I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 588: The feeling of failing after trying is completely different from watching failure come to pass.

"Where's the reinforcement?! Has the reinforcement arrived yet?!"

In the southeastern part of the Land of Fire, in the forest, Hyuga Hiashi held his father and shouted at his younger brother, while Hyuga Ying, lying in Hiashi's arms, had his face covered in blood.

There were countless corpses all around, some from Hyuga ninjas and others from Kirigakure. This was not a sneak attack, but a complete rout.

Even though the brothers Hiashi and Hizashi arrived from other battlefields, they were a step too late and ultimately only managed to scare away the remaining, equally small number of Kirigakure ninja.

Hizashi looked quite anxious, but could only say, "They're already on their way. Let's stop the bleeding for Father first."

As he spoke, he stepped forward and pulled Hiashi back from his daze. Hiashi then realized that his father had not died on the battlefield, but had almost been strangled to death by his son.

He quickly released his father, who frantically rummaged through his medical kit for some medicine and equipment, but his trembling hands and wide-eyed stare made it impossible for him to reach for anything.

Suddenly, he looked up, scanning his surroundings without turning his head, and said, "Father's eyes... Father's eyes weren't destroyed!"

Upon hearing this, Hizashi, who had been rummaging through medicine, paused for a moment, then blurted out, "He's rolling his eyes."

As he spoke, his eyes, now narrowed by only 1 degree of vision, noticed the unusual surroundings. He clenched his fists tightly and exclaimed, "A caged bird!"

There were even many clansmen around who had not died entirely at the hands of the enemy. Many of them had their Caged Bird Seal activated, and it was obvious that Hyuga Hide was the one who activated the seal.

Taking the eyes of the branch family members directly is useless, so it's likely that the Kirigakure intended to capture them, either to take them back for research or to trade them as goods with other ninja villages. Therefore, Hyuga Hideko chose to end their lives and destroy their eyes.

However, the white eyes of those people did not flow outwards; on the contrary, Hyuga Hide's white eyes, the ones that could truly flow outwards, were lost.

The Caged Bird Seal did indeed ensure that the Byakugan wouldn't be lost after the family division, but the person who wasn't marked with the Caged Bird Seal—his father.

"Hizashi!"

Hiashi suddenly spoke, his tone becoming extremely low. Hizashi subconsciously looked at his older brother, only to see Hiashi say, "Father's eyes were destroyed in battle."

Just as Hijiri was about to say something, he suddenly collapsed to the ground. He understood his brother's intention: the main branch family was already on the verge of falling apart because of Tatsuma's decision.

If at this point it is rumored that the clan leader, in order to prevent the loss of his Byakugan or human form to those who branched out from the family, chose to kill clan members, then his own Byakugan would be taken away instead.

The Hyuga clan is very likely to be torn apart. If the village makes its conditions public, then starting today, there will be two or more Hyuga clans.

Therefore, Father's eyes cannot be lost, at least not to the point that the family division cannot find out they are missing.

Hiashi Hyuga meant exactly that. If his father hadn't been unconscious, he probably would have given the same order.

However, if it were his father who gave such an order, Hizashi felt he could accept it because he could have foreseen it. But this order came from his own brother.

He stared blankly at Hiashi for a long while before Hiashi finally nodded.

He had been wrong all along. His elder brother, who was also the head of the main family and its heir, was separated from him, a member of a branch family, by a vast chasm.

His expectation that his elder brother and father were different people is unfounded; they are the same, both heads of the Hyuga main family and clan leaders.

Hizashi got up, walked to a clansman's side, drew the Mist Ninja Sword from his body, and with a slash and flick, a dim, broken Byakugan flew towards Hiashi's direction.

Hiashi caught the eyeball, crushed it, and placed a fragment into his father's empty eye socket.

Hiashi was destroying the scene, while Hiashi stood there blankly, holding his father, until he was holding his father's body.

After a while, the two brothers knelt beside their father's body, expressionlessly disassembling various hemostatic drugs and meaninglessly tearing at gauze, scattering the sewing needles and threads all over the floor.

"Chieftain!"

"Chieftain!"

Exclamations of alarm rang out from afar. The Hyuga ninjas who had come to provide support watched as the two brothers performed a futile attempt to save their clan leader, who had already lost his life.

There were gasps of surprise, cries of pain, and even words of comfort and admonition from the crowd. Some of the older Hyuga ninjas even stepped forward to separate the two brothers.

Their father, like the other Hyuga corpses on the ground, was covered with a white sheet, while the two brothers fainted from grief.

"Hiashi! You need to pull yourself together!"

Later that evening, in the camp, an old clan elder reprimanded Hiashi, who was in a daze. Hiashi then snapped out of his daze, looked down at his hands, and then at his father's body lying not far away.

"Hiashi, the clan leader has left us. No matter how much we remember him, we cannot change that fact. The most important thing now is to have a new clan leader to lead the Hyuga clan."

"I have already written to the other elders remaining in the village, and they have also agreed that you should inherit everything from Hyuga Yuki. The village has also sent Sakamoto Tatsuma to witness this. There is no time for you to continue your decline."

