self-important over the years. The elder clearly failed to grasp Danzo's growing control over Konoha or notice the subtle hatred in the maid's eyes.
In reality, among the Hyūga clan, only Hiashi Hyūga, head of the main family, retained clarity and awareness.
As the clan leader, Hiashi frequently interacted with the outside world, avoiding the insular arrogance that plagued other members of the main family, who remained cloistered in their small domain, self-proclaimed rulers.
Suddenly, the sound of shuriken slicing through the air echoed.
From the shadows, masked figures emerged one after another, silently surrounding the Hyūga compound.
Ironically, despite possessing the Byakugan, the strongest reconnaissance ability, the Hyūga clan remained oblivious.
The reason? The branch family responsible for patrolling and guarding had already betrayed them.
By the time the elderly member of the main family sensed something amiss, he was already surrounded by several Root ninjas. Even he, slow-witted as he was, now felt the danger.
"What do you intend to do?" His voice, trembling with fear, failed to conceal his panic.
"Hyūga Yuta, confirmed as one of the targets. Eliminate," a Root ninja coldly declared, his words devoid of emotion.
"Do you know who I am?"
"I am a member of the Hyūga main family! Who dares to kill me!" Hyūga Yuta shouted in panic, his cries met with the same cold indifference from the Root ninjas.
Hyūga Yuta was utterly terrified. He began shouting for help.
"Where is everyone?!"
"Where are the branch family members?! Hurry and protect me!"
"You don't need to shout. I'm the only branch member in this courtyard," the maid said, standing motionless with an equally cold gaze.
"Then hurry and protect me!"
The maid remained still. "I wish for your death; why would I protect you?"
"Do you know what you're saying? You lowly branch member!"
"Aren't you afraid I'll use the Caged Bird seal to kill you?"
"That's right! I have the Caged Bird seal! If I use it, those hidden, lowly branch members will have nowhere to hide!" Hyūga Yuta's expression turned manic as he began chanting the cursed slave seal.
"Ah!" The maid fell to the ground, clutching her head, feeling as though thousands of needles were piercing her brain, ready to explode at any moment.
Under normal circumstances, she would have begged for mercy. But tonight was different. Not only did she not plead, but her eyes grew increasingly exhilarated, increasingly crazed.
This same manic gaze startled Hyūga Yuta, causing him to stumble backward.
"You old fool... soon... you'll join me..." She pulled out a kunai and ended her own life.
Simultaneously, another splash of blood flew—Hyūga Yuta's life was also extinguished.
This scene wasn't isolated; it unfolded across the entire Hyūga compound as the main family underwent a brutal purge.
From a distance, Hyūga Seito and many branch family members watched the massacre unfold, their faces a mix of excitement and sorrow.
Excitement stemmed from the fact that while the Caged Bird seal couldn't be removed, if the main family were wiped out, then the seal would become irrelevant. Their descendants would no longer be subjected to this cruel curse, finally attaining true freedom.
Sorrow arose from the sacrifice of branch members who willingly gave their lives to prevent the main family from discovering the plot prematurely. Some had to remain behind as sacrificial pawns, dying alongside the main family.
Of course, the majority were led by Seito himself, staying outside the range of the Caged Bird seal's control, waiting quietly for the purge to conclude before returning to the Hyūga compound.
By then, they would be the new rulers.
"Seito, it's about time," one branch member said, their Byakugan revealing that the Root ninjas had begun retreating.
This was part of a deal with Danzo: he would help them eliminate the main family, and in return, they would fully integrate into Konoha's forces.
In the past, the presence of the main family had always tied up a significant portion of the Hyūga clan's combat strength in protecting them—a waste in Danzo's eyes.
Thus, this was a mutually beneficial collaboration.
But was it really?
As the branch members returned to the Hyūga compound, a commanding figure left them stunned.
"I advise you not to do anything foolish, as I can use the Caged Bird seal to kill you all at any time," Hiashi Hyūga said coldly, his tone brimming with suppressed fury.
"Hiashi-sama, how are you...?!" A branch member asked in disbelief.
"How am I not dead?" Hiashi sneered, his gaze falling on Seito.
"Seito, come inside for a chat." With that, he turned and walked into the house.
Seito hesitated for a moment before steeling himself and following.
Inside, the two sat across from each other at a low table, the atmosphere heavy with tension.
"Hiashi-sama, you—" Seito finally broke the silence.
Hiashi sighed deeply, his anger giving way to sorrow. "Seito, your plan was brilliant."
"But you clearly underestimated Danzo's greed."
"Danzo's greed?" Seito asked, confused.
"After you finalized your plan, Danzo informed me about it."
"What?!" Seito exclaimed in anger, a growing sense of unease gnawing at him.
Hiashi's gaze turned complex as he looked at Seito. "Danzo never intended to cooperate with you."
"He used this matter to force me to hand over the Caged Bird seal's incantation and implantation method."
"What!"
Hiashi's voice was heavy with mockery. "Even if I hadn't told him, another main family member would have."
"I'm not afraid of death, but I'm also a father. My two daughters are still so young."
"Damn it! How could this happen?"
"How could this happen!" In mere moments, Seito's hopes had been dashed, plunging him into an even crueler despair.
How could he face the branch members who trusted him? How could he face those who had willingly sacrificed themselves?
"So now we have two masters, don't we?" Seito snarled, glaring at Hiashi.
Hiashi slowly reached for his forehead. Only then did Seito notice that the clan leader, who never wore a forehead protector, was now wearing one.
Hiashi removed the protector, revealing a green curse mark.
"No, now I'm part of the branch family too."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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