The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Elders' eyes were red with fury at the sight before them — but they understood.
Against such bizarre abilities, this was the only choice.
The Fifth Elder rushed to the Fourth Elder, who was still pinned to the ground.
"Fourth Brother… don't hate me. This is for the clan!"
The Fourth Elder roared back, "Stop talking nonsense! Do it!"
Without hesitation, the Fifth Elder thrust his fingers into the Fourth Elder's eyes—
Then into his own.
"Stop them!" Black Zetsu shrieked at Obito from afar.
Now, aside from the five elders, only Hiashi and the unsealed young Main Branch members remained viable targets.
Hiashi was fighting at the front lines.
The children were hidden.
If the elders destroyed their own eyes—
There would be nothing left to take.
Realizing the urgency, Obito charged toward the Third Elder.
The Third Elder stared at him and laughed coldly.
"You think you're in time?"
He drove his fingers into his own eye sockets.
Blood sprayed.
Obito's body flickered forward with Body Flicker—
Too late.
The Third Elder roared through agony:
"The Hyūga protect the Byakugan!"
"You're asking for death!" Obito howled.
His hand pierced through the Third Elder's chest.
"Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs Technique!"
Branches erupted from within the elder's body, impaling and lifting him into the air like a broken puppet.
Blood rained down.
Yet he laughed through it.
"The Byakugan… will never bow!"
The irony was cruel—
The Hyūga had once sacrificed Hizashi because of political compromise.
And yet tonight, they would rather blind themselves than surrender a single eye.
Wen Lan Arrives
"Thunder Breathing — First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
A streak of golden lightning tore across the courtyard.
Obito was forced to leap back.
The blade grazed his right arm, scorching fabric and exposing pale skin beneath the black cloak.
Wen Lan stood before the shrine.
He looked at the five elders' bloodied faces—
And felt genuine respect.
Without a word, he produced five test tubes.
He uncorked one and poured it into the Third Elder's mouth—
Then distributed the rest.
The liquid was Orochimaru's perfected formula.
Derived from Wen Lan's own regenerative blood.
The results were immediate.
Wounds closed.
Flesh reformed.
Even shattered Byakugan regenerated visibly.
The severed arm of the First Elder restored itself seamlessly.
His vision returned.
He looked down—
His Second Brother still breathed.
Alive.
Tears welled in his eyes.
Only then did he notice—
A small figure stood before them, blade drawn, shielding them from Obito and Zetsu.
"Thank you… Advisor-sama," the First Elder said hoarsely.
Wen Lan did not look back.
"As Hokage's Advisor, protecting the village includes protecting you."
"You are part of Konoha."
Obito's pupil trembled violently.
"That… regeneration… impossible…"
Black Zetsu's voice carried disbelief.
"How?"
Wen Lan's gaze shifted to Black Zetsu.
"The Tenseigan secret. You told him, didn't you?"
It was phrased as a question—
But held absolute certainty.
Both Obito and Black Zetsu stiffened.
Black Zetsu was shocked Wen Lan even knew of the Tenseigan.
Obito, meanwhile, realized something else—
Black Zetsu had secrets.
He had always believed Black Zetsu to be Madara's will incarnate.
Even Madara had believed that.
But Wen Lan clearly knew more.
Far more.
Before either could react—
A Rain shinobi burst in from the side.
"The barrier's broken! Move!"
Obito did not hesitate.
Kamui twisted violently.
He pulled Black Zetsu and White Zetsu with him—
And vanished.
Wen Lan did not pursue.
Because prolonging the game made it more interesting.
And his true target was never Obito.
It was the Ōtsutsuki.
He sheathed his blade slowly, eyes lingering on the space where Obito had disappeared.
The real game had only begun.
Aftermath
Minato arrived moments later, landing beside Wen Lan.
His speed was exceptional—
But compared to Wen Lan's Thunder Breathing acceleration, it fell short.
Minato's legendary speed relied on Flying Thunder God's teleportation.
Wen Lan's was raw physical burst.
"Did they escape?" Minato asked grimly.
Wen Lan nodded.
"Yes. The real one."
"How's the rest of the compound?"
"I cleared the other battlefields before coming here," Minato replied.
The fighting sounds had already ceased.
Tonight—
The Nine-Tails incident had been rewritten.
The First Elder looked at Wen Lan solemnly.
"Advisor… about this 'Tenseigan'…"
"Ah," Wen Lan said calmly.
"The final evolution of the Byakugan."
"A power comparable to the Rinnegan."
Minato's brows furrowed.
"Comparable… to the Rinnegan?"
The implications—
Were enormous.
—------------------------------
Pat reon Advance Chapters: patreon.com/YonkoSlayer