Hyuga Soushu was holding nothing back!
The Hyuga Clan Head was well aware of this fact.
The reason was simple. Just by looking at their appearances after the previous battle, it was clear—while the Clan Head looked disheveled and worn, Soushu remained almost untouched aside from slight marks left where his ankle had been grabbed. Calm and composed, he showed no signs of distress.
That was why the Hyuga Clan Head, disregarding the dignity befitting a clan leader, resorted to the Caged Bird Seal—a method he considered beneath him, a shameful act that insulted both his strength and status—in a final attempt to force Soushu's submission.
Yet in truth, he wasn't even sure if the Caged Bird Curse would work on Soushu. After all, Soushu had already openly removed his forehead protector, revealing a smooth forehead with only faint traces of blue chakra. This display clearly reflected his extreme confidence.
Once again, the atmosphere inside the hall grew heavy.
Soushu made no move to attack. Instead, he stood there with a faint, ambiguous smile, calmly observing as the Clan Head revealed his last resort.
"To be honest, your strength did surpass my expectations," Soushu said coolly. "But as you just pointed out, even the tallest tree never grew in sheltered warmth. No matter how many techniques one practices in training halls, they pale in comparison to true battlefield experience."
"You think the Main House has nothing more to offer?"
The Clan Head's hand seal hovered near his brow, his eyes locked onto Soushu's exposed forehead through his fingers.
"None of this matters anymore!"
Soushu remained unfazed. "Perhaps there's more to it… but so what?"
"You really think you can do anything to me now?"
"What ridiculous nonsense!"
Such blunt criticism was something the powerful and respected head of the Hyuga family had never faced before. In that moment, fury darkened his face like iron, and his eyes burned with an unprecedented killing intent.
Deep down, regret stirred within the Clan Head. He silently admitted that impulsively attacking Soushu might have been a mistake. He should have waited until he confirmed all of Soushu's hidden moves before making his move. Rushing into an ambush had caused him to lose control of the situation far too quickly.
"What an arrogant man!"
His retort came out weak and powerless.
Though the Main House had never stopped gathering information on Soushu's combat abilities, there remained a massive gap between written reports and actual firsthand experience. That very gap was one of the key reasons behind the Clan Head's miscalculation. Ultimately, the Branch House ninja responsible for collecting and delivering intelligence often added subtle embellishments out of caution, softening descriptions to avoid raising doubts about their loyalty among the Main House leadership.
Such a reason might sound ridiculous upon closer inspection, but within the Hyūga Clan—a rigidly hierarchical and bizarre collective where the Main House holds life-and-death authority over the Branch House—it suddenly makes perfect sense.
That's why a disaster like this was bound to hit the Hyūga Clan Head sooner or later!
"Hiashi."
After hesitating for a moment, the Hyūga Clan Head finally spoke. "You and Hizashi leave first. Also, inform the clan's sealing ninja to expand the barrier seals fivefold!"
"This…"
Hiashi Hyūga became even more uncertain and suspicious.
"Go."
The Clan Head's tone turned indifferent and cold.
As if he'd already accepted both life and death.
"In that case, fine."
Hyūga Soushu studied the Main House's Hall—the symbol of the Main House's authority and dignity—for a moment before slightly nodding. "After all, no matter what, this house is going to be lost anyway."
Earlier during their battle, aside from the Hyūga Clan Head's Empty Palm technique, both sides mainly used skill-focused moves while deliberately controlling power overflow. Thus, the damage inflicted upon the Main House's hall wasn't severe. However, should a real fight to the death now take place, neither side would hold back in the slightest; otherwise, it would mean disrespecting their own lives!
"Haven't you left yet?!"
Seeing his legitimate son still frozen in place with a dazed expression, the Clan Head involuntarily hardened his tone.
"Yes!"
Snapping out of his trance, Hiashi Hyūga immediately activated his Body Flicker technique, retreating and exiting the hall.
"Only one of us will leave this room alive today," the Hyūga Clan Head refocused his attention on Soushu.
"Let's settle our fates—high or low, life or death!"
Hyūga Soushu twisted his neck and assumed the starting stance of the Gentle Fist, his chakra surging rhythmically along with his breathing.
"Why won't you just follow tradition? You know—the Main House/Branch House system has kept our clan alive through a thousand years of war!"
Even at this irreversible moment, the Clan Head remained reluctant.
His Byakugan surpassed even Soushu's Byakugan, so he could clearly sense that Soushu's strength did indeed exceed his own. In a true fight to the death, he likely wouldn't stand a chance.
