At that thought-
He held nothing back, unleashing the system-enhanced chakra within him!
His hand seals grew faster still!
"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
A fearsome fire dragon roared forth and slammed into Rotation, bursting into a sky full of streaming flames!
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
Countless searing flame bullets followed, raining down like a meteor shower!
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
A vast wave of flames swept forward, turning almost the entire courtyard into a sea of fire!
Genya's figure flickered in and out of sight amid the firelight and smoke.
He wanted to force Hiashi to reveal his true strength, and to declare to everyone watching:
He, Genya Uchiha, had every right to stand here and fight for those he cared about!
Inside Rotation, Hyuga Hiashi felt the mounting pressure. His shock had long since given way to wary anger as he found himself unable to back down.
This brat's chakra reserves were practically bottomless!
His Fire Release grew stronger with every attack!
He couldn't keep defending passively like this, or the Hyuga Clan would lose all dignity!
Just as Hiashi's gaze hardened and he prepared to force his way through the sea of flames and unleash a more powerful secret art of the Gentle Fist-
"Genya!!!"
A scream, choked with tears, terror, and worry, pierced the thunder of the explosions and reached Genya's ears.
It was Hinata!
She leaned against the wall, her eyes brimming with tears as she watched in utter terror while Genya fought her father amid the flames.
On one side was Genya, who had put himself in danger to protect her and stand up for her. On the other was the father she revered, whose approval she longed for...
Conflict and fear threatened to tear her fragile heart apart.
Hearing her cry, Genya faltered in his attack. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Hinata swaying on her feet, tears streaming down her face, and something touched the softest part of his heart.
Hiashi, too, saw the terror and tears in his daughter's eyes, and the force he had been about to unleash instinctively eased.
And in that delicate instant-
"Stop!!!"
Two commanding shouts rang out at once from different directions beyond the courtyard!
One voice was aged and heavy with authority. It belonged to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The other came from Sosuke Uchiha, standing at the front of the Uchiha Military Police Unit.
He could no longer stand by and watch!
Two of Konoha's most influential figures arrived at the edge of the battlefield at the same time!
The tension instantly reached its peak!
Every gaze focused on the two bitter foes who had temporarily ceased fighting in the center of the courtyard, and on the weeping Hyuga princess.
Hiruzen Sarutobi surveyed the devastated Hyuga courtyard, his brows tightly furrowed, shock and concern mingling within him.
His gaze swept over Hiashi, who looked somewhat disheveled but retained his imposing air, then settled on the black-haired boy whose three tomoe were still spinning-Genya Uchiha.
Six years old, three tomoe... Hiashi...
This went far beyond the realm of "genius."
"Can someone tell me what exactly happened here?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice broke the delicate silence, his gaze moving between Genya, Hinata, and Hiashi.
"Hiashi, and you, young Uchiha. What is the meaning of causing such a commotion inside the village, on clan grounds?"
The two Advisors beside him, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, also wore grim expressions.
Especially when they saw the ruined Hyuga courtyard and Hiashi's unpleasant expression.
Genya drew a deep breath, steadying the blood surging within him.
First, he turned toward his father, Sosuke Uchiha, and nodded. Their eyes met, conveying, I'm fine. Don't worry, and, Leave the rest to me.
Sosuke Uchiha said nothing.
His taut body relaxed slightly, but his hand never left his sword hilt. His sharp gaze swept across everyone present, especially those aligned with the Hokage.
With his father's silent support, Genya turned to face Hiruzen Sarutobi and the two Advisors behind him.
He had not deactivated the three tomoe in his eyes, and their eerie red glow stood out starkly.
Without waiting for orders, several ninja skilled in Water Release had already begun using ninjutsu to extinguish the remaining flames and clear the thick smoke.
Genya did not answer the Hokage's question directly. Instead, under everyone's gaze, he walked over to Hinata Hyuga, whose cheeks were still wet with tears and whose body was trembling.
The gesture darkened Hiashi's expression again, while Hiruzen Sarutobi and the two Advisors looked on inquisitively.
With everyone watching, Genya gently took Hinata's trembling little hand.
Feeling the warmth against her palm, Hinata seemed to find something to lean on. Though still frightened, she instinctively squeezed his hand in return.
A blush rose to her pale cheeks under all the attention, and she looked at Genya through tear-blurred eyes.
Genya held Hinata's hand firmly. Only then did he raise his head to face Hiruzen Sarutobi, his voice clear and steady, without a trace of a child's timidity.
"Lord Hokage, honored Advisors. The cause of today's incident is simple."
He turned slightly, allowing everyone a clearer view of the dirt on Hinata, her torn clothing, and the blood at the corner of her mouth.
"As Hinata's classmate and friend, I came to visit today. Instead, I witnessed her older cousin, Neji Hyuga, severely injure her without cause, leaving her on the ground. And he was about to strike her viciously again!"
Genya's voice carried barely restrained anger.
"I could not stand by while a companion was bullied like that, so I intervened and drove him back."
Then his tone shifted. His gaze cut toward Hyuga Hiashi like a blade, his words turning sharp.
"But what angers and confuses me even more is your conduct, Lord Hiashi-as Hinata's father and the head of the Hyuga Clan!"
He deliberately emphasized the title.
"The pressure and loneliness your daughter has endured within the clan for so long, and even the harm inflicted on her by a fellow clan member today... you seem to disregard it all. Or perhaps you simply care very little?"
"Hinata trains hard every day, hoping only to live up to the Hyuga name and your expectations. Yet all she receives are demands so harsh they border on cruelty, and the undisguised disappointment in your eyes!"
Genya directly called out Hiashi's failings as a father.
"You have placed the Main Family's duties and the clan's honor on her young shoulders like heavy shackles, yet you have never given her the care, encouragement, and protection she deserves!"
"If I hadn't happened to arrive today, the consequences would have been unthinkable! Tell me, Lord Hiashi-as her father, have you ever truly fulfilled your duty to protect her?"
"Or do the clan's rules and this supposed reverence for strength matter more to you than your own daughter's safety and feelings?"
Before you continue