Right now, Temari and Kankurō were panicking, completely confused by what was happening.
They had just witnessed their father, Rasa, blow up before their eyes—an experience far too traumatic for most people to handle.
Gaara stared at their distorted expressions, and an inexplicable sense of pleasure welled up inside him. Back then, the person who treated him the best—his uncle Yashamaru—had died in an even more ridiculous and tragic way. So why was he the only one who had to endure such pain? As older siblings, they should suffer just like he did!
If they couldn't feel that same pain, then how could they claim to understand him? And how could they comfort him?
Now that the Konoha Crush plan had officially begun, Gaara also started releasing the power of Shukaku within him. The sight chilled Temari and Kankurō to the bone.
"Gaara, what the hell is going on?!" Kankurō demanded, voice trembling.
"Gaara, stop it, please!" Temari pleaded.
Right now, all the chaos in Konoha could be blamed on Orochimaru. But if Gaara released a Tailed Beast right here in the village, that would be a declaration of war—and there would be no way Sunagakure could distance itself from it.
Who could possibly take responsibility for something that huge?
Technically, they could go along with it and turn the whole thing into a full-blown incident. But Temari and Kankurō clearly didn't have that kind of boldness. Even though they were the Fourth Kazekage's children, if they gave the wrong order, they'd be sacrificed as scapegoats sooner or later. Rasa was dead now—when the person is gone, so is their influence.
Temari understood Sunagakure's political morality better than anyone. Back during the war, the higher-ups had even sold out their war hero Pakura just to end the conflict more quickly.
For Temari and Kankurō, the top priority was to de-escalate things as fast as possible. Maybe there wouldn't be any benefits to that, but at least it wouldn't cause irreversible consequences. This was their attempt to cut their losses.
They had no idea what was really going on, which is why they were thinking so "rationally." Sure, they'd already sensed that something was off with Sunagakure—but it never occurred to them that only three people were still alive in the entire village.
...
Neji hurriedly left the arena. Others might not have noticed, but Hiashi did. Without hesitation, he grabbed both of his daughters and took off after him.
The Hyuga Clan's compound was now shrouded in thick mist.
From a distance, Sasuke spotted a massive, chubby raccoon-like monster covered in bizarre patterns. The creature howled in excitement:
"Finally, I'm out! Time to go wild!"
"So even Shukaku's here... Why hasn't Neji shown up yet?" Sasuke muttered impatiently.
Just then, he saw several familiar figures leaping toward him: Neji, Hinata, Hyuga Hiashi, and Hyuga Hanabi.
Hiashi reached the compound's outer perimeter and, seeing Sasuke standing there, tensed up immediately. His whole body radiated caution.
"Uchiha Sasuke! Why are you in the Hyuga compound? Where is all this mist coming from? Where's the enemy?!"
Sasuke didn't bother replying. Neji strode past Hiashi, heading straight for Sasuke. As their paths crossed, Neji asked quietly,
"They're all inside?"
"Yeah. Aside from those three who followed you, no one's missing. It's all set. You handle it from here."
"Thanks. You be careful too."
With a wave of Sasuke's hand, the wall of mist behind him split open, forming an entrance. Neji slowly walked through.
"To sacrifice one Branch House member for the 'peace' of the entire Hyuga Clan? To offer up Hyuga Hizashi to maintain harmony between Konoha and Kumogakure? Sounds noble, but really, it's just weakness disguised as diplomacy."
"Now it's your turn—those of you so fond of compromise, who are always eager to sacrifice others. For the 'greater good' of the Land of Fire... for the sake of my Tenseigan... weaklings like you should just die obediently, as I command."
Neji muttered to himself, as if trying to fortify his resolve with words. Giving himself a reason for what he was about to do really did help ease the psychological burden—though it still felt a little disgusting.
Facing the ugly truths inside your heart is never easy. Humans always love to exaggerate their own virtue to avoid that discomfort.
"I am a selfish person—someone who'll stop at nothing to break free of these 'chains.' As for the innocents who died along the way? Sorry, I don't care." Neji wasn't interested in "redeeming" his actions. Trying to make a villain seem noble is a disservice to the character.
Hiashi was drenched in cold sweat. He had already sensed something was wrong when he saw Sasuke and Neji speaking so calmly amidst this madness.
Then, when the dense fog surrounding the compound began to shift at Sasuke's will, the dread in Hiashi's chest only grew heavier. He activated his Byakugan and dropped into a Gentle Fist stance.
"Explain yourself, Uchiha Sasuke! What exactly have you and Neji done?!" His voice sounded firm, but inwardly, he was in a panic.
Sasuke had single-handedly locked down the entire Hyuga Clan. That alone spoke volumes about his strength. And now Neji's Caged Bird Seal had been nullified—and he was speaking to Sasuke as an equal. That couldn't mean anything good.
Sure enough, Neji turned around and flashed Hiashi an exaggerated grin.
Hiashi didn't even get the chance to resist—he collapsed instantly.
Hinata and Hanabi dropped beside him, unconscious.
Neji dragged all three of them into the compound.
With the Caged Bird Seal broken, the second cage that bound him—the one called "family"—was finally about to be shattered...
For a thousand years, the Hyuga Clan had followed a unique survival principle: strike hard at their own, but bow and scrape before outsiders. When faced with overwhelming power, they submitted without hesitation—and were even proud of how quickly they could drop to their knees.
That was the reality of the Hyuga Clan. Cold, practical, and utterly ruthless. As long as the Byakugan's utility remained irreplaceable, the clan could continue to exist—even with its overall power crippled by the Caged Bird Seal.
Whenever a Branch House member broke past their limits and could no longer be contained by the seal, the Main House would resort to a different method of control: morality and emotional manipulation.
As long as you had loved ones, as long as you cared about your reputation, they could trap you again. Layer by layer, invisible threads would weave a new cage, restraining you all over again.
Sometimes, the Main House would even grant special privileges to a powerful Branch member, transforming them from the exploited into the exploiter. From that point on, they could no longer truly empathize with their fellow Branch members. Worse—they'd start to understand the Main House's "burdens" and justify their actions, helping them suppress the others.
It was just like a worker trying to overthrow a capitalist—only to become one himself as he climbed the ladder. And eventually, he'd sympathize with the capitalists and begin exploiting workers too.
In the original series, Neji never got quite that far. But despite being a Branch member, he still stood on the Main House's side, worrying about Hiashi and Hinata.
A slave worrying about their master—that is the beginning of tragedy.
Neji hated the Main House. But it wasn't because he wished he had been born into it.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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