"Our clan's Tennin (celestial sage or warrior) have long faded into unverifiable legend, yet the Uchiha Clan's Mangekyō Sharingan remains vividly remembered from just decades ago."
Soushu sneered. "If we allow the Main House to continue mutilating the martial spirit of the Branch House like parasitic worms much longer, our entire clan will quietly vanish—not during war, but in peacetime."
"Falsehoods!"
Of course, the Clan Head outright denied such notions.
At the same time, his chakra fluctuations grew increasingly intense.
In truth, both were merely stalling with words to gather strength—each hoping to finish the other off with one decisive strike.
"It seems our esteemed Clan Head is ready," Soushu ceased further reply.
"Then let's begin!"
With a furious roar, the Clan Head locked eyes with Soushu. His gaze suddenly burst forth with brilliant blue light as he activated the ultimate secret art exclusive to the Hyūga Main House—
[Caged Bird]!
The cursed seal's full activation unleashed an eerie force, almost like a potent medicinal ingredient triggering the azure-like markings on Hyuga Soushu's forehead. His forehead veins throbbed violently, appearing as if they might rupture at any moment.
[Purify!]
Soushu immediately activated his summoner skill.
A flash of white light, visible only to him, flared up. The throbbing pain in his head vanished completely!
Moreover, this time felt entirely different from previous uses of [Purify] to counteract the negative effects of the Caged Bird curse seal. Whether it was because the Hyuga Clan Head's activation of the cursed seal had drawn out all residual seals embedded in Soushu's mind, after using the [Purify] skill this time, Soushu experienced an unprecedented sensation of pure relief!
Even the mutual ecstasy he experienced with Mahiru Uchiha during their countless nights of passion didn't amount to even a tenth of what he was feeling right now!
It felt just like throwing off a rubber contraption that had bound him his whole life, then plunging directly into raw, unfiltered intimacy!
Hard to describe, but undeniably extremely pleasurable!
Furthermore, what struck Soushu most immediately was that his Byakugan vision had ascended to a new level, now completely freed from the cursed seal's residual influence!
Yet to the Hyuga Clan Head, this scene appeared bizarre and unsettling.
At first, when Soushu activated the Caged Bird seal and saw the bulging blue veins on his nephew's forehead, he was secretly overjoyed.
He thought, even if he couldn't kill Soushu outright like other Branch House members, he might at least cause significant damage, thus affecting Soushu's performance in battle, which would give him a chance to personally eliminate this rebellious kinsman.
But unexpectedly, impulsively making a move had led to such a situation.
All the Clan Head could do now was lament over fate's twists.
"Out of tricks, are we?"
Soushu took a deep breath, wearing an expression of utter contentment.
Meanwhile, chakra waves surged like high tide toward the disoriented Clan Head, readying a deadly strike.
"Will you completely destroy the Main House?"
Now, the Clan Head regained his calm composure.
"I never decide others' fates, especially not those of my own kin!"
Soushu declared, "I have no intention of destroying the Main House, nor becoming part of it. The Hyuga will always be the Hyuga; our clan should be ranked purely by strength—but birth should never determine one's destiny for life!"
"Spoken like a poet!"
The Clan Leader sneered coldly, "Criminals throughout the Ninja World who crave our Byakugan are more than you can count on two hands. Without the protection of the Caged Bird Seal, our clan would've perished long ago amidst endless warfare!"
He wasn't entirely wrong.
Unlike the Uchiha Clan, known for their dojutsu, practically every member of the Hyuga Clan was born with the Byakugan—an unusually high hereditary prevalence.
And the strategic value of the Byakugan was widely acknowledged. The remaining Four Great Hidden Villages and countless underground organizations across the Ninja World all lusted after this precious Kekkei Genkai, each eager to obtain it at any cost.
Especially for Branch House ninjas with relatively modest strength or ordinary clan members who never became ninjas, the Caged Bird was indeed a necessary measure that allowed them to live peacefully and remain protected from malicious gazes.
That's exactly why Hyuga Soushu had no plans to abolish the Caged Bird system—not for now, at least. After all, within Konoha alone, there were countless people coveting the Byakugan.
But that protection should never become an excuse for a few privileged members of the Main House to oppress—or even persecute—the vast majority of the Branch House!
Plus, this conflict was initiated by the Hyuga Clan Head himself. Therefore, his life must be the price paid to end it!
"It seems you've already made up your mind," said the Hyuga Clan Head calmly.
Seeing that Hyuga Soushu remained unmoved, he instead grew more composed. "I wonder what kind of future you'll lead our clan into."
"It might be rough, full of hardships and dangers, but at least it'll be a road of change."
