Chapter 110: Searching For The Red-eyed Clan【subscribe】
Hyuga Clan Territory had already entered a state of high alert, the entire clan territory filled with killing intent, as if war was imminent!
All of this stemmed from that mysterious “forewarning letter” that suddenly appeared in Hizashi Hyuga’s study room.
【When the pendulum kisses the twelfth mark】
【Moonlight will pity the door without locks】
【In the sigh of the caged bird】
【I will take away Hamura’s gift】
【—Shura】
“Clan Head! We have already reported to the Hokage Building! But Hokage-sama is not there, and Anbu has gone to contact Hokage-sama!” A Hyuga Branch Family ninja knelt on one knee outside the assembly hall, his voice tense.
Inside the assembly hall, the elders of the Hyuga Main Family and Branch Family head Hizashi Hyuga had already gathered.
Hiashi Hyuga sat steadily in the patriarch’s seat, his Byakugan darkly scanning toward the door, waving his hand to signal withdrawal.
Only then did this Branch Family ninja feel greatly relieved, rising hastily and leaving.
“That Shura is truly too detestable!”
“Last time he killed the Cloud Village Special Envoy, trying to frame our Hyuga Clan, and even injured the Clan Head!”
“This is intolerable! If he dares to come this time, we’ll make sure he doesn’t leave!”
Several Main Family elders discussed angrily, their words filled with shame and fury toward Shura.
The esteemed Hyuga Clan, Konohagakure’s second largest ninja clan, renowned even in the entire Ninja World as a prestigious ninja clan, was being provoked like this by a mysterious ninja who appeared out of nowhere?
The opponent had even openly declared to take away a pair of Byakugan from the Hyuga Clan!
This was a trampling of the Hyuga Clan’s dignity!
These Hyuga Main Family elders were accustomed to holding high positions daily; how could they endure such provocation!
Hiashi Hyuga, sitting in the patriarch’s seat, coldly scanned the room, feeling somewhat disappointed.
It had been several hundred years since the Hyuga Clan divided into Main Family and Branch Family, with the Main Family having quite a few members, totaling four houses.
Including the Clan Head’s line, the Main Family had five houses, and the heir of each house was an elder of the Hyuga Clan, holding the highest family decision-making authority in the Hyuga Clan.
Similarly, these Main Family elders could only have one person inherit each house.
If a certain Main Family elder had two children, then according to the tradition of establishing heirs, the eldest son would inherit the house and become an elder, while the second son would be branded with the caged bird curse mark and relegated to the Branch Family.
Thinking of this, Hiashi Hyuga looked toward his younger brother beside him, Hizashi Hyuga.
In the family assembly hall, among the numerous attending high-level officials of the Hyuga Clan, only Hizashi had a headband tied across his forehead to cover the caged bird curse mark, and only Hizashi was a Branch Family member.
“Hizashi, what do you think his purpose is?” Hiashi’s words startled Hizashi, who had been somewhat lost in thought.
He knelt gracefully on the tatami, saying steadily, “Clan Head, I suspect Shura is a ninja from within the village.”
“What?”
“Absurd!”
“How is that possible!”
“Hizashi, don’t speak nonsense!”
Hizashi’s words had just finished when they caused an uproar among the Main Family elders.
They each furrowed their aged brows, refuting Hizashi Hyuga’s speculation.
Hiashi raised his hand, suppressing the clamor.
“I believe Hizashi is not speaking recklessly. Last time we clashed with Shura, Hizashi was severely injured, showing that the enemy knows our Hyuga Clan very well.”
Hiashi first explained to the Main Family elders, then continued questioning Hizashi: “Do you have some inference?”
“Yes.” Hizashi said slowly: “During that last clash, I was surprised to discover that Shura was very familiar with Gentle Fist techniques, even faintly sensing shadows of Konoha Style and Gentle Fist in his taijutsu moves.”
“Moreover, he is definitely not one of the known two infiltrations into Konoha, so either he knows the village’s barrier very well, enough to find a flaw in the village protection barrier and infiltrate silently, or…”
At this point, Hizashi stopped speaking.
