Upon seeing Kawaki Aoba in person, several members of the Hyuga branch family grew visibly agitated. Some activated their Byakugan and glared at him with undisguised hostility.
Kawaki Aoba, unfazed by the animosity, addressed them calmly.
"I know many of you remain loyal to the Hyuga main house, and others fear the curse of the Caged Bird Seal so much that you dare not even think of defying them," he said. "But regardless of where you stand, I'm offering you one final chance.
You can either sink with the Hyuga clan, a ship riddled with holes and slowly collapsing under the weight of its outdated traditions… or you can pledge yourselves to me—and, by extension, to a future that integrates the branch house into the true fabric of Konohagakure.
The choice is yours."
He paused, then raised two fingers and formed a hand seal.
"Caged Bird Seal—Activate."
"Ah—!"
"Ah—!"
More than two hundred Hyuga branch members fell to the ground, clutching their foreheads in agony. The Curse Mark flared painfully, but Aoba kept the activation short, releasing them after only a few seconds.
As the pain subsided, the Hyuga stared at him with stunned and terrified expressions.
"Yes, it's real," Aoba said coldly. "I've mastered the technique to control the Caged Bird Seal."
He let the silence linger for a moment before continuing.
"I acquired a partial control formula from the black market. It's incomplete—effective only at close range and incapable of inflicting death. But I think we can all agree… it's terrifying enough.
The mere fact that I could obtain it speaks volumes. The technique has been leaked—someone from the main family betrayed your secrets. And now you're the ones paying the price."
Gasps and murmurs swept through the crowd.
"You branch members will likely be excluded from key village missions moving forward. No one wants to trust ninja with seals that can be activated by external forces. And again, the blame lies not with me—but with the Hyuga main house.
Don't you feel resentment? Don't you deserve more?"
He softened his voice slightly.
"Pledge yourselves to me—not in rebellion, but in pursuit of a better future. I won't send you into danger until the seal is dealt with. You'll handle clerical work, safe tasks. And as for the main house?" His eyes narrowed. "Let them come. I'll be the one to face them."
Unbeknownst to the crowd, a camera was broadcasting Kawaki Aoba's speech live to over 800 Hyuga clan members—those who had already chosen to follow him. They needed to see the kind of leader he was.
Among the 200 present, many still wore conflicted expressions. For them, the greatest shock was that the Caged Bird technique—once a tightly held secret of the main house—had been reduced to something sold in back alleys.
But Kawaki Aoba wasn't finished.
At his signal, a white projection screen was raised before the crowd.
A video began to play.
It showed a bird's-eye view of a Hyuga reconnaissance unit—composed entirely of Special Jonin and Jonin—approaching a noble estate. What followed was brutal and undeniable: a massacre.
Some viewers stared silently. Others trembled.
When the footage ended, Aoba clapped his hands to regain attention.
"Well," he said, "I imagine you understand what you just saw. That elite unit? They were fighting not for the village—but for a chance to become members of the main house."
He let the implication sink in before dropping the final bombshell.
"You're probably wondering why I couldn't buy the complete Caged Bird Seal control technique. It's because your clan has been funding the Akatsuki."
Shocked gasps rippled through the crowd.
"When I tried to buy the complete formula, the Akatsuki said it wasn't available yet—but could be, at a higher price in the future. What do you think that means?"
It meant, clearly, that the Hyuga clan's secrets were no longer secrets.
"That video is proof of the Hyuga clan colluding with the Akatsuki… and attacking nobles. With this, I could condemn the entire clan. But I haven't. Why?"
He scanned their eyes, letting the question settle.
"Because I want you to understand the truth and make your own choice."
He coughed lightly, then spoke again.
"So here we are. The gate is open. You can walk out of this prison and stand with me. I promise you a future without the chains of the seal. Or... you can stay here and fade away with the main house."
The prison gates creaked open.
"I'll give you three minutes. Those who remain can share the fate of the Hyuga clan."
And with that, Kawaki Aoba turned and walked out, never once looking back.
Someone inside the prison moved first, stepping out without hesitation.
With someone taking the lead, the other prisoners who didn't want to perish alongside the Hyuga clan followed suit.
Three minutes later, only a handful of detainees remained behind.
