February 26th, 12:00 midnight. The night banquet held in the main house mansion of the Hyūga Clan was drawing to a close. Hyūga Hiashi, the current clan head, along with the remaining elders of the Main House, finalized an operational plan targeted at the "Tennin," Hyūga Yū.
The plan went like this:
Step one: Turn the enemy's plot to their own advantage. The four remaining Main House elders would lead the rest of the Main House members to gather members from each Branch House line and head to the venue. They would build momentum for the "Tennin Competition" organized by the Branch House forces led by Hyūga Hizashi, and provoke Hizashi—who had used taboo power—at the venue the next day.
Step two: The strongest ninja of the Main House, Clan Head Hyūga Hiashi, would bypass the surveillance and patrols of the Foundation ninja to personally lurk near the apartment where Hyūga Yū resided. There, he would kill Yū's fiancée—Hyūga Natsu, a Branch House Chunin currently recuperating at the apartment—and frame Hizashi for the scene.
Step three: Use the mouth of the Foundation to pass news of Natsu's death to the "Tennin" Hyūga Yū, who was currently a high-ranking member of the Foundation, enraging him into rushing to the "Tennin Competition" venue hosted by Hizashi.
Step four, and the final step—
Sit back and watch the battle to the death between Hyūga Hizashi, who had used a forbidden jutsu and had little life remaining, and the "Tennin" Hyūga Yū, who rebelled against the Main House!
Hiashi guaranteed the Main House elders that with his secret assistance from the shadows, Hizashi would surely gain power surpassing that of a Hokage, and would definitely be able to eliminate the Main House's biggest threat, the "Tennin" Hyūga Yū, right at the venue!
In the end, Yū would inevitably die at Hizashi's hands, and Hizashi would also perish from the incurable side effects of using the forbidden jutsu. The Hyūga Clan would then return to its original status quo.
However, when this plan reached the second step, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
Hyūga Natsu—who was supposed to be easily killed by Hiashi as a mere Chunin according to the plan—appeared right in front of him ahead of time!
Without much effort, Natsu, who had been lurking inside the Main House for a long time, took advantage of Hiashi being heavily intoxicated and unable to use chakra to purge the alcohol from his body. She directly used Yin Release Tenseigan chakra to subdue him, learning everything from his mouth...
She also uncovered Hiashi's true, far more sinister plan hidden behind the guise of this plot!
Back to the present.
Konoha Year 50, February 27th, 9:30 AM.
Hyūga Clan compound, Training Ground No. 23. A tall figure with dark-green, neck-length short hair stood at the center of the arena. She wore a plain white long coat over a loose, sleeveless black top resembling a kimono, tied at the waist with a black sash, and dark black cropped pants on her lower body. The person who had voiced her shout to stop Hyūga Hizashi was none other than Hyūga Natsu.
Unlike her usual innocent, cute, and gentle image, Natsu looked exceptionally capable, valiant, and sharp now that she was wearing battle attire.
At this moment, she indifferently looked straight at Hizashi standing opposite her, who was wrapped in almost tangible purple chakra, his entire body covered in dense Byakugan. She then turned her head to look at her surroundings. Seeing the seating area around the venue filled with nearly two thousand bewildered Hyūga Branch House members who had come to watch the commotion, Natsu's expression couldn't help but turn slightly grave.
After hypnotizing Hiashi with Yin Release Tenseigan chakra genjutsu, she had learned his true plan—
Hiashi had used the excuse of capturing her to avoid personally coming to the venue, while tricking several Main House elders into leading the Branch House members of every line to gather here. His true purpose was to feed the purple Byakugan he had secretly given to Hizashi at the cost of the lives of the remaining Main House members, nearly half of the Hyūga Branch House, and even his younger brother Hizashi!
He wanted to drive the purple Byakugan to undergo further evolution, creating an ultimate weapon recorded only in the secret ancestral texts of the Main House—one that possessed power exceeding the Kage level!
Furthermore, guided by Hizashi's rage, he had set the ultimate opponent for this final weapon: the "Tennin," Hyūga Yū!
However...
Hiashi has no idea what he has actually done!
He is... attempting to manipulate a power he cannot comprehend at all!
Looking at the extremely emotionally unstable, demon-like Hizashi in front of her, Natsu's heart sank slightly. It felt as if the being before her was no longer a person, but a giant bomb that could detonate at any moment.
And only two steps remained before this bomb was completely detonated—First, defeat the Main House elders and the Clan Head.
Second, defeat Hyūga Yū.
To be more precise, only half a step remained!
Hizashi had already defeated the Main House elders and killed most of the Main House members. All that was left for him to do was to defeat Hiashi and Yū.
Since Hiashi had no intention of coming to the venue at all, Hizashi's target would skip past Hiashi and point directly at Yū!
