Behind him, Yangdou Ryoma stood frozen in place, staring at the blood on his fingertips. The laughter and whispers around him pierced his ears. His once handsome face twisted, veins bulging violently at his temples.
"I lost?"
He raised his head sharply, glaring at Takao Hyuga Ryoma's retreating back. Grinding his teeth, he forced the words out one by one, hoarse with madness and hatred. "Do not joke with me."
"Using such, such ridiculous and despicable tricks!"
His voice shook violently with Wrath as he screamed, "How could I possibly lose to a Branch Family Members like you?!"
As his words fell, his right hand shot up, index and middle fingers pressed together. In the crowd, Neji Hyuga Ryoma's expression changed instantly. That hand sign was for activating the "Caged Bird curse mark".
"How could I possibly lose to trash from the Branch Family Members?!"
Ryoma roared with humiliation and anger, lifting one hand as he pressed his index and middle fingers together. His voice cracked as he formed the seal without hesitation.
At the exact moment the seal was completed, Takao Hyuga, who was staggering away while clutching his injured left arm, suddenly shuddered. His body jerked as if struck from within.
"Ugh! Ah!"
A muffled cry was forced out from deep in his throat. He grabbed his forehead and dropped to one knee, his body spasming violently as the last color drained from his already pale face.
The pain in his head made him clench his teeth, veins standing out as cold sweat soaked his hairline in seconds. His breathing broke apart as he struggled to stay conscious.
"Hmph!"
Ryoma looked at Takao Hyuga kneeling on one knee and showed a cruel, twisted grin. "This is the fate of you Branch Family Members dogs."
"Get down and accept it, idiot."
He stepped forward, but the instant his foot landed and his words ended, his body froze in place. The grin on his face stiffened and locked as if carved in stone.
The entire Training Ground fell into near total silence. In that stillness, even the pounding of one's own heartbeat felt loud.
All eyes focused on the center of the field.
Three figures had appeared almost at the same time, standing in front of and to both sides of Ryoma. They blocked his path without a single wasted movement.
Directly in front of him, between him and Takao Hyuga, Neji Hyuga stood with his body set wide, shielding the injured man behind him. His eyes were filled with Wrath as he fixed his gaze on Ryoma and assumed a standard Gentle Fist stance.
On his left, Iroha Hyuga stood expressionless, his face cold and calm. His joined fingers pressed lightly against a lethal point on Ryoma's neck.
On his right, Lady Aoi frowned deeply as her long, strong hand clamped around his raised wrist. The grip was so tight it nearly crushed the bones beneath her fingers.
Three pairs of clear Pure Byakugan fixed on him from different angles. It was as if three nails had pinned Ryoma in place.
"Do not move."
Iroha Hyuga's low, cold voice reached Ryoma's ears with perfect clarity.
"If you make any further move." His fingers pressed forward just a fraction against the vital point as he spoke flatly. "I will strike immediately, without hesitation."
The killing intent in both his voice and fingertips made Ryoma's body tremble. Goosebumps rose across the skin of his neck as a chill spread through him.
He could clearly feel the cold pressure at his throat and the open intent to kill. He did not doubt that if he tried to move Chakra again, the man would cripple or kill him on the spot.
With stiff eyes, Ryoma turned his gaze toward Lady Aoi, who was gripping his wrist. His voice came out dry and hoarse from fear and Wrath.
"Lady Aoi..."
"What do you mean by this? Are you going to help these people and betray the Otsutsuki Clan Main Family too?"
"Have you caused enough trouble?!"
Lady Aoi cut him off sharply before he could finish. Her voice was cold and firm.
"I remember Fugaku Uchiha personally stating it." She stared at him without emotion. "From now on, no one is allowed to use Caged Bird Seal freely on Branch Family Members."
"You lost in front of all these people, and now you still want to use the Caged Bird Seal?" Her tone hardened further. "Are you trying to disgrace the Otsutsuki Clan Main Family even more?"
Her words landed like a loud slap across his face.
Ryoma's expression stiffened completely as whispers and low laughter spread through the crowd around them.
"Cannot win, so he uses the Caged Bird Seal..."
"That is all the Otsutsuki Clan Main Family of the Ryoma Clan can do?"
"This is embarrassing."
"I heard that Ryoma is also from the Branch Family Members. Could someone this weak really suppress him with the Caged Bird Seal?"
"So the Branch Family Members still dares to resist?"
Each word felt like a needle, stabbing into Ryoma's ears over and over again.
His face shifted from pale to stiff, then flushed into a dark, purplish red. His eyes swept over Neji Hyuga in front of Takao Hyuga, then to Lady Aoi holding his wrist, and finally to Iroha Hyuga with fingers at his throat.
The look in his eyes was filled with resentment, unwillingness, and a hint of madness.
"Fine. Fine. Fine!"
Ryoma ground the words out through clenched teeth. "You three are very good."
He violently shook off Lady Aoi's grip, and she released him in turn. He glared at the three of them, each word dripping with hatred.
"You will regret this very soon."
With that, he turned around in near disgrace. Under the gazes of contempt, mockery, and indifference, he fled the field without looking back, like a beaten dog.
As Ryoma left, the oppressive atmosphere eased slightly. The crowd's breathing slowly returned to normal.
Iroha Hyuga withdrew his fingers from the empty air and nodded slightly to Lady Aoi. His voice softened as he spoke.
"Lady Aoi, thank you."
Lady Aoi's expression remained complicated as she glanced at Takao Hyuga, who was still gasping for breath. She shook her head lightly.
"I just do not want to see the Ryoma Clan fall apart."
She said no more and turned to leave the chaotic field.
Neji Hyuga carefully helped Takao Hyuga to his feet, supporting his unsteady body. His movements were cautious, afraid to worsen the injuries.
Iroha Hyuga quickly stepped forward and activated Pure Byakugan to examine him. His brows drew together tightly as he assessed the damage.
"Left arm fracture, multiple damaged meridians, disrupted Chakra, and the backlash from the Caged Bird Seal is severe..."
He lifted his head and looked at Neji Hyuga, then at Takao Hyuga, whose face was pale but whose eyes remained stubborn. A deep worry passed through his gaze.
"Neji Hyuga, help me support him," he said in a low voice. "We need to treat his injuries immediately."
He paused as if wanting to say more, but in the end, he said nothing.
Ryoma's final words left him with a very bad feeling. Was it just a threat, or something more?
"With Ryoma not here." Iroha Hyuga frowned to himself. "I can only make decisions on my own."
No matter what, he would never allow anyone to take away the rightful position and respect that Ryoma had fought so hard to secure for the Branch Family Members.
The evening light fell across the old estate, casting long shadows along the roof and courtyard. The scene was quiet and heavy as night approached.