Naruto: Starting from the time when the Six Paths of Pain was Kira Yoshikage

Chapter 115: Make the Hyuga Clan Hand Over the Killer!

Just as Hizashi picked up another bottle of shochu, preparing to fill his glass, a hand suddenly reached out and stopped him. Hizashi wasn't surprised by the sudden appearance of another person; clearly, this wasn't the first time. He didn't even need to look up to know who it was.

The successor of the Sage of Six Paths met him a year ago by sheer chance.

"My lord..." Hizashi slowly raised his head, looking at that blood-red hair, at those reassuring Rinnegan eyes. The anger and resentment that had filled his heart seemed to find an outlet, instantly transforming into grievance. It was a grievance that had been suppressed for many years, like a flood, breaking through all his defenses.

He wanted to speak out, to pour out all the pain, resentment, and anger he had felt over the years, but his throat felt blocked, and he could only let out a few suppressed sobs.

"Don't drink anymore..." Nagato's voice was gentle, carrying a strange soothing power: "Do you remember what I said?"

The moment you swore allegiance to me, your destiny was changed by me.

Hishi's body jolted, and he looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief. He stared into those Rinnegan, which seemed to reflect his own desires and struggles.

"Now... the opportunity has come." Nagato's voice was soft, but to Hizashi it was like a thunderclap.

Rizashi's heart pounded wildly, as if it would leap out of his chest. An opportunity? Did he still have a chance to change everything? He looked at the newcomer, his eyes filled with expectation, yet tinged with fear. He was afraid this was all just a dream, and that when he woke up, everything would be exactly the same.

"I have a question for you, and I need your honest answer..." Nagato leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Hizashi: "Do you want to switch identities with your brother... the head of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Hiashi?"

These words exploded in Hizashi's mind like a thunderbolt. Switch identities? He could hardly believe his ears.

He looked into the newcomer's eyes, trying to find a hint of a joke, but those eyes only held seriousness.

His heart pounded faster, and his mind was a jumbled mess. He remembered Hiashi's indifference, Neji's cries, the cursed mark on his forehead, and the indescribable, excruciating pain from the depths of his brain.

If he and Hiashi switched identities, would everything be different? Would Neji no longer have to endure the pain he once suffered? Would he no longer have to protect the main branch of the clan? Could he break free from this damned fate?

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind—anticipation, fear, excitement, and a hint of unease.

He looked at Nagato, his lips moved, but no sound came out. The effects of the alcohol seemed to vanish in that instant, leaving only absolute clarity. He knew this might be his only chance, a chance to change his own and Neji's fate.

If the father is no longer the scapegoat, then is the son no longer the scapegoat either?

Without the slightest hesitation, Hizashi answered, "Yes!"

"Even if it means sacrificing my own brother?"

Since it's a role swap, under what circumstances would the person being replaced choose to remain silent?

There is only one answer.

"Yes!" Hizashi hesitated for only a fraction of a second before nodding firmly, his attitude resolute and his tone firm. That hesitation was not out of attachment to his brother, but rather an instinctive pause at the word "sacrifice," and it was only for a moment.

Disregarding brotherly affection? That kind of thing requires a prerequisite. What Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hizashi had was only a blood tie. There was no fairness between them. The moment their relationship became merely one of superior and subordinate, all kinship vanished.

"Very good..." Hizashi's answer did not surprise Nagato. He turned around, his gaze fixed on the full, round moon in the sky. The moonlight, like frost, shone on his black robe beneath the red clouds, giving it a cold, sharp glow: "Tonight is the perfect opportunity. You only need to follow my instructions; leave everything to me..."

After a long while, the wind suddenly turned fierce, swirling and dancing the fallen leaves on the ground. Hizashi watched Nagato's departing figure, the "Caged Bird" curse mark on Hizashi's forehead seemingly burning faintly. He knew that from the moment he uttered the word "want," there was no turning back.

Tonight is destined to be a long night.

The Hyuga main family mansion is located at the deepest part of the Hyuga clan's territory, where the main branch of the Hyuga family resides.

Suddenly, a wooden door to a room was slowly pushed open, and a lithe figure shrouded in black slipped out through the crack. His steps were as light as a night owl, landing without a sound, only the faint rustling of his clothes, fleeting in the quiet night. He held something tightly in his arms—a sleeping child, none other than Hinata Hyuga, the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan's main family.

