Chapter 103

Hiashi lost all his sanity as he saw the blood-dripping head and rushed forward to attack Neji, despite his children's lives being at stake. As Hiashi lunged forward with a primal roar of anguish, his movements fueled by grief and vengeance, Hizashi intercepted him, moving with a grace and fluidity that matched his brother's. Both Hyuga masters engaged in a deadly dance, their strikes and blocks executed with precision born from years of rigorous training.

"[Hakke Rokujyon Shō] !" (Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms) Hiashi bellowed, his strikes coming in rapid succession, aiming to overwhelm Hizashi's defenses and reach Neji. But Hizashi countered each blow with his own version of the technique, deflecting Hiashi's attacks and keeping him at bay.

In the midst of the chaos, Neji stood frozen, his eyes clouded with despair and pain, yet his body moved mechanically under Kenshi's control. With each clash between the brothers, Neji's grip on the short blade tightened, his fingers trembling with a mixture of fear and resignation.

"[Hakkeshō Kaiten]!" (Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven) Hiashi unleashed a powerful rotation, aiming to create an opening in Hizashi's defenses. But Hizashi anticipated the move, swiftly dodging to the side and retaliating with a series of swift strikes of his own.

Their battle raged on, each blow resonating with the weight of their emotions. Hiashi's grief-fueled fury clashed against Hizashi's determination to protect his son, creating a tumultuous spectacle of Hyuga taijutsu prowess.

As the clash between the brothers intensified, a few Hyuga veterans showed signs of movement, which Kenshi keenly noticed.

"Ah, my fellow clansmen, I know you're eager to save these children, but be advised that I cannot guarantee their safety if any of you intervene. So please, don't blame me if my hand slips," Kenshi warned, his hands poised in a commanding gesture to direct Neji's movements. After Kenshi's chilling admonition, none dared to intervene, fearing for the children's lives. Even the Hyuga members from the Daimyo faction were bewildered by Kenshi's actions and hesitated to act.

Neji mechanically obeyed Kenshi's commands, pushing Hinata in front of him as directed. Kenshi kneeled down to Hinata's eye level, holding her mother's severed head in front of her.

"Ah, you have such beautiful eyes, little Hinata. Look, your mother has the same beautiful eyes as you," Kenshi taunted, waving the severed head in front of the traumatized girl. In a moment of extreme shock, Hinata's eyes briefly glowed blue, a transformation noticed by Kenshi.

"Hahaha, you morons! Such a genius child, and you call her talentless. No wonder the Hyuga fell," Kenshi gloated, reveling in the revelation that everything he had learned from the clan records was true. A person with the purest Byakugan had a chance to evolve their Dojutsu to a higher version, rumored to match the legendary Rinnegan.

All the Hyuga within the chamber were confused by Kenshi's ramblings, but his next action shocked them to their core. With one swift motion, Kenshi plucked out both of the Hyuga princess's eyes, causing her to collapse to the floor, bleeding from her eye sockets, and letting out a heart-wrenching cry.

Both Hiashi and Hizashi, upon witnessing this gruesome scene, forgot about their fight and instinctively moved towards Kenshi to tear him to pieces. But someone among the Hyuga moved even faster.

"You heartless bastard!" With a roar, the elderly man from the branch family, who held an elder position, rushed forward to strike Kenshi. Kenshi immediately created distance, carrying Hanabi and tossing out Himari's severed head, now with her Byakugan extracted, towards Hiashi and Hizashi, who were rushing forward.

The old man, however, was intercepted by little Neji, who mechanically tried to fight against the veteran Shinobi. Despite Neji's efforts, the old man quickly subdued him, blocking all his tenketsu points with a series of precision attacks.

Neji's little body fell with a thud, still breathing. Meanwhile, Kenshi pulled out a kunai, pointing it menacingly at little Hanabi, who was still swaddled. The old man gritted his teeth in vengeance, and even Hiashi and Hizashi froze in shock as Kenshi prepared to plunge the kunai into the little infant.

"I don't care if I die here today because I already have my vengeance. But be sure that you're willing to seal this little infant's fate alongside mine. I'm not a cruel man. See, I spared the Hyuga princess's life," Kenshi taunted, leveraging Hanabi's life in exchange for his safety.

The old man turned his attention to little Hinata, whom he loved like his own granddaughter, who was writhing on the ground in pain. Quickly, he bent down next to her and started administering Iryo ninjutsu to stop the bleeding, but a shout from multiple Hyuga Shinobi caught his attention.

"Elder, watch out!" Amidst the shouts, a sharp pain shot through the old man's back, severing his spine. Behind him stood Neji, who had buried the short sword right down to its hilt.

The old man had underestimated the kinjutsu used by Kenshi and thought Neji was out of commission, but he was wrong, and his mistake proved fatal. Despite the pain, he didn't retaliate against little Neji; instead, with a one-handed chop, he knocked out the kid for good this time. Despite his quickly fading vitality due to a severed spine, he continued treating little Hinata.

"Cough, cough," the old man spat out a mouthful of blood but continued treating Hinata.

"You shouldn't have let your guard down, damn! Old man, you sure are crazy. You're still alive with a severed spine?" Kenshi couldn't help but comment in awe as he saw the old man keeping himself alive with sheer determination.

As Tsunade and the ANBU rushed into the inner area where the gruesome events were unfolding, they were greeted by a scene of chaos and horror. Bodies littered the ground, blood stained the walls, and the air was thick with tension. Tsunade's expression darkened as she surveyed the scene, her usually calm demeanor replaced by a steely resolve.

Kenshi, standing amidst the chaos, mockingly welcomed the Hokage and warned her not to try anything funny. His eyes gleamed with malice as he surveyed the newcomers, his gaze lingering on the ANBU and Uchiha members who had rushed in alongside Tsunade.

"Ah, Hokage-sama, how kind of you to join us?" Kenshi sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "But let's not make any rash decisions now, shall we? I've taken precautions to ensure our little gathering remains... undisturbed."

Tsunade's jaw clenched as she listened to Kenshi's words, her mind racing to come up with a plan to deal with the situation. The ANBU, meanwhile, exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what to make of the scene unfolding before them.

Kenshi's gaze shifted to the Uchiha members who had entered the fray, and a cold smile played across his lips. "And as for you, Uchiha," he said, his voice low and dangerous, "don't even think about trying any genjutsu tricks. I've placed a seal on myself, and if it breaks, well..." He trailed off, his meaning clear.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed at Kenshi's threat, her fists clenched at her sides. She knew they were walking on thin ice, but she refused to back down. With a steely resolve, she met Kenshi's gaze head-on, despite not knowing what the situation was.

Tsunade's gaze hardened as she approached the old man, whom she recognized from her younger days. He was someone who helped most aspiring medics to find the ropes; even Tsunade herself asked the old man for guidance when she was young. Despite Kenshi's menacing warnings, she ignored his threats and knelt beside the dying elder, her movements deliberate and resolute.

"Don't even dare think about it, Senju. Stay where you are," Kenshi bellowed, his voice tinged with desperation as he brandished the kunai, drawing blood as it tore through his skin. His facade of confidence wavered in the face of Tsunade's unyielding determination.

Unfazed by Kenshi's threats, Tsunade continued her treatment, focusing solely on the injured elder. She tore through scroll after scroll, each one containing top-notch medical techniques crafted by Kazuki for his master's use in times of dire need.

"You damn woman! Are you deaf? Do you want me to kill this infant?" Kenshi's voice cracked with urgency, but Tsunade remained composed, her resolve unshaken.

"Go on, do it. But remember, the child is your last shield, keeping you alive," Tsunade retorted, her tone steady and unyielding. "And when that shield comes down, I promise you, on my Senju name, that your death will be so cruel that even millennia from now, the world will not forget the way you died."

As Tsunade worked tirelessly to stabilize the injured elder, Kenshi's facade of confidence began to crumble, replaced by a rising tide of panic. He watched helplessly as the Godaime Hokage demonstrated her unparalleled skill and resolve, realizing that challenging her was a grave mistake.

Desperate to regain control of the situation, Kenshi's mind raced for a solution. He knew he couldn't afford to anger Tsunade further, but he couldn't back down either. With a calculating glint in his eyes, he attempted to salvage his position by resorting to manipulation.

"Alright, Hokage," Kenshi began, his voice strained but attempting to maintain a facade of authority. "You've made your point. But let's not forget who holds the cards here, and I'm willing to make a deal. Hand over what I want, and I'll consider sparing the child."

Tsunade paused momentarily, her expression unreadable, before slowly rising to her feet now that the old man was stabilized. In one swift motion, she retrieved a large scroll from her belongings and placed it calmly on the ground in front of her.

"Is this what you're after?" she challenged, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "Come and fetch it if you dare."

"Hahaha, Tsunade-sama, you are a true Senju," Kenshi sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I am not stupid enough to fall for your trick. Well, I'll just consider that the grapes were sour, and I am not destined to taste them. You cannot blame a man for trying to get his hands on a bijuu. Now, I know you Hokage don't worry about a single infant's life, but is that the same case for the remaining Hyuga who are innocent of any crimes? And how about the infant's mother? Oh, my bad, I forgot—the child's mother is dead. Then how about her father?"

Kenshi's words were laced with cunning and madness as he attempted to manipulate Tsunade's emotions and sow seeds of doubt. Despite his bravado, there was a hint of desperation in his voice, a last-ditch effort to regain some semblance of control in the face of the Hokage's unwavering resolve.

Since Tsunade entered the inner area, the ANBU hadn't been idle. While Tsunade kept the madman Kenshi in check, they had been quickly subduing the rest of the Hyuga main family from the Daimyo faction. However, not many of them resisted because they had already lost their way out due to the Grand Elder's actions, and after what Kenshi did today, not even their own kin would be willing to plead for them. The few Hyuga main family members who resisted were brutally slaughtered. In front of hundreds of elite Shinobi from ANBU and the Uchiha clan, the struggle of a mere dozen was futile.

Kenshi, who watched this, couldn't help but chuckle. "It seems like the Grand Elder himself must have met with quite a gruesome death, so it seems like I should at least retreat safely from here to fulfill the old man's wishes, don't you think, Hiashi? Hahahaha. Hokage-sama, I can sense that the entire village is now covered with some kind of barrier. I fear the new barrier has been erected. I'm not foolish enough to think that I can bypass such a barrier. Why don't you let me go in exchange for this child's life?" Kenshi cackled, as he had already guessed the Grand Elders demise when the Kinjtsu broke. Without another word, he quickly performed a series of one-handed signs and placed his palm on little Hanabi. Under everyone's shocked gazes, a fuinjutsu symbol appeared, covering the entire infant's body.

"Hehe, now that the contract's complete, as long as you kill me, the child will die with me. I promise you, on my name as Hyuga, I will release the child once I cross the village barrier," Kenshi declared with a twisted smirk.

Tsunade's mind raced with countermeasures, frustrated that Kazuki was nowhere to be seen yet. He had gone to subdue the rats that had emerged from the sewers during the Hyuga coup. If Kazuki were here, maybe he might have a chance with Hiraishin.