"Did the war break out right after that?" Ren asked curiously.
"Yes. The clan head has officially declared war on the Uzumaki clan. The branch family's elites are leading squads to attack the Uzumaki clan." The Hyūga clansman continued his report.
"Heh." Ren understood immediately. The Hyūga main family wanted to get rid of him. He had shaken the very foundation of their power, and once the Caged Bird seal was broken, the Hyūga would inevitably split apart.
Until they could create a new version of the seal, the main family had to prevent more branch members from discovering the truth and spreading fear. Starting a war was the perfect distraction.
"Brother Ren, I'm sorry." Hyūga Akie hadn't expected things to escalate into open conflict.
"Let's return to the Uzumaki clan first. You'll come with me and stay close. I'm afraid the Uzumaki clan might not welcome you warmly right now." Ren thought for a moment before speaking.
"Brother Ren, we don't have to go," Hyūga Akisuke muttered. He didn't want to bring Ren more trouble.
"He's right. We can't keep burdening you," Akie added with guilt.
"They're only the Hyūga clan," Ren said casually. With his strength, he could control the battlefield however he wished.
After asking for the location of the battlefield, Ren swiftly killed the Hyūga in front of him, then took the siblings and rushed toward the Uzumaki clan settlement.
At the Uzumaki clan, the situation was tense. The Senju and Uchiha clans were locked in constant disputes, leaving no manpower to aid the Uzumaki clan.
But the Uzumaki clan themselves were no pushovers. The techniques Ren had developed were not kept secret, and they shone brilliantly on the battlefield.
Because of this, the Uzumaki clan's respect for Ren had reached an entirely new level. If there was anyone fit to become clan leader, Uzumaki Ren was the obvious choice.
Sensing Ren's return, the Uzumaki people almost all came out to greet him.
"Ren, you're back. And these two Hyūga…?" Uzumaki Ashina's joy quickly turned into suspicion.
"Uncles, elders, greetings. We are from the Hyūga branch family. We have been following Brother Ren since ten months ago," Akie explained nervously.
"You're from the branch family? I see." Ashina's gaze fell on their unmarked foreheads, and he immediately understood the cause of the war.
It had to be because Uzumaki Ren, their clan's prodigy, had broken the Caged Bird seal. To prevent internal collapse, the Hyūga clan had chosen to wage war.
"This war began because of you, boy. You'd better be the one to end it." The Second Elder snorted coldly and turned back into the house.
"Don't mind him," Ashina said, patting Ren on the shoulder. "He's grieving for the clansmen we've lost on the battlefield."
"Leave the rest to me. Call the clan members back." Ren's face hardened. It was time for the Hyūga clan to split apart.
"This won't do. The Hyūga clan are still one of the great clans. Their strength can't be underestimated." Uzumaki Ashina said with concern.
"No need. The gap in strength isn't something numbers can make up for." Ren turned and headed straight for the battlefield.
Ashina immediately gave orders. "Send word to the frontline. Tell them Ren is on his way. Have them fight while retreating, focus on protecting themselves, and wait for him to arrive."
"Yes!"
The battle between the Uzumaki and Hyūga clan was nowhere near as fierce as the fights between the Senju and Uchiha clans.
Both sides had strong sensory abilities, so casualties weren't yet too heavy, and the battlefield wasn't especially large. The number of shinobi involved was relatively small.
Ren advanced alone toward the battlefield. The moment he appeared, the Uzumaki clan members erupted in cheers, while fear spread among the Hyūga clan.
Ren hadn't bothered to hide his overwhelming chakra.
"What is that?"
"A monster!"
The Hyūga knew the Uzumaki clan members had vast chakra reserves, but none of them had ever seen such an overwhelming chakra.
Meanwhile, the Uzumaki shouted with joy.
"It's Brother Ren! Brother Ren is back!"
"Brother Ren!"
"Brother Ren, show those White Eyes what real power looks like!"
Ren glanced at his cheering clansmen, then at the fallen Uzumaki members lying lifeless on the ground. Anger flickered in his eyes. This war had started because of him, and he would bear responsibility for every life lost.
"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!" Ren unleashed one of the Uchiha's most iconic techniques.
"What is this? Fire Release?"
"The size of that jutsu—no way!"
"Defend quickly, or we'll all die!"
Hyūga shinobi who knew Water Release hurriedly performed their jutsu to counter the flames sweeping across the battlefield.
But Ren had elevated the technique to the level of a forbidden jutsu. No matter how fast the enemy moved, it didn't matter—the range was simply too wide.
"Brother Ren!"
Uzumaki members immediately cheered, leaving the entire battlefield to Ren; one person was more than enough.
Few Hyuga could use Water Release; they were better with Gentle Fist.
This massive fire, they had no way to put out.
Those who could use "Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation" hurriedly used it. At this moment, no one held back; holding back meant death.
"Is this really a war?" A Hyuga ninja sensing the battlefield murmured, their body trembling uncontrollably.
"This isn't a war. It's a one-sided slaughter. No one can stop him," another spoke in fear.
The Hyuga clan's head and elders fell silent. It was obvious that the Uzumaki ninja who could break the Caged Bird Seal was Ren.
But who could stop him? They knew their own limits.
If this fire reached the Hyuga homeland, they would struggle to resist it.
"Clan leader, give the order. It's you who confirmed the start of this war," the great elder said, shifting all responsibility onto the leader.
"Sigh, clan leader, decide," the second elder added with a heavy sigh.
The clan leader trembled. No matter what decision he made, his position as leader was at risk. And because of responsibility, he might even be branded with caged bird seal himself.
"Uzumaki Ren, we surrender. The Hyuga clan surrender," the clan leader said, looking as if he had aged decades in an instant.
Those Hyuga ninjas on the battlefield breathed a sigh of relief and quickly sent the message out. It had to reach the battlefield in time, or their clan could face extinction.
On the battlefield:
"Finally over," the surviving Hyuga exhaled, but looking around, they couldn't help gasping. Everything was burned to char, casualties were heavy, and the survivors were mostly those who could use Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation—but even among them, there were few.
"Damn it."
"This isn't a war."
"Run now."
The surviving Hyuga panicked. With this level of forbidden-level ninjutsu, even if the entire Hyuga clan had fought, they could not resist, especially since the enemy had only used one technique.
"What to use for the second one? Fire Release: Great Fire Extinguishing," Ren unleashed another roaring inferno across the battlefield.
"Again?" Some had already fought for a long time; their chakra was nearly gone, and they couldn't maintain Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation for long.
This time, the fire release wiped out all Hyuga ninjas on site. The surrender message never even reached anyone.
"Brother Ren."
Unlike the tragic Hyuga, the Uzumaki ninjas cheered. In such chaotic times, and with family-focused clans, members had a strong sense of belonging.
The Hyuga siblings watched everything with Byakugan. The battlefield was filled with branch clan members. They felt a pang of pity, but quickly reaffirmed their own stance.
"You all go back first. I'll go to the Hyuga clan," Ren told the clan members.
"Brother Ren, we'll go with you," the members said. They wouldn't leave him alone; at worst, they could fight again—it wasn't a big deal.
"Go back first. Do you still not trust my strength?" Ren smiled quietly. Growing up in such chaotic times, having loyal clan members like these resonated deeply with him.
Finally, the Uzumaki ninjas retreated. Ren set off alone toward the Hyuga clan.
Akie and Akisuke Hyuga didn't go, and naturally, Ren wouldn't let his people carry any blame.
**********
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