Hizashi's Death

Hiashi's voice echoed over the Hyuga Clan grounds.

"Hyuga Kaito is suspected of treason. All clan members, stay away from Hyuga Kaito. Everyone, be wary of possible parasites on your bodies draining your Chakra."

He repeated it three times in a row.

When the Hyuga clansmen saw the barrier appear outside, their hearts had already begun to pound.

Hearing Hiashi's voice, they were even more shocked.

Kaito was right in front of them. Everyone instantly recoiled in fear, staring at him warily.

Kaito heard the announcement as well.

He stopped pretending and immediately activated the Spore Technique.

It did not only affect those present, but also those outside the barrier.

White swollen growths appeared on every Hyuga clansman who had sparred with Kaito.

Some Hyuga clansmen had just been persuaded by Hayato and were on their way to Training Ground Six.

When the Spore Technique activated, the growths instantly began absorbing Chakra and expanding.

Hayato had Anbu with him, and they quickly cleared them out.

However, some Hyuga clansmen patrolling Konoha's outskirts had not received the notice at all.

White Zetsu instantly crawled out. Some people had all their Chakra drained and were killed by White Zetsu, while others reacted in time and killed the White Zetsu.

After killing someone, those White Zetsu immediately used the Mayfly Technique and fled.

Among those in the Main Family compound preparing to train, without exception, white swollen growths wrapped around them and frantically drained their Chakra.

The Hyuga Main Family members soon cried out and collapsed to the ground. On average, three White Zetsu appeared on each of them.

All their Chakra was drained completely.

Only three Branch Family members had better combat awareness and reacted faster.

The moment the Spore Technique appeared, the three helped one another knock the White Zetsu off each other's bodies.

They had only a small amount of Chakra drained.

But at that moment, Hyuga Kaito looked at the three of them and formed the secret hand seal of the Caged Bird Seal!

The three Branch Family members clutched their heads and collapsed with screams.

Within moments, all three lost their lives and died there.

The White Zetsu began harvesting the lives of the Main Family disciples.

Amid splashing blood, the Main Family disciples whose Chakra had been drained struggled to resist with weak limbs.

Several figures descended at that moment.

The White Zetsu were all sent flying as if they were rotten wood.

Only fifteen White Zetsu escaped and went to stand behind Danzo.

The ones who had arrived were Orochimaru, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Another figure attacked Kaito from the side.

It was Hiashi. His eyes burned with fury.

"Why, Kaito? Why did you do this!?"

Kaito showed little expression, simply blocking every one of Hiashi's attacks with his fists and feet.

Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!

Hiashi roared and thrust both hands forward, sending a massive vacuum shockwave toward Kaito.

Kaito refused to be outdone and made the same movement.

It was also the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm. The two massive vacuum shockwaves collided.

The impact blasted them both apart.

The two sides widened the distance between them.

On one side stood Konoha's top fighting force: the Third Hokage and his three disciples, the Three Ninja gathered together.

Tobi's thoughts stirred.

Konoha had activated a barrier. If they wanted to leave, Danzo would have to put in some effort.

Hadn't Danzo always wanted revenge on the Hokage? Wasn't this the perfect opportunity?

As a Medical Ninja, Tsunade landed and saw the Hyuga Clan's disciples strewn across the ground, dead and wounded.

She bit her finger and immediately formed hand seals.

Summoning Technique!

A Katsuyu was summoned.

The moment Katsuyu appeared, she gasped softly. "Why are there so many casualties?"

Tsunade said,

"I don't know the specifics either. Just save these people first."

Katsuyu answered, then began to split apart.

She crawled onto every Main Family disciple, stabilizing their conditions.

But no one knew how many Main Family disciples who had not come here had been killed by the Spore Technique.

Danzo watched Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru appear together, and unease rose in his heart.

But after looking at the fifteen White Zetsu behind him, he calmed down slightly.

Under these circumstances, he had to find a way to leave first.

And he could not expose his identity.

Just as Danzo was thinking this,

a stream of consciousness silently invaded his mind.

Danzo instantly changed his mind.

So what if there were three of them? Sarutobi Hiruzen, you bastard, how dare you toy with me.

Today, I will make you die here!

Jiraiya protected Tsunade as she treated the injured, while Orochimaru and Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped forward.

"You actually managed to turn someone from the Hyuga Main Family against them. Who exactly are you?"

Danzo let out a chilling laugh. "Hehehe..."

Then his face shifted, returning to its original appearance.

