A Horde of Uchiha Is About to Arrive on the Battlefield!

"Rustle, rustle..."

The steady drizzle showed no sign of stopping. Instead, it grew heavier. Clouds churned across the dark night sky, and faint rumbles of thunder flashed in the distance.

"Splash, splash, splash!"

Puddles of various sizes had formed along the long-neglected road. A foot hurriedly trampled through one, splattering mud and water.

Neji chased after him through the rain, panting as he ran. He was already doing his best to catch up, yet he still couldn't overtake that unhurried figure.

"Father! Father! Wait for me! Where are you going?"

Rain soaked the bandage on his forehead and blurred his vision. As the tall figure's back began to vanish into the endless rain, he finally stopped and turned around.

Neji couldn't make out his face through those clear, luminous Byakugan eyes. All he heard was the familiar voice carried to him through the rain.

"Go back, Neji."

Panting hard, Neji stared blankly as the figure turned away again. This time, he didn't stop.

"Father!"

Watching the disappearing figure, Neji suddenly burst into tears.

He didn't know why he was crying.

Maybe it was because of the sight of his father clutching his head in agony that afternoon. Maybe it was the moment his beautiful dream had been utterly shattered. Or maybe...

It was the final farewell in the rainy night, that retreating back.

The Hyuga Clan's compound.

The lights shone brightly in a room in the inner residence, but a black gloom clouded Hyuga Hiashi's heart.

At that moment,

the envoy from the Land of Lightning was waiting outside.

They demanded that Konoha hand over the body of Hyuga Hiashi, who had killed the head of their country's ninja unit. Otherwise, Kumogakure would soon wage war against Konoha.

They were firm and overbearing, and would accept no other terms.

The Third Hokage stood silently to one side, smoking. A group of ninjas surrounded them. Everyone knew what the final outcome would be. They gritted their teeth, shame written across their faces, but their longing for peace and hatred of war kept them silent.

The entire room was filled with oppressive tension.

At that moment, Hiashi slowly exhaled the pent-up anger in his chest, his expression easing with resignation.

He proposed that he sacrifice himself in exchange for peace.

The Third Hokage continued smoking, his expression heavy. The room was frighteningly quiet. No one agreed, but no one stood up to oppose him either.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door.

Hizashi had arrived.

The moment the door closed, the room—which had been quiet and still—suddenly grew noisy. It sounded as if they were arguing about something.

Their raised voices could be heard faintly.

The ninjas from the Land of Lightning exchanged mocking looks. They stared at the door, waiting for it to open again.

The outcome had already been decided. All they had to do was wait.

Just then, one ninja turned his head in surprise and looked in another direction. A large amount of powerful, volatile chakra was approaching from there...

Meanwhile, the argument inside the room was nearing its end.

"No! I won't agree!"

Hyuga Hiashi was more agitated than ever. He shouted at the elder beside him, "What exactly do you take the Hyuga Clan for?"

The elder's face remained stern as he let Hiashi vent. At this point, Hiashi's opposition alone could no longer change anything.

This was already the best outcome.

"Where's the usually domineering Lord Hiashi now?"

Hizashi's voice held faint mockery. He looked nothing like a man about to go to his death.

"This isn't a game!"

Hiashi turned and roared at his younger brother. Right now, he looked like a helpless man who had completely lost his bearings.

He wanted someone to support him, but now even his own younger brother wasn't on his side.

For the first time, he felt utterly powerless and afraid as the head of the Hyuga Clan's main family.

Once again, he recalled the words Uchiha Ryuu had used to mock him: "You're the head of the main family, so you haven't had the Caged Bird seal carved into you. But how are you any different from a bird in a cage? Bound by your clan and entangled in all kinds of rules, you think you're making all the decisions, yet you're being pushed down a path already laid out for you without even realizing it. How pathetic!"

At last, he understood those words. He also deeply felt the helplessness of a decision-maker shackled by countless responsibilities.

But no! He wouldn't allow it!

Just as Hiashi was about to cast everything aside and act on his own for once, a fist slammed him to the ground.

"My foolish older brother."

A man with one foot in the grave could finally let himself go!

Hizashi had completely cast aside his usual submissiveness.

He rubbed his right hand and looked down at the disheveled Hiashi through his pale eyes. There was even a hint of satisfaction on his face.

"I've been sick of you for a long time."

He said it while meeting Hiashi's astonished gaze, paying no heed even to the Third Hokage standing nearby.

"You know, the person I envy most is that guy, Uchiha Ryuu! We're both members of prestigious clans, but Fugaku Uchiha is always looking out for him. He'd even give up the position of clan head for him. Sometimes I think, how wonderful it would be if I'd been born into the Uchiha Clan instead of the Hyuga..."

The Third Hokage smoked as he glanced at the Hyuga elder, whose face had gone dark as a pot. He wisely kept quiet.

"But when I think about it, being born a Hyuga isn't so bad. I have an older brother who loves me, too. You never say it, but I know that whenever you fought the Uchiha brothers, you'd always provoke Fugaku Uchiha because he had the hardest fists. And that guy, Ryuu—he's sharp-tongued, but he always knew when to stop..."

As he spoke, Hizashi walked toward the door alone. "I still hate the main family, every moment of every day! But I don't hate you, my brother. I'm not doing this to protect the main family, either. I'm doing it to protect my brother! For me, this is the first time I've had the freedom to choose."

He turned to Hiashi, a faint smile on his face. "You know, I've met Ryuu's child. He's just as obnoxious as Ryuu, but he gets along really well with Itachi."

Hyuga Hiashi struggled to lift his head and tried to get back to his feet, but then he heard Hizashi's voice drift over from the doorway.

"The Uchiha brothers' legacy has been carried on. What about the Hyuga?"

Hizashi reached for the wooden door. But just then, someone pulled it open from the other side.

"This is bad!"

Tokuma Hyuga rushed into the room. He didn't even have time to look around before urgently reporting, "A whole lot of Uchiha have come to the entrance of the compound, shouting abuse! The clan members can't hold them back. They're already confronting the ninjas from the Land of Lightning!"

"The Uchiha?" The Third Hokage, who had said nothing until now, finally spoke. He asked, "Did they say why they came here?"

Tokuma glanced in surprise at the clan head lying on the floor, but there was no time to dwell on it. He answered at once, "They're questioning the ninjas from the Land of Lightning."

"Questioning them?"

"They said, 'You're both celebrating birthdays, so why did the ninjas from the Land of Lightning kidnap Hinata but not steal Sasuke? Do you look down on the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan?'"

Tokuma's voice grew quieter and quieter. The room fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.

After a long while, the Third Hokage's helpless voice rang out, dry and flat.

"Uchiha Qing Xuan... is he here?"