Beside him, Nara Shikaku slowly shook his head.
"Impossible. The Barrier Team can't be mobilized by Kawaki Aoba. This can only be a force he's cultivated himself. But how long has it been? He's already able to do this... Truly terrifying."
Finally, Yamanaka Inoichi spoke up: "The village has encountered such a significant event. Should we notify Minato?"
"Of course," Shikaku replied. "He is the Hokage of Konoha. He must be informed immediately, but that doesn't require us to worry about it. It's already too late for us to do anything."
He paused, thinking deeply.
"From my understanding of Kawaki Aoba, he would never act without thorough preparation. But no matter how hard I rack my brain, I can't figure out what method he'll use to quell this disturbance. That is the Hyuga clan. Although Kawaki Aoba has the strength to wipe them all out, how will he clean up the mess afterward? He's not the type to disregard the bigger picture. If it were just out of hatred, he would've acted long ago. The fact that he's waited this long suggests there's more at play."
He sighed, clearly frustrated.
"It's a pity. There are too few clues to make a solid guess. For now, we can only wait and see what happens, just like everyone else."
Meanwhile, the most conspicuous observers were the members of the Uchiha clan.
These individuals, ever eager for an exciting spectacle, weren't worried about the situation escalating. They'd go wherever there was a better view. Their presence was hard to miss, and if it weren't for the obstruction of the Six Crimson Ray Formation, they might have rushed directly into the Hyuga clan's territory to watch the drama unfold. The Uchihas were notorious for fearing nothing.
On the other side, Hinata Hiashi and the Second Elder had already met with Kawaki Aoba.
From a distance, Hinata Hiashi saw Kawaki Aoba and the group around him. Despite their clear ill intentions, they hadn't immediately resorted to violence, which brought a small sense of relief.
In this situation, Hiashi didn't expect to negotiate; he only hoped to buy some time.
"Elder Aoba," Hiashi began, feigning ignorance, "I wonder what brings you to our Hyuga clan with such a large force?"
Kawaki Aoba glanced at him indifferently, his voice calm and cold, as if discussing something as trivial as dinner plans.
"The purpose of my visit is simple: to ask the Hyuga clan to disappear completely."
The words struck Hiashi like a slap. Despite his restraint, he couldn't help but feel anger rising in his chest. If not for the current situation, he would have gladly made Kawaki Aoba regret those words.
The Second Elder, however, acted as though he hadn't heard anything. He stepped forward, preparing to enter the house with Kawaki Aoba for tea.
Kawaki Aoba raised an eyebrow. He knew exactly what these two were thinking, but he didn't intend to refuse. In fact, this was exactly what he wanted.
"Let's go. Lead the way," he said casually. "I've never had tea in the Hyuga clan's home before. I think it's about time I properly experience it, before it becomes a rarity."
Hiashi and the Second Elder pretended not to understand the meaning behind his words.
The three of them made their way to a tea room, where the Second Elder personally poured tea for Kawaki Aoba. As he stared at the teacup, Kawaki couldn't help but recall the time he was poisoned. He wondered if the Second Elder had the guts to make the same gamble.
Running his fingers over the teacup, Kawaki Aoba didn't hesitate; he picked it up and drank it in one swift motion.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such a good opportunity, and you didn't even try to seize it," Kawaki remarked with a smirk. "If I were you, I'd have poisoned the tea. What if it succeeded? Too bad you don't have the guts."
The Second Elder blinked in surprise before laughing along with Kawaki Aoba.
"We wouldn't do such a thing," the Elder said with a grin. "Our Hyuga clan has survived in the ninja world for thousands of years. We have our own way of surviving."
He then paused, his expression becoming more serious.
"However, we did invite you here today to ask one thing. Is it truly necessary for us to fight to the death? Elder Aoba, your blood also flows with the Hyuga clan's lineage. Would you consider showing mercy and letting us go? If you do, our Hyuga clan—"
"Enough," Kawaki Aoba interrupted, cutting him off sharply.
He stood, his tone becoming colder. "First of all, the gap in strength between us is enormous. If it comes to a fight, you may die, but I'll ensure the net remains intact."
"Secondly, I might consider letting you go, but you'll have to show me the same strength that once made me fear you—like when I faced you a few years ago. Otherwise, nothing is negotiable."
"Finally," Kawaki continued, his eyes narrowing, "I don't trust the promises of your Hyuga clan. If there's something I want, I'll take it myself."
The Second Elder laughed again, but this time there was a hint of disdain in his tone.
"Take it yourself? Do you really think you've got the Hyuga clan in your grasp, Elder Aoba?"
The Hyuga Clan's Second Elder seemed to be angered by Kawaki Aoba's arrogance.
But Kawaki Aoba looked at him expressionlessly, his pair of sky-blue Tenseigan eyes filled with indifferent emotions.
"Otherwise? Your Hyuga Clan can't make any waves in my hands at all. Perhaps you can try to resist, but the result is already destined."
Kawaki Aoba's tone was like stating a fact.
At this moment, the Hyuga Second Elder sat down again expressionlessly, narrowing his eyes slightly. He didn't speak again.
Through the conversation just now, he already knew Kawaki Aoba's attitude. At this point, no matter what he said, it would only serve to humiliate himself.
On the other hand, Hiashi Hyuga, perhaps because he had seen through the situation, had calmed down and adjusted his mentality.
He didn't speak about whether the Hyuga Clan could survive, but instead asked Kawaki Aoba what his plans were moving forward.