The man in black scanned his surroundings warily, and after confirming that there was no movement, he crouched down and quickly darted toward the wall behind the mansion.

Once they get over that wall, they can temporarily escape the Hyuga clan's surveillance. If they sign a treaty with Konoha tomorrow morning, they can leave Konoha with Hinata.

He originally thought that his actions had gone unnoticed by anyone.

Just as he was about to scale the wall, a thunderous shout exploded overhead: "Who dares to cause trouble on the territory of the Hyuga clan?!"

The man in black froze, then looked up abruptly. He saw a figure standing atop the wall. Moonlight shone on the figure, outlining a simple white kimono that shone brightly in the dark night like a beacon.

They are from the Hyuga clan!

The man in black felt a chill run down his spine, knowing his actions had been exposed. If he were caught here, even he would be in trouble. He immediately decided to abandon the theft and instead rob Hinata by force. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and he pulled Hinata closer to his chest. At the same time, he drew a gleaming short sword from his waist, intending to strike first and kill her to silence her.

However, the man in black never expected that the newcomer was none other than the head of the Hyuga clan. Moreover, even the darkest night could not hide the eyes of the Hyuga clan. When the man in black activated his Byakugan and discovered that the person in black was holding Hinata Hyuga, the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan's main family, Hiashi's pupils suddenly contracted, and a roar erupted from his throat: "Hinata!!!"

A father's love is as steadfast as a mountain, his anger as fierce as a tidal wave. Seeing his daughter being taken away by a stranger, Hiashi instantly went into a berserk state, veins bulging on his forehead, his chakra surging wildly. He didn't waste any time thinking, not uttering a single question; at this moment, his...

There was only one thought in my mind: to save my child!

Standing in Hiashi's field of vision, the ground beneath his feet glowed with a pale green light, and a huge Bagua pattern slowly emerged, precisely enveloping the man in black at its center.

The Gentle Fist of the Hyuga clan was originally designed for close-quarters combat.

Hiashi's Byakugan's X-ray vision allowed him to clearly see every meridian and acupoint on the man in black's body, precisely blocking his chakra flow with each acupoint strike. The man in black didn't even have time to swing his short sword before being forced back by Hiashi's palm strikes. He tried to create distance, but Hiashi was too fast, sticking to him like a shadow, leaving him no way to avoid it.

To save his daughter and to prevent his opponent from getting hurt, Hiashi showed no intention of holding back, and his attack was his strongest move.

"Eight Trigrams Palms... 128 Palms!!!"

Hiashi's voice was icy and chilling. In a flash, he appeared in front of the man in black, his hands falling like a storm. Each strike was incredibly precise, aimed directly at the man's chakra points, so fast that only afterimages could be seen.

The man in black was completely dumbfounded. He originally thought that even if the attempt to steal the person failed, as long as he revealed his identity as the leader of the Cloud Village delegation, Hiashi would definitely be hesitant to act rashly. At worst, he still had Hinata to use as a hostage.

But he was wrong, terribly wrong.

He not only overestimated his own strength, but also underestimated the strength of the Japanese team, and even more so, he underestimated the determination of a father to protect his daughter.

The power that could be unleashed. What's even more fatal is that he was too close to Hiashi at this moment, so close that the Hyuga clan's specialty, ultra-close-range combat, could unleash its full power, and he didn't even have time to reveal his identity.

Not to mention him, even the Raikage, the most skilled taijutsu user in Kumogakure, wouldn't dare let a Hyuga clansman get so close to him.

The Soft Fist technique is incredibly powerful and unreasonable.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

The sound of palm strikes echoed repeatedly, each one accompanied by the black-clad man's chakra becoming chaotic. He felt his body growing heavier and heavier, his chakra scattering like beads from a broken string, impossible to gather. He wanted to shout, to beg for mercy, but no sound came out of his throat; he could only watch helplessly as Hiashi's palm continued to fall.

When the final palm strike landed, the man in black flew out like a lump of mud, crashing heavily into the wall behind him.

With a loud crash, a large crater was smashed into the wall, and the man in black slid softly to the ground, his eyes wide open, lifeless.

Hiashi rushed to the man in black and carefully took Hinata from his arms. Fortunately, Hiashi's attack was swift and measured; Hinata was fast asleep and seemed completely unaware of the battle.

