Chapter 39

Chapter 39

The Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, gazed at the scene of devastation before him, his wizened features etched with grave frown. Around him, his elite Anbu guard had already fanned out, securing the perimeter.

His gaze then fell upon the charred corpse lying nearby, then shifted to the young man standing amidst the rubble. "Tatsuya Hyūga," Hiruzen addressed him, his voice stern yet laced with thinly veiled bewilderment. "What is the meaning of this? You know full well that fighting and killing within the village is strictly forbidden."

While he spoke those words aloud, internally, Hiruzen was stunned. 'That body on the ground...this boy did that to him?'

As he carefully analyzed the area, the signs quickly became undeniable – the evidence all pointed to the fact that the boy before him had indeed dealt the fatal blow that ended the man's life. As he could sense the rapidly dissipating chakra levels emanating from the corpse, clearly indicating the man had only recently died. Moreover, the residual energy he detected showed that he was at least jōnin-rank while he was alive.

'And he was killed by a mere academy student?' The notion was difficult for even him to digest. 'Is he the second coming of Itachi Uchiha?'

Tatsuya met Hiruzen's stern gaze unflinchingly, "I was under the direct orders of my mother, Hokage-sama," he stated firmly. "As you well know, the clan leaders have autonomous authority within their district to act as they see fit in case of an emergency, including the use of lethal force if necessary."

Hiruzen's frown deepened as he processed Tatsuya's words. "Very well, I see," he replied at length, before letting out a resigned sigh. "Let us go, then. I have urgent matters to discuss with your mother."

Tatsuya nodded and they soon arrived at the central courtyard amid the decimated compound. There, they saw Hitomi lifting Yami into the air by his neck, her grip so vise-like that the veins around his throat looked ready to burst.

Both Hitomi and Yami were battered and bloodied from their intense battle.

Yami's was particularly more harrowing – missing an arm, an ear, his once-handsome face deformed beyond recognition. Even Hitomi had several bloody patches staining her clothes.

"Mother!" Tatsuya rushed to Hitomi's side, worry etched across his features as he supported her injured form.

"Don't worry, I am alright," Hitomi assured him, though she accepted his aid gratefully. She then turned to address the Hokage with a respectful nod. "Since Hokage-sama has come here personally, I trust my clone has already provided you with information about the situation?"

Hearing her words, Hiruzen suddenly froze as he recalled what had happened earlier.

Originally, he had been leisurely enjoying a peaceful cup of tea in his office when an Anbu guard interrupted him, reporting a disturbance and fighting within the village premises.

But before the Anbu could elaborate, a shadow clone of Hitomi had suddenly barged into his office, startling him.

In his startled state, Hiruzen had instinctively flung his teacup at the clone, dissipating it before it could say anything. The only words he managed to get were "We have caught a traitor."

So Hiruzen chose to lie. "I...did receive some information. But I want to hear the full account directly from you."

Hitomi gave him a confused look but nodded, "I had recently received credible intelligence that one of my clan members has been conducting illegal, treasonous experiments on innocents in an attempt to usurp power from the Main Family." Her expression twisted into disgust.

"That is why I conducted a raid upon his residence," she continued.

Hiruzen furrowed his eyebrows as he processed her words, rubbing his goatee thoughtfully. "Are you certain about the validity of your information source? Such accusations should not be made lightly.

Hitomi leveled a steely look upon him and said "I have complete trust in my information, Hokage-sama. Do not doubt that for a moment."

"I see…," The Sandaime conceded, recognizing the futility of pressing the issue further. "However, raiding his residence without first consulting myself or the council was unwise. Such matters cannot be undertaken unilaterally without proper oversight."

Hitomi's eyes narrowed slightly at the rebuke, her jaw tightening. "With all due respect, Hokage-sama, threats against my clan are personal matters to be dealt with by my own hands. I did not wish to risk the traitor escaping while we engaged in protracted discussions."

Suddenly, Yami's raspy voice interrupted them,"Liar...she is...lying..."

"You dare talk back even now!" Hitomi reacted with a vicious stomp upon Yami's already mangled face, shattering what few teeth he had left in a sickening crunch of bone and cartilage.

Even the battle-hardened Hiruzen felt a twinge of shock at the brutality of her actions. He gazed upon the battered man with a mixture of revulsion and pity, taking in the full extent of his mutilated form. "So this is the traitor you apprehended?" His eyes suddenly narrowed as he focused on the deformed face more intently. "Wait...isn't he Yami?"

