Possessing such terrifying abilities, yet choosing not to kill the father and son or seize every single Byakugan, already showed that the intruder had deliberately left them a way out.
That realization immediately made Hyuga Tokugawa think of the newly risen godlike figure of the ninja world, Brook.
Only that mysterious and terrifying man possessed such absurd space related abilities.
But why would Brook target the Hyuga clan's Byakugan?
Could it really be because of the Byakugan's ability to see through all things?
That hardly made sense.
Brook was powerful enough to stand against several great ninja villages at once. What use would a few Byakugan be to someone like him?
Then another possibility surfaced in Tokugawa's mind.
Could it be that Brook had seen him kill several children from the branch family and, in a fit of anger, chosen to teach the father and son a lesson?
A warning. A warning not to cross Konoha's laws.
The more Tokugawa thought about it, the more he felt he understood Brook's intention. Cold sweat began to form on his forehead.
If Brook exposed the Hyuga clan's filthy secrets, then the clan would instantly be isolated by the other great clans of Konoha.
They would be pushed aside by the Hokage faction and many of the major families, just like the Uchiha clan had once been.
Tokugawa knew very well how much resentment ordinary villagers and other clans already held toward the Hyuga. That was why the Hyuga had always kept a lower profile than the Uchiha.
If the truth ever came out, if the village learned that the Hyuga clan casually sacrificed branch family children, then the Hyuga would truly have no way to remain in Konoha.
At that moment, what frightened Tokugawa most was not losing his eyes, but the possibility that Brook had already spread the matter throughout the village.
"Hurry! Go outside and find out whether there's any negative news spreading about the Hyuga clan! And find out where Lord Brook is!"
Tokugawa roared in panic while frantically trying to think of a way out.
The fact that Brook had not killed them, had not slaughtered the clan, and had not taken away the branch family children meant there was still room to salvage the situation.
At that point, Tokugawa no longer had the slightest thought of retaliation.
All he wanted now was to cling to Brook, become his subordinate, and use that connection to preserve the Hyuga clan's position and privileges in Konoha.
After receiving an urgent summons, Hiashi immediately left the banquet where he had been celebrating with the various clan leaders and hurried back to the Hyuga compound.
The matter involved Brook.
That alone was enough to make his heart sink.
That man was someone the Hyuga absolutely could not afford to offend.
Hiashi had personally witnessed Brook's incredible display of power. He had seen him cripple the Fourth Raikage in a single exchange and single handedly capture two Jinchuriki in an astonishingly short time.
Even if the entire Hyuga clan united, they would still be no match for that man.
Moreover, Hiashi had already begun moving closer to Minato. He had hoped to use that chance to build a relationship with the newly risen god of the ninja world.
So how could the Hyuga clan possibly afford to provoke such a monster now?
Was Tokugawa trying to get the entire clan expelled from Konoha?
Once Hiashi returned and heard the general outline of what had happened, Tokugawa admitted he had never actually seen Brook's face, but he was almost certain the culprit had been him.
Now father and son could only wait for Brook's decision.
Hiashi felt utterly powerless.
He knew Brook had space type abilities, but why did it have to happen like this? Of all times, of all places, Brook had to appear just when Tokugawa was taking the Byakugan from three branch family children.
Was this fate?
Soon, one branch family ninja after another returned with information.
There was no negative news about the Hyuga circulating in the village.
No rumors. No accusations.
And no one had discovered Brook's whereabouts either.
That gave the father and son some slight relief.
At the very least, Brook had not chosen to expose them.
Still, they had no idea what his true attitude was.
Did he want the Hyuga clan's loyalty, or did he only want the Byakugan?
And if it was just the eye itself, then why take the Byakugan instead of the stronger Sharingan?
Brook had no Hyuga taijutsu. He could not use the Gentle Fist or the Eight Trigrams Palm. So how much use could the Byakugan even be to him?
With no answers, the Hyuga main family spent the entire night in fear and uncertainty.
No one dared sleep.
The entire clan remained on high alert.
Meanwhile, Brook was inside Orochimaru's laboratory.
Using Hyuga Tokugawa's main family Byakugan as the foundation, he fused and devoured the eyes he had taken from Hyuga Hirotada, along with several Byakugan from the branch family.
In the end, he successfully created a pair of high purity Byakugan and merged them into his own eyes.
One of them also absorbed Ao's stolen Byakugan.
Urashiki Otsutsuki's eyes could switch between the Byakugan, a red six tomoe Rinnegan, and a blue Rinnegan.
Momoshiki's red Rinnegan could even transform into a golden Rinnegan.
Brook's eyes had now become even more bizarre than those.
Ordinary black pupils. Kamui Mangekyo Sharingan. Purple three tomoe Rinnegan. And now a pair of Byakugan as well.
Of course, the Byakugan would soon become the Tenseigan, a power on the same level as the Rinnegan.
Brook had long been thinking about whether all of these different forms could be merged into one eye, allowing him to use all their abilities at the same time.
But after repeated attempts, he discovered a problem.
If he forcefully fused too many forms together, the abilities began interfering with each other.
Each eye form could only stably hold a limited number of powers.
They could not all be stacked into a single perfect state.
It was just like Obito in the original story. After becoming the Ten Tails' Jinchuriki, he seemed unable to use Kamui's intangibility properly. The Ten Tails' power and Kamui had conflicted with each other.
Otherwise, Obito would have become truly impossible to defeat.
Still, Brook had no intention of giving up.
After all, he possessed the devouring and fusion power left behind by Jin, the god of the Western Underworld. His level of energy was far beyond what Obito had ever possessed.
When the time came, he might not even need to become the Ten Tails' Jinchuriki in the ordinary sense. He might simply devour the Ten Tails directly and walk the path of the New God of the Northern Underworld.
