Thump, thump, thump, thump—
Silence.
Hyuga Itsuki and the servant who had come to deliver the message stood frozen, at a loss.
Their pupils had dilated to the limit from sheer shock. Their minds had gone completely blank, unable to process the unbelievable scene before them.
Just a moment ago, this had been the center of power of the Hyuga Clan. The Main House head and three elders had been sitting high above, passing judgment on others' fates and radiating an oppressive aura.
The next moment, these four beings, who in their eyes had been as untouchable as gods, were like puppets whose strings had all been cut. One after another, they collapsed silently to the floor or froze in place in their final poses, eyes vacant and utterly undignified.
There had been no Hand Seals, no clash of Taijutsu.
No one had reacted. No one had even realized that Hiroki hadn't moved at all before his ninjutsu had already taken effect.
!
!!
How was this possible? That was the head of the Hyuga Main House and four elders! They were all elite jonin! They could even take on someone at Kage Level—not that it was impossible!
Hyuga Hiashi stared in disbelief.
Those Main House elders, those seniors he hadn't dared to defy, had just fallen like that?
But in the silent room, only Hiroki remained calm.
It could only have been his doing.
The boy they had disdainfully called a "commoner brat" had simply stood there, watching them calmly—and then it was all over.
It was like a farce that had ended abruptly, all bark and no bite.
Hyuga Itsuki rubbed his eyes instinctively. He even wondered if he had fallen victim to some advanced Genjutsu.
But everything around him was terrifyingly real. Even the old, oppressive sandalwood