The moment Hyuga Arin stepped through the gates of the clan compound—
A figure shot toward him.
Blue chakra wrapped around both hands, forming the shapes of two lion heads.
"Gentle Step · Twin Lion Fists!!"
A high-level Gentle Fist technique passed down within the Main House. Through a nature transformation of chakra, twin lion heads condensed around the fists, expanding both the range and destructive power of the Gentle Fist.
But the attacker passed straight through Hyuga Arin's body and landed behind him.
His pupils shrank.
Transformation Technique.
Hyuga Arin tilted his head and looked at the one who had attacked.
Black-blue flames intertwined and fused together, filling in the hollow space where his body had just been.
The Transformation Technique could turn him into anything—even his own flames. It could substitute for elementalization, preventing injury.
And now, black-blue fire clung to the attacker's body as well.
"Rotation!"
The man spun rapidly, centrifugal force flinging the flames away.
Hyuga Arin flipped backward, avoiding the Rotation's expanding barrier.
Clever.
He had immediately found a way to shake off the flames. If left unchecked, they wouldn't extinguish—and would even explode.
Hyuga Arin swept his gaze around.
Hyuga clan members surrounded him on all sides.
But among them, only three were from the Main House.
The one who had attacked him slowly came to a stop after using Rotation, his expression grave as he stared at Hyuga Arin.
No Konoha forehead protector. A smooth, unmarked forehead.
Main House. No doubt.
Hyuga Arin's lips curved slightly. "A Main House member not listed in the ninja registry?"
Only the direct Main House line officially became ninja. The other four branches had refused formal enlistment—yet they still trained privately.
If exposed, the Hyuga clan would inevitably face reprimand from the Hokage.
This was tantamount to maintaining a private army.
Even the Uchiha—despite their constant friction with the Hokage—had never concealed clan members with ninja qualifications.
Hyuga Arin turned his gaze to the only elder of the Main House present.
Hyuga Hiashi.
"Choosing to move against me while the Hokage isn't here?" Hyuga Arin chuckled softly.
With Sarutobi Hiruzen absent, this was indeed the best time to strike. Otherwise, Hiruzen would never willingly discard a combat asset like Hyuga Arin.
Especially now, when the Hyuga clan's displayed strength was limited—and they had already suffered heavy losses in the war.
Hyuga Hiashi's face was dark as he demanded, "Hyuga Hizashi was killed by you, wasn't he?"
Hyuga Arin let out a scoffing laugh. "Yeah. I killed him. What are you going to do about it?"
Hiashi's prepared words caught in his throat.
Everyone knew who had killed Hizashi—the Cloud Ninja. Any investigation would reach the same conclusion.
Hiashi's real goal was to pin the crime on Hyuga Arin.
With that, they could detain him and dispose of him as they pleased—even the Hokage would have little to say.
But he had never expected Hyuga Arin to admit it outright.
Utterly brazen.
"Since you admit it, that's enough," Hiashi said coldly. "Hyuga Arin, surrender now. For the sake of absolving your sins, we will spare your life."
Hyuga Arin looked at him with amusement. "And then imprison me, right?"
Hiashi's voice was steady. "That is your best outcome. If you hand over the method for synthesizing your new bloodline limit, we will not imprison you for life."
The Hyuga clan had long received news that Hyuga Arin possessed a second bloodline limit. They had immediately reviewed all records of his lineage.
No mixed blood. In fact, his bloodline was purer than even some in the Main House.
There was only one explanation—
He had truly synthesized it himself.
If he handed it over, they might show leniency.
If he resisted stubbornly, they would imprison him, reduce him to breeding stock until one of his descendants awakened the same bloodline limit.
And as a sinner, his descendants would rank even lower than Branch House members.
Everything had already been arranged for him.
"Hahahahaha!"
Hyuga Arin burst into laughter, clutching his stomach, tears even forming at the corners of his eyes.
"You want to imprison me—and make me hand over my bloodline limit?"
His laughter stopped abruptly.
"So tell me—why?"
"Because of you trash?"
He suddenly raised his head.
Killing intent exploded outward, pressing down on everyone present.
The weaker ones couldn't even move.
Even the man behind him—the one who had attacked earlier—was trembling.
He might be strong, but a ninja who had never been tempered by bloodshed—what could he use to face Hyuga Arin, who had slaughtered countless enemies?
Among all those in the Great Ninja War—
Hyuga Arin had killed the most.
His killing intent was naturally the heaviest.
"Because you are Branch House," Hiashi said coldly. "You were born to serve the Main House."
Unmoved by the killing intent.
That alone proved the old man's strength was far from weak.
The current Main House elders were veterans from the Warring States era. Their own power was formidable.
It was their descendants who were constrained.
Hyuga Arin smiled and raised his hand. Black-blue flames burned fiercely in his palm.
"You want it? Come take it."
"Main House? Do you pieces of trash even deserve it?"
Hiashi's expression darkened further. His hands formed seals.
"Stubborn."
They had given Hyuga Arin a chance.
He simply didn't know how to cherish it.
The Caged Bird Seal—activate!
Hyuga Arin suddenly clutched his face and screamed in agony.
"Ahhh!! It hurts! It hurts so much!"
Then he stopped.
Lowered his hands.
Revealing a bright smile.
"Just kidding."
Hiashi's pupils shrank.
The Caged Bird…
…had failed.
"Other than the Caged Bird," Hyuga Arin said, black-blue flames surging and wrapping around his body like a cloak.
A cloak deadly to anyone else.
"Let me see."
"Just what are you relying on…"
"To take my bloodline limit?"
"Your lives?"
Flames shot into the sky, illuminating the entire Hyuga compound.
A faint Eight Trigrams diagram appeared beneath Hyuga Arin's feet.
The Main House member behind him charged again, twin lion heads condensing around his fists. His body trembled—but he gritted his teeth and advanced.
Another Main House member, who had stood silently behind Hiashi, rushed forward as well, chakra lion heads forming on his fists.
"Gentle Fist · Twin Lion Fists!!"
If one looked closely, his body was trembling too.
Hyuga Arin's killing intent was not something easily endured—especially by those unblooded by war.
No matter how strong they were.
Hyuga Arin assumed the stance of Gentle Fist.
Then he leapt into the air, spinning rapidly mid-flight.
"Gentle Fist Art · Rotation · Firefall!!!"
A blue sphere enveloped him completely—its surface blazing with fierce flames—as he smashed downward.
And just as the two Main House members lunged upward—
"BOOM!!"
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