As for the stubborn ones, Kawaki Aoba had no intention of indulging them. He gave a subtle signal to his subordinates to deal with them once he and the rest had left.
Some Hyuga clan members observed Kawaki Aoba's gestures but chose to turn a blind eye.
Everyone walks their own path. Since they had made their decision, they would have to face the consequences.
As for the defectors, Kawaki Aoba instructed his men to temporarily house and monitor them. Until the Hyuga situation was resolved, he had no intention of deploying them.
Of course, his decision was also influenced by a lack of trust in them.
Their defection was merely a response to pressure. True loyalty was still far off.
But Kawaki Aoba had already devised a way to secure their loyalty—waiting for the right moment to execute a grand performance.
After settling them, Kawaki Aoba inquired about Qingke's status.
Over the past few days, the intelligence Qingke had sent back was substantial, containing numerous leads. The same was true for the other teams.
"Then tell Qingke to begin the operation. Everything is in place. No need to waste more time."
Soon, Kawaki Aoba's order was relayed.
Qingke, who was already tracking the Hyuga squad near the border, acted without hesitation upon receiving the signal.
He led his team to intercept the Hyuga group—caution and stealth were no longer necessary.
Their open pursuit quickly alerted the Hyuga clan members.
Among them, a Hyuga ninja with an activated Byakugan spotted Qingke's team entering his visual field and immediately reported it to Hyuga Hizashi.
However, Hizashi didn't react with alarm.
This had been expected. Their recent movements had been too conspicuous. If the village hadn't sent anyone to investigate, that would've been strange.
Still, Hizashi had no intention of engaging. Instead, he guided the group toward a large river nearby, hoping to lose their pursuers underwater—where only the Byakugan could reliably track movement.
Just as they changed course, the same Hyuga ninja said, "Hizashi-sama, the enemy has altered their direction as well. They're closing in."
Hizashi frowned, then changed direction sharply again, activating his own Byakugan to confirm.
As expected, the pursuers adjusted their path as well. Qingke's team was clearly locked onto them.
"This level of tracking is on par with the Byakugan... They've truly locked in on us."
Hizashi raised his hand, halting the team.
"We can't shake them. Prepare for battle."
"There are ten enemies. Judging from their chakra, there's at most one Jōnin—possibly an elite—but the rest are lower-tier. Since we can't outrun them, we'll eliminate them here."
Hizashi's words were calm but firm. His team, composed of Special Jōnin and above, felt little fear. Few pursuers could pose a threat to a Hyuga combat unit.
Meanwhile, Qingke understood Hizashi's intentions the moment the Hyuga team stopped moving.
Though clearly outmatched in terms of raw strength, Qingke remained confident—not because of overconfidence, but because Kawaki Aoba had given him a trump card.
As the Hyuga squad stood their ground, Qingke and his men closed in.
"Qingke-san... I didn't expect you to come in person," Hizashi said coldly. "If you die here, I imagine Lord Aoba will mourn your loss."
As soon as he saw Qingke, Hizashi knew this wouldn't end peacefully. They had to eliminate the threat.
Faced with the Hyuga's killing intent, Qingke gave a mysterious smile.
"If my death would sadden Aoba-sama, then it would be an honorable one. But I don't think I'll die—not today."
He formed hand seals and activated the jutsu Kawaki Aoba had entrusted to him:
"Caged Bird Seal: Override Activation!"
---
Elsewhere — a noble's manor in the Land of Fire
Inside a grand estate, Namikaze Minato sat silently as an Anbu knelt before him, delivering a status report.
"Hokage-sama, all teams are in position. No matter which noble target the enemy chooses, our squads will intercept them."
Minato nodded. He had been inundated with problems recently.
Within the village, Kawaki Aoba's covert operations were steadily destabilizing the Hyuga clan. Outside, an unknown militant group had been targeting key nobles across the Land of Fire.
Minato had come in person to end this threat.
To that end, he had mobilized every Anbu under his direct command, stationing them at noble estates across the region. Each carried one of his Flying Thunder God kunai.
That way, even if his men were outmatched, he could instantly teleport to any location and tip the scales.
Although the enemy's path was erratic, they were clearly preparing to leave the Land of Fire. If they made one last move, it would fall perfectly into Minato's trap.
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