Becomes a Rebel Ninja After Annihilating the Hyuga Clan

Chapter 44

Neiki moved openly through Konoha under the pretext of searching for Hanabi Hyuga, deliberately revealing himself as the culprit and provocatively taunting the villagers. Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others quickly saw through his intentions.

"It's clear now," Hiruzen stated. "He's trying to sow discord within Konoha."

"If any of the victims attack him, it will give him a legitimate reason to press the detonation button," added Shikaku Nara.

Neiki's aim wasn't just to cause explosions but to create internal strife. Whoever attacked him would become a target of Neiki's wrath and the anger of those who suffered from the subsequent explosions.

This was both a physical and psychological attack designed to fracture the already weakened village.

"We have only ten minutes. Try to control the situation and don't let him succeed," Hiruzen ordered.

The command spread quickly through the ranks. However, Neiki's blatant actions made it impossible to suppress the news, and soon, most of Konoha's villagers knew that Neiki Hyuga was behind the explosions.

Tensions rose rapidly. Like Iruka, many ninjas, driven by the deaths of friends and family, converted their grief into anger and could barely restrain themselves from seeking revenge on Neiki.

"Don't stop me!" Anbu ninja Yugao Uzuki glared coldly at Kakashi, blocking her path.

Her boyfriend, Hayate Gekko, had been gravely injured during the Uchiha rebellion and narrowly survived, only to be killed in the explosion at the Ninja Hospital. When Yugao arrived, she found only his charred remains on the ruined hospital bed.

She couldn't swallow her anger.

"Calm down!" Kakashi frowned.

"I am calm!" Yugao's voice was steady but seething with rage.

"He still controls at least three more explosions. If you go after him now, many people in Konoha will die," Kakashi said, taking a deep breath and trying to reason with her.

Including civilians.

Yugao was silent for a moment.

"What deal have you made with him? Can you guarantee he won't press the button?" she asked.

"We can't guarantee it. That's why we're evacuating the villagers and locating the explosive tags. At least wait until we finish these tasks before acting," Kakashi explained the higher-ups' plan.

"Creating division in Konoha is Neiki's goal. If you go for revenge, he'll have a reason to press the button. I believe Hayate wouldn't want to see that happen."

"I can't believe this is the current Konoha," Yugao said, tears streaming down her face.

After dealing with the Uchiha rebellion and the Nine-Tails incident, Konoha is now being manipulated by a branch member of the Hyuga clan, using civilian lives as leverage. How had Konoha come to this?

"It should get better," Kakashi could only offer this weak assurance.

"So, once the evacuation and explosive tag search are complete, we can kill him?" Yugao asked.

"I don't know," Kakashi admitted.

The truth was that Neiki had only ten minutes in Konoha, but the evacuation and tag search would take much longer. Kakashi didn't believe Yugao would get the chance to exact her revenge.

Facing Neiki and his hidden backers, Konoha, with its vulnerabilities exposed, had limited options.

Perhaps understanding the helplessness behind Kakashi's "I don't know," Yugao sighed and sheathed her sword, ending their standoff.

"I will kill him someday," she vowed before turning to help with the evacuation.

It wasn't Kakashi's persuasion that stopped her but the potential massive civilian casualties if Neiki detonated more explosives.

The "Will of Fire" was a heavy chain that restrained her actions.

…

The Inuzuka clan head, Tsume Inuzuka, rushed back from the front lines after hearing about the explosion at her clan compound. Standing at the gates of the now-ruined compound, she clenched her teeth in anger.

The Inuzuka clan had suffered significant losses, especially among their ninja dogs. Kuromaru sniffed around the rubble, bringing back a puppy's body and licking it mournfully.

"Kuromaru…" Tsume patted the dog's head.

For the Inuzuka clan, ninja dogs were trusted partners and important family members. Seeing the bodies of the dogs scattered across the compound and the injured ones outside, Tsume could barely contain her fury.

Her sharp teeth grew, a sign of beast transformation driven by anger. She glanced at Kō Inuzuka beside her.

"It's the Nara clan…" Kō, who had witnessed the events in the forest, explained the situation to Tsume, unable to hide his resentment.

"Our compound was bombed, but the others are still intact," Kō said bitterly.

"What are you implying?" Tsume's voice turned cold.

"Nothing, just that we must avenge this," Kō took a deep breath, speaking cautiously.

They had already been bombed. Whether they sought revenge now, dragged other clans into it, or waited for another opportunity while accepting their decline made a significant difference.

The evening breeze swept through the street, the flames in the ruins flaring up.

Slap!

Three red marks appeared on Kō's face as Tsume slapped him hard.

Kō was stunned, his sense of injustice and anger rising. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped, seeing the stern expression on Tsume's face.

"We will get revenge, but the enemy is only Neiki Hyuga!" Tsume growled.

"Yes," Kō suppressed the urge to glance at a certain spot.

Tsume said no more. While treating the injured ninja dogs, she glanced at the darkness behind her, speaking casually:

"Does that answer satisfy you?"

After a moment, several figures emerged from the shadows. Kō's expression darkened.

These people…

It was Shikaku Nara, head of the Nara clan, accompanied by several fully armed Anbu.

Shikaku looked guilty as if he wasn't there to monitor the Inuzuka clan.

"I'm sorry. Regarding the reconstruction of the Inuzuka compound, the Nara clan will provide compensation," Shikaku said sincerely.

Tsume stared at him for a moment, her expression softening somewhat.

In truth, no one could have predicted which part of Konoha would explode when Neiki pressed the button. Shikaku's attempt to control Neiki had the Hokage's tacit approval. It was just bad luck for the Inuzuka clan.

"So, you came with these people to prevent me from acting rashly?" Tsume glanced at the Anbu with Shikaku, continuing coldly.

"The destruction of other clans won't compensate for the Inuzuka's losses. As the clan head, I understand this."

With her message clear, she indicated she wouldn't seek immediate revenge on Neiki.

But the higher-ups didn't seem to trust her.

Shikaku and the Anbu were there to ensure she didn't act impulsively.

"I apologize," Shikaku could only respond.

Tsume stared at him momentarily, then scoffed and waved him off impatiently.

"Fine, I get it. I accept your apology. But seeing you annoys me, so get lost."

"Not yet."

"What do you mean?" Tsume's eyes narrowed, sharp teeth and claws growing.

She had made her position clear. Did Shikaku think she wouldn't retaliate?

Shikaku was about to explain when nearby footsteps approached, followed by a lazy voice:

"Only a few dogs died, huh?"

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