Hiashi glanced subconsciously at Hyuga Hide's corpse, his hands tightening involuntarily. Out of respect for the main family, the other members of the Hyuga clan might not dare to offend Hyuga Hide's body.

But Sakamoto Tatsuma. With that person's talent, even without contact, he might be able to see something amiss, right?

Hiashi's face paled slightly, and he asked in a trembling voice, "Where's Hizashi?"

"They're waiting outside."

"I want to talk to my brother. Is that alright with you?"

Hiashi's words were fragmented and disjointed, as if he didn't even know how to organize them coherently. The clan elder, however, was understanding. He nodded, gestured to the others in the tent, and they all withdrew. He then spoke to Hiashi:

"The main family of Hiashi is always the main family; we cannot forget that just because we are blood relatives."

After saying that, he patted Hiashi on the shoulder and went out. A little while later, Hizashi came in and bowed respectfully to Hiashi, just like other members of the Hyuga branch family should do when they see the clan head.

Hiashi raised his head and asked, "What's your opinion on this? I want to hear the truth."

After a moment of silence, Hijiri said, "Even with our combined abilities, we might not have been able to save Father's life, no matter how hard we tried."

"Is that how you comfort yourself too?"

His hands tightened again, and Hiashi said, "But the truth is that I watched my father die without making any attempt. I am your father's killer."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm just stating the facts. I am the murderer of my father. You are just a branch family member who cannot disobey the main family. It's not that you couldn't save my father, it's just that I stopped you from doing so."

Hiashi stood up, looked at his younger brother, and said, "Go out. Not killing you, who knows the truth, is my last act of mercy as your elder brother. From now on, there will be no more brotherly affection between us."

"I am the head of the main family, and you are merely a branch family member at the beck and call of the main family. After tomorrow, go back to the village and stop getting in my way."

"I"

Hizashi looked at his elder brother, wanting to say something, but Hiashi shouted angrily, "I told you to get out!"

"But...ah..."

Hiashi activated the Caged Bird Seal directly, then his tone turned icy as he said, "If you disobey me again, or leak even a trace of my orders, I will no longer hold back."

Seeing Hiashi struggling on the ground, Hiashi stopped the Caged Bird Spell when he closed his eyes, but Hiashi was still twitching and trembling. After a while, he got up from the ground, bowed, and left.

Because it was the chieftain who had passed away, a funeral was held in the camp the next day, even though it was during a war. Although it was somewhat simple, all the necessary procedures were followed.

Tatsuma, along with Tenka, Shisui, Tenka's subordinates, and Sento, arrived at the camp.

Sento was only there temporarily, so he didn't bring his students with him. As a member of the main family, and unlike other elders of the main family who had mobility issues, he still had to attend the patriarch's funeral.

However, when Hiashi saw Sento and Tatsuma appear together, he couldn't help but feel nervous. His reaction didn't attract the attention of others, but Tatsuma immediately focused his gaze on him.

For a moment, Hiashi felt as if his breathing and heartbeat had stopped, but Tatsuma only glanced at him before looking away to discuss the funeral and handover ceremony procedures with the clan elder in the camp.

Having attended the funeral in a daze, Hiashi didn't even know how he got back to his tent, but as soon as he lifted the curtain, he saw the person he least wanted to see.

"Chief of the Rizu clan, please accept my condolences."

Tatsuma wore a polite smile that Hiashi found strange and complicated. At that moment, Hiashi felt a chill run down his spine. He could swear that Tatsuma had definitely seen something, and might even have guessed everything.

Seeing that Hiashi remained silent, Tatsuma continued, "You took over as clan chief much earlier than I expected. Will that affect the treaty you signed with the village?"

No, it won't.

The Japanese team didn't even have the courage to look Tatsuma in the eye, let alone break their promise and violate the signed treaty. Tatsuma nodded and said, "That's good."

The village was supposed to take over the funeral arrangements for Hyuga Yu and the others, but considering the Hyuga tradition, I've decided to return them to the Hyuga to handle. What do you think?

"Thank you for your understanding, village."

There was no need to harbor any more illusions. Hiashi understood that Tatsuma had definitely sensed something, and he also knew what the consequences would be if the village intervened.

Tatsuma stood up, walked over to Hiashi Hyuga, who was standing at the door, hesitant to fully enter his tent, patted him on the shoulder, and said:

"Chief Rizu, please cheer up as soon as possible. As the head of the clan, you should set an example for your people. Don't dwell on the past. I believe you don't want the murderer to get away with it."

Get back into shape quickly; it's time for a counterattack.

"I understand, thanks for reminding me."

Hiashi nodded, then made some space, even continuing to hold the curtain in his hand until Tatsuma had been gone for quite some time before he withdrew his hand and lowered the curtain.

After letting out a long sigh of relief, Hiashi bent over, his eyes fixed on the curtain. He knew that from this day forward, the Hyuga clan, which had maintained neutrality since the founding of the village and through three generations of Hokage, had to bow their heads and become vassals of others.

(End of this chapter)