Chapter 95: The Night of the Hyūga Clan

Before long, Might Guy stormed out of the Hokage's office, his face a mixture of fury and urgency. His heart was heavy with confusion.

What has become of Konoha? How could something like this be allowed to happen?

"Hokage-sama, with Might Guy's straightforward nature, he's likely heading straight to the Police Force to rescue the detainees," Aburame Ryōma, his ever-calm aide, observed.

Danzo dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand.

"Good. Send word—under no circumstances should Might Guy be allowed to interfere with our plan today. He must be delayed at all costs."

"Understood, Hokage-sama." A Root ninja disappeared into the shadows to carry out the order.

Danzo turned to gaze out of the window, his eyes cold and calculating.

"Is everything in place?"

Ryōma nodded. "All preparations are complete."

"Then we wait for nightfall," Danzo said, his eyes glinting with greed.

At the Hyūga estate, the air was thick with an eerie tension. The sprawling compound of Konoha's foremost shinobi clan seemed to hold its breath, teetering on the edge of an unseen abyss.

An elderly member of the Hyūga main family strolled aimlessly through his courtyard after dinner. His sharp gaze turned toward the edge of the clan's grounds.

"Are they not back yet?"

The maid at his side trembled but answered in a steady voice.

"No, sir. They have not returned."

"Danzo's arrogance grows unchecked since becoming Hokage," the old man grumbled, his voice laced with irritation. "He dares to deploy Hyūga clan members as he pleases, without so much as consulting the main family. Even branch members require our approval!"

The main family had long grown complacent, basking in their dominance. They failed to see the subtle, resentful glances from the branch family members forced into servitude.

Among the main family, only Hiashi Hyūga, the clan leader, remained grounded in reality. His position required constant engagement with the outside world, preventing the insular arrogance that plagued the rest.

Hidden within the shadows, masked figures surrounded the Hyūga compound, moving with silent precision. These Root operatives carried out their grim mission, closing in like a noose around the estate.

Tragically, despite possessing the Byakugan, Konoha's most powerful sensory ability, the Hyūga clan remained oblivious. The branch family, entrusted with patrol duties, had already betrayed them.

By the time the elderly main family member sensed danger, he was surrounded by Root members. His aging body tensed, the belated realization of peril dawning too late.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, his voice trembling despite his attempts at authority.

"Hyūga Yūta, target confirmed. Terminate," one Root ninja intoned, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Do you fools know who I am? I am of the main family! You wouldn't dare—"

The old man's indignant shout was cut short. His desperate cries for help echoed hollowly through the estate.

"Where are they? Where are the branch family members? Protect me!"

From the shadows, the maid—his sole remaining attendant—stepped forward. Her eyes glinted with cold hatred.

"Why would I protect you? I've been waiting for this day."

"You—" The old man's voice broke. "You wretched branch servant! Do you think I can't kill you? I'll activate the Caged Bird Seal and root out every traitor!"

He raised his trembling hands and began forming seals, activating the sinister jutsu meant to control the branch family.

The maid clutched her head as an excruciating pain stabbed through her skull, her screams of agony filling the air. Yet, despite the torment, her expression shifted—not to submission, but to twisted glee.

"You'll join me soon enough!" she spat through gritted teeth before plunging a kunai into her own throat.

Simultaneously, blood sprayed through the air as the Root members finished off the old man.

Scenes like this played out throughout the Hyūga compound. The night became a massacre as Root operatives systematically wiped out the main family.

From a distant vantage point, Hyūga Kazuto, a prominent branch family member, observed the carnage. His heart wavered between exhilaration and sorrow.

Exhilaration—because with the main family eliminated, the Caged Bird Seal would no longer hold sway. Their descendants would finally be free from its curse.

Sorrow—for the brave branch members who had volunteered as sacrifices. They had stayed behind to keep the main family distracted, meeting their ends alongside them.

"Kazuto, the Root members are retreating," a branch family shinobi reported, his Byakugan scanning the scene below.

Kazuto nodded. "Wait until the compound is silent. Then we'll reclaim it as our own."

This coup had been orchestrated with Danzo's help. In exchange for eliminating the main family, the branch family was to pledge their allegiance to Konoha.

But could such a deal truly be trusted?

When the branch family finally returned to the compound, their celebration was short-lived. At the heart of the estate stood Hiashi Hyūga, unharmed and radiating cold authority.

"I suggest you reconsider any foolish actions," Hiashi's voice cut through the tension like a blade.

"The Caged Bird Seal is still under my control."

"How are you alive?" Kazuto demanded, disbelief etched across his face.

Hiashi removed the headband that he had never worn before, revealing the mark of the Caged Bird Seal upon his own forehead.

"I am no longer part of the main family," Hiashi said bitterly. "Danzo betrayed you. He forced me to hand over the secrets of the seal in exchange for my daughters' lives. You were never his allies—only tools."

Kazuto's defiance faltered, and despair replaced his earlier fervor. His dreams of freedom had been twisted into a deeper nightmare.

The night ended in silence, save for the faint cries of those mourning the sacrifices made in vain.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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