Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 158 What are you afraid of?
"..."

Upon hearing the panicked words uttered by Hinata Takashi, Hinata Kumokawa's gaze instantly turned serious.

"Xiao, calm down and tell me exactly what happened."

His voice was calm and even, yet it made Hyuga Takashi, whose heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of his chest, forcefully suppress it.

During his time back in Konoha from the battlefield, Hyuga Kumokawa did much more than just sit idly by.

In the past, whenever there were conflicts or disputes with the main family, Hyuga Hizashi would at least mediate and the main family would generally not pursue the matter too much.

However, since Hyuga Hizashi's "death," the Hyuga branch family has been leaderless, and even if they suffer humiliation under the main family, they can only swallow it down.

As the most prestigious member of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Kumokawa undoubtedly accepted Hyuga Hizashi's position in the branch family.

During this time, he made many connections with the branch families under the name of Hizashi, and whenever anyone asked, he would say it was Hizashi-sama's dying wish.

Then came a long sigh, followed by gentle words of concern and concern, and the idea of ​​sticking together for warmth was brought up, naturally making them feel flattered.

After all, unlike the main family, which values ​​lineage and status, the members of the branch family mostly respect and admire power.

Moreover, it should be noted that these members of the branch family had not visited him when he was injured and hospitalized, due to the attitude of the main family.

Compared to him, the members of the branch family naturally felt guilty and sympathetic towards him, and there was a growing tendency for them to gather around him. People often came to him to ask him about ninjutsu and taijutsu.

Young Hinata Takashi was the closest among them, which is why he rushed to find Hinata Kumokawa as soon as he received the news.

"call……"

Looking into Hyuga Kumokawa's calm eyes, Hyuga Takashi couldn't help but exhale deeply, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart as he continued, "The person who died was Hyuga Naosuke."

"That guy who's infamous within the clan for frequently beating and humiliating members of the branch family?"

Hinata Kumokawa frowned and said, "Given that guy's strength and character, it wouldn't be surprising if he were killed."

Upon hearing this, Hyuga Takashi choked for a moment, but a sense of agreement arose in his heart.

It cannot be denied that there are indeed some members of the main family who have a very mild attitude towards the division of the family.

But just like the human experiment conducted by Marina Abramović, the "mother of performance art" in her previous life, she anesthetized herself in the experiment, giving the audience all the power.

She allows viewers to freely choose from a variety of objects, including roses, honey, and dangerous tools such as scissors, daggers, crossbows, and pistols, to engage in forced physical contact with her.

Throughout the process, the audience went from initially being hesitant and timid, to someone cutting her clothes, then someone slashing her body, and someone suddenly stabbing a rose into her abdomen...

Finally, he even took a pistol and put it in her mouth, intending to pull the trigger, but another spectator took the pistol from him and saved Marina's life.

The evil in human nature cannot withstand the test.

When a person holds the power of life and death over another person or even several people, the malice in that person's heart will gradually amplify, and not everyone can suppress the spread of this malice.

The existence of the "caged bird" is undoubtedly a test of the evil in human nature.

From the very beginning, it was to prevent the Byakugan from being leaked out, to later, to maintain the purity of the bloodline, and now, to maintain the ruling position of the main family.

Under what circumstances can caged birds be used? For what purpose can caged birds be used? What are the consequences of using caged birds indiscriminately? These boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred.

The emergence of someone like Hinata Naosuke is an inevitable result.

"Hyuga Naosuke was missing for a day. The branch family searched everywhere but couldn't find him. When his body was discovered, Higo-sama and the others rushed over, but his Byakugan had already been gouged out."

Hinata Takashi lowered his head and continued, "Judging from the traces at the scene, the culprit attacked from the shadows and fought with Hinata Naosuke. Although he escaped in the end, he must have been injured."

"One of Hyuga Naosuke's fathers, a member of the main family, took his anger out on the branch family servants who were responsible for protecting Hyuga Naosuke, and directly activated the Caged Bird Seal!"

At this point, Hinata Takashi's voice became hoarse, filled with a sorrowful and fearful tone, as if he were witnessing the death of a rabbit: "I... I watched from afar as they were tortured to the point of death, writhing on the ground..."

"But they still protested their innocence, saying they didn't do it, they had no idea who the murderer was, and that Hyuga Naosuke told them to go back. In the end, they couldn't even speak anymore and passed out..."

Hyuga Takashi's body trembled violently, as if the shrill screams were still ringing in his ears. He lowered his head and choked out, "When I arrived, Lord Higo and the others had given the order."

