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Chapter 242: Hiashi: As Expected of My Daughter, Well Done!
Center of the battlefield.
The God Tree's roots, which had spread throughout the entire ninja world, had all been retracted.
Under Konan's control, it would absorb nutrients from the earth and natural energy from the world at a minimal level, maintaining a dynamic equilibrium without causing catastrophic effects.
From now on, it was just an ordinary tree. It was simply very tall and very large.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Just then, Kameda appeared with Tsunade, Mei Terumi, and Orochimaru. Another Sky Ninja also appeared with Shikaku Nara, Mabui, and the others. Other Sky Ninjas had also completed their missions of gathering the ninjas from afar.
At this moment, all the survivors of the Allied Shinobi Forces assembled for the Fourth Great Ninja War were present.
High-ranking officials of the Five Great Ninja Villages like Tsunade and Mei Terumi immediately recognized Konan and the others at the center of the battlefield.
"Akatsuki!! White Tiger!!" Tsunade took a deep breath and shouted angrily, "What exactly do you want to do?! Do you want to use your ambition to trample on the peace that our predecessors worked so hard to achieve?!"
Konoha and the village were treasures left to her by her grandfather and granduncle. She absolutely could not watch helplessly as they were destroyed.
"Hmph!" Kameda said coldly. "Peace? Peace? What a load of cr*p!! In the short sixty-plus years of the Shinobi Village Era, four Great Ninja Wars broke out, with countless casualties! You still have the face to mention peace!! Countless small countries and villages were destroyed by the wars of your Five Great Ninja Villages. Even if there was peace, it was only a peace belonging to your great nations and great villages!"
"Bastard! What did you say!!" Tsunade gasped for air in anger, wishing she could send this guy flying with a punch of her monstrous strength.
To dare deny the contribution her grandfather made to the peace of the ninja world was simply unforgivable.
Beside her, Orochimaru hurriedly stopped her. "Tsunade, don't be impulsive! Things have come to this; saying these things is meaningless."
"Indeed, Lady Hokage." Not far away, Shikaku Nara's eyes held a deep meaning. "It is not appropriate to provoke the opponent now. We should just silently accept all of this."
Tsunade understood the meaning in his eyes. Only by living could there be a future. Only then was it possible to find an opportunity to strike back.
No matter how angry or unwilling she was, she had to suppress it now. If she angered the opponent, she would only die in vain, dying without any value.
"Hi... Hinata...!" Sakura's eyes widened, staring in disbelief at Hinata standing beside Alex.
She was also wearing the same Akatsuki uniform.
Sakura's voice trembled. "You... You joined the Akatsuki? Wh... Why..."
"Hinata." Beside her, Ino also couldn't believe she would see this companion after coming here.
When Hinata was captured in Konoha some time ago, they had been very worried about her. But they never expected that she would put on the Akatsuki's black robe with red clouds and join the organization.
Looking at her appearance, she wasn't being controlled, nor did it seem like she was being forced.
This shout immediately attracted the attention of all the Konoha ninjas in the crowd. They all turned to look at Hinata Hyuga. It was indeed the eldest miss of the Hyuga Clan's Main House.
Tsunade gritted her teeth and remained silent.
Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka looked at each other, equally silent. When Hinata was taken away in front of them, they had already prepared themselves for this possibility in their hearts.
"Hinata! You—"
"Neji! Don't say another word!" Neji Hyuga's questioning words were suppressed by Hiashi Hyuga beside him.
He also stared in astonishment at his daughter standing in the center.
There was anger, disappointment, and the shame of betraying the clan and the village. That was his initial thought.
But then, on second thought, this outcome didn't seem unacceptable. The war was lost, and everyone was captured. As the Clan Head, he had to consider the survival of the Hyuga Clan.
With Hinata there... for the Hyuga Clan, it seemed more like some kind of opportunity. His daughter seemed to have a good relationship with that invincible Akatsuki White Tiger.
In that case, thanks to Hinata, the clan might not have to worry about being harmed and could continue to survive. Perhaps after tonight, with the ninja world's new structure established, the Hyuga Clan might even rise rapidly.
It was actually a good thing!
"Sakura... Ino... I..."
Being watched with all kinds of strange gazes by her village companions and people who knew her, Hinata felt very nervous inside. Ever since she adapted to life in the Sky Fortress, she thought that sooner or later there would be a day when she had to face her Konoha companions.
I'm sorry... I can't go back... I betrayed the village...
She couldn't say anything aloud, only apologizing in her heart.
Suddenly, she felt a strong hand hold hers, followed by Alex's calm voice.
"Hinata, you didn't do anything wrong. From tonight onwards, the so-called villages and Konoha will cease to exist. You can face those people calmly."
The voice seemed filled with infinite power, calming the extremely nervous and apprehensive Hinata.
"Besides," Alex smiled, "look in that direction. Your father is watching you."
"Father..." Following the guidance, Hinata looked to the left.
Sure enough, she found her father in the crowd. Their gazes met.
Uh... Hinata was stunned. She had never seen her father look at her with such eyes.
It was no longer the look of resentment for her failure to meet expectations, disappointment, or completely giving up on her, his eldest daughter.
Instead... instead, it was a look of appreciation and expectation.
With a smile on the corner of his mouth, he nodded slightly. His expression was no longer that cold and severe look from the past; it was very soft, even looking very proud.
He seemed to be saying: As expected of my daughter, well done!
Did I see that wrong? Is this still the father I know?
Hinata couldn't believe it. She rubbed her eyes and looked at her father again.
Hiashi Hyuga nodded and mouthed silently: Hinata, well done! Go for it!
Under the vision of the Byakugan, her father's lip movements were clearly visible. She understood the meaning of his words.
Father... was really praising her! Saying her choice wasn't wrong!
Since she was young, she had always wanted to gain her father's approval, but she had failed. With her naturally weak personality, no matter how hard she tried, she only reaped her father's disappointment.
Hearing her father's praise for the first time now made her believe in and affirm her choice even more. Staying by Lady Konan and Lord Alex's side was indeed correct.
She wasn't wrong!
She could calmly face the strange gazes of her Konoha companions.
"Uncle..." Neji turned his head to look at Hiashi Hyuga.
He had seen the interaction between father and daughter and was very puzzled. Because the Fourth Great Ninja War had completely changed, Neji Hyuga did not die a hasty death as he did in the original story.
Hiashi Hyuga withdrew his gaze and simply said one word: "Family."
Hearing this, Neji looked at Hinata in the center, who was surrounded like the moon by stars, sighed softly, and fell silent.
He asked no more questions.
That's right, the family... The survival of the Hyuga Clan was the most important thing...
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