Uzuki Yugao looked disappointed.
If Gekko Hayate really could do that, then when Uchiha Lengfeng bullied her, he would have stepped forward without hesitation.
Even if he failed to stop Uchiha Lengfeng and ended up getting beaten himself,
she would still have been touched.
But Gekko Hayate hadn't helped her. Only after it was all over had he come over to greet her, pretending he hadn't seen anything.
"Of course I can!"
Looking into those disappointed, beautiful eyes, Gekko Hayate's gaze wavered.
Could it be... Yugao knew he'd been hiding nearby and watching at the time?
Impossible!
With his stealth skills, there was no way anyone could have noticed him!
At that thought, his expression grew even more resolute!
"Excuse me."
Just then, Hyuga Kagami spoke. He glanced indifferently at Gekko Hayate, looking thoughtful.
So... this guy was the one Uzuki Yugao had mentioned.
The one who'd hidden nearby and watched her get bullied?
"What happens between the two of you has nothing to do with me."
Hyuga Kagami's expression turned stern, and his White Eyes carried an intimidating force!
"But don't act up on Hyuga Clan grounds!"
His voice gradually turned cold. "Otherwise, I don't mind having the Gekko Clan come and collect you!"
Collect him?
Gekko Hayate's eyes turned cold. If he said one more word, he had no doubt the guy in front of him would beat him to a pulp!
Having his family come collect him would be truly humiliating!
"I haven't done anything! This may be Hyuga Clan territory, but it's still part of Konoha!"
Gekko Hayate gritted his teeth and forced the words out.
How could he lose face in front of Yugao?
His gaze fell on the Forehead Protector on Hyuga Kagami's forehead, and his eyes lit up as if he'd found some courage. "Besides, you're just a member of the Hyuga Branch Family, a good-for-nothing with the Caged Bird Seal on you. What right do you have to lecture me?"
Members of the Hyuga Branch Family had no status!
He definitely wouldn't dare provoke him!
And the guy in front of him looked... rather refined, even a little otherworldly and scholarly?
Uzuki Yugao panicked!
Wasn't Gekko Hayate just asking for trouble?
She'd seen how strong Hyuga Kagami was. He might look harmless right now, but he definitely wasn't someone who would put up with an insult!
"Oh?"
Hyuga Kagami smiled, the corners of his mouth curling into a cruel arc. His White Eyes gleamed with an intimidating light!
His voice was low, like thunder!
In an instant!
He seemed to become a different person. The refined, scholarly boy from moments ago vanished without a trace. Hyuga Kagami now looked brazen and cold!
Bam!
Gekko Hayate didn't even have time to react before a slap sent him flying five or six meters.
Several teeth flew out!
"You... how dare you hit me!"
Gekko Hayate was stunned, his whole head ringing. He'd never dreamed Hyuga Kagami would hit him so hard, or act so decisively!
Hyuga Kagami walked toward Gekko Hayate step by step, his smile widening. "So what you meant was that every member of the Hyuga Branch Family is a good-for-nothing with the Caged Bird Seal, right?"
"That the Hyuga Branch Family is worthless, nothing but pawns and tools in the hands of the Main Family, right?"
Well, wasn't this convenient?
He'd been worrying about finding a scapegoat to disrupt the balance between the Hyuga Clan's Main Family and Branch Family.
And Gekko Hayate had practically walked right up to him.
Well, wasn't this convenient?
His scapegoat had come knocking!
"No! No!"
Gekko Hayate's eyes filled with terror. "I never said that! That's not what I meant! You're framing me!"
That wasn't what he meant at all.
But seeing Hyuga Kagami smiling at him, he suddenly panicked!
"Good-for-nothing!"
"Before you offend someone, make sure you can afford to!"
Hyuga Kagami shot Gekko Hayate a cold glance.
Then he slapped him again!
Against the frail Gekko Hayate, he didn't even need to use Thunder Bagua. His ordinary physical strength was more than enough to crush him!
"Kagami-kun... please... stop."
Uzuki Yugao's beautiful eyes trembled. "Someone's going to die if this keeps up."
She was disappointed in Gekko Hayate, but she hadn't wanted to see him get bullied.
Those were two different things.
Hyuga Kagami remained calm, not sparing Uzuki Yugao a glance!
No one could interfere with his plan!
Women only slowed your sword hand!
"Hyuga Kagami, what are you doing?!"
Just then, several Hyuga Clan guards shouted angrily as they hurried over!
"You're attacking someone from your own village on Hyuga Clan grounds. Have you gone mad?!"
"Stop at once!"
Their expressions were grim!
The Hyuga Clan had always prided themselves on their noble bearing. Though they kept their distance from ordinary people, they often helped others, and so they enjoyed an excellent reputation in Konoha.
No one could be allowed to ruin it!
Gekko Hayate seemed to have spotted his rescuers and hurriedly pleaded, "Help me!"
"That guy, Hyuga Kagami, attacked me for no reason! Your Hyuga Clan absolutely can't let him get away with this!"
"Otherwise, I'll make sure my father reports this to Lord Hokage! Your Hyuga Clan won't escape the blame!"
A sparring match was one thing.
That was legitimate.
But beating someone from your own village for no reason was a serious offense!
As a squad leader, Hyuga Wa stared at Gekko Hayate's bruised and swollen face, looking grim. He looked terrible!
He knew Gekko Hayate, too.
The guy was handsome, but now his face was swollen like a pig's, and he was missing four or five teeth. There wasn't a trace of that handsomeness left.
He looked more like a pig than anything!
"Hyuga Kagami beat me for no reason!"
Gekko Hayate cried out miserably. "Is this how the Hyuga Clan does things?!"
"I won't let this go! The Hyuga Clan owes me an explanation!"
Anger burned in his eyes!
So what if the Hyuga Clan was powerful?
All the clans in Konoha were equal. He didn't dare provoke that bunch of lunatics in the Uchiha Clan, but surely he could go after the law-abiding Hyuga Clan!
"Hyuga Kagami!"
Hyuga Wa's White Eyes blazed with anger as he shouted, "Apologize to Gekko Hayate at once, then come with me to confess to the clan leader! You've gone too far!"
His expression was grim.
Was the reputation the Hyuga Clan had protected for so many years about to be destroyed by Hyuga Kagami?
His face was full of indignation!
He was unwilling to accept it!
Hyuga Kagami sneered, not backing down. His voice was calm and completely unruffled.
"This man said that members of the Hyuga Branch Family are Caged Birds, all good-for-nothings. He also said they're worthless, nothing but pawns in the hands of the Main Family."
"If you were me, could you put up with that? Would you just cower like a coward? I did nothing wrong today!"
Then he fixed Gekko Hayate with a cold stare.
"Even if I could do it all over again, I'd do the exact same thing!"
"Don't like it? Then have the leader of the Gekko Clan go complain to Lord Hokage!"
His voice boomed like thunder.
It shook everyone to the core!
His White Eyes radiated an intimidating force!
At that moment, Hyuga Kagami was like a god, sacred and untouchable!
Put simply, Hyuga Kagami meant: I beat you.
And if I had the chance to do it again, I'd beat you again!
Unmatched in his tyranny!
Before you continue