Earlier, due to the ongoing but uninitiated war between the Uchiha and Konoha, the clan eting had dragged on from morning until afternoon.
Although Konoha was now engulfed in battle smoke, the Hyuga main house remained harmonious and tranquil.
Their gates were tightly shut, like a hidden paradise.
Even ssages and requests for aid sent by the Hokage upon entering the Hyuga main house grounds were distorted by the Jutsu of Tranquility into affirmations of trust and respectful advice for the Hyuga clan.
The letters were passed among the clan elders. They were then verbally communicated to every branch family mber, transforming into another testant to the Hyuga clan’s honor and high regard within Konoha.
Inside the Hyuga main house, even the most oppressed branch family mber would unconsciously puff out their chest at the thought of the Hyuga clan’s glory and status, turning to boast to others.
If the other were also a mber of the Hyuga clan, they would share another tale of the clan’s honor, falling into a cycle of "winning," "winning again," and confirming that the Hyuga clan was indeed the greatest.
This was the fundantal reason the Jutsu of Tranquility was so hard to break—people only believed what they wanted to think, and the Jutsu presented them with that reality.
Thus, even if so sharp individuals sensed sothing was wrong, they likely wouldn’t actively burst these bubbles.
Humans are subjective creatures, and the Hyuga, with their Byakugan, believed even more firmly that what they saw was the truth.
In reality, skipping the assault on the Uchiha to hold an all-day clan eting in the main house was a more severe political misstep than missing the Konoha and Cloud talks for Hinata’s birthday.
Had there been no unforeseen events after dealing with the Uchiha, the Hyuga clan would inevitably beco the next target of Konoha’s higher-ups, suffering even more than they did when they handed over Hizashi.
But fortunately, there was an unforeseen event.
And this unforeseen event had just barged in with a short blade.
The Hyuga clan could finally stop worrying about future repercussions from Konoha’s higher-ups for their current stance.
“Well, if it isn't our strongest spear from the main family,” soone taunted—it was Ryo.
He held one of the Caged Bird seals that could only control Neji. If not for this being the main family’s territory, with nurous clan elders present, he wouldn’t dare provoke Neiki like this in the past.
Neiki didn’t know this person bullied Neji, but it wouldn’t change the outco even if he did. He had no penchant for torturing people.
A swift slash.
A head fell.
That was all.
“So, he was a main family mber…” Neiki glanced at the fallen body, a bit surprised.
Then he raised his head, looking at the stunned Hyuga clan mbers before him.
The branch family mbers' eyes could be automatically absorbed after the Caged Bird seal was activated, while the main family mbers' eyes could be taken after they were killed.
Efficiency was paramount.
Neiki’s approach was simple.
Regardless of branch or main family, kill everyone in sight!
“What are you doing…” soone stamred.
Slash!
They fell, clutching their neck.
The Caged Bird seal activated, its essence flowing into Neiki's eyes.
[Essence Collected: 60.6%]
Neiki leaped into the crowd without stopping, blood spraying like vibrant cherry blossoms.
Blood splattered on the ground, forming a pattern resembling a small cat’s footprint.
So tried to run but were caught and killed by Neiki.
So stayed put, and Neiki slit their throats.
So attempted to resist but were taken down within two moves, a short blade through their temples.
This repetitive, monotonous process continued.
Within the main house under the Jutsu of Tranquility, killing was no harder than slaughtering pigs for Neiki.
Often, before his sword fell, the Hyuga clan mbers, influenced by the illusion, would already move to block, allowing Neiki to turn his slash into a stab, piercing their hearts or throats.
“Forgive , Lord Hizashi…”
A flash of the blade.
[Essence Collected: 70.4%]
Neiki glanced at the corpse on the ground.
This was soone from his father’s generation.
To them, did he appear as Hizashi returning for revenge?
Once Neiki started his slaughter, the Jutsu of Tranquility naturally changed his appearance to anything but Neiki, considering so main family mbers might possess seals controlling his Caged Bird. Revealing his true self could provoke these mbers to use the seal, risking the entire operation.
Regardless of how Neiki's appearance changed in others' eyes, it always followed the principle of making the subjective match the objective reality as closely as possible.
…
Front Yard.
Few people were here.
A family was flying a kite, the woman’s hand tightly holding the string.
When Neiki severed her in half, her upper body floated away with the kite.
Fortunately, she was a branch family mber.
Otherwise, Neiki would have lost a pair of Byakugan.
…
[Essence Collected: 73.9%]
…
Garden.
Bodies floated in the pond.
Ornantal fish fought over these oddly-textured human-shaped baits.
Red lotus flowers blood brilliantly.
Neiki, not one for aesthetics, left upon seeing no one else standing.
…
[Essence Collected: 80.6%]
…
Courtyard.
Due to the main hall’s capacity, the courtyard was filled with the most Hyuga mbers.
Thus, Neiki faced the fiercest resistance here.
“Tokuma, you will pay for this, Tokuma…”
“Forgive , Tsubaki… I was wrong…”
“Hikaru, you murdering beast…”
Neiki didn’t care; they weren't cursing him anyway.
[Essence Collected: 91.3%]
…
Hallway.
Cornered in a dead-end, Hyuga Nagaho knelt before Neiki.
Crying.
“Spare , Neji… I promise to listen to your brother next ti, and take good care of my mother…”
Neiki sighed.
Perhaps rembering Auntie Nagaho, his blade softened.
Instead, he raised his foot, crushing Nagaho’s skull.
“What a crappy blade, it got dull after just a few kills.”
…
[Essence Collected: 91.5%]
…
Neiki stood with a new, sharp blade at the main hall’s entrance.
This was where the last high-ranking Hyuga mbers were gathered.
The Jutsu of Tranquility subtly altered the layout of the main house.
Making it impossible for the Hyuga mbers to escape or find the main hall where the elders were, leaving them like lambs for slaughter by Neiki.
“Soone accidentally spilled paint on the ground, I’m cleaning it up…”
Holding an old rag, Natsu walked up to Neiki, her expression vacant.
Blood stained the main hall’s door red.
Neiki gave her a swift death.
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