Aokawa looked at the struggling Hyuga Zetsu in his hand, his tone flat.
"You didn't actually think your two guards were going all out when they trained with you, did you?"
Hyuga Zetsu's head buzzed, his mind went blank, and a massive sense of humiliation instantly crushed his reason, making him forget the suffocation at his neck.
"Bastard!" His face turned purple-red, his expression distorted: "You dare lay a hand on the Main House!"
"This is a great disrespect to the entire Hyuga Clan! You are challenging rules that have been passed down for a thousand years!"
"This is trampling the highest honor of the entire Hyuga Clan into the ground."
"Put me down immediately, or else all of you will die!"
Aokawa chuckled upon hearing this, a cold arc curling at the corner of his mouth: "Honor?"
"Was the Hyuga Clan's honor earned by you Main House members who hide in the Village enjoying yourselves while using the Branch House as cannon fodder?"
"Or was it earned by a waste like you who only comes to the Front Lines to pad your record and steal credit?"
"You..." Hyuga Zetsu trembled with rage, but couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal.
Because everything Aokawa said was the truth!
He came to the Front Lines specifically to make his record look good; once the war ended, he could use the merit of being "at the Front Lines" to gain a higher status within the Family.
As for fighting? The Branch House cannon fodder was enough for that.
"My grandfather is the Second Elder!"
"If you touch me, he will kill you with his own hands! He will crush your bones inch by inch!"
"I'll give you one last chance: kneel, kowtow, and admit your mistake!"
"I can act like nothing happened and spare your dog life!"
He tried hard to pry the hand from his neck, but no matter how he pulled, he couldn't open it, only able to struggle continuously in Aokawa's grip.
Aokawa looked at his pathetic state and said softly: "Were you defeated by someone of this level? You two guards!"
As soon as he spoke, the two guards who had just scrambled up from the ground stiffened, both turning their heads away, not daring to meet Aokawa's gaze.
"Submitting to such a piece of trash, letting him insult you, just because he's from the Main House."
Aokawa stopped looking at Hyuga Zetsu and turned his gaze to Hyuga Ryosuke nearby.
"Ryosuke, are you content with this?"
Hyuga Ryosuke's body trembled, his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white.
After a moment, he let go weakly and slowly lowered his head, saying nothing.
Aokawa's gaze slowly swept across every Branch House Ninja present.
The gaze wasn't sharp, yet it seemed to see through everyone's heart.
"What about you all?"
"Are you all content with this?"
Everyone his gaze swept over subconsciously avoided eye contact, lowering their heads one after another.
The air was deathly silent.
"I see." A hint of regret flashed through Aokawa's eyes.
He had originally wanted to take this opportunity to kill Hyuga Zetsu right here.
Then all the Branch House members present would have no way back and could only follow him to the end in opposing the Main House.
And he could use these people as a foundation to quickly build his own power.
But he hadn't expected the authority of the Main House in the Hyuga Clan to be so deeply rooted in people's hearts.
Among these people, if even one or two had dared to stand up, he would have killed him without hesitation.
But there were none, not a single one.
Some even cast worried glances toward Hyuga Zetsu.
They were afraid that in a fit of rage, Aokawa would actually kill Hyuga Zetsu and implicate them.
Seeing this, Hyuga Zetsu's arrogance became even more blatant. He sneered, "Do you see their faces? They are terrified! They know that without the Main House, they are nothing but dirt! Go ahead, kill me if you dare, and watch as every single one of them turns on you to save their own pathetic skins!"
Aokawa looked at Hyuga Zetsu, who was shouting threats in his hand.
Frowning, he thought to himself: "The Branch House has been kneeling for too long; they've become numb."
Even though these were just teenagers, and even though someone immune to the Caged Bird Seal had already stood up to defy the Main House.
These people, who were usually full of resentment, still didn't dare to stand up.
Not even to cheer him on.
Killing this waste right now could indeed drag all the Branch House members present onto his war chariot.
But he wanted more than just these few people, and looking at the situation, if the Main House showed even a hint of forgiveness, these people would probably follow them back eagerly.
In that case, he couldn't simply destroy the waste in his hand.
With such a waste around, the rift between the Main and Branch Houses would only grow larger, and the resentment would continue to build.
For him, building his power would only become easier.
"Hyuga Zetsu! You're lucky!" Aokawa said.
"You think just because you have some strength, the other Branch House members will follow you?" Hyuga Zetsu shouted: "The Main House has kept the Branch House dogs for a thousand years; do you think you can just lead them away?"
"Even if you lead them away for a while, as long as the dog leash called the Caged Bird Seal exists, I can make them come crawling back."
Dogs?
The Branch House members present, who had lowered their heads, suddenly looked up again, their previously dull eyes now burning with a raging fire.
They were all in their teens, a time when they considered themselves the chosen ones.
How could they endure being compared to dogs?
They clenched their fists tightly, their teeth grinding.
Aokawa caught this from the corner of his eye, the corners of his mouth curling slightly: "This piece of trash is really useful; a single sentence can ignite the anger of all the Branch House members."
Burn! Burn!
The more it burns, the easier it will be for him.
He looked at the still-shouting Hyuga Zetsu and laughed softly: "You just said the Caged Bird Seal is a dog leash?"
"Is it not? I'm telling you, Aokawa, the dog leash on your neck has only temporarily fallen off. If you're smart, put me down obediently and kneel to lick my boots; then maybe I'll spare you."
"Otherwise! Hmph! Once I return to the clan and find other Cursed Seals to put a leash back on you, you'll have to be my dog obediently."
"Put a leash on me?" Aokawa suddenly smiled upon hearing this: "That's actually a good idea!"
Hyuga Zetsu was stunned, not knowing what Aokawa meant.
Aokawa's other hand suddenly formed a seal.
Poof!
A Shadow Clone appeared beside him.
"What did you call me out for again?" the Shadow Clone asked listlessly.
Aokawa turned and raised an eyebrow at the Shadow Clone: "This guy said he wants to put a leash on us. I think it's a pretty good idea."
"Why don't we try out that 'dog leash' we learned last time?"
Hearing this, the Shadow Clone rubbed his hands together and said excitedly: "Why didn't you say so earlier! If that's the case, I'm not sleepy anymore."
"W-What are you going to do..." Hyuga Zetsu's eyes widened, filled with terror.
"What are we doing? Putting a dog leash on you, of course!" the two Aokawas teased.
"D-Dog leash? W-What dog leash?"
"Master Zetsu, how can you say that?" The Shadow Clone walked forward with a grin: "What dog leash? Shouldn't you Main House members know best?"
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