Yet, Natsu immediately calculated that with Hizashi's current state, facing Yū—who wielded multiple types of Tenseigan chakra and was even stronger than her—the only outcome would be a tragic defeat. He might even be vaporized instantly by a single strike from Yū!
If so, in order to complete the underlying logic inherited from Hizashi, the purple Byakugan would immediately begin evolving into a higher form—
The Purple Giant Tenseigan.
It would instantly extract the Byakugan of every Hyūga clan member present to begin its evolution. However, this evolution could neither be interrupted nor completed. Whether it ultimately defeated Yū or was defeated by him, the final outcome would lead to only one thing—an explosion!
A earth-shattering, horrific explosion capable of wiping the entire Konoha off the map!
This was a logic bomb that ultimately pointed toward total destruction!
Whether Hizashi was allowed to fulfill the goals set in his subconscious step by step, or was stopped from completing them, both paths would trigger the self-destruction sequence of this bomb.
Konoha was already on the brink of peril!
At this thought, Natsu's gaze sharpened. Was there any way to forcibly cut the fuse and stop the process of this bomb's self-destruction?
None.
However, there was a way to delay the ultimate time of this bomb's detonation!
Right now, Natsu had appeared on her own initiative, stepping in right before Hizashi was about to challenge Yū. By claiming to have defeated the elders and Clan Head and taking the title of "Tennin" for herself, she placed herself right in the middle of Hizashi's logical progression, creating a buffer zone for the bomb's detonation and forcibly setting up an opponent Hizashi had to defeat first.
At the same time, Natsu instantly judged: Given Hizashi's condition, Yū—who possesses such Tenseigan power—cannot possibly be unaware of it. Yet, he hasn't appeared even now. Perhaps he is... preparing something?
Natsu made a precise choice based on her conjecture: Right now, the only thing I can do is buy as much time as possible for Yū!
And to accomplish this... Natsu slowly raised her head, a cold gleam flashing in her eyes. She swept a disdainful glance at Hizashi in front of her and said faintly, "Hyūga Hizashi, with just you, are you even worthy of being called a Tennin?"
"Hehehe... humph humph humph... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Responding to Natsu was a burst of wild laughter that was no longer concealed. Across the arena, under Natsu's taunt, Hizashi felt all the blood in his body rush to his head. His rage nearly ignited his long black hair that fluttered without wind. He bit down so hard on his molars that they creaked loudly, and his nasal passage and mouth felt harsh and spicy, as if filled with thick smoke. "Hyūga Natsu... Very good! Since Hyūga Mao failed to eliminate you, then today, I shall execute it in her place!"
Hizashi slammed his foot forward into a bow stance, raising both hands from his waist with his fingertips curved like claws, assuming a unique Gentle Fist starting stance. In the next instant—BOOM!
The moment his foot stomped the ground, an air wave erupted violently centered around Hizashi!
Hizashi's body shot out like an arrow in an instant, turning into a purple residual image that was difficult to discern with the naked eye, blasting toward where Natsu stood.
Before the spectators present could snap back from the shock of Natsu's sudden appearance, they witnessed such a nerve-wracking scene. They nearly screamed aloud, their hearts leaping into their throats.
People naturally sympathized with the weak. In their eyes, Natsu—petite and delicate, looking as fragile as a willow tree by the riverbank—would surely be broken ruthlessly in an instant under Hizashi's ferocious attack!
However, facing Hizashi's assault, Natsu merely raised her cold eyes slightly, revealing a charming, mocking smile. Without any visible movement from her body, her form quietly faded. Hizashi, who rushed forward and swung his palm down, passed right through Natsu's face as if hitting air!
This is... an afterimage? She's no longer here?!
Hizashi was shocked, his eyes widening slightly. Wait, no!
Just as he passed entirely through where Natsu stood, behind him, Natsu's body condensed back into reality. Brushing her fingertips past her ninja tool pouch, she hooked out a spinning kunai. Reversing her grip on the kunai, she drove it ruthlessly toward the back of Hizashi's neck!
One of the Byakugan on the back of Hizashi's neck shrank abruptly. The purple chakra on his body's surface was instantly mobilized by this Byakugan, covering the back of his neck like... the back of Hizashi's neck was blinking, closing its "eyelid" directly at this moment.
Clang!
The glinting kunai struck the outer layer of the chakra armor, penetrating less than half an inch before making a sound like cutting into tough meat!
Looking at the kunai that had only penetrated half an inch, Natsu narrowed her eyes. In the next instant, she tapped the ground with her toes and leaped upward. Using the kunai lodged in Hizashi's neck as a fulcrum, she flipped her entire body upside down into a handstand in mid-air like a gymnast vaulting off a pole—WHOOSH!
A terrifying gust of wind howled past!
The giant purple hand Hizashi swung backward struck nothing but empty air!