"He ordered a thorough investigation of all members of the branch families, going door to door, leaving no one out. Anyone with fresh wounds was taken away for interrogation."

"No matter the cost, we must find out who the murderer is. If the Caged Bird Seal doesn't work, we'll even go to the Mountain Clan for help."

After saying that, Hinata Takashi suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot and filled with tears. He raised his trembling arm, revealing a fresh wound that had just healed and was covered with scabs.

"This is a wound I got during a mission not long ago, really!" This wound is the root cause of Hyuga Takashi's fear.

Hyuga Kumokawa listened quietly, his face remaining expressionless. He looked at Hyuga Takashi, who was filled with fear, and shook his head, saying, "Do you think those old guys will believe you?"

"Brother Yun Chuan! What should we do? What should I do?"

Hyuga Takashi's face turned pale instantly. He hurriedly grabbed Hyuga Kumokawa's hand as if he were a drowning man clinging to a piece of driftwood, and said in a panic, "I... I don't want to end up like those people. I don't want to feel that kind of pain again!"

The pain, as if a red-hot steel bar were being pierced into my brain, the agony as if my soul were being torn apart—once you've experienced it, you never want to experience it a second time.

Hinata Kumokawa's eyes flickered after learning the whole story.

"As expected, Neji couldn't wait any longer and made his move again?"

This is not good news for him either; in fact, it could be considered a major crisis.

Once a member of the main family uses the Caged Bird Seal, his life is essentially in their hands.

Moreover, given Hyuga Higo's personality, he will surely use this incident to retaliate against him.

It is highly likely that if he exerts a little force when activating the curse seal for interrogation, he will directly use his personal grudge to kill himself "accidentally".

Of course, Hyuga Kumokawa could also use points to forcibly erase his Caged Bird Seal.

But, not yet.

Once the cursed seal is erased, one will inevitably become the target of the entire Hyuga clan, whether it is the main family or the branch family. After all, it is not scarcity that is a problem, but inequality.

Moreover, now is not the time for him to step into the limelight completely. This is not conducive to him continuing to hide behind the scenes and manipulate the pawns. At the very least, he cannot reveal that he can break the curse seal.

After a moment's thought, Hinata Kumokawa made a decision.

“Taka.” He looked at the bewildered Hyuga Taka in front of him and said in a deep voice, “Go and gather all the branch family members and bring them to me immediately.”

"Summon..." Hyuga Takashi was taken aback. "Now?"

“Yes, everyone.” Hinata Kumokawa said seriously, “Tell them that if they want to live, they should come over immediately, before the main family members arrive.”

Seeing the unwavering resolve in his eyes, Hyuga Takashi, who was about to say something, subconsciously shut his mouth and nodded vigorously: "I, I understand! I'll go right now!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around abruptly, his figure rushing into the night and disappearing into the darkness.

During the time that Hinata Kumokawa and Hinata Takashi were talking, news of what happened in the main family had spread to more people, and lights in many houses lit up in the darkness.

As Hinata Takashi pushed open one door after another, more and more figures appeared in the darkness, and the chaotic sounds completely shattered the silence of the night.

Soon, more and more people began to gather in the open space in front of the Hyuga Kumokawa residence.

Their faces showed confusion and tension, and some of them looked panicked and fearful, clearly indicating that they, like Hyuga Takashi, had recently been injured.

With the battle at the front lines in full swing, the village has been sending a lot of branch family ninjas on missions. Those who are not injured are all on the front lines, and those who are returning at this time are naturally injured and need treatment.

I heard that the clan was planning to use curse seals to interrogate the injured clansmen, and the first thing these people felt was fear and panic.

Upon hearing that Hinata Kumokawa seemed to intend to help them, they all rushed over under immense fear and pressure, their gazes involuntarily drawn to the figure standing in front of the mansion.

He stood there quietly, his posture upright, the moonlight shining on him and outlining his cold, hard features.

The crowd gradually quieted down, leaving only the howling of the night wind.

Hinata Kumokawa swept his gaze across the uneasy faces, his pure white eyes calm and profound.

If those old guys had just conducted their investigation properly, he really wouldn't have been able to do anything, but it was Hyuga Higo's stupidity and arrogance that gave him an opportunity.

Very well, then let's use this opportunity to solidify my position within the Hyuga clan.

With this in mind, Hinata Kumokawa spoke up.

"Everyone."

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked slowly.

(End of this chapter)