Hyuga Hiashi's Decision

On a street in Konoha, someone lay on the ground, rolling around and groaning in pain. Suddenly, several ninjas appeared nearby, wearing Konoha Village forehead protectors and possessing pure white eyes.

The appearance of these ninjas did not attract anyone else's attention. One of them crouched down, lifted Hyuga Kazefu, who was still screaming miserably on the ground, onto his back, and left the street.

The Hyuga Clan ninjas moved quickly. Before long, they returned to the Hyuga Clan compound. Once there, the ninjas dispersed. Aside from the one carrying Hyuga Kazefu, who hurried toward the center of the compound, the other Hyuga Clan ninjas did not linger.

At the center of the Hyuga Clan compound stood a courtyard clearly much larger than the other houses. Inside one of its rooms, Hyuga Kazefu knelt humbly on the floor before none other than the Hyuga Clan head—Hyuga Hiashi.

Hyuga Hiashi sat in a chair at the center of the room, lifting a cup of tea from the table with one hand. He looked at Hyuga Kazefu kneeling below him and said, "Do you know what you did today? Do you know why the other Hyuga Clan ninjas brought you here?"

Hyuga Hiashi's voice was soft, but in the room, which held only the two of them, every word could be heard clearly. Upon hearing him, Hyuga Kazefu became agitated, his eyes filling with endless fury as his desire for revenge grew ever stronger.

Still kneeling on the floor, Hyuga Kazefu immediately said to Hyuga Hiashi, who sat before him, "Clan Head, you must avenge me! Today, I ran into a brat on a street in Konoha. I only bumped into him lightly, but he wanted to hit me. I told him that I was from the Hyuga Clan, and that hitting me would be slapping the Hyuga Clan in the face."

"But after I said that, the brat still attacked without hesitation and crushed the bones in my palm. Clan Head, that brat clearly looks down on our Hyuga Clan. You must kill him and let everyone know that the Hyuga Clan is not to be provoked."

As Hyuga Hiashi listened to Hyuga Kazefu, his expression grew increasingly gloomy. Suddenly, he said, "Hmph. Do you know who that brat is? He is only four years old, yet you have lived several years longer than him and still could not beat a child. You have truly disgraced the Hyuga Clan. Besides, I doubt things happened the way you described."

Hyuga Kazefu suddenly raised his head and stared at Hyuga Hiashi before him, a crazed expression appearing on his face as he said,

"Does Clan Head know that brat? But even if you know him, you cannot let him off. He disregarded the Hyuga Clan's dignity and attacked me directly. Clan Head, you must kill him, you must kill him! Only by killing him can we protect the Hyuga Clan's honor!"

Hyuga Hiashi's expression became uglier and uglier as he listened to Hyuga Kazefu. "Heh. Do you think you are the face of the Hyuga Clan? That anyone who hits you is slapping the Hyuga Clan in the face? Or are you the head of the Hyuga Clan, capable of representing the Hyuga Clan? Heh, you are far too arrogant."

"It seems you truly do not know that brat's identity. Since you do not, I will tell you who he is, so that before you die, you may know exactly whom you offended."

Hyuga Hiashi calmed his turbulent emotions and said evenly to Hyuga Kazefu, who was kneeling before him, "That brat is the eldest young master of the Hokage lineage, the Fourth Hokage's only son—Genya Namikaze. Do you know now whom you have offended?"

"W-What? That brat is the eldest young master of the Hokage lineage, the Fourth Hokage's only son, Genya Namikaze? But he is only four years old, and he already has such strength. That is truly terrifying."

"No, that is not right. Clan Head, what did you just say? What did you mean by letting me know whom I offended before I die? Clan Head, what... what do you mean?"

Hyuga Kazefu, kneeling on the floor, was suddenly terrified. Sweat caused by the pain of his broken palm bones slowly dripped from his face, while cold sweat also emerged on his back. Hyuga Hiashi's words had been far too frightening. If he truly carried them out, then wasn't I as good as dead?

"Exactly what you understood. Before you die, I will tell you exactly which person you should never have offended, then send you on your way without any doubts."

Hyuga Hiashi's voice remained very soft, but to Hyuga Kazefu's ears, it was as though it had exploded. It echoed endlessly through his mind. Am I going to die? Am I really going to die?

Hyuga Kazefu knew that within the Hyuga Clan compound, Clan Head Hyuga Hiashi's words were like an imperial decree. Whoever he wanted dead could not continue living. Now that Hyuga Hiashi wanted him dead, no matter how unwilling he was, he would find it difficult to escape death.

"Clan Head, why? Why do you want me dead? I am a member of the Hyuga Clan, a subject of the Hyuga Clan. Why do you want me to die for an outsider? Why?"

Hyuga Kazefu's voice was slightly hoarse. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared fixedly at Hyuga Hiashi before him. Without the support of great strength, the hatred in his heart could only be expressed through his gaze.

The hatred Hyuga Kazefu had held for Genya Namikaze vanished completely in an instant, and the boundless hatred in his heart shifted entirely onto Hyuga Hiashi.

"Heh. Why do I want you dead? That is a good question. Although I do not particularly like that brat Genya Namikaze, he said something very well that I cannot help but agree with."

"That brat said that you cannot make decisions for the Hyuga Clan, nor can you represent the Hyuga Clan or serve as its face. You are also a useless waste with no strength whatsoever, so what gives you the right to be so arrogant? You idle around every day. Other than throwing your weight around before Konoha's ordinary civilians, what else can you do? What use are you?"

"The things you have done have already disgusted Konoha's villagers, and the Fourth Hokage has learned of them as well. So there is no need for you to continue living in this world. Consider it a sacrifice for the Hyuga Clan. Do not worry, I will take good care of your parents."

As soon as Hyuga Hiashi finished speaking, immense terror rose in Hyuga Kazefu's heart. The expression on his face kept changing, his body began to tremble, and more and more sweat poured from his face.

"Drip, drip." Drops of sweat slid down Hyuga Kazefu's face and fell onto the floor of the room, each one clearly audible.