Chapter 313: The Byakugan
Feeling the terrifying chakra emanating from Tonari, Rasa, sitting beside him, could hardly hide his tension. Behind Rasa, Maki and Ao, standing behind Yagura, were already drenched in sweat.
After creating enough deterrence, Tonari spoke coldly:
"No one leaves. Once I uncover the cause, I will no longer trouble you."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
All the wooden gates of the arena dropped down with a thunderous crash, sealing the exits and kicking up clouds of dust. The oppressive atmosphere made every non-Konoha ninja visibly uneasy.
The entire arena, constructed of Tonari's Wood Release, felt like it was under his complete control. It was as if they were trapped in his domain—an unsettling feeling of being prey caught in a web.
Realizing their precarious situation, the foreign shinobi couldn't help but glance at Rasa and Yagura, seeing them as their last line of reassurance. Even Iwagakure and Kumogakure shinobi felt a strange sense of dependence on the presence of the two Kage.
However, if they knew the truth, they wouldn't feel as confident. Yagura had long been under Tonari's complete control, while Rasa, despite his bold demeanor, was painfully aware that this was Tonari's domain. In a forest of Wood Release, even his Magnet Release would be futile.
"Ryoma," Tonari commanded coldly.
Three black-clad figures appeared behind him.
"Thirty seconds. Find out what's going on."
The Root operatives vanished without a word. In the meantime, Tonari pondered over possible culprits. The shinobi world was supposed to be in a peaceful recovery phase after the Third Great Ninja War. Even Akatsuki or the remaining Uchiha, like Obito, wouldn't dare act recklessly after the last defeat.
Thirty seconds passed quickly. Ryoma reappeared by Tonari's side, kneeling.
"Hokage-sama, the disturbance originated from the Hyuga clan compound. The entire Hyuga clan is in chaos."
"The Hyuga clan?" Tonari frowned.
Suddenly, something clicked in his mind. He looked down at the arena, scanning the remaining Chunin candidates. One was missing—the enigmatic, blind River ninja who had managed to survive till now.
"When did he disappear? I didn't even notice..." Tonari whispered to himself, feeling an uneasy sense of danger.
Combining his appearance, attire, and combat style, the answer suddenly struck him.
"Is it... a descendant of the Otsutsuki clan from the moon? Here to seize pure Byakugan?"
The realization hit him like a thunderbolt. The Otsutsuki branch on the moon sought to awaken the Tenseigan—an eye comparable to the Rinnegan. To do that, they needed pure Byakugan from the Hyuga clan on Earth.
"Of course... If he's one of the Otsutsuki branch descendants, his target must be Hyuga Hiashi!"
Tonari clenched his fist, understanding the gravity of the situation. The Tenseigan was not something Konoha could afford to let fall into the wrong hands.
With a wave of his hand, the entire arena sealed itself completely, including the roof. The arena turned into an enclosed fortress, allowing no one to leave without his permission.
Seeing this, Tutai from Kumogakure finally lost his patience.
"What does this mean, Hokage-sama?"
Tonari shot him a cold glance, making Tutai swallow his words.
"Konoha is currently under threat. Until the situation is resolved, everyone stays here. If anyone leaves without permission, they will be considered an enemy of Konoha and will be executed on sight!"
"Yes!" came the unanimous, thunderous response from Konoha's shinobi, making it clear they were ready to act on Tonari's command.
The civilians, initially planning to evacuate, quietly sat back down, reassured by the Hokage's words and the presence of Konoha's elite.
Tonari turned to Minato.
"Minato, let's move."
Minato nodded and placed his hand on Tonari's shoulder. In a flash of yellow light, both disappeared.
Back at the Hyuga compound, the situation was dire. Puppet-like humanoids with featureless faces and no chakra signatures fought against the Hyuga branch members. The puppets fired yellow orbs that disintegrated anything they hit.
Minato analyzed the enemies.
"Are these puppets? But... there are no chakra threads. How are they moving?"
Tonari scanned the battlefield and quickly deduced their nature.
"Not from Sunagakure... These are unique puppets controlled by a foreign energy—likely from the moon's Otsutsuki branch family. Their aim is to gather pure Byakugan to awaken the Tenseigan."
"Got it!" Minato responded, and in a blur of yellow light, he systematically dismantled the puppets with Rasengan, breaking their mechanical components into pieces.
Meanwhile, Tonari didn't waste time dealing with minions. He headed directly to the Hyuga main house, where the core of the disturbance lay.
He passed fallen Hyuga branch members, some already dead, with their Byakugan faded and the Caged Bird Seal deactivated.
"So that's it... These puppets can bypass the seal."
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Tonari hastened his pace. Inside the main hall, he found Hyuga Hiashi fighting desperately against the so-called River ninja, now revealed to be a descendant of the Otsutsuki clan.
Hiashi, using his Juken and Eight Trigrams techniques, tried to block the attacker, but the enemy moved with a grace and power that matched his own. Despite his best efforts, Hiashi was being overwhelmed.
"Ah, finally... a pure Byakugan!" The attacker sneered, preparing to strike the final blow.
Just as he lunged, a wall of wood erupted between him and Hiashi, blocking the attack. The Otsutsuki descendant turned, his expression darkening as Tonari stepped into the hall.
"I should have known... An Otsutsuki from the moon," Tonari said calmly.
"So, the Earth's Hyuga clan still possesses pure Byakugan... Perfect. Hand it over!" the enemy demanded.
Tonari's eyes narrowed, his Sharingan spinning into the Mangekyō form.
"I don't think so. You're not getting your hands on any Byakugan here."
The man's eyes flashed dangerously, and in the next instant, his hands glowed with a strange bluish light.
"Stay out of this, mortal. I have no time for games!"
Tonari didn't respond with words. Instead, roots erupted from the floor, aiming to restrain him. The enemy dodged effortlessly, striking at the roots with a chakra-infused blade that cleaved them in half.
Hiashi, panting and bleeding, glanced at Tonari.
"Fire Shadow-sama..."
"Hiashi, take your people and retreat. Leave this to me," Tonari ordered without looking back.
Hiashi hesitated for a moment but ultimately nodded. Gathering the remaining Hyuga members, he quickly evacuated, leaving the hall to Tonari and the intruder.
The Otsutsuki descendant sneered.
"You think you can stop me? My Tenseigan is nearly complete!"
Tonari didn't answer. Instead, he summoned his Wood Release—thick branches erupted from the floor, weaving into a massive wooden avatar that loomed over the hall.
The enemy's eyes widened, and for the first time, there was a trace of fear in his gaze.
"You... What are you?"
Tonari's gaze was cold and unyielding.
"A god of this world."
In that instant, the hall was filled with an overwhelming pressure that seemed to suffocate even the most resilient of warriors. The battle for the future of the Hyuga clan and Konoha had just begun.
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