Chapter 257: One Sentence, Making Hyuga Hiashi Obediently Comply
This was exactly what Kenichi had planned to do anyway. Even if he kept his mouth shut now, would Hiashi not understand the moment Kenichi acted later?
So it was better to say it plainly.
Hiashi froze for a beat.
To be honest, he had only asked out of routine. With that kind of forceful entrance, whatever the intruder wanted could not be something trivial.
But the answer he got was… a drop of his daughter's blood, and a few fragments of her eye tissue?
Hiashi's confusion deepened.
He had been ready for something far worse. The Hyuga's Main House Byakugan had always drawn greedy eyes, both outside Konoha and even within it. Yet because of the Hyuga Clan's standing in the village and the clan's own strength, very few had ever succeeded. So far, the only Byakugan lost to the outside world was the one that ended up in Kirigakure.
And now this masked man burst in, injured people, caused chaos, and then asked for something that sounded almost… ordinary.
It was like someone kicking down your doors, smashing your furniture, and then calmly saying they only wanted a sip of water.
"If you hand it over yourself," Kenichi added, watching Hiashi's stunned face, "then I won't have to fight all of you."
He meant it.
In truth, he had no desire to clash head on with Hiashi. In this short amount of time, Kenichi could already sense more people converging outside.
He had four Shadow Clones stationed beyond the compound. One was keeping Hizashi busy. The other three were monitoring Konoha's movements.
A moment ago, one of those clones dispersed and sent its memories back.
Even though the village was in chaos, Konoha had not ignored the Hyuga Clan. Several teams were already rushing here, and the one leading them was Shikamaru's father, Shikaku.
That alone said enough.
Konoha still valued the Hyuga highly. The Nara Clan, as part of Ino–Shika–Chō, carried real influence and strength.
Of course, whether they were coming out of concern, or out of suspicion that the Hyuga might follow the Uchiha and attempt to defect, was another matter. Kenichi judged it unlikely. Compared to the Uchiha, the Hyuga were practically model citizens, and they were always careful about the bigger picture.
Case in point: at the Third Hokage's request, they had allowed Hizashi, the clan head's own brother, to die.
That alone meant Hiashi was not incompetent. At minimum, he understood that openly opposing Konoha would end in disaster.
"Nara…" Kenichi muttered, already feeling a headache coming on.
That old man was troublesome. Sharp, calculating, the type who could turn a battlefield into a net without lifting a blade. If Shikaku latched onto him, it would get irritating fast.
And Kenichi had no idea how long the Uchiha could keep this riot from collapsing in on itself.
If he could get what he wanted without fighting, that was obviously the best outcome.
Hiashi inhaled slowly.
To be frank, if Kenichi had come alone and spoken quietly, Hiashi might have considered it. A drop of blood and a few fragments of eye tissue were not much. The Hyuga had blood drawn during physical examinations before.
But the problem was the way this man had come.
He had already forced his way in and injured many of the clan's people. If Hiashi simply handed over what he wanted now, the clan members would choke on that humiliation. The Hyuga would remember it, and not in a way that maintained stability.
Hiashi's thoughts churned, weighing the costs.
Then his expression stiffened.
He lifted his head sharply and looked straight at Kenichi.
Kenichi just smiled back, saying nothing.
"If people do not fear death," Hiashi murmured softly, voice low enough that only the nearest could hear, "why threaten them with it?"
The next second, Hiashi moved.
He led the Hyuga shinobi forward, and the battle erupted.
Under the combined pressure of Hiashi and three full teams, the intruder was quickly overwhelmed. He could not stand alone against that kind of siege.
Still, absurdly, he escaped.
He got away with his life.
The Hyuga compound filled with cheers, relief spilling out of the clan members as they watched the masked man vanish.
Hiashi stood among them, but his back seemed to bend a little more than before.
His eyes drifted to the daughter he had protected, and something complex flickered there.
Even so, he raised a hand and called her to his side.
"Hina… are you scared?" Hiashi asked gently, a trace of tenderness showing as he smiled at her.
"I…" Hinata's eyes trembled, weakness flashing through them.
Hiashi sighed. His daughter's personality was truly too soft. For an ordinary girl, that kind of gentleness could be a blessing.
For the heir of the Hyuga Main House, it was a flaw.
Still, Hiashi lifted her into his arms and patted her back, comforting her like any father would.
At the same time, his fingers moved with practiced silence.
A needle pricked.
A single drop of blood.
No one noticed.
Hiashi's gaze slid toward the chaos outside the compound. Flames painted the sky. The village sounded like it was breaking apart. Shikaku arrived in haste, eyes sharp, expression grave.
Something dark and unreadable passed through Hiashi's eyes.
Then it disappeared, and his face returned to calm.
After Shikaku left, Hiashi gave orders.
He sent his younger brother to lead the Hyuga elite out to suppress the rebellion. Meanwhile, he slipped away to the forest behind the Hyuga compound.
There, on a tree branch, Kenichi sat waiting.
Kenichi had already lowered his mask, revealing his true face.
"Did you bring what I wanted?" Kenichi asked, voice relaxed.
"…I brought it," Hiashi answered, giving him a long, hard look. His expression was ugly, but his hand was steady as he passed over what Kenichi had demanded. "But remember your words."
Kenichi took it with a smile.
"Of course I'll remember." He tucked the sample away as if it were nothing. "From now on, the Hyuga Clan's eyes will never be transplantable onto anyone else."
He had what he came for.
There was no reason to stay.
Kenichi chuckled, offered a casual farewell, and left without looking back. He planned to find Naruto next, to leave an impression early. That would make certain future plans easier.
Hiashi remained where he was, watching the direction Kenichi had gone.
Lost in thought.
Originally, Hiashi had not intended to let this end so cleanly. If someone kicked in your door, and you did not strike back, your prestige bled away.
But Kenichi's words had forced him into silence.
They had made him choose.
So he staged a fight, let the clan see bloodless "victory," and then personally delivered what Kenichi wanted.
"The Uchiha reached this point because of those eyes," Hiashi muttered, voice heavy with a long, bitter understanding.
Then he added Kenichi's name to the list of dangerous individuals.
That man had not even joined the rebellion directly.
Yet somehow, without truly participating, he had still become one of the forces that pushed it into existence.
.....
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