Naruto Birdcage

Inside the Hyuga clan compound, many people had gathered in front of a room.

"Lord Hiashi has arrived!"

Someone shouted, and the crowd immediately parted to make way, bowing in unison as the young man walked forward.

"Lord Hiashi!"

Hyuga Hiashi furrowed his brows as he approached the door, his expression darkening as he looked at the lifeless body on the floor inside.

He had already received word before arriving that Hyuga Hitsuo had been murdered in his room.

"Lord Hiashi, Hitsuo... he..."

"Lord Hiashi, you must find the murderer!"

"Lord Hiashi!"

The voices of the surrounding clan members rose in anger and frustration.

The murder of a member of their own clan was undoubtedly a blow to the Hyuga family's reputation.

Who could be so bold as to commit such an act?

There were no signs of a struggle in the room, and the only visible injury on Hitsuo's body was a deep cut to his throat, clearly inflicted by a sharp weapon.

Hiashi stood still for a moment, deep in thought, before promising the clan members that he would find the murderer and avenge Hitsuo.

After calming the crowd, he dismissed them.

Some members who had been particularly close to Hitsuo hesitated to leave, but they dared not disobey the clan leader's orders.

Once everyone had left, only Hiashi and Hizashi remained in the room.

Hiashi took a deep breath. "Find the key."

Hizashi immediately began searching through the body but found nothing useful.

He then activated his Byakugan and scanned the entire room for a long time, eventually shaking his head silently at Hiashi.

Hiashi felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, and Hizashi quickly stepped forward to steady him.

"Lord Hiashi!"

"They're targeting us! This is aimed directly at the Hyuga clan!"

Hiashi said through gritted teeth, his voice trembling with anger.

"Hitsuo was a Jonin, one of the strongest in our clan.

Whoever killed him so silently and without resistance is no ordinary person." Hizashi said gravely.

Hiashi's expression shifted, countless thoughts racing through his mind.

"Let's check the Byakugan storage."

Without another word, he turned and disappeared in an instant, his urgency clear.

Hizashi followed closely behind.

In mere moments, the two arrived at the secluded chamber where the Byakugan eyes were stored.

This place was rarely visited, and yet the lock and the sealing jutsu had been broken without anyone noticing.

Seeing the slightly ajar door, Hiashi hesitated, his feet rooted to the spot, as if afraid to take the next step inside.

The theft of the Byakugan, the bloodline of the Hyuga clan leaked to the outside—Hiashi could already foresee a future where an army of deviants, wielding the stolen Byakugan, would rise to overthrow the main family.

He hesitated to open the door, but a cold draft blew past, slowly pushing the chamber door open with a creaking "squeak."

The sight inside was laid bare before them.

The wooden boxes that once lined the shelves and tables were now completely empty, not a single trace of their contents remained.

Staring at the scene before him, Hiashi felt his chest tighten, as if it was hard to breathe.

Hizashi silently stepped forward, closed the door again, and carefully locked it.

"Lord Hiashi, this matter cannot be made public for now." Hizashi said softly.

Hiashi snapped.

"Do you think keeping it quiet means no one will find out? Hitsuo held the key—every elder in the clan knows that!"

He no longer carried the composed and dignified aura he usually exuded.

At just over twenty years old, though he carried the weight of an entire clan, today's events had shaken him to his core.

After a moment, Hiashi took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. "First, arrange for Hitsuo's body to be properly handled.

Do not let the news of the stolen Byakugan spread.

Intensify the search for the culprit."

Hizashi asked again. "What about Lord Hokage?"

Hitsuo was not only a member of the Hyuga clan but also a shinobi of Konoha.

Being murdered within the clan's grounds would inevitably draw the village's attention.

Hiashi simply replied. "I will report it myself."

The recent entries and exits from Konoha, visitors, and all related records would need to be thoroughly investigated, and the Hokage's assistance would be essential.

At this moment, Hiashi felt his mind was in complete chaos. In the end, he waved his hand and instructed, "Go quickly."

However, Hizashi did not leave immediately.

He remained standing in place, unmoving.

