"Neji… give Sosuke a proper reckoning. All of this started because of me!" Eighth Elder watched Neji, who had already descended into madness, and a trace of pity showed in his vacant eyes.
He knew all these sins were his doing. Seeing Neji so unhinged, he hoped Neji would deliver some justice for their village.
After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen could no longer be relied upon. Now, he only wished for his grandson to have some relief.
Otherwise, his grandson would have to endure unimaginable torment.
Just moments ago, he himself had been tortured nearly to the point of losing his mind. He did not want to endure that kind of pain again.
"Hehe… he's the cause of all this, so why target me, why target my mother?" Neji screamed in madness, his voice tinged with hysteria. "Killing you would be too simple. I want you to suffer worse than death. I want you to be cast into eternal hell!"
Madness flickered in his eyes, and the scent of blood hung in the air.
"Neji…" Outside, Hyuga Aomatsu watched Neji's frenzy, worry etched deeply into his expression.
He knew Neji was no longer entirely sane. The bloody slaughter had pushed him further into madness, and it seemed he was about to lose control completely.
If this continued, Neji might descend into an abyss from which there was no return.
At that moment, the space around them suddenly trembled.
Two figures appeared abruptly in front of Aomatsu—Genya and Hinata.
Genya looked at the bloody scene before him, his brows furrowed slightly, eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions.
This carnage… Neji was clearly venting all his anger and frustration.
"Uh? Who's there?" Aomatsu was startled by the sudden, unexpected appearance. He trembled violently, instinctively holding Neji's mother tightly, and stumbled backward a long distance.
Once he regained his footing, he lifted his eyes, still shaken, to focus on the direction from which the two figures had appeared.
As the distance closed and his view became clear, Aomatsu's eyes widened in surprise. It was Uchiha Genya and the Hyuga clan's young lady, Hinata Hyuga.
He couldn't help but wonder why they were appearing here at this moment.
Aomatsu had long known that Neji Hyuga, Deidara, and others were Genya's trusted partners.
Genya's power was formidable—at least, Deidara and Neji themselves had admitted they were no match for him.
"Lord Genya!" The moment Aomatsu recognized Genya, his eyes lit up with a mix of relief and urgency. He hurried forward, taking quick, small steps, eager to reach him.
His tone carried an undeniable sense of urgency as he said, "Neji doesn't seem to be acting right!"
"What's happening now?" Genya's expression remained calm as his gaze swept toward Neji, who was in a state of frenzy not far away.
He then looked at Aomatsu and spoke lightly.
Actually, upon arriving here, he realized that aside from Neji's abnormal eyes, there was no immediate danger.
So for now, he wanted to understand the situation and allow Neji to vent a little, to release some of the long-suppressed emotions.
Seeing this, Aomatsu quickly nodded vigorously and spoke rapidly, "Here's what happened!"
He then recounted the entire series of events as quickly as he could.
While Aomatsu explained, Genya walked over to Neji's mother.
He bent slightly and gently extended his hand, carefully touching the shocking wounds on her body.
In an instant, a warm, flowing wood-style chakra radiated from Genya's palm, continuously entering Neji's mother's body.
When he had first arrived, Genya had sensed with his sharp perception that although Neji's mother appeared lifeless and as if all vitality had left her, a faint, almost imperceptible thread of life still remained inside her.
Now, he was using the unique healing and nourishing power of wood-style chakra to carefully preserve that fragile life, buying time for Toshi's upcoming rescue.
As the wood-style chakra continued to flow, Neji's mother's pale, paper-white face slowly regained a hint of color, and her wounds began to heal at a visible, gradual pace.
After a moment, her chest rose slightly, and a faint breath emerged.
"This…" Aomatsu watched in shock and disbelief.
Even the experienced and powerful Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had been certain that Neji's mother had no chance of survival.
Yet Genya had somehow pulled her back from the brink of death.
"Take good care of Neji's mother!" Genya instructed calmly, then turned toward Hinata, who had been vomiting continuously since arriving due to the bloody scene.
He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, his voice soft yet carrying a comforting strength.
"Since this has happened, you must face it bravely. Come with me."
With that, Genya stepped forward first, heading into the Eight Trigrams Formation filled with the heavy scent of blood.
Hinata Hyuga listened to Genya's words and nodded slightly. She forced herself to suppress the discomfort and fear in her heart, following closely behind him as they stepped into a place that resembled a battlefield of demons.
As soon as the two of them entered the Eight Trigrams Formation, several sharp palm strikes cut through the air like arrows released from a bow, rushing toward Genya.
Clearly, Neji, in his frenzied state, sensed intruders and instinctively launched an attack.
Genya sensed the incoming danger and opened his eyes sharply, a cold gleam flashing within them.
Chakra surged violently around him like a roaring tide, forming a powerful repelling force that forcibly deflected the countless incoming palm strikes.
Where the palm strikes collided with the repulsion, the air trembled, producing a heavy, muffled sound, like the impact of hammers striking directly at the soul.
At the same time, Genya squinted slightly, thinking to himself that Neji Hyuga had indeed fallen into a deep madness, to the point where even he could not be recognized.
"Eh?" Neji, sensing Genya's formidable presence, suddenly turned his head. His crimson eyes, radiating a strange, eerie light, locked onto Genya's gaze.
In that instant of eye contact, Genya clearly felt the overwhelming malice emanating from Neji, a force that drove him insane.
However, Neji's gaze lingered on Genya only briefly before shifting, finally settling on Hinata Hyuga.
"By the Byakugan?" Genya murmured softly, frowning unconsciously.
He keenly realized that those strange, blood-red eyes were influencing Neji's mind, driving him into this frenzied state.
As expected, Neji had completely lost his sanity. Seeing Hinata, his eyes burned with murderous intent as he roared, "Hyuga Clan member… die!"
In his hatred-blinded mind, all members of the Hyuga Clan were targets for slaughter, and Hinata, as the clan's heiress, was naturally no exception.
"Step—" With his murderous intent rising again, Neji moved like a phantom, his figure flashing in an instant to appear in front of Hinata.
He suddenly thrust out his right hand, transforming it into a sharp claw, aiming straight for Hinata's throat.
The speed was so fast it cut through the night like lightning, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound.
In the blink of an eye, Neji's palm was only a hand's breadth away from Hinata's throat.
At the critical moment, Genya extended his hand and precisely caught Neji's wrist.
At the same time, a calm yet commanding voice sounded in Neji's ear, "Neji… it's time to wake up!"
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