"Hiashi, are you still refusing to surrender?"
"Do you intend to let your clan suffer the consequences of your ignorance?"
The Hyūga elders glared down at Hiashi Hyūga with smug disdain, their voices laced with reproach.
Hmph!
In the Hyūga clan, tradition was law. Not even the clan leader could defy it lightly.
Yet, when Hiashi remained unmoved, the elders finally lost their patience.
"If you're so eager to court death, don't blame us for abandoning familial ties," the head elder sneered, his expression cold.
With a wave of his hand, the elders' subordinates stepped forward, surrounding Hiashi and his loyal retainers.
Though Hiashi's proposed reforms were clearly beneficial to the branch families, the elders were unbothered. They knew that no matter how the branch members felt, the cursed seal of the Caged Bird ensured their absolute obedience.
"Damn it!" One of Hiashi's guards gritted his teeth, stepping in front of him. "Clan Head, we understand your intentions, but please, you must escape!"
"Yes! Without the Caged Bird's restraint, you can flee the compound and survive!"
"You've already done more than enough for us. Let us hold them off while you escape!"
The guards braced themselves for a desperate battle. Outnumbered as they were, they were determined to buy Hiashi even the smallest chance of survival.
"There's no need."
Hiashi finally spoke, his calm voice cutting through the tension.
"Before this clan meeting began, I already requested the Hokage's intervention."
"By my estimate, the Hokage should be arriving any moment now."
"The Hokage?!"
The guards' faces lit up with hope at his words. If the Hokage intervened, there might still be a chance to resolve this crisis. After all, many of them had witnessed the Fourth Hokage's godlike power firsthand.
Unlike the guards, the nine elders visibly paled at the mention of the Hokage's involvement.
"You fool, Hiashi!" The head elder erupted in fury, pointing an accusatory finger. "This is a Hyūga clan matter! Why involve the Hokage?"
"Even the Hokage has no right to interfere with our clan's internal affairs—"
Before he could finish, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air.
A black rod streaked toward the elder from behind.
"Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation!"
Reacting swiftly, the elder spun at high speed, chakra flaring as the defensive technique deflected the rod.
Yet, before he could catch his breath, a golden flash appeared.
In that instant, a hand struck his forehead with overwhelming force.
The elder's body was slammed backward, his head crashing into the ground with a resounding crack.
Boom!
The floor splintered beneath him as blood pooled.
[ Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully claiming the reward: Physique +1! ]
The suddenness of the attack left everyone in stunned silence.
It wasn't until Uchiha Mirai crossed his arms, his chilling gaze filling the shrine with an oppressive presence, that they regained their senses.
"This fool dares to claim the Hokage has no authority over the Hyūga clan. Are the Hyūga not part of the village?"
"I've removed a threat to your clan. Now, I ask—"
"Who approves? And who objects?"
His calm voice betrayed no emotion, yet the elders who had been clamoring to depose Hiashi moments earlier now fell utterly silent.
The fates of clans like Sarutobi, Shimura, Mitokado, and Utatane were still fresh in their minds.
Uchiha Mirai didn't negotiate. He acted.
The elders knew better than to test someone who could annihilate entire clans with a mere wave of his hand.
"Silent, are we?"
Mirai's lips curled into a cold smile. "I suppose that means you disagree with my decision. I wonder—are you their accomplices?"
With that, a shadow only visible to him emerged, ripping the heart from one elder's chest in an instant.
"Second Elder?!"
The clan members gasped in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Before they could react further, another elder's neck was snapped with a sickening crack.
"Third Elder?!"
The cries of disbelief filled the air.
Finally, one of the remaining elders dropped to his knees.
"Hokage-sama, we fully support your judgment. Those three were unworthy of their positions!"
Seeing his submission, the others quickly followed suit, falling to their knees like a domino effect.
"Hokage-sama is wise!"
Mirai nodded in satisfaction, his tone casual.
"Why are you all kneeling? I'm just here to have a reasonable discussion."
His words left the clan members internally groaning.
Reasonable?
If this was his idea of reason, the Hyūga elders suddenly felt like saints by comparison.
Only Neji stood frozen, mouth agape and utterly incredulous.
The sight of the once-untouchable elders groveling before Mirai shattered his worldview.
This was the Hokage?
Even the proudest Hyūga elders bowed before him like cowed dogs?
Hiashi, meanwhile, seemed unsurprised. He met Mirai's gaze and said firmly, "Hokage-sama, I seek to abolish the Caged Bird Seal. May I have your thoughts on this matter?"
Mirai sprawled lazily on the floor, his tone indifferent.
"The Caged Bird Seal contradicts the village's Will of Fire. It should be abolished."
"Approved."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Read more than +80 chapters and support me on Patreon
Patreon(.)com/Jixo