"No!"
Hyuga Sanmei's voice remained firm as he met Asuma Sarutobi's gaze. The Byakugan in his eyes carried a heavy seriousness.
"I've said it before—this is a matter of the Hyuga clan. Konoha has no right to interfere!"
Sanmei did not back down at all. Even if it was Asuma confronting him, it made no difference. The affairs of the Hyuga clan were not for outsiders to meddle in.
"You… what if I force my way in?" Asuma snapped, anger flaring.
Chakra surged violently around him, radiating a threatening aura. "You're definitely hiding something. Hmph… I don't care about your rules. You cannot do anything that goes against Konoha. Step aside immediately!"
As he spoke, a chakra blade appeared in Asuma's hand, sharp wind blades attached to it. If Sanmei dared to say "no" again, he would show no mercy.
At the same time, the ANBU who had been clashing with the branch members drew their weapons as well.
The moment Asuma acted, they would strike without hesitation. Their loyalty lay with the Hokage, and Asuma, as the Hokage's representative, gave them orders that could not be ignored.
The ten or so Hyuga branch members, including Sanmei, tightened their grip on their weapons. If Asuma dared to make a move, they would immediately fight back.
"Asuma, it doesn't have to come to this. I think we should send someone to call the Hokage!" Kakashi stepped forward to intervene, seeing the tension escalate.
In his view, once the Hokage intervened, the situation would be resolved.
But Asuma remained obstinate, showing no sign of yielding.
"Kakashi, this isn't your concern. If you won't help me, step aside and don't get in the way!" Asuma snorted coldly. "The Hyuga clan is breaking Konoha's rules within their own ranks. We have to go in! Since they refuse, I'll force my way in!"
Just as he finished speaking, a piercing scream echoed from deep within the Hyuga compound. Instantly, Asuma's expression darkened further, and he strode forward without hesitation.
"Not allowed!" Sanmei blocked him once more, his voice icy.
Asuma did not want to waste time arguing with them. Calmly, he said, "Attack!"
With a sharp shout, Asuma moved first, his kunai aimed straight for Sanmei's throat.
Hyuga Sanmei's Byakugan activated, and he clashed with Asuma Sarutobi in a fierce battle, neither able to gain the upper hand.
Although Asuma was a top-tier Jonin, facing Hyuga Sanmei, who was also a Jonin, he couldn't take any advantage. They fought intensely, evenly matched.
Other ANBU ninjas joined the fray, pairing off with members of the Hyuga branch family, turning the scene into utter chaos.
At that moment, Naruto and Sasuke arrived, and seeing this, they froze.
"What's going on? Why are they fighting?" Naruto asked, exchanging a puzzled look with Sasuke.
"I don't know," Sasuke replied coldly, his eyes fixed on the battle. A fight of this caliber was a rare opportunity for him to learn.
"Hey… isn't that Asuma-sensei, Shikamaru's teacher?" Naruto pointed, astonished.
Sasuke didn't respond, his gaze never leaving the battlefield.
"Hehe… you guys slow down! I can't keep up!" Sakura arrived, slightly out of breath, and froze when she saw everyone fighting.
"Huh? What's happening?" Sakura's expression was blank, clearly confused by the chaos before her.
"Why are you here? I told you to wait back there," Kakashi said, appearing instantly in front of them, his tone serious.
In this situation, it was too dangerous for Genin to get involved; one wrong move could get them hurt.
As he spoke, a shuriken flew toward Sakura. She was still in shock, unable to react, her eyes wide with fear.
"Sakura!" Naruto and Sasuke shouted simultaneously, trying to catch the shuriken, but it was too late.
At the last moment, Kakashi acted swiftly, catching the shuriken with his hand.
"Step back!" Kakashi instructed, guiding them to the side, his expression grave as he watched the battle. Without interference, Asuma might even lose.
"Make way…" Two people dressed in Hyuga attire approached.
They didn't have the Caged Bird seal on their foreheads, clearly members of the Hyuga main family who had just returned from outside.
They squeezed past Kakashi and reached the front.
"What's going on?" one of the main branch Hyuga members said, staring at the battlefield with surprise. The branch family was actually fighting Konoha's Anbu?
"Stop!" another main branch member, Hyuga Nagafumi, shouted angrily, watching the battle escalate.
However, the branch family and the Konoha Anbu continued to fight fiercely, ignoring his command.
"Hyuga Sanmei, stop!" Hyuga Nagafumi's face darkened. Since when did the branch family refuse to follow the main family's orders?
"No, they can't get through!" Hyuga Sanmei stood firm, showing no sign of backing down.
Hyuga Nagafumi's expression grew even uglier. He hadn't expected the branch family to dare defy the main family's orders. He looked coldly at Sanmei, his tone laced with threat: "Hyuga Sanmei, do you even understand what you're doing? Defying the main family—can you handle the consequences?"
Hyuga Sanmei didn't answer. He just stared at Nagafumi coldly, his weapon still firmly in hand.
At that moment, a piercing scream echoed from deep within the Hyuga territory. The sound was sharper and more agonizing than before, filled with endless pain.
"No," Hyuga Sanmei said, fighting while speaking. "I told you, this is a family matter. Konoha has no right to interfere!"
Sanmei did not yield at all.
"In that case, don't blame me for being ruthless!" Hyuga Nagafumi snorted coldly, his fingers forming hand seals.
Ah—
Hyuga Sanmei immediately clutched his head, his body arching backward.
Swoosh—
Asuma Sarutobi seized the opportunity. The kunai in his hand flashed like a blade of wind!
One of Hyuga Sanmei's arms fell to the ground.
The others, seeing Sanmei's arm severed, quickly stopped fighting. They rushed to support him, glaring angrily at Hyuga Nagafumi.
The main branch family were still as detestable as ever… yet no one dared speak up.
Kakashi frowned, looking at Asuma. "Asuma, you've gone too far. They're Konoha people—why strike so brutally?"
"As soon as he refused to follow the Hokage's orders, this outcome was inevitable!" Asuma snorted coldly, replying to Kakashi only briefly. Then he turned to an Anbu behind him.
"Go back and tell the Hokage to send more people. Something's wrong with the Hyuga clan here."
After giving the instructions, he led the others deeper into the Hyuga territory, following Nagafumi.
****
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