Frowning deeply, Hizashi skidded to a halt in his bow stance, spun his body around rapidly, and thrust his palm out toward Natsu, who had lost her leverage in mid-air!
On his arm, the purple chakra armor flared brightly, as if forming several meridians on the surface that shouldn't have existed. A terrifying air cannon compressed instantly in his palm—"Purple Eye: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"
"—BOOM!!!"
A purple chakra cannon measuring two meters in diameter blasted out, emitting a sonic boom. In an instant, it pushed forward five hundred meters, destroying everything in its path and nearly blasting into the upper side of the spectator area!
However, there was no sign of triumph on Hizashi's face; instead, he looked even more perplexed. The impact feedback from his chakra felt wrong—he felt as though his palm strike had hit nothing at all.
In the next instant, Natsu's form condensed back into reality in mid-air. As she flipped and leaped downward, she spread her slender arms, shooting eight shuriken from her fingertips.
"Humph!"
Seeing this, Hizashi's eyes shifted and he let out a cold snort. "An attack like this is nothing more than an itch to me!"
Hizashi didn't even bother to dodge. The purple chakra armor on his body exploded outward, directly knocking the eight shuriken away. The eight shuriken scattered and pinned into the ground near Hizashi's feet. But right then, as if sensing something wrong, Hizashi immediately slammed his foot down and leaped backward frantically.
In the next instant, a pale-teal thread appeared at the center of each of the eight shuriken—the basic D-rank "Chakra Hair" used in Medical Ninjutsu for suturing wounds.
Back when Yū worked at the Konoha Hospital, Natsu had served as his nurse partner for a period of time, and she had learned some basic medical ninjutsu during that period.
However, like two sides of a coin: while Yū back then could master the essence and theory of numerous medical jutsu but couldn't perform high-level medical ninjutsu, Natsu—who possessed formidable natural talent as a shinobi—knew nothing about medical theory, even handing over the wrong surgical forceps or scalpel during surgery. Yet, when it came to medical ninjutsu that could be used for combat and killing, her mastery was extraordinarily fast.
At this moment, Natsu curved her fingertips and pulled her arms back across her chest, like a blooming datura flower drawing its petals back in, or a taut spring recoiling smoothly—chilling, elegant, and dripping with cold intent to kill!
The eight chakra threads slashed toward Hizashi at the center!
Almost instinctively, Hizashi realized that those chakra threads, which could normally be cut at will with a kunai, gave him an exceptionally dangerous, ominous premonition.
He retreated at top speed. Even though his reaction was extremely timely, he still touched one of the threads. Although he was cautious enough to condense a giant chakra hand to snap it before making contact, in the next instant, Hizashi suddenly froze on the spot!
Within his more than five hundred fields of vision, a Natsu "standing in front of his vision" appeared simultaneously in every single one of them. Like a kaleidoscope, she appeared in front of him, behind him, under his feet, at his waist, before his legs, inside his palms, and even... beneath his skin.
Countless Natsu of various sizes slowly clasped their hands together, drawing a pale-teal "Chakra Scalpel" from between their palms. She walked forward like taking a leisurely stroll, approaching at a pace that Hizashi could clearly see and easily dodge with his taijutsu abilities enhanced by the purple chakra. Yet, he could only watch helplessly as Natsu walked over calmly, swinging her blades horizontally—stabbing a blade simultaneously into all five hundred pairs of Byakugan on his body!
Pfft!
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Hizashi immediately let out an agonizing screech of extreme pain. He reached out his hands, trying to cover his injured eyes, but because there were too many eyes, he was momentarily at a loss, completely overwhelmed as to which eyes he should cover.
Subconsciously, he burst out his chakra, wanting to blow away the more than five hundred Natsu standing before him. But as his chakra surged, he snapped awake abruptly, suddenly realizing that everything that had just happened was merely a genjutsu! His body was completely unharmed, yet he had unknowingly fallen into Natsu's genjutsu!
Right now, right in front of him, Natsu was actually standing before him. Just like in the past, she smiled sweetly, yet she looked down at him with eyes full of near-pity and utter disdain. Exactly as in the illusion just now, she clasped her hands together and slowly drew out a pale-teal Chakra Scalpel!
As a Branch House shinobi and a Konoha Jonin, even though Hizashi—a veteran of ninja battles—could hardly control his emotions, his experience as a shinobi allowed him to react immediately: This is... a tactile genjutsu?!
Just touching her chakra causes one to fall for it?!
Furthermore, she possesses a sort of 'phasing' ability that lets her body vanish, rendering all my attacks completely useless against her!???
Hizashi's heart trembled violently. Looking at Natsu smiling sweetly before him, he felt a chill run through his chest, completely at a loss for what to do.
This... this... this...
Why was this woman so terrifyingly insidious!?
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