Hyuga Soushu stood firm in his belief. "Outdated things and systems must be changed; otherwise, the consequence will surely drag our entire clan into total extinction!"
"As for what the future holds, that's none of your concern, respected Clan Head—you are now obsolete!"
"What a truly pitiful ending."
The Hyuga Clan Head sighed.
Then, he pulled a scroll from within his robe, performed a single hand seal to release the hidden sealing spell on it, and slowly squatted down to place the scroll on the ground.
Hyuga Soushu's chakra presence intensified, yet he made no move to stop him.
"My sons, Hiashi Hyuga and Hizashi Hyuga—what do you plan to do with them?"
Half-squatting on the ground, the Hyuga Clan Head rested his right hand on the scroll and asked in a calm tone.
"They have their own responsibilities. I have my own mission!"
In truth, Hyuga Soushu hadn't completely decided yet.
"They can survive?"
The Clan Head continued pressing.
"So long as they don't go looking for death, they won't die!"
On this point at least, Hyuga Soushu was willing to give assurance.
"Good. If so, then this scroll shall be yours. Please make sure to copy it and pass the duplicate to Hiashi Hyuga and Hizashi Hyuga."
Nodding slightly, the Clan Head pressed his palm against his knee, slowly straightening his body before nudging the scroll forward with his toe toward Soushu's feet. "Inside are all the most closely guarded secrets passed down through generations of our clan."
"All these accomplishments passed down through generations—it would be a shame if they were lost along with me."
Perhaps knowing his time was up, his voice sounded unusually kind and different from usual.
After speaking, he closed his eyes.
Hyuga Soushu nudged the scroll toward him with his foot, unrolled it just enough to confirm its contents, and slid it into his scroll pouch.
Meanwhile, the Hyuga Clan Head looked serene—as though ready to accept his fate.
"Please, meet your end honorably, Clan Head."
Hyuga Soushu's expression turned solemn. He respectfully bowed toward the Clan Head, then moved like lightning, closing the distance in an instant!
[Crushing Heart Palm!]
A deadly precise strike of the Gentle Fist slammed into the unguarded chest of the unsuspecting Hyuga Clan Head.
The chakra power contained within surged like a raging torrent, instantly severing his heart's pulse. The spark of life extinguished in an instant, all vitality vanishing without a trace.
With a single strike, the Clan Head had perished!
Hyuga Soushu slowly withdrew his fist, staring at the Clan Head whose mouth dripped blood, yet whose body still stood upright even in death.
Hyuga Soushu slowly lowered his hand, fixating on the blood trailing from the late Clan Head's lips and his still-stiff body, lost in thought.
Vengeance fulfilled.
The injustice suffered by the parents who gave me life has finally been redressed today! It may have seemed effortless, but in truth, it felt like climbing an insurmountable mountain ten thousand meters high.
"Father!"
Just then, Hizashi and Hiashi Hyuga—two brothers suddenly burst through the door upon sensing that their familiar chakra presence had abruptly disappeared. Seeing their father with an expression of calm acceptance toward death, they cried out in shock.
"It was you who killed the Clan Head!"
Faced with his father's sudden death, Hizashi Hyuga was consumed by rage. With a fierce shout, he charged furiously toward Hyuga Soushu.
However, in Hyuga Soushu's eyes, this impulsive and disordered attack was nothing more than a child swinging a wooden sword—completely nonthreatening.
[BLOOD SLASH!]
A flash of red light rippled outward, instantly disrupting Hizashi Hyuga's form. Immediately afterward, Soushu's fingertip lightly pressed forward, striking precisely at his forehead.
Hizashi rolled his eyes upward; his body went limp before crashing heavily to the ground unconscious.
"Don't worry. I've only made him sleep for a while."
Looking at Hiashi, whose face brimmed with fury and who seemed ready to attack next, Hyuga Soushu spoke in an extremely calm tone: "I've already promised the Clan Head I would spare your lives. So now, are you trying to give me a reason to eliminate you both completely?"
"You!"
Hiashi was shocked and furious but didn't know how to respond.
There was no doubt about it—Hyuga Soushu had killed their father! This fact was beyond question!
Yet as the Predetermined Heir, he fully understood the feud between the Main House and Branch House, along with his parents' personal grudges. From either perspective—whether resistance by the Branch House or vengeance as a filial son—Soushu hadn't done anything wrong.
But the problem was, Hiashi and Hizashi were also sons too!
"Gather the elders of the family. Undoubtedly, they have noticed something by now. It's time to face those stubborn elders head-on."
Straightening his posture, Hyuga Soushu said leisurely, "Each generation bears its own responsibilities. Today, I will be the one to initiate change within our clan!"
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