"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Three consecutive "bastards" echoed upstream of the Nobu.
Tanzo Shimura had completely lost his composure at this moment. His face was flushed red, and he was extremely annoyed.
Before he came, he had already planned how to deal with this mysterious person who could use Wood Release.
Torture, transplant, and breed.
Wood Release was the Kekkei Genkai he had always longed for, even more than the Sharingan.
As the leader of Root and one of the true high - level officials in Konoha Village, Tanzo Shimura was aware of Hashirama Senju's inhuman combat power.
Now that Wood Release was right in front of him, how could he not be excited?
To capture this person, he had brought a total of seven squads, all of whom had learned the special Sealing Technique of the Uzumaki clan.
He was confident that he could even capture a tailed beast.
However... this bastard didn't give him a chance at all.
Tanzo Shimura hadn't been stood up like this for a long time.
Hyuga Kazushi instinctively placed his hand on his chest.
He felt a sharp pain.
Dead!
All dead!
Completely wiped out!
The river was dyed red with blood.
Forty ninjas of the Hyuga clan were lying scattered along the riverbank.
How could he explain this to the branch family?
Hyuga Kazushi's face turned pale. The Hyuga clan had rarely suffered such a great loss, and all of the dead were from the branch family.
He had come here personally, giving the branch family great hope. He dared not imagine how they would react when they learned that the rescue had failed.
Forty people meant forty families. With blood ties, it would affect at least one - tenth of the Hyuga clan.
Besides, there was also the long - standing reputation of the Hyuga clan.
As a clan with a Kekkei Genkai comparable to the Uchiha clan and one of the founding families of Konoha, the Hyuga clan would be severely hit.
They couldn't even save their own clan members. How could they still claim to be the strongest clan in Konoha hereafter?
"Lord Tanzo, they died yesterday," said a Root member wearing a mask after the inspection.
"Yesterday?"
Tanzo Shimura suppressed the killing intent in his heart. "So, this person never intended to make a deal with our Konoha. His purpose was to kill."
"I don't understand," Hyuga Kazushi said sorrowfully. "Why were they Hyuga clan members? If it wasn't for the Byakugan, could it really be the work of the Cloud Hidden Village?"
Tanzo Shimura's eyes were as fierce as a wild beast.
He took a deep breath and said, "Tatsuma Aburame, go and invite Sakumo Hatake here."
"Yes," Tatsuma Aburame disappeared instantly.
Not long after, Sakumo Hatake arrived.
When he saw the bodies all over the place, his body trembled.
"Lord Tanzo, this..."
Although Sakumo Hatake was no weaker than Tanzo Shimura in terms of strength, he held a lower position. According to the rules, he showed enough respect.
"They were killed by the mysterious person yesterday," Tanzo Shimura narrowed his eyes slightly. "Haruki is really good at healing your injuries. Have you found any traces of those two Cloud Ninjas?"
"No," Sakumo Hatake shook his head. "They were too fast. Neither the Anbu nor we could find them. But Shimon Hiruko, who was with the mysterious person last night, might be a spy from the Cloud Hidden Village. Do you have any leads, Lord Tanzo?"
"It's none of your business," Tanzo Shimura stopped paying attention to Sakumo Hatake after getting the answer.
He had already ruled out the Cloud Hidden Village as a suspect.
If the mysterious person really belonged to the Cloud Hidden Village, there was no reason not to contact the Sunagakure and wipe out Konoha in one fell swoop.
Moreover, he instinctively didn't believe that a ninja who could use Wood Release came from the Cloud Hidden Village.
This person... might be from the Senju clan.
Sakumo Hatake's heart sank slightly.
Tanzo Shimura's attitude annoyed him.
As the commander, the dead Hyuga ninjas were his subordinates. How could he claim it had nothing to do with him?
Thinking of this, he felt rather disheartened.
He glanced at the Root members carrying the corpses and then bid farewell to Tanzo Shimura.
Rather than wasting time here, I might as well take this chance to kill a few more Sand Ninjas.
The strategy Haruki had mentioned was starting to show results.
Just this morning, the battle casualty ratio had dropped significantly.
"Don't worry."
Tanzo Shimura saw Hyuga Kazushi standing there like a statue, lost in a daze.
He wasn't very fond of the Hyuga clan.
Because they had always supported Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But the Hyuga clan had great influence in Konoha. Since he aspired to become the Hokage, he wouldn't ruin the relationship.
Moreover, he also needed to clear his own suspicion.
Shimon Hiruko was indeed his subordinate.
"This battle is not your fault. It's just that the Sunagakure and the Cloud Hidden Village are too vicious."
Hyuga Kazushi came back to his senses. Hearing Tanzo Shimura's words, his eyes lit up slightly.
That made sense.
The problem now wasn't that he didn't want to make the deal, but that the mysterious person had killed the hostages.
The branch family members shouldn't blame him either.
"Thank you for your advice, Lord Tanzo."
Hyuga Kazushi bowed slightly. He hoped Tanzo Shimura would back him up.
The branch family members might not believe what he said, but Tanzo was a high - ranking official in Konoha. There was no reason for him to lie, and his words would be more convincing.
But he absolutely didn't believe that before they even got back, the news had already spread everywhere.
Once the conclusion was drawn, any explanation would be in vain.
People would only believe what they heard and saw.
When they were in the same public opinion environment, Hyuga Kazushi was doomed to fail.
...
Haruki was sitting in a restaurant.
In the distance, people were discussing the affairs of the Hyuga clan.
"Have you heard? All the Hyuga ninjas who participated in the war were wiped out."
"What happened?"
"It's just a rumor I heard. Supposedly, the Jinchuriki of the Eight - Tails from the Cloud Hidden Village personally took action and captured forty Hyuga ninjas. You know the Cloud Hidden Village values Kekkei Genkai very much, so they wanted to exchange for the Byakugan of the Hyuga main family."
The chapter isn't over yet.
"Didn't the Hyuga clan agree?"
"All the people are dead. They definitely didn't agree!"
Haruki smiled slightly, got up, and left the restaurant.
On the street, he heard another explanation.
They're saying that the daughter of a Sunagakure elder has taken a fancy to a branch - family ninja and wants the main family to lift the Cage Bird jutsu.
Anyway, it was getting more and more absurd.
But no matter how much it changed, the gist remained the same.
All the blame was pointed at the Hyuga main family.
"Well, even if Hiruzen Sarutobi steps in, he won't be able to do a thing."
As Haruki walked on the street, he could hear relevant discussions from time to time.
If the forty ninjas hadn't died, perhaps Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had high prestige, could have changed the public opinion.
But facts were facts.
Forty people was not a small number.
Their life trajectories can't be completely covered up.
Anyone who cares could find them out.
"Maybe there's only one way to calm the fury: lift the Cage Bird jutsu."
Haruki showed an expectant look. "Hiashi Hyuga, what will you do?"
As he was mumbling, Hiashi Hyuga couldn't stand the villagers' gossiping anymore. He used the Shifting Body Technique and disappeared on the street.
He returned to the Hyuga mansion.
All the clan members looked morose.
Especially the branch family. Their looks at him were like those of venomous snakes.
Cold and unfamiliar.
Hiashi Hyuga stiffened and felt an indescribable bitterness.
All the past glories seem to have turned into sharp blades right now.
Layer by layer, they wanted to peel his flesh and blood.
Hiashi Hyuga couldn't help but feel lost. Even if he could overcome this crisis with the Cage Bird jutsu, what about the future?
With the clan members turning disloyal, Can the Hyuga clan really maintain its status as a prominent family?
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