Chaos Rises Again

The night was deep when Konoha Village's peace was shattered by a piercing whistle.

Within the Hyuga Clan compound, lights immediately blazed to life and voices erupted everywhere. Kosuke Hyuga, the eldest elder's direct grandson, had been found missing from his room.

There were signs of a struggle and bloodstains in the room, but nothing else. Whether Kosuke was dead or alive, no one knew.

The scene was like a massive bomb, instantly blasting apart the Hyuga Clan's tranquility.

"Quick! Notify the eldest elder and Lord Hiashi!" a Main House ninja shouted in panic, unable to conceal the terror in his voice.

The news spread like wildfire, and the Hyuga Clan's upper ranks rushed to the scene.

The eldest elder's expression was frighteningly grim. Standing in the room, his gaze swept over everything, as though he intended to reconstruct what had happened.

Hiashi Hyuga arrived close behind. His eyes carried a grave look, holding both shock at Kosuke's disappearance and helplessness toward the unfolding chaos.

"What happened? Where is Kosuke? What were the night patrols doing? Someone broke in and they didn't even notice? This is a serious dereliction of duty!"

The eldest elder's voice was low and imposing, every word seemingly forced out through clenched teeth.

Hiashi stepped forward and carefully examined the traces left at the scene. His Byakugan flickered faintly as he tried to uncover a clue, but his brow soon furrowed even deeper.

"The area of the fight was small, and there are no obvious traces of chakra," Hiashi said gravely. "The intruder deliberately concealed their identity, and they were powerful enough to take down Kosuke without even exposing their chakra."

"Impossible!" the eldest elder roared. "The Hyuga Clan compound is heavily guarded. How could an outsider possibly infiltrate it so easily? This must be the work of someone within the clan!"

The moment his words fell, the atmosphere throughout the Hyuga Clan instantly became tense. Suspicion and unease filled everyone's eyes, as if the person beside them could become the culprit at any moment.

"Seal off the entire compound immediately. No one is allowed in or out!" the eldest elder ordered. "All ninja are to begin searching at once. We must find the culprit!"

Following the eldest elder's order, the Hyuga Clan's ninja sprang into action. Scout ninja moved through every corner, trying to find even the smallest clue.

Yet no matter how hard they searched, they could not find a single lead. Kosuke seemed to have vanished into thin air, without warning and without leaving a trace.

"This is impossible!" a scout ninja said anxiously. "The intruder couldn't have left no trace, unless..."

"Unless what?" Hiashi coldly cut him off.

"Unless the culprit is a Byakugan user and is extremely familiar with the compound's layout," the ninja said in a low voice, fear evident in his tone.

Hiashi's expression shifted slightly. His gaze swept through the surrounding crowd as he grew wary. Who besides a Hyuga Clan member could be a Byakugan user?

"Investigate every clan member immediately!" the eldest elder's voice became even harsher. "From the Main House to the Branch House, no one is to be spared!"

As the order was issued, the Hyuga Clan compound descended into chaos. Ninja rushed about, questioning and inspecting every member.

Yet no matter how hard they tried, they could not find the slightest clue. Kosuke seemed to have been erased from existence, leaving nothing behind.

Neji and Xiao Xi were called out by the patrols and stood among those being investigated, silently watching it all unfold.

There was no expression on his face, but a cold glint flashed through his eyes.

Let it descend into chaos. The more chaotic it becomes, the more opportunities I'll have...

The Hyuga Clan's turmoil did not subside with the fading night. Instead, like a spreading wildfire, it quickly drew the attention of Konoha Village's upper ranks.

ANBU surveillance ninja noticed the abnormality at the Hyuga compound at once and silently reported the situation to the Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The Third Hokage's office was brightly lit.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk with his brow tightly furrowed, turning a pipe in his hand. Smoke curled before him, as elusive and confusing as the situation itself.

"Kosuke Hyuga vanished into thin air?" the Third Hokage asked in a low voice, his gaze falling upon the ANBU ninja before him. "Are you certain this is an internal conflict?"

"Lord Hokage," the ANBU ninja replied respectfully, "the Hyuga Clan compound is heavily guarded, making it difficult for outsiders to infiltrate. But judging from the scene, the culprit seems extremely familiar with the Hyuga Clan's layout. They also acted swiftly and cleanly, leaving no obvious traces."

The Third Hokage nodded, a hint of worry flashing through his eyes. The Hyuga Clan was one of Konoha Village's key pillars. Any internal unrest could trigger a chain reaction. He had to uncover the truth and quell this chaos as soon as possible.

"Notify Konoha's sensory ninja to assist the Hyuga Clan's investigation," the Third Hokage ordered. "I want the culprit found in the shortest possible time."

"Yes!" The ANBU ninja accepted the order and left.

Konoha Village's morning sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves, scattering patches of light across the ground.

Yet that tranquility was broken by the chaos within the Hyuga Clan.

Konoha's sensory ninja quickly arrived at the Hyuga compound. They spread through every corner, attempting to find clues by sensing fluctuations in chakra.

"Here!" A sensory ninja suddenly stopped, surprise flashing through his eyes. "There are obvious traces of chakra disruption here. These are remnants from a Shadow Clone being released!"

The other sensory ninja quickly gathered around. Their Byakugan and sensory abilities activated simultaneously as they tried to determine whether any undiscovered chakra remained within the traces.

"No, there's nothing. The trail ends here. The traces elsewhere connect and lead outside the village, but the Konoha Barrier showed no fluctuations last night. And if the intruder came from outside the village, that contradicts the Hyuga ninja's conclusion that the intruder came from within the Hyuga Clan."

"Could this be a deliberate misdirection? Maybe the culprit is actually still inside the Hyuga Clan."

"But it's also possible that the intruder deliberately led the investigation toward the Hyuga Clan, causing us to overlook clues elsewhere."

"We can't make sense of it. Let's report it first!"

"Lord Hokage, we have found more traces of Shadow Clone activity within Konoha Village."

The sensory ninja reported to the Third Hokage, "but strangely, we have been unable to find any lingering chakra at all."

The Third Hokage's brow tightened, worry flashing through his eyes. "Hyuga, what exactly are you doing? This is already the second incident. Are you dissatisfied with the results of the negotiations with the Land of Lightning? Has Kosuke Hyuga truly disappeared, or..."

The Third Hokage left his sentence unfinished, but it seemed to contain endless speculation and conspiracy. If Neji had heard those words, he would surely have praised the Hokage as an excellent screenwriter. Unfortunately, the truth was often simple. Yet no one would suspect Neji. Though he was a genius, everyone had concluded that the intruder needed at least Jonin-level strength, so Neji, this cheating player, was overlooked.