Looking at his daughter's peaceful sleeping face, Hiashi's tense body finally relaxed. At this moment, the noise caused by the battle between the two had woken up many members of the Hyuga clan.

"Chieftain, what happened?!"

Several Jonin from the Hyuga clan arrived before Hiashi, accompanied by several elders of the Hyuga clan.

After briefly recounting what had just happened, none of the Hyuga clan members took it seriously. In a place filled with Byakugan, the man in black was simply too overconfident; he was like an old man drinking poison, tired of living.

Only the elders of the Hyuga clan frowned. The entire village of Konoha knew about the Hyuga clan's situation. Kidnapping the eldest daughter of the main family in the middle of the night was something even the arrogant Uchiha clan wouldn't do, unless... the kidnappers weren't from Konoha.

The only visitors from other villages to Konoha recently have been the delegation from Kumogakure. Could this person be...?

The moment the elder's face was revealed, he felt a wave of dizziness and an urge to faint immediately; the worst thing had happened.

"It's the leader of the Cloud Village delegation!"

The leader of the Cloud Village delegation died mysteriously at the hands of the Hyuga clan, especially since it happened the day before the treaty was to be signed. Regardless of why the other party would appear at the Hyuga clan's residence in the middle of the night, the person is indeed dead. Once someone is dead, many things become unclear.

As dawn broke, the Cloud Village delegation, upon discovering their leader's disappearance, stormed up to the Third Hokage, demanding an explanation from Konoha.

"Hokage-sama, our captain died in Konoha, at the hands of the Hyuga clan! He was an envoy sent to forge peace, and this is how you treat your allies?"

"Hand over the murderer and pay with his life! Otherwise, this will be seen as Konoha declaring war on Kumogakure!"

The Cloud Ninja behind him clenched their fists, their chakra surging in their palms, and the air instantly filled with the smell of gunpowder.

The Third Hokage, pipe in hand, frowned deeply. He knew this was a serious problem. The delegation leader had infiltrated the Hyuga clan's territory in the dead of night, clearly with ill intentions. But with no way to prove it, and now lying dead on Hyuga lands, if Kumogakure wanted to start a war, Konoha wouldn't have the strength to respond. At this moment, Konoha needed rest and recuperation more than Kumogakure did.

If it were Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha in power, even if the leader of Kumogakure were really dead, they would have to swallow their pride and accept defeat, and might even have to offer some compensation. If Tobirama Senju were in power, he would probably have already led the Anbu to take over the Kumogakure delegation's residence. Even if the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, were still alive, Kumogakure would never dare to be so arrogant. The Yellow Flash's reputation had already taught them a lesson, and on the battlefield, even their proud AB combination had been defeated by Minato Namikaze.

However, none of the above situations apply. The one currently sitting in the Hokage position is the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who is hailed as the strongest Hokage in history. After the Fourth Hokage's sacrifice, Konoha's top fighting force was mostly lost, the Sannin were scattered, and the Uchiha clan was eyeing the village covetously. The village was at its weakest point.

Someone must have leaked the news, but the next morning, the news that "the Hyuga clan killed the leader of the Kumogakure delegation" spread like wildfire throughout Konoha, becoming common knowledge. In ramen shops, diners put down their chopsticks and discussed the matter; on the training grounds, the young ninjas' eyes were filled with anxiety; even the aunties at the market were sighing over the fresh vegetables.

No one cared why the leader of this delegation would appear at the Hyuga clan's residence in the middle of the night. The villagers only knew that...

Xiang killed someone, which could very well plunge Konoha into war again. The war just ended a few years ago, and every family has relatives buried on the battlefield. No one wants to experience that kind of separation and death again.

"It's all the Hyuga clan's fault!" "Those who do wrong must bear the consequences!" "Konoha belongs to everyone, not just the Hyuga clan!" "Make them hand over the murderer, and we can live in peace!"

Angry villagers spontaneously gathered in front of the Hokage Building, holding wooden plaques covered with protest slogans, their shouts rising in waves, a scene reminiscent of when they demanded an apology from Sakumo Hatake. The Third Hokage stood by his office window, looking at the throng below, and sighed heavily.

Faced with the growing public opinion that was about to burst forth and the increasingly aggressive Kumogakure, the Third Hokage ultimately passed this difficult problem on to the Hyuga clan.

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