He had some memories of this man. From what he can remember he was one of the elders of Hyúga's and had an eccentric personality.

"Yes, it is him," Tatsuya nodded.

Sensing an opportunity, Yami quickly dragged his broken body towards Hiruzen, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. "Save me, Hokage-sama!" he rasped between labored breaths. "They invaded my home without provocation or proof and started beating me mercilessly! They even killed my servants without justification! Look what she did – taking my arm, my ear!"

Yami huddled pitifully behind Hiruzen's robes, his pleading gaze meeting the Hokage's impassive expression. "Please, you must help me! Hokage-sama. She is abusing her power as clan leader. I beg of you!"

Though his features remained stoic, Hiruzen felt a twinge of disgust at Yami's pathetic display. However, as the village's leader, he had a duty to hear both sides before rendering judgment.

"Do you have proof of his crime, Hitomi?" Hiruzen asked, turning his gaze towards the Hyūga matriarch, his voice level devoid of outward bias.

A smug smirk played across Yami's bloodied lips upon hearing the Hokage's question. 'I've won,' he thought, having anticipated this very scenario and prepared accordingly.

He had already ensured there would be no tangible evidence of his work remaining. He had especially instructed his servant Daichi(the man Tatsuya had killed) to destroy any proof and traces from his basement before the attack. And with Murama also now gone, there were no witnesses left.

'Just wait, you bitch,' Yami silently vowed, already formulating schemes of vengeance against both mother and son.

Hitomi met Hiruzen's questioning gaze, her expression resolute. "I do have proof," she stated. She then turned to Tatsuya and gave a subtle nod.

Tatsuya understood the signal and responded with a nod of his own. "Let's go to the basement, Hokage-sama. All the evidence is there."

"Hmm." Hiruzen nodded and they made their way towards the basement.

Since the basement was constructed deep underground, it had avoided the destruction from the fight.

'Hehe. Search how much you want, all you'll find is nothing but waste,' Yami thought smugly, a twisted grin contorting his ruined features.

Upon reaching the basement's entrance, they came to a halt, the heavy metal door in the front.

"...This material..." Hiruzen murmured, his fingers tracing the cool steel surface with a furrowed brow. "Isn't this the famous metal alloy capable of blocking even the Byakugan?"

His eyes widened slightly as realization dawned.'Even if the coating in the wall is only a few millimeters thick, the cost of such a material would still be exorbitant – more than most could afford even if their entire family's wealth was exhausted.'

"Moreover, he had two such rooms constructed. Do you truly expect him to be innocent or does he think we are fools"

"Me having it doesn't prove anything. All of these are baseless accusations!" Yami snarled.

Tatsuya stepped forward and opened the heavy door. "You can go ahead and see for yourselves," he stated.

Hiruzen, accompanied by a contingent of his Anbu guards and Hitomi, entered it.

While Hitomi already knew of the basement's contents from her son, she hadn't seen it with her own eyes

While they were gone,Yami taunted Tatsuya, a hint of his former arrogance resurfacing "They wouldn't find anything, boy,"

"You are remarkably confident in yourself, despite your...condition," Tatsuya said.

He then took a step closer, his frame towering over the injured elder. "Be as smug as you wish, because once all of this is over, I will ensure you experience true suffering – the mere trickle you endured at my mother's hands will pale in comparison to what I have in store for you."

Seeing those haunting pools of vivid violet, like they were forcefully drowning him in their depths. A primal shiver raced down his spine.

"W-What are y-you?!" Yami stammered, recoiling in terror, his body tensing and trembling as if he had just stared into the abyss itself.

Seeing that he was sufficiently cowed, Tatsuya stepped back.

A few minutes passed before Hitomi and Hiruzen emerged from the basement, their expressions grim.

Immediately, the fearful expression on Yami's face faded, replaced by a flicker of hope as he looked towards them. "See? Didn't I say I was innocent?" he rasped.

But what he received in response was a collective silence far more damning than any accusation. Cold, impassive stares met his gaze – even the Anbu guards regarded him with eyes devoid of sympathy.

"Seize him!" Hiruzen's bellowed.

"What? Stop... Hokage-sama, you can't do this!" Yami sputtered, his bravado crumbling as the Anbu moved to restrain him. "I am innocent, I tell you! This is a grave injustice!"

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