Sarutobi Hiruzen cried out, "Danzo!?"

"Hiruzen, didn't expect this, did you? This old man has returned."

Danzo's face twisted.

"You lied to this old man back then, saying I would only be locked up for two days. But what happened in reality?"

"You pinned every last crime on this old man, while keeping yourself completely clean."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened, and he was deeply puzzled. Was Danzo throwing himself into a trap?

Nearby, Hiashi stared fixedly at Hyuga Kaito. Kaito looked back at Hiashi without the slightest expression.

There was nothing in his eyes—no guilt, no hatred, no emotion at all.

"You aren't Kaito!? Who are you!?"

Kaito let out a chilling laugh.

"How could that be, my Clan Head? I am Kaito."

As he spoke, he formed hand seals.

That seal was...!?

Hiashi's eyes split with rage. It was the secret hand seal of the Caged Bird Seal.

There was no way to stop the Caged Bird Seal once it was activated. As long as a Main Family member formed an image of that person in their mind,

they could cast the technique. Killing someone with the curse required only three seconds.

How long it took to form someone's image depended on how familiar one was with them.

Who was the most valuable person in the Hyuga Branch Family?

Hizashi Hyuga!

Outside the barrier, Hizashi was filled with anxiety over what was happening within.

He had come with Hiashi, but Hiashi had forbidden him from entering.

Kaito had betrayed them, and Hizashi was also in great danger.

Hizashi was now one of Konoha's advisory elders, and Hiashi would not allow him to take such a risk.

But now, Hizashi felt a deep sense of unease.

In all these years, this was the Hyuga Clan's only traitor from the Main Family.

Though he did not know why Kaito had betrayed the clan,

it was nothing less than a devastating blow to the Hyuga Clan.

Hyuga Kaito knew the secret hand seal of the Caged Bird Seal.

If Hyuga Kaito could not be stopped, many members of the Hyuga Branch Family would die.

Hyuga Neji, who was searching near the barrier, suddenly discovered that his father was outside.

Neji ran to the spot opposite Hizashi.

"Father! It's wonderful that you're all right!"

When Hizashi saw Neji, his brows furrowed tightly.

"Neji! Why are you here!?"

Neji did not know what had happened, but he had just heard his uncle's announcement.

Neji asked,

"Father, what exactly happened? Why..."

Before Hizashi could hear the rest of Neji's words, a sudden agony exploded in his head.

The Caged Bird Seal on his forehead shone with a brilliant light.

Neji cried out, "Father!"

Then he touched the Four Violet Flames Formation. Neji screamed as his hand was violently knocked away.

In just three seconds, Hizashi had collapsed to the ground with a scream, completely silent.

Neji sat on the ground in a daze, utterly stunned.

"Father!"

"Open this for me, now!"

Neji slammed into the Four Violet Flames Formation, but after a scream, his body was thrown back again. His body was covered in burn marks from the flames.

Anbu were nearby outside.

They quickly approached and found Hizashi already lying on the ground.

Seeing Hizashi fall, they immediately went to check on him.

Then one of the Anbu said in a trembling voice,

"D-dead...?"

"How did Elder Hizashi suddenly die?"

One of the Anbu was more knowledgeable. Seeing that Hizashi had died while clutching his head,

he crouched down and said, "Forgive me, Elder Hizashi."

He removed the forehead protector from Hizashi's head and saw an X-shaped symbol hooked between the two patterns on either side of Hizashi's forehead.

Moreover, the pattern had completely carbonized. From the center of the X-shaped symbol came what seemed to be a burnt stench.

He swallowed hard.

"Th-this is the legendary Caged Bird Seal..."

"Th-this is the Caged Bird Seal?"

"If it can control a Main Family member, wouldn't it be able to wipe out the entire Branch Family?"

Inside the barrier, Neji stared blankly at the Caged Bird Seal on his father's forehead.

He collapsed onto the ground, tears streaming down his face.

Father...

Dead?...

Caged Bird Seal...

Although Hiashi's movements were fast enough, he still could not stop Hyuga Kaito from casting the technique.

He did not know who Hyuga Kaito had targeted, but it felt as though a piece had been hollowed out of his heart.

Hiashi roared as he attacked Kaito.

"What did you do!?"

Kaito laughed wildly.

"The Caged Bird Seal can easily destroy the target's brain nerves, yet it was placed on your own younger brother. You truly are a fine older brother."

Hiashi froze completely, then Kaito sent him flying with a palm strike.