Chapter 25 — Protect the Hokage, Now!
The rain had quietly ceased.
Moisture clung to the air, and each passing breeze carried a faint chill.
Around the Tametsu Shrine, lamps flickered to life one after another.
The clan members responsible for the shrine lit the lanterns, then dispersed to patrol the grounds—busy, alert, on edge.
Hyūga Ritsu stood beneath the shrine's weather-worn vermilion torii.
Beside him stood the five elders—Hyūga Takashi, Hyūga Shinichirō, Hyūga Isamu, Hyūga Tenma, and Hyūga Karin.
Together, they gazed down the slick stone path where a group of uninvited guests were approaching, led by Hizashi.
At the front strode Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hizashi walked at his side.
Behind them followed Shimura Danzō and Namikaze Minato, while Hyūga Hiashi and the other ex-Main Family members trailed sullenly at the rear.
Ritsu stepped forward two paces, meeting them head-on.
"Hokage-sama, my apologies for not welcoming you sooner."
Then—
before Hiruzen could respond—
Ritsu continued smoothly, his tone respectful but his words razor-sharp:
"I intended to visit you after settling internal clan matters.
But I did not expect Hokage-sama to personally deliver the last remnants of the Main Family to us.
Such a generous gift…
I—and the thousand clan members who stand behind me—are truly grateful."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.
This boy… is good.
That opening gambit was clean, loud, and calculated.
A thousand supporters?
Was that true? If so, killing Ritsu outright might spark a rebellion too large to suppress.
Could Hiashi and these Main Family fools really stabilize the clan afterward?
For the first time, the Hokage hesitated.
But his face revealed nothing.
Sticking to the script, he said:
"Clan Head Hiashi has accused you of disrespecting your elders and abusing your power to slaughter your own clansmen.
I have come to administer justice.
Ritsu—
do you have anything to say in your defense?"
As Hokage, he held the power of life and death—but he could not wield it arbitrarily.
If he wanted to eliminate Ritsu without provoking clan-wide backlash, he needed a justification, a moral pretext.
The conflict had to look like an internal Hyūga matter.
Publicly, Hiashi and the surviving Main Family members would bear the weight of the clan's resentment.
Hiruzen wanted to kill Ritsu with "righteous authority",
then throw the consequences onto the Main Family as a shield.
But—
"Hokage-sama, there's nothing to discuss!
This treacherous wretch deserves to be cut down on the spot!
Hyūga Ritsu, you filthy Branch House brat—give my son, Daiga, his life back!"
Hyūga Daichi could no longer restrain himself.
With a roar, he lunged forward.
The sudden outburst made Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows knit tightly.
Shimura Danzō spat,
"Useless fool.
We haven't even established grounds for Minato to act—
and you already attack?
How the hell are we supposed to justify killing Ritsu now?"
But Daichi was already moving.
[Eight Trigrams · Vacuum Palm!]
He thrust out his hand, a compressed chakra blast screaming toward Ritsu—
all while shouting:
"Clan Head! Feishō! Minato-sama! Hurry!
Let's kill this insolent traitor together!"
Ritsu didn't even flinch.
A brilliant azure lion-head of chakra bloomed around his right hand.
He pressed forward casually—
and Daichi's attack dispersed like mist.
That effortless motion made even Hiruzen's eyelids twitch.
Everyone present clearly sensed it—
Hyūga Ritsu was terrifyingly strong.
Then Ritsu raised his voice:
"Kill me to avenge your son?
Then tell me—before Hokage-sama himself—
who will avenge the dozens of Branch House members
who were tortured to death by the Main House
from the founding of Konoha to today?"
The words struck like thunder.
"Yes! Clan Head speaks the truth!"
Hyūga Takashi stepped forward, eyes blazing.
"Hyūga Daichi!
Do you even remember my cousin, Hyūga Shun?
YOU were the one who made a fool of yourself on the battlefield and nearly died to Kumo-nin.
My cousin dragged you back from death—
and what did your bastard father do?
He blamed my cousin, branded him with the Caged Bird seal,
and tortured him to death!
Who pays for that blood debt?!"
Karin stepped forward as well.
"My brother, Hyūga Kashū, was only five.
They sent him to 'spar' with Hyūga Masamune.
He merely outperformed him—once—
and Masamune's father activated the Caged Bird seal on him!
The next day… he died screaming in agony.
I still hear his cries in my dreams."
Shinichirō, Isamu, and Tenma didn't speak—
but they stepped forward in unison,
standing firmly behind Ritsu,
their eyes burning with fury.
"Insults! Insolence!
You traitorous, ungrateful swine!"
Hyūga Daichi was purple with rage.
He raised his hand—
ready to activate the Caged Bird seal
and put these "rebellious" Branch members in their place.
But—
"Even now—
you still dare wield the Caged Bird seal against us?!"
Ritsu roared—
and attacked.
[Eight Trigrams · Vacuum Palm!]
His palm lashed out.
The chakra shockwave shot forward faster than thunder.
Daichi was mid-sigil, caught off guard.
The blast struck his arm and chest—
the impact shattering bone,
collapsing his ribcage inward,
and sending blood erupting from his mouth like a fountain.
His life flickered out instantly.
Silence.
Everyone froze.
No one expected Hyūga Ritsu to be this audacious—
to kill a Main House elder
right in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But before anyone could recover, Ritsu barked:
"These remnants of the Main House seek to enslave us again!
Hizashi, Takashi—
protect Hokage-sama and the others!
Do not let these deranged Main House fools harm the innocent!"
"Yes, Clan Head!"
The six elders responded in unison.
Because of the Caged Bird seal, they could not attack the Main House directly—
but protecting Hiruzen, Danzō, and Minato
was well within their rights.
They surged forward,
forming a protective wall around the Konoha leaders.
"Hokage-sama, please step back!
The Main House remnants are dangerous!"
"Hokage Advisor, stop advancing—you might get hurt!"
"Minato-sama—ah, we meet again!"
Karin practically glued herself to Minato's front,
boldly admiring the famously handsome "Yellow Flash."
Even the hero who made Iwa-nin flee at the mere sight of his hair color
found himself overwhelmed—
backing up repeatedly under her unabashed attention,
face stiff with discomfort.
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