"So that's how it was!"
At last, the people of Konoha understood what had truly happened that day.
Why Hyūga Hizashi had sacrificed himself for the village.
So this was what it meant to "sacrifice for the village"—
damn it, he'd sacrificed for you people!
Inuzuka Tsume: "Damn it!"
Inuzuka Tsume: "I knew something was wrong with how it ended up!"
Inuzuka Tsume: "So it was you, you old monkey, pulling strings behind the scenes!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's moral floor was refreshed once again.
The Konoha shinobi were already numb.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was suffering unbearably inside.
At this moment, seated at the highest tier of the stands, he felt as though he were being roasted over fire.
Orochimaru's mocking gaze—paired with that smile full of ridicule—
made him both ashamed and furious.
There was no escape.
Uchiha Izuna: "Tobirama, do you have anything else to say now?"
Senju Tobirama: "I'm talking about you—"
—Beep—
Muted for ten minutes.
A perfectly good hand, played into trash.
Kakashi stared at the black-framed giant screen, his thoughts drifting far away.
In his mind surfaced the smiling face of the White Fang.
"Father… was what happened back then really just that?"
Kakashi still didn't know that his father was waiting for him in the spiritual space connecting the Pure Land and the shinobi world.
Whether White Fang (Hatake Sakumo) was "thin-skinned" or not aside—
the moment Kakashi joined the crowd in blaming his father,
that became the final straw that crushed White Fang.
["So that's it—the hawk was for communication."]
["No one's been monitoring me these past few days. Not once."]
["It must be because of the death of that Kumogakure envoy."]
["How will that old bastard deal with this?"]
["The books Shikamaru gave me mentioned that an envoy's death is very likely to become a casus belli between nations."]
["They're probably heading for the Hyūga."]
[Sarutobi Hiruzen left with several ANBU.]
[No one noticed the little Naruto playing in the corner.]
[Because Ino and the others were training, and Sakura continued attending school, little Naruto had been 'wandering' around this area lately.]
[At last, he gained something.]
[He didn't follow them—instead, he took a detour home.]
[Following would've been far too easy to detect.]
[Meanwhile—the Hyūga clan.]
[The day of Konoha's celebration was also the day Neji received the Caged Bird Seal.]
[It was also Hinata's birthday, and the day Hyūga Neji was officially brought into the clan to live.]
[Hyūga Dojo.]
["Your footwork is too chaotic." Hyūga Hiashi frowned at the unsteady girl before him.]
[Because of the Kumogakure envoy's death, he felt an ominous premonition.]
[These days, he had been training young Hinata harshly.]
[Though he felt reluctant inside, when he thought of the worst outcome, Hyūga Hiashi put on a cold, merciless mask.]
["Yes!" Hinata steadied herself, raised her stance again, and attacked Hiashi.]
[Nearby, Hyūga Hizashi and his son Neji sat kneeling.]
[A bandage was wrapped around Neji's forehead, covering the Caged Bird Seal.]
[Watching the girl attacking in the field, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.]
["Neji, listen carefully."]
["You were born to protect Lady Hinata, and to protect the power of the Hyūga clan."]
[Hyūga Hizashi said in a deep voice.]
["Yes, Father!" Neji replied without the slightest hesitation.]
[Hearing this, Hyūga Hizashi couldn't help looking at his son. Seeing the smile on Neji's face, something in Hizashi's eyes shifted.]
[Looking at Hinata flustered on the field—]
[In terms of talent, she was not inferior to Neji in the slightest.]
[His hands began to tremble uncontrollably as he slowly lowered his head.]
[Veins bulged faintly around his eyes.]
[Why did his brilliant son have to bear the Caged Bird Seal?!]
["Hm?!"]
[The instant the Byakugan activated, Hyūga Hiashi sensed it.]
[He stopped immediately, rushed forward to shield Hinata, and formed a seal with one hand.]
["Ah—!!!"]
[The Caged Bird Seal beneath Hizashi's forehead protector flared.]
[Hyūga Hizashi clutched his head and screamed in agony.]
[His killing intent was not directed at Hinata—]
[but at the injustice of the Hyūga clan itself.]
["Father!" Neji froze, then hurried forward.]
[He saw the Caged Bird Seal on Hizashi's forehead glowing with a dim green light.]
[In that instant, Hyūga Neji seemed to realize something.]
["Leave. I will forgive you, you shameless people—just for today."]
["Never forget your destiny."]
[With those words, Hyūga Hiashi left with Hinata, his face full of worry.]
[Watching their retreating figures, then looking down at his suffering father—]
[Tears slid from Neji's eyes as he clenched his teeth.]
[One moment he'd been smiling—]
[the next, he witnessed the Hyūga clan's cruelty firsthand.]
Watching the scenes on the black-framed giant screen,
Neji closed his eyes.
Hearing the Hyūga story told by the screen itself—
was far more powerful than telling it in his own words.
And far more effective.
"A bird trapped in a cage—if it's smart enough—will use its beak to open the cage door."
"Because it hasn't given up on the hope of flying freely through the sky."
"Then open it for me to see."
Gekkō Hayate froze.
"You—how are you any different from that ugly Third Hokage?"
"Or from those people who cursed Naruto?"
Gekkō Hayate was left speechless.
Nearby, Yamanaka Inoichi also stopped what he was doing.
He sighed.
This was another clan's internal affair.
As a clan head, he had no standing to comment.
Naruto rubbed his sore backside and quickly slipped free of Inoichi's grip.
The image continued.
[Night fell.]
[Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered the ANBU to wait outside.]
[He entered the Hyūga dojo alone.]
[Candles were lit inside. Sarutobi Hiruzen knelt at the head seat.]
[Before him sat the four Hyūga elders, along with Hyūga Hiashi and his brother.]
[Placed before them was the Kumogakure envoy's forehead protector.]
["The envoy is dead."]
["Kumogakure's letter demands many things."]
["Including… the life of the killer."]
[Sarutobi Hiruzen said in a low voice.]
[After the Nine-Tails incident, Konoha could not afford another war.]
[To avoid it, they had to reach a secret deal with Kumogakure.]
[This incident had already escalated to the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.]
[The Lightning Daimyō had pressed the issue; the Fire Daimyō awaited Konoha's reply.]
[An eerie silence filled the dojo.]
["For Konoha… no, I absolutely cannot allow such a thing!" Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke again.]
["There's no choice. If sacrificing my life can save the entire village…"]
[Hyūga Hiashi spoke up.]
[Sarutobi Hiruzen lowered his head slightly.]
["Wait, Hiashi—don't make such a rash decision!"]
["The Hyūga bloodline is this village's trump card!"]
["Protecting it has always been the main family's duty!"]
[Hiashi's father interrupted him.]
["Yet we, who should bear responsibility, are instead dragging the village toward a desperate war," cold sweat beaded on Hiashi's forehead.]
Uchiha Izuna couldn't stand it anymore.
Uchiha Izuna: "Hah?!"
Uchiha Izuna: "The Hyūga are Konoha's strongest clan?"
Uchiha Izuna: "They're not weak, sure—but don't forget the Senju and Uchiha stand ahead of you."
Uchiha Fugaku: "Second Ancestor, the Senju merged into Konoha. On the surface, it's us."
Uchiha Izuna: "Oh, I see. Then these Hyūga brats are truly foolish—probably don't even know what 'killing with praise' means."
[Father and son spoke at length.]
[In the end, their father made the decision himself.]
["Use Hizashi's corpse. Disguise it as you and hand it to Kumogakure."]
[Sarutobi Hiruzen personally explained the reason; what he said in detail was easy to imagine.]
[And as the one who killed the envoy, Hyūga Hiashi had long expected this outcome.]
["I agree." Hyūga Hizashi said expressionlessly.]
[They were twins—identical in appearance.]
[Even if Kumogakure received the body, they could not probe the Byakugan's secrets.]
[Yet their father's words were almost laughable.]
[Once handed over, what could Kumogakure still say?]
[If they truly dared to start a war, would they ever need that many excuses?]
[The envoy's death was one excuse.]
[Handing over a useless corpse that looked identical—why couldn't that also serve as a reason for war?]
[In the end, the brothers staged a scene of 'deep brotherly affection' before Sarutobi Hiruzen—]
[barely preserving the Hyūga's last shred of dignity.]
[But when Hyūga Hizashi chose death for his son and brother—]
[that final fig leaf was torn away. What dignity remained?]
[Sarutobi Hiruzen watched silently.]
[Soon after, he left.]
[The waiting ANBU were finally put to use.]
[Hyūga Hizashi's body was carried away.]
[As if Sarutobi Hiruzen had known the result before he even arrived.]
After seeing all this,
Neji's heart could not calm down for a long time.
He looked up toward the arena stands—
but didn't see Hyūga Hiashi.
He guessed Hiashi was waiting for him in the resting room.
Perhaps to kneel and beg forgiveness?
And then?
Neji looked back at the black-framed screen.
"Perhaps in that world… the future Hyūga will no longer have the Caged Bird."
Clearly, Neji suddenly realized—
the moment he was struck down by the Nine-Tails,
he had, in some way, brainwashed himself.
Yet looking at Naruto nearby,
he still couldn't force himself to believe that this Naruto could break destiny.
Neji didn't know that in the future, like his father, he too would become a substitute sacrifice—
only the person he died for would change from Hiashi to Hinata.
Still the main family.
And in the end, the Caged Bird would remain.
Senju Tobirama could no longer endure it.
Senju Tobirama: "My brother and I hereby declare—"
Senju Tobirama: "In the names of the First and Second Hokage!"
Senju Tobirama: "From this moment on, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura—"
Senju Tobirama: "Along with the clans behind them—are expelled from Konoha!"
Senju Tobirama: "Any who resist or refuse shall be listed as rogue ninja!"
Shimura Danzō: "Teacher Tobirama, you should calm down."
Shimura Danzō: "Don't forget—you're just a dead man."
Shimura Danzō: "Hiruzen is the Hokage. In today's Konoha, Hiruzen's word is law."
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