At the edge of Konoha Village, Kurenai stood gazing into the distance, her eyes fixed on the Hyuga clan territory, her heart filled with doubt and unease.
"Hyuga territory…?" she murmured softly, trying to pierce through the layers of distance to see what was happening over there.
But the distance was too great, and the scene before her eyes seemed shrouded in a thin veil, blurred and unclear.
She couldn't make out the specifics of what was happening far away, only vaguely noticing the unusual formation hovering over Konoha, which made her chest tighten.
"What's happening?" Kurenai couldn't help but exclaim, her voice tinged with shock and confusion.
Standing beside her, Genya whispered quietly, "It's Neji. He's doing what he must."
There was a calm, inscrutable tone in his voice, as if everything unfolding was exactly what he had anticipated.
Genya knew well that Toshi had likely succeeded in developing a method to break the Caged Bird Curse Seal, which allowed Neji to release his long-suppressed nature.
Yet, Genya couldn't help but feel curious. What could have driven Neji—usually calm, composed, and reserved—to take such a shocking action?
Could it be that he intended to slaughter the main house?
From Genya's understanding of Neji, if he hadn't been pushed to the absolute limit, he would never make such a decision lightly.
A massacre of a clan—such a cruel act—was, in Genya's memory, something only Uchiha Itachi had been capable of carrying out with resolve. Now, would there be one more person bearing such a heavy sin?
Outside the Hyuga clan territory, Deidara and Kimimaro were locked in a stalemate with Hiruzen Sarutobi. Their presence undoubtedly provided support for Neji.
But what, exactly, had made Hyuga Neji so furious? A thought suddenly flashed through Genya's mind: his mother.
The only thing that could drive Neji to such a loss of reason, fueling his rage to its extreme, was likely something related to his mother.
"Damn it!" Genya's eyes immediately turned cold, his gaze radiating a chilling intensity.
If the main house had only targeted Neji, Genya might have chosen to remain an observer, as this was a personal feud between Neji and the clan.
But from his understanding of the Hyuga main house, their style would never stop at targeting Neji alone—they would certainly go after his mother as well.
A cold dread surged through Genya's heart. It seemed likely that Neji's mother had met with some misfortune.
"Genya, let's hurry back!" Hinata's voice trembled with urgency. She clutched Genya's sleeve tightly, her eyes full of worry.
She didn't know exactly what had happened to the Hyuga clan, but an ominous feeling gnawed at her heart.
"Mm." Genya nodded slightly, his expression growing even heavier.
He glanced at Kurenai and Shino standing nearby and said in a calm yet resolute tone, "Sensei, we're heading back to the village first."
Without waiting for Kurenai's reply, he placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder.
In an instant, it felt as if an invisible hand had stirred the space around them, sending ripples outward, and then the two of them vanished from sight.
"Sensei, what should we do next? Should we wait for Genya to return, or…?" Shino hesitated, feeling overwhelmed by everything he had witnessed in the past days.
He hadn't expected that after finally returning to Konoha, they would encounter yet another crisis.
Seeing Genya's grave expression, it was clear that the matter with the Hyuga clan was serious.
In his mind, Shino debated whether he should stay and wait for Genya or continue rushing toward Konoha.
"Hurry back to Konoha. The village's future might be about to change!" Kurenai drew a deep breath, a trace of worry flickering in her eyes.
She quickened her pace, sensing that if Genya became involved in this matter, it would inevitably cause a major upheaval. She had to get back to Konoha as soon as possible to prepare.
With that thought, Kurenai moved faster, and Shino hastily followed.
Yet even with Shino's abilities, he could barely keep up with her. Their figures weaved swiftly through the forest, racing toward Konoha Village.
Meanwhile, the Hyuga clan estate had turned into a scene of carnage.
Within the Eight Trigrams Formation, the air reeked of blood, and the ground was littered with fallen members of the Hyuga main family.
Most were barely alive, their eyes filled with despair. They stared at Neji, who now looked like a god of death, their hearts brimming with fear and regret.
None of them could have imagined that Neji, once the one who suffered constant abuse, would become so terrifying.
Neji now seemed to have lost all reason, consumed by a frenzy of slaughter.
Madness shone in his eyes. Blood soaked his body, and he resembled a demon emerging straight from hell.
In this bloody Eight-Trigrams Formation, only the Eighth Elder and his grandson, Hyuga Sōsuke, remained conscious.
The Eighth Elder looked at the bodies of his clan scattered on the ground, his eyes filled with numbness and helplessness. His heart was heavy with regret, regretting that he had once silently allowed those actions against Neji and his mother.
Sōsuke, especially, hadn't even been touched by Neji yet, but he was already collapsed on the ground in terror. His groin was wet, his body restrained by bones, yet he continued to tremble uncontrollably, like a shaken sieve.
He watched Neji approaching step by step, fear filling his chest. He shouted desperately, "N-No! Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"
He knew all too well that if he fell into Neji's hands, he would face torment worse than death.
"Heh… You didn't expect this when you tortured my mother, did you? Do you even know how much she suffered because of Caged Bird Seal?" Neji advanced closer to Sōsuke, each step leaving a bloodstained footprint on the ground.
He spoke deliberately, each word heavy with resentment and fury. His voice was like something emerging from the depths of hell, chilling anyone who heard it.
Neji slowly raised his hand, two fingers stained with blood pressing lightly against Sōsuke's forehead.
"Ah~~" Sōsuke let out an exaggerated scream. That light touch felt like a tremendous force tearing at his soul. Yet, Neji had only touched him lightly—he hadn't even begun.
"Not yet. I won't let you die so easily!" Neji said coldly. Then, the bone spikes on his body began piercing Sōsuke's wrists, one by one.
"Puh~" Blood splattered, forming bright red blooms on the ground.
Immediately after, Sōsuke's heart-wrenching screams echoed across the bloody battlefield.
"Haha… Yes… scream like that," Neji said, listening to Sōsuke's cries with a more unrestrained, frenzied smile.
Crimson auras spread from his Byakugan, and at that moment, he seemed possessed, completely consumed by hatred.
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