"Not a clone — it's space-time ninjutsu!"
The First Elder clutched his bleeding shoulder, sealing the nearby tenketsu to stop the flow of blood. His face was pale, but his voice remained commanding.
"That wound… it was torn apart by spatial distortion! Activate all barrier seals! Lock down this courtyard!"
"Yes!"
The Fourth and Fifth Elders slammed their palms onto the ground. Black sealing script spread like rippling ink, expanding outward and forming a luminous barrier that sealed the entire shrine courtyard.
The Hyūga shrine housed the preserved Byakugan of past Main Branch leaders.
Its defensive seals were extensive.
Some had even been designed personally by the Second Hokage — including anti–space-time barriers created specifically to counter Flying Thunder God.
The moment the barrier stabilized, the spatial distortions collapsed.
Obito was forcibly expelled from Kamui space.
His Sharingan flickered in the dark — but Kamui no longer activated.
"Ah… how troublesome," White Zetsu sing-songed.
The instant Obito materialized, the Second Elder thrust out his palm.
"Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!"
Compressed chakra blasted forward like a hurricane.
Obito leapt aside and formed seals rapidly.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon!"
Flames collided with the Air Palm midair, detonating in a violent shockwave.
He attempted to re-enter Kamui—
But the barrier held firm.
His eye spun uselessly.
Trapped.
Wood Release Revealed
White Zetsu suddenly hurled something toward the elders.
The Fourth Elder stepped forward instantly.
"Rotation!"
Spinning chakra repelled the object—
But instead of exploding—
It burst into writhing branches.
"Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs Technique!"
The moment Rotation ceased, the branches lashed out like serpents, piercing into the ground and binding the Fourth Elder's limbs.
"Wood Release?!"
Shock rippled through the elders.
"That's impossible! Only Hashirama—!"
White Zetsu's grin widened grotesquely.
"Hashirama's cells… aren't his alone."
Obito inhaled deeply.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A sea of flames engulfed the shrine.
The barrier trembled but held.
The Third and Fifth Elders activated Rotation together, shielding the others from the inferno.
Then—
Black Zetsu emerged from the floor behind them.
It lunged toward the sealing scroll on the shrine table.
Inside that scroll—
Preserved Byakugan.
"Thief!" the First Elder roared, lunging forward.
White Zetsu struck at his chest—
The Second Elder yanked his brother back just in time.
A wooden spike burst from Zetsu's palm, drilling into the stone floor where the First Elder had stood.
Branches split and spread, forming a cage that trapped the two elders together.
"You can guard them for a moment," White Zetsu mocked. "Not forever."
It turned toward the scroll.
But suddenly—
The scroll jerked backward against inertia, flying into the First Elder's palm.
"You want the Byakugan?" the First Elder's hand trembled with fury and sorrow. "You will never have it!"
Chakra surged into the scroll's core.
Seals began fracturing.
Blinding white light burst outward—
Black Zetsu detached instantly from White Zetsu's body, liquefying and darting across the floor.
At the last possible second—
It latched onto the First Elder's wrist.
The white light froze.
"What are you?!" the First Elder gasped.
In the next heartbeat—
Black Zetsu plunged into his body.
The First Elder went rigid.
"Brother?!" the Second Elder shouted.
He reached out—
—only for a hand to punch straight through his chest.
Blood sprayed.
The Second Elder stared down at the hand protruding from him.
It slowly withdrew.
He collapsed to his knees, coughing blood.
He looked up—
At his brother.
The familiar face was empty.
Controlled.
Black Zetsu's voice emerged from the First Elder's mouth:
"The Byakugan… is ours."
"No!" the Second Elder roared.
Summoning the last of his strength, he hurled himself forward, two fingers stabbing into the First Elder's chest—into the heart.
"Get out of my brother's body!"
Chakra detonated outward from the heart in a violent pulse.
The First Elder convulsed.
Black Zetsu shrieked as it was forcibly blasted out, its liquid body tearing free and recoiling across the ground.
The First Elder's eyes cleared.
He caught his collapsing brother in his arms.
Tears streamed down his face.
"Second Brother… I…"
The Second Elder coughed weakly, blood staining his lips—but he smiled.
"Guard… the Byakugan…"
His body went limp.
The First Elder screamed his name.
But Black Zetsu surged forward again, targeting the scroll.
The First Elder's grief turned to madness.
"Everyone — destroy the Byakugan!"
The sealing scroll convulsed violently—
And shattered.
In the same motion—
The First Elder raised two fingers.
Without hesitation—
He plunged them into his brother's eyes.
Then—
Into his own.
Blood flowed freely down his face.
But his voice was iron.
"You will take nothing from the Hyūga."
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