After the Byakugan fusion was complete, dawn had already broken.
Brook left the laboratory and strolled onto the street, finally allowing himself to enjoy something as simple as breakfast.
He had been running nonstop for days without rest. The pressure from the Sage of Six Paths and the Otsutsuki clan had not allowed him even a moment to relax.
At last, he could breathe a little.
He sat down at a ramen stall and began eating slowly.
"Finally, I can relax for a day. Tonight, I'm going to the moon."
After finishing the ramen, he ordered steamed buns as well, clearly intending to try every shop along the street.
"Lord Brook! I didn't expect to really run into you!"
A voice suddenly called out.
Kurenai's face lit up in surprise as she hurried over and sat beside him at the stall.
At almost the same moment, Hyuga Tokugawa and Hiashi also arrived in a rush.
The instant Brook had appeared on the street, the Hyuga clan's sensing ninja had already detected him.
"Lord Brook! Please accept our allegiance. The Hyuga clan is willing to become your subordinate!"
Father and son lowered their heads at the same time, bending deeply toward Brook.
Their eyes were full of tension.
The future of the Hyuga clan was now entirely in this man's hands.
Whether the clan would be crushed and cast aside, or whether it would be allowed to survive by attaching itself to a great power, depended completely on Brook.
This scene instantly stunned Kurenai.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
The civilians and ninja passing by nearby were equally dumbfounded. Within seconds, the entire street had broken into noisy discussion.
The Hyuga clan, whose arrogance was second only to the Uchiha clan, had actually lowered their heads in submission to a man eating breakfast at a roadside stall.
Just what had happened?
-------------
Brook glanced at Hiashi and Tokugawa and instantly understood what they were thinking.
They were decisive, at least.
"Fine. Go back. Nothing will happen to you."
He spoke casually, genuinely not expecting the Hyuga father and son to come rushing over to submit right after he stole their Byakugan.
On one hand, they were terrified that the truth about killing branch family members and harvesting their Byakugan would be exposed. On the other, they were even more afraid of being targeted by a monster like Brook.
If a godlike figure who could crush three great villages singlehandedly wanted to study the Byakugan, then sending him a few pairs was a small price to pay.
But if any other clan dared covet the Hyuga clan's eyes, the Hyuga would mobilize everything they had to defend their bloodline and preserve their dignity.
"Thank you, Lord Brook! If there is anything you require, please command us. The Hyuga clan will do everything in its power to fulfill it!"
Tokugawa and Hiashi bowed deeply, their expressions filled with relief and even a trace of excitement. They had finally managed to attach themselves to the new god of the ninja world. At the very least, they no longer had to fear being singled out and crushed by him.
Kurenai, who had followed Brook over, was stunned by the scene.
The civilians and ninja on the street were equally dumbfounded. The road quickly filled with murmurs and astonished whispers.
The Hyuga clan, arrogant second only to the Uchiha, had actually lowered their heads to a man eating breakfast at a street stall.
Brook waved them off.
"That's enough. Leave."
By then, the crowd around the stall was only growing thicker. Brook had also finished eating, so he simply got up and took Kurenai with him toward the Hokage Building.
On the way, through Minato's memories, he quickly sorted through everything that had happened while he was away.
After Konoha's forces rushed to the battlefield, Tsunade had released the delegation from the Fire Daimyo's mansion so Konoha could continue requisitioning supplies for the war.
The result was exactly what one would expect.
The Fire Daimyo, Madoka, was furious over Konoha's treatment of his delegation. He not only demanded the dismissal of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, but also tried to push Tsunade forward as the Fifth Hokage. Otherwise, he threatened to cut off Konoha's supplies entirely.
Then Brook's overwhelming appearance turned the war upside down.
The Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning had both been beaten into suing for peace. Negotiations had already shifted into compensation talks.
That left the Fire Daimyo in a very awkward position. He was pleased by the victory, yet also alarmed by the lawless strength Konoha now possessed.
Especially Brook.
That man had openly threatened the Daimyo's authority before. If they let that continue, what dignity would the Daimyo's residence still have?
So the Fire Daimyo decided to make one more show of force.
He sent an even larger and more forceful delegation to Konoha, hoping to suppress the arrogance of both Minato and Brook.
This new delegation brought no gifts, no congratulations, and no praise for Konoha's victory.
Instead, they came with orders.
First, Minato was to release Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado and restore them to their former positions, allowing the Daimyo's residence to use them as shackles on the Fourth Hokage.
Second, the delegation demanded custody of the Kage and Jinchuriki captured from Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure. They wanted the prisoners escorted back to the Daimyo's residence, where all negotiations with the other great nations would be handled personally by the Fire Daimyo.
Only after that would the rewards and wartime supplies be distributed to Konoha.
As if that were not enough, the delegation had brought along representatives from several smaller clans, including the Shimura and Mito clans, to increase the pressure on Minato.
They even openly suggested that Tsunade should become the Fifth Hokage, clearly trying to pull Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru toward the Daimyo's side.
The entire matter had stalled only because Minato and the others were waiting for Brook to return.
At this point, only Brook could decide what happened next.
When Brook finished sorting through it all, his expression turned cold.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire really had some nerve. He actually dared covet the hostages in Brook's hands.
He truly had a death wish.
At nine in the morning, the Hokage meeting convened once again.
The Daimyo's delegation, the heads of smaller clans, the major clan leaders, and Konoha's elite jonin all entered the large conference room together.
The moment Brook walked inside, Minato immediately rose and gave up the Hokage's main seat.
He stepped aside without hesitation.
That sight instantly gave the Daimyo delegation an opening.
The head of the delegation, Tetsukata Kento, let out a contemptuous sneer as he glanced at Minato.
"The Fourth Hokage has no dignity whatsoever. He ