Chapter 102

"Ptuuh, Hiashi, dare you call me a traitor? It was you who betrayed our clan's principles. The branch family is meant to serve us, and only then can the Hyuga prosper. If not for you, we would have already achieved our goal," the Hyuga main family member spat and laughed maniacally, blaming Hiashi for the turmoil. As deadly combat ensued, with ANBU operatives cutting down any Hyuga who did not surrender immediately, casualties began to mount, all from within the Hyuga clan itself.

"Hiashi, calm down. The others are under some kind of mind control jutsu. I believe this is one of the Grand Elder's schemes. We need to quickly subdue them, or the ANBU outside will wipe us out of Hyuga today. I also detect that quite a few Uchiha elites have entered our compound. If we don't put a stop to this madness, the entire Hyuga clan will be buried today," Hiashi's father, a former clan head and current high-ranking elder, cautioned his son.

Meanwhile, Hiashi swiftly retrieved a high-level medical scroll and used it to quickly recover from his stab wound. Just as Hiashi prepared to intervene and subdue the controlled Hyuga shinobi, the main entrance to the secure room erupted with a deafening blast. And within moments, the main family members loyal to the Grand Elder, led by Kenshi himself poured in like vicious tigers.

"Hiashi, finally, even you have such a day," Kenshi taunted, his tone dripping with malice. Despite having less than a hundred main family shinobi following him, which constituted eighty percent of the main family, Kenshi remained unfazed. They had control over most of the Hyuga members marked with a curse symbol, except for those with exceptional willpower who could resist the mind control. Even women and children were not spared, as the main family was prepared to sacrifice the branch family members to ensure their own survival.

"Kenshi, you bastard! You're dooming the entire Hyuga clan! Can't you see what's happening outside? The Leaf ANBU are cutting down every Hyuga, regardless of their allegiance. There won't even be a main family left to continue the Hyuga name if this continues," Hiashi declared, his voice filled with urgency as he surveyed the dire situation unfolding outside the compound.

"Hehe, Hiashi, what makes you think I'm worried about the Hyuga's future? The Hyuga family betrayed me when they chose you as the clan head. Now, I'm just in the right place to take my revenge on the entire Hyuga clan," Kenshi coldly stated his sinister intentions amidst the chaos. As he leisurely approached the fallen bodies of two main family members, he callously plucked their eyes out, a cruel display that shocked even his own followers.

"Kenshi, you bastard! What's the meaning of this?" A Hyuga member from the Daimyo faction couldn't contain his outrage at Kenshi's actions, watching in horror as the fallen Hyuga's eyes were taken.

"Heh, I don't need any of your support anymore. I have what I wanted. But I wouldn't say no if any of you are willing to offer me your Byakugan," Kenshi smirked, reveling in the chaos he had sown. As tensions rose and the crowd bristled with anger, a cry from a little girl pierced the air, diverting everyone's attention.

Outside the Hyuga compound, chaos reigned supreme. Branch family members, including non-shinobi, women, and children bearing the curse mark, clashed fiercely with the ANBU despite their efforts to subdue rather than kill. Even the most seasoned ANBU faltered when faced with the prospect of cutting down innocent women and children, causing a stalemate.

Gai struggled to hold back the Uchiha from unleashing their fury upon the possessed Hyuga, knowing that failure to stop them would result in the loss of their own lives. Despite sustaining numerous injuries, Gai's actions saved countless Hyuga lives, leaving his body riddled with stab wounds from his efforts.

Meanwhile, Kakashi, grappling with the task of controlling the Hyuga branch family, appeared beside the Hokage near the entrance of the compound.

"Hokage-sama, everyone within the Hyuga branch family has fallen under some form of control. We must immediately subdue those responsible, or there won't be a Hyuga clan left tomorrow," Kakashi reported, awaiting his next command, his heart heavy with the weight of the purge unfolding within the compound.

Tsunade clenched her teeth in frustration, regretting her decision not to allow Kazuki to study the Hyuga's cursed mark, their closely guarded secret. She now wishes she had been more accommodating to Kazuki's request. Having experienced the devastation of clan annihilation firsthand, she was determined to prevent another Konoha clan from suffering a similar fate. It was this determination that led her to offer Hiashi a chance to save the majority of the Hyuga. But now, everything seemed to spiral out of her control.

Just as she feared the situation would worsen, a massive beam of chakra and nature energy erupted from the central core pillar set up by Kazuki earlier. The entire battle within the Hyuga compound came to a standstill as everyone was captivated by the brilliant display of light. Massive barriers overlapped and merged with each other, creating a mesmerizing spectacle that brought a moment of awe and wonder amidst the chaos and destruction.

Tsunade immediately retrieved the black scroll provided by Kazuki. The Grand Elder, who was performing the Kinjutsu to control the branch Hyuga, was hidden behind a secret barrier within the Hyuga clan. He had to personally conduct the ritual, unknowingly leaving Kenshi in control with his own ulterior motives. With the barrier now active, Tsunade wielded unparalleled power within its confines, thanks to her unrestricted access.

With a few swift hand signs, she pinpointed the Grand Elder's location within the Hyuga compound, hidden behind another barrier. Without hesitation, she surged forward, determined to confront and eliminate the source of the chaos plaguing the village.

Within the barrier, the Grand Elder felt a massive surge of chakra that momentarily interrupted his control over the branch members. He had a premonition that his location was compromised, but before he could fully recover...

"Boom!" A deafening blast echoed, and cracks started forming around the hidden barrier beneath which he was hiding. This barrier, built by the Hyuga clan over time, was capable of withstanding the attacks of multiple Kage-class ninja simultaneously. Yet now, he watched in horror as the cracks expanded with just a single attack.

"Boom!" A second attack landed on the barrier, causing the cracks to spread even further, instilling fear in the Grand Elder like never before. He had never imagined a moment where a mere barrier could induce such terror. Outside the barrier, he could sense the overwhelming bloodlust emanating from the enemy.

"Boom!" With the third attack, the barrier succumbed to the stress and shattered. As the barrier fell, a figure rushed in. The Grand Elder's gaze fell upon Tsunade, and he couldn't help but be reminded of the legendary Hashirama, albeit in a modern battle gear bearing a striking resemblance to that worn during the Warring States period.

Tsunaede's eyes gleamed with a thirst for vengeance, instilling an unprecedented fear in the Grand Elder. His chakra fluctuated erratically, disrupted by his overwhelming terror, causing the kinjutsu to falter.

"Hokage-sama, listen to me! I know I was wrong..." Before the Grand Elder could finish his plea, Tsunade moved with incredible speed. With sheer brute force, she ripped off the arm of the Grand Elder that held the Kinjutsu scroll.

"AAAARGh!" A bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the Hyuga compound.

The moment the kinjutsu was cancelled, the tables turned. All the Hyuga clan members who were under the control of the curse mark regained their sanity. However, the battle still raged on, especially among the Hyuga Shinobi, who believed they were being invaded by other clans. Without orders from the Hyuga higher-ups, the Hyuga Shinobi instinctively clashed with the Uchiha and ANBU. Fortunately, the women and children recoiled in fear, not understanding what was happening around them, ultimately saving their lives.

Meanwhile, Tsunade was bashing the now-dead Grand Elder, whose lifeless body lay broken with his skull caved in and a fist-sized hole in his chest where his heart must have been. Covered in blood, Tsunade turned to Kakashi, who stood at a respectable distance, still in shock.

Without speaking, Tsunade, attuned to nature energy, sensed the chaos around the Hyuga compound. Luckily, because of Kazuki's barrier, the fighting and chaos had been restricted to certain areas.

"[Mokuton: Kajukai Kōrin]" (Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees)

With a series of handsigns, Tsunade kneaded a monstrous amount of chakra and rapidly created a dense forest, engulfing the entire Hyuga compound. Kakashi instinctively understood what was happening and fired a series of firework signals into the air—a dedicated emergency signal to the ANBU commander. Any ANBU worth their salt would recognize these signals and immediately act.

In response, every ANBU locked in combat quickly retreated as the forest engulfed the Hyuga compound. The Uchiha also retreated, realizing the ANBU's actions. Before the Hyuga Shinobi could react, wooden branches sprouted from the trees, restraining them. Even Jonin-caliber Shinobi could not escape the clutches of these branches. Within moments, the entire Hyuga clan was restrained, and massive flowers bloomed within the forest, spreading pollen that knocked out the Hyuga ninjas.

Tsunade had yet to gain fine control of this technique, so the pollen affected all Hyuga ninjas indiscriminately. Originally, she had intended to use the technique to restrain the Hyuga, but the use of the Kinjutsu complicated her plan. Those under the influence of the cursed mark were like mindless puppets, willing to resort to self-harm to escape bindings. Tsunade had feared that restraining them while under the Kinjutsu's influence would endanger the women and children.

"Kakashi, have the ANBU move in and seal the chakra points of every single Hyuga member, including the women and children. I don't want to be blindsided a second time. Anyone out of the remaining Hyuga who tries to resist, kill them. And find me, Kazuki, NOW!" Tsunade bellowed as she surveyed the aftermath of destruction. Once a major clan, now the entire Hyuga compound was filled with a forest she had created, and bodies littered everywhere, mostly Hyuga.

Inside the inner compound, every Hyuga family elite stood shell-shocked. With the Kinjutsu released, the branch family members regained control, but nobody paid attention to it. Kenshi Hyuga stood at the center, surrounded on three sides. On one side stood Hiashi and those loyal to him; on the other stood the main family members who supported the Grand Elder; and on the third side stood the Hyuga Shinobi, who had been released from the Kinjutsu. But it wasn't Kenshi they were looking at, who was laughing like a madman.

Instead, everyone's attention was fixed on the young Hyuga heiress, who was crying uncontrollably while cradling a little infant in her arms. Both Hinata Hyuga and Hanabi Hyuga's faces were splattered with blood, but the blood wasn't their own. What sent chills down everyone's spine was the little kid standing behind Hinata, pointing a blood-stained short blade at the little girl's neck. Meanwhile, he appeared to be carrying something. Upon closer inspection, everyone's blood froze—it was the severed head of a woman. The boy was none other than Neji Hyuga, drenched in blood from head to toe.

"Hahaha, Hizashi, you sure have a prodigy for a son. I never expected the boy to have such talent. Even though it was a sneak attack, I didn't expect him to take down Himari so easily," Kenshi burst out in delight.

"NOOOO!" Hiashi let out a blood-curdling scream, now realizing that the severed head little Neji was carrying belonged to his wife.

Neji, completely under Kenshi's control, stepped forward, pushing the two little girls toward Kenshi.

"I sure must thank the Grand Elder for teaching me such a kinjutsu. Otherwise, there was no way in hell I could have pulled this off." Kenshi cackled like a madman. Everyone around him was frozen, none daring to move, as the madman had complete control over Neji. With a single command, he could have Neji kill himself or the two little girls.