But everyone in the assembly hall had already understood his meaning.
Thinking carefully, if it was the first possibility, how powerful would that person’s strength be?
Everyone couldn’t help but recall Uchiha Madara from decades ago!
If another Uchiha Madara appeared, with Konohagakure’s current strength, they truly would not be a match.
Although the Third Hokage was called the strongest Hokage, he still had a large gap compared to the Second Hokage and First Hokage, let alone contending with Uchiha Madara, who could rival the First Hokage.
So the second inference was more acceptable.
“Clan Head!”
While everyone was discussing animatedly, another Branch Family ninja hurried in, bringing new news.
“The Third Hokage-sama requests you to discuss matters at the Hokage Building.”
Hearing that it was Hokage-sama’s invitation, Hiashi put away the “forewarning letter” on the table.
“I will go discuss handling methods with Hokage-sama. You all should stay put these next few days.” Hiashi’s Byakugan swept over the several elders as he said this.
These few elders felt somewhat insulted, their faces turning ashen.
But thinking of the opponent’s strength—who could easily injure the two Hyuga brothers and then escape unscathed from Anbu ninjas’ pursuit—these elders’ strengths were only at special jonin and ordinary jonin levels; if they encountered the opponent, survival would be difficult.
Thus, the Hyuga Clan Territory had now entered a state of high alert, with all chunin and above combat forces assembling at the Main Family Courtyard.
The Byakugan, originally prohibited for use in the clan territory, was now permitted to activate, and three teams of personnel were assigned to rotate opening their eyes 24 hours a day to ensure no one infiltrated the Hyuga Clan Territory.
Under such tight defenses, plus the elite ninjas that would be dispatched by Hokage-sama after notification, Hiashi was confident that the enemy would absolutely not enter the Hyuga Clan Territory undetected!
Watching his brother’s departing figure, Hizashi Hyuga’s Byakugan hung low, lost in thought about something.
——————
Meanwhile, the “phantom thief” who had sent such a forewarning letter was now far away in the northwest of the Land of Fire.
“Is this the place?” Menma, wearing a fox mask, stood on the mountain path.
His activated Kagura Shingan sensed that abnormal chakra fluctuation.
Ahead was a small village built halfway up the mountainside, where villagers worked at sunrise and rested at sunset.
The village was piled with gravel into bases, with over twenty small wooden houses scattered on the halfway point.
When Menma appeared in front of the village, he immediately drew the attention of the villagers working in the fields.
Such a person clad in a black robe, wearing a fox mask, exuding a strange aura all over—how could he look like a good person?
Thus, the villagers all ran back to the village.
Soon, a dozen or so villagers held pitchforks, shoulder poles, hoes, and other weapons, standing nervously in front of the village door.
Though they tried to make their faces fierce to seem intimidating, they were just ordinary villagers; as the mysterious person drew closer, they gradually panicked.
Step—
Menma stopped in front of the crowd, his gaze from under the white three-eyed fox mask locking onto a skinny man among them.
“If you don’t want to be killed by me, hand over the Red Eye Clan.” With that, Menma tossed a kunai attached with an explosive tag with one hand, hitting a nearby cattle shed.
Boom!
The massive explosion directly reduced the cattle shed to ashes.
The crowd of villagers was terrified by the blast, discussing animatedly, even arguing.
Soon, an old man was pushed forward, taking two steps ahead, trembling and plaintively begging: “Lord, we really don’t know what this Red Eye Clan you’re talking about is!”
Menma raised his hand, pointing at a skinny man in the crowd.
The villagers looked at each other, then suddenly shoved the man out.
“You can’t do this! I still have a pregnant wife!” The man cried and begged nonstop.
However, the villagers turned a deaf ear.
Even the old man spoke up: “Lord, do you need us to grab his wife too? We only beg you to spare us ordinary folk.”
Hearing the once kindly old village chief demanding his pregnant wife be handed over too, the man could no longer hold back, his eyes filling with blood-colored chakra, blurring his pupils.
