Hatred, Despair

Everyone from the Hyuga Branch Family at Training Ground Six was distracted and unsettled.

A traitor had appeared among the Main Family.

And that traitor was a Main Family elder who possessed the Caged Bird Seal's secret mark, capable of cursing Branch Family members to death.

Fear had begun to show on the faces of some Branch Family members.

Had they done nothing, only to wait for death?

Hyuga Yuto had also brought most of the Branch Family members here.

White Zetsu had appeared on nearly every Branch Family member earlier. Some of the weaker ones had been drained of all their Chakra and killed outright.

Yuto could only gather them all together and calm them down first.

As for what came next, honestly...

Even Yuto might not be able to protect himself now.

Just as feared, Hyuga Asahi suddenly clutched his head and fell to the ground screaming.

Within seconds, he stopped moving completely.

The Branch Family members erupted in alarm. They hurriedly lifted Hyuga Asahi up, pulled back the forehead protector on his head, and discovered that the Caged Bird Seal had activated.

The nerves in his brain looked as though they had been scorched to a crisp, giving off a nauseating burnt stench.

"Hyuga Asahi was cursed to death by the Caged Bird Seal!"

Panic broke out among the Branch Family. Then Hyuga Kosuke clutched his forehead and collapsed as well.

As they smelled the burnt stench spreading through the air, the Hyuga Branch Family members knew that another person had died to the Caged Bird Seal.

"I don't want this! I didn't do anything! I don't want to die!"

A Branch Family member saw another clansman collapse beside him and let out a cry of despair.

Many Branch Family members wanted to flee. It seemed that only by running away and no longer seeing their clansmen die could they find any peace of mind.

At that moment, the large number of Anbu stationed there all stepped in.

Hayato knew that if this group of Branch Family members, whose minds had already collapsed, were allowed to escape, they would likely cause enormous chaos in Konoha.

He could only shout loudly.

"Everyone, calm down! The two Hokage and our clan head are actively handling this matter."

"Even if you flee, where can you possibly go?"

After only a brief bout of chaos, the Hyuga Branch Family members calmed down.

The reason was simple. They had finally remembered.

No matter where they ran, the Caged Bird Seal would find them.

During that brief period of chaos, another Branch Family member had been cursed to death on the spot.

The many Branch Family members sat on the ground in despair.

Waiting. Waiting for the next person to die.

Would it be you, or him? Or perhaps... me?

The Hyuga Clan's doctrine was that the Hyuga Main Family must forever protect the Byakugan, ruling the Branch Family through the absolute terror known as death.

In the end, the Branch Family would submit, allowing the Main Family to enslave them without end.

At this moment, the fear of dying at any time awakened the hatred buried deep within the hearts of the Branch Family members.

Waiting for death was an especially unbearable feeling.

Every so often, the Branch Family members would see one clansman fall.

Then, after a while, another would fall.

It did not matter how much one had contributed to the clan. It did not matter how strong one was.

They would still die here in such an absurd manner.

The Main Family had clearly been turned and controlled.

Why should the Branch Family have to pay with their lives?

In the eyes of every Hyuga Branch Family member at Training Ground Six, the light of hatred began to burn.

Just then, the Anbu outside Training Ground Six brought in three more people.

More precisely, two living people and one dead person.

The living were Hyuga Neji and Hyuga Shibuki. The dead was...

Hizashi Hyuga!

Hyuga Yuto had been anxious inside but holding himself together.

The instant he saw Hizashi Hyuga's corpse, he completely broke down.

"Lord Hizashi! No!"

"Why did it turn out like this!?"

Hyuga Yuto threw himself beside Hizashi, his eyes quickly reddening.

Hizashi had supported and promoted him greatly over the years, and his position had risen again and again.

It could be said that Hizashi was one of the people Hyuga Yuto respected most.

Yet he had died so inexplicably, just like that.

And upon seeing the scorched marks left by the Caged Bird Seal on Hizashi's forehead—

Yuto knew that Lord Hizashi had been cursed to death by the Caged Bird Seal!

At that very moment, another Branch Family member beside him collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Yuto slumped to the ground in despair.

The Hyuga Clan was finished.

The Hyuga Main Family compound.

Danzo's Wood Human had finally emerged. Standing atop it, Danzo was full of ambition and satisfaction.

The Wood Human Danzo had summoned was a standing humanoid figure.

A Wood Dragon was coiled around its body.

Danzo stared fixedly at the Third Hokage, while a voice in his mind continuously tempted him.

Kill Sarutobi Hiruzen. Kill Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Hiruzen, you finally have this day.

Today, you will die here!

Danzo formed hand seals, and the Wood Human below drew in a deep breath.

Wood Human Vacuum Wave.

The Wood Human spat out a sharp gust like a Sickle Weasel, sending forth a massive blade of wind.

Its target was Sarutobi Hiruzen.

By then, Hiashi had already been flung out of the battlefield.

As he was thrown away, he shouted.

"Please, you must stop Kaito. If he uses the Caged Bird Seal again, every Hyuga Branch Family member will die!"

Seeing how dire the situation was, Tsunade acted.

And as Hyuga Kaito continued casting the curse, the Yin Seal on Tsunade's forehead instantly lit up.

Yin Seal, release!

As the Yin Seal was released, enormous Chakra surged forth.

Black markings extended outward from Tsunade's forehead.

Ninja Art: Mitotic Regeneration—Strength of a Hundred Sealings Technique!

Jiraiya also summoned the two Toad Sages.

As the Sage Mode markings appeared, small bumps also formed on his nose.

Orochimaru, however, watched with an inquisitive expression and still had not shown his true strength.

Simply put...

He was slacking off.

But Tsunade and Jiraiya going all out were enough.

The two toads each spat out a sharp blade of water.

It sliced straight through.

Sage Art: Super-Sized Rasengan!

Jiraiya then raised the Rasengan and blasted open the Wood Human's foot.

Tsunade launched herself like a cannonball, heading straight for Hyuga Kaito.

Kaito was still casting the curse and had not expected the Wood Human's foot to be blasted open into a massive crater.

Tsunade shot inside like a cannonball.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack on its foot, the Wood Human suddenly lurched to one side, causing Sarutobi Hiruzen to miss his target as well.

Tsunade flew in and landed a ferocious Super Strength Fist directly on Hyuga Kaito's chest.

Hyuga Kaito's eyes flew wide open as he was sent flying, his entire chest caved in.

He knew he would die soon, but before dying, he still wanted to use the Caged Bird Seal one more time to weaken Konoha for Lord Black Zetsu.

His consciousness was gradually fading. He cursed to death, one by one, the people who often fought him.

Like a flickering lantern, his mind suddenly showed him Hizashi's son—Neji!

Caged Bird Seal secret mark, activate!

Before dying, Kaito finally completed the technique. Then he closed his eyes in satisfaction.