"What is it?" Hiashi asked, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Lord Hiashi, what about Makoto's surgery?"

Hiashi was once again reminded of the boy who had dinner with him yesterday, his black eyes glaringly out of place and unsettling to look at.

"This matter… will have to wait." Hiashi said after a brief pause.

Hizashi returned to Hitsuo's residence, where the body still lay motionless on the floor, the blood already dried.

As a fellow clan member, Hitsuo's death weighed heavily on Hizashi's heart.

Unlike Hiashi's anger, Hizashi's grief stemmed from the loss of a friend.

Nothing in the room appeared to have been disturbed, suggesting that the assailant likely completed the act in an instant, leaving Hitsuo with no chance to resist.

Activating his Byakugan, Hizashi began a meticulous search of the room.

Every detail, down to the specks of dust on the furniture, became crystal clear in his vision.

At last, he noticed something unusual.

Beneath the bed, where cleaning rarely reached and dust had accumulated, a winding trail was faintly visible.

He deactivated his Byakugan, stepped forward, and crouched down to take a closer look.

It was indeed a peculiar mark, as if a snake had slithered across the dusty surface.

"Have you found something?"

A sudden voice from behind startled Hizashi, causing his heart to skip a beat.

Maintaining his composure, he continued to act as if he were carefully inspecting the area.

With a casual breath, he blew away the faint trace on the floor and then coughed lightly as he stood up.

Waving away the dust in front of him, Hizashi said calmly.

"No, I was just checking to see if there were any clues."

Hiashi stood at the doorway, glancing distantly at the spot beneath the bed.

Indeed, it now appeared completely empty.

"Don't leave the body here for too long." Hiashi instructed.

"Understood," Hizashi replied.

......

Makoto stayed in his room all day without going out.

Not long after hearing that piercing scream in the early morning, he noticed clan members occasionally passing by on the nearby path, engaged in heated discussions.

It wasn't until the afternoon that Hizashi suddenly paid him a visit.

"Lord Hizashi!" Makoto looked surprised, then smiled and welcomed him in.

"What brings you here?"

Hizashi entered the room, his gaze casually sweeping around.

He had already used his Byakugan from outside to see that this boy had been reading in his room all day.

"You didn't go out today?" Hizashi sat down on a chair and asked casually.

"No, maybe because I got caught in the rain yesterday, I haven't been feeling very well today," Makoto replied.

Hizashi nodded and said.

"Your body hasn't fully recovered yet.

Be careful during this time and avoid falling ill again."

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Hizashi."

Hizashi then asked.

"Something major happened in the clan today. Are you aware of it?"

Makoto looked puzzled.

"I did see several clan members gathered together this morning, discussing something."

"Hitsuo is dead. He was killed in his home last night."

"Se... Senior Hitsuo..."

Makoto froze for a moment upon hearing this, then his face was overtaken by shock.

"How could this happen?!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

Hizashi had been carefully observing Makoto's reaction the entire time, and the expression on his face didn't seem fake in the slightest.

"Isn't Senior Hitsuo a Jonin?! How could he possibly be killed?!"

Makoto couldn't help but ask again.

"There are plenty of people in this world stronger than a Jonin." Hizashi replied calmly.

"Then who was the culprit?! Who would kill Senior Hitsuo?!" Makoto's face was now filled with anger.

Hizashi countered with a question of his own.

"Are you very angry about this?"

Makoto spoke with righteous indignation.

"Someone dared to commit murder within the Hyuga Clan's grounds—this is a direct insult to our entire clan!"

Hizashi knew very well that Makoto and Hitsuo had little interaction.

In fact, Hitsuo rarely even acknowledged Makoto's greetings in the past.

"We will definitely find the culprit," Hizashi said firmly.

"The person who killed Senior Hitsuo must pay with their life!"

Makoto said through gritted teeth, his expression filled with anger.

"Hmm." Hizashi responded lightly, then stood up and casually instructed.

"The clan will be conducting a thorough investigation over the next few days. Try not to go out unnecessarily."

"Take care, Lord Hizashi."

Makoto said respectfully as he escorted him to the door.

End of chapter

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