"Even if you have the strength to destroy our Hyuga Clan today, have you thought about how you will establish yourself in the village in the future?" Hiashi's voice was calm, but it carried a hint of concern.
"Neither the Third Hokage nor the Fourth Hokage would be at ease with someone like you, who goes his own way. Neither would the major ninja clans in the village."
"You can use revenge as a reason to destroy us today, and tomorrow you could use another reason to destroy them. No one will trust a person like you."
Kawaki Aoba glanced at Hiashi Hyuga in surprise, not expecting that, even at this point, the other party was still struggling.
That's right—Hiashi still hoped to resolve this dispute peacefully and persuade Kawaki Aoba to abandon his hatred.
Kawaki Aoba's Observation Haki could clearly sense that Hiashi was genuinely trying to save the abandoned branch families, though his efforts seemed pale and powerless in front of Aoba.
After a moment of silence, Kawaki Aoba suddenly smiled and said, "Hiashi, you actually have some leadership qualities now. But unfortunately, once certain things are done, they can never be undone. In this ninja world, there is no place for regret."
Hearing this, Hiashi's expression darkened, and he muttered to himself, "Is that so? It seems that this is fate's choice."
"Tch." Kawaki Aoba sneered, full of disdain.
"What nonsense is this about fate? If I remember correctly, isn't that the set of lies you use to fool the branch families? How come you're even deceiving yourself now?"
"There is no such thing as fate in this world. Only strength matters. The Hyuga Clan is just a piece of fat meat on the chopping board in front of me. I can do whatever I want with you, and you'll have to accept your fate."
"Is this what you call fate?"
"Kawaki Aoba, you are too arrogant. One day, you will pay the price for your arrogance," Hiashi said in a deep voice.
"Arrogant? No, no, no, I call it confidence—the confidence to control the whole situation. Wait a little longer, you don't even have to wait until one day. Soon, you'll see whether I'm arrogant or confident."
After that, the three of them had tea, and no one spoke during this time, quietly waiting for the passage of time.
However, gradually... the Second Elder became restless.
As if there were nails in his chair, the Second Elder felt truly uneasy. Logically, the longer time passed, the more beneficial it should be for them. But for some reason, as time passed, the uneasy feeling in the Second Elder's heart only grew heavier.
Especially when he looked at Kawaki Aoba, who sat there with an old-god-like calmness. His heart grew more irritable.
Finally, as though he had reached his breaking point, the Second Elder exploded.
With a loud bang, he slammed the table and stood up, reaching out to point at Kawaki Aoba. But before he could say anything, a blur of motion crossed his vision, and a cracking sound filled the air as pain shot through his hand.
"So fast," Hiashi muttered, his eyes filled with horror. "There was only a blurry afterimage."
The speed at which Kawaki Aoba moved shocked him. If Aoba had attacked him just then, he would already be dead.
"Weren't you just saying you wanted to drink tea?" Kawaki Aoba mocked. "Why can't you sit still now? Could it be that the dignified Second Elder of the Hyuga Clan can't even maintain a bit of composure?"
Kawaki Aoba's voice was full of contempt as he looked at the Second Elder, who was clutching his arm, trying not to cry out in pain.
This small injury and pain seemed to have rattled him. An old man like this was only fit for engaging in behind-the-scenes plots and conspiracies—not for standing on the front lines.
At this moment, the Second Elder, whose forehead was covered with cold sweat from the pain, raised his head and gritted his teeth, saying, "I should have seen it long ago. You've been acting strange since you appeared. You were stalling for time. What exactly do you want to do?"
Kawaki Aoba raised an eyebrow, not expecting that this old man had some insight.
However, under the shroud of his Observation Haki, Aoba had already confirmed that the Hyuga Clan had no other main family members present besides the two in front of him. The two sides no longer had a way to contact each other, so Kawaki Aoba had no further scruples.
"Stalling for time, huh? Not bad, you guessed it right. But isn't this exactly what you wanted?" Kawaki Aoba said, his tone mocking. "What? I've already cooperated so much, and you're still not satisfied?"
At these words, both Hiashi and the Second Elder's expressions changed drastically.
Kawaki Aoba knew. How much did he know?
"You should be asking how much I know, right? I'm sorry to disappoint you. I know all your plans.
From making a deal with the Underworld Organization, to sending branch family ninjas to attack nobles and raise funds, to contacting the Otsutsuki Clan and formulating a plan to abandon the branch families and only allow main family members to join the Otsutsuki Clan."
"All of this has been under my watch. So, do you think you still have any secrets in my eyes?"
Kawaki Aoba spoke casually, as if it were a joke. But for Hiashi and the Second Elder, his words sent a chill down their spines.
"Impossible. This is absolutely impossible."
Even with the facts in front of him, Hiashi couldn't accept it. He couldn't come to terms with the reality of it.
"Impossible? Nothing is impossible. From the beginning, I told you that you can't make any waves in my hands," Kawaki Aoba's tone remained calm as he stated a fact.
It was just that this fact was too cruel for Hiashi to accept in that moment.
The Second Elder, bloodshot eyes filled with disbelief, looked at the situation before him, unable to comprehend what was happening.
Suddenly, as if realizing something, the Second Elder spoke in disbelief. "Old Six, he's already betrayed us... No, it must be that you used some method to control him."
Kawaki Aoba paused for a moment. He didn't answer, but he didn't deny it either.
Then, in the next moment, he made a sudden move without any warning.
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