The sudden arrival of Danzō and his Root operatives shattered the fragile balance of the Hyūga civil strife. Both Hyūga Hiashi and his younger brother Hizashi froze mid-battle.
As Root operatives leapt into the courtyard, the Branch House shinobi's expressions turned grim, while the Main House elders—especially the Great Elder—looked overjoyed.
"Lord Danzō, you came just in time! Let's join forces and eradicate these rebellious inferiors together—Konoha doesn't need their kind!"
Danzō sneered. "Heh, you're right. What the village needs is stability, not upstarts who rebel just because they can't endure a little humiliation—especially you, Uchiha Rokuro."
Rokuro turned to the old schemer, his gaze cold with disdain.
"Hah. Listen to the toad croak. Big words for someone who sticks his filthy hands everywhere, Danzō. This is the Hyūga Clan's internal matter. What the hell does it have to do with you?"
Danzō's face darkened instantly. He hadn't expected such blunt defiance—after all, as one of Konoha's so-called "Elders," even elite jōnin and clan heads were forced to show him respect.
No one dared speak to him this way—no one except perhaps the other three of Konoha's "F4."
"I am the Root of Konoha," Danzō replied coldly. "Maintaining the stability of the village is my duty. Any matter that threatens that stability falls under my authority."
"Cut the crap," Rokuro said flatly. "Your Root is nothing but a den of rats doing the village's dirty work. You're only good at sowing discord. As for Konoha's peace, we have the Uchiha Police Force for that. Since when did it become your business? You're just a dog chasing mice—and actually think you're someone important?"
"You—what did you say?!"
Decades of cultivated self-restraint almost snapped under Rokuro's verbal assault.
At that moment, Hizashi stepped forward, glaring at Danzō.
"Lord Danzō, this is a Hyūga internal matter. We don't need your interference. Please, leave."
"What internal matter?" interrupted the Hyūga Great Elder sharply before Danzō could respond. "This concerns the entire village! And for your information, I invited Lord Danzō here myself—so it's perfectly justified, isn't it?"
The old man's voice trembled, but his eyes were filled with desperate cunning.
Despicable as he was, his decades of survival had taught him well.
He knew perfectly that without control over the Caged Bird Seal, the Main House no longer stood a chance against the Branch House. Once open combat began, the Main House would be annihilated—along with their families.
If he were in Hizashi's position, he'd do the same: leave no survivors.
Now, with his own forces useless and his lackeys unreliable, the Great Elder saw Danzō's appearance as his final lifeline. He no longer cared about the Hyūga Clan's future—he only wanted to live.
Danzō, of course, was delighted. He had expected this outcome.
As the shadow of Konoha, he understood human weakness better than anyone.
People like the Great Elder—those who placed self-interest above all—were tools Danzō had mastered the use of long ago.
"Now it's perfectly legitimate," Danzō said smugly. "Hyūga Hizashi, and you too, Uchiha boy—what do you have to say for yourselves?"
He gave a wave, and the Root operatives immediately surrounded the courtyard. Hizashi and the Branch House elites had no choice but to meet them head-on.
Even some of the former lackeys, seeing the tide of battle, rushed to Hizashi's side.
Though they had once served the Main House and oppressed their own kin, they too had suffered under the Caged Bird Seal. Many had merely obeyed to survive.
Now that the seal's suppression was lifted and freedom was within reach, they would not hesitate.
For the first time, the entire Branch House stood united—save for a handful of die-hard loyalists—and their combined strength rivaled even Root's forces.
Danzō's smug smile began to fade as the battle intensified.
"Rebellion against the village will be punished as treason!" he barked. "Even if you win today, you'll be branded rogue ninja—Konoha will hunt you to the ends of the earth!"
Rokuro laughed coldly. "Oh? Getting scared already? Weren't you just talking about extermination a moment ago? Now you're hiding behind the village's name? Tell me, Danzō—who sent you here today? The Hokage? Or the other two advisors? Or did you just come on your own?"
As he spoke, Rokuro kept channeling chakra through his foot, maintaining the sealing formation. His chakra control was precise enough that even while taunting Danzō, the technique never faltered.
Danzō's eyes flickered. Of course, he couldn't admit that Hiruzen Sarutobi had sent him—such matters were unspoken understandings between them.
He was Hiruzen's "black glove," meant to do what the Hokage's righteous image could not.
If he openly acknowledged that he acted on Hiruzen's orders, the entire pretense of moral authority would collapse—and Root's very existence would be exposed for what it was.
"I've no time for your nonsense," Danzō growled. "You've initiated rebellion against Konoha—that makes you traitors. And traitors… die."
Realizing the situation had reached the point of no return, Hizashi gave a silent nod and charged forward.
The courtyard erupted into chaos once more.
The Hyūga's Gentle Fist might have appeared unimpressive in the tales of the Great Ninja Wars, but that was only because their opponents were elite fighters or possessed countermeasures. Against ordinary shinobi, the style's precision and internal damage were devastating.
Root, however, was far from ordinary. Many among them hailed from Konoha's other ninja clans—the Yamanaka, the Aburame, and more. Their secret arts were eerie and deadly, capable of instant kills.
And worse—Root shinobi had been molded by Danzō into merciless, mindless killers. They fought without fear of death, often using suicidal tactics. Within minutes, casualties appeared on both sides.
As the conflict escalated, the number of dead grew rapidly.
Then, Hyūga Hiashi stepped forward, his voice thundering across the courtyard.
"Enough! I, Hyūga Hiashi, as the current head of the Hyūga Clan, hereby declare: from this moment on, there shall be no distinction between the Main House and the Branch House! Those who once oppressed their kin shall face judgment. Therefore, Lord Danzō—this matter no longer concerns you. We will resolve it ourselves!"
With that, Hiashi unleashed his chakra in full force, spinning into a blinding Rotation. The wave of chakra blasted outward, forcibly dividing the battlefield and halting the clash for a brief moment.
Danzō's expression twisted into a dark scowl.
"Think carefully, Hiashi," he warned. "Do you understand the consequences of what you've just said? And do you truly believe your Branch House will trust your words after all this?"
Hiashi met his gaze, eyes cold as steel.
"Thank you for your concern, Elder Danzō. I know exactly what I'm doing. And as for earning their trust—" he paused, then raised his voice for all to hear,
"that's simple. As clan head, I will now invoke my authority… and personally release every last Caged Bird Seal in the Hyūga Clan!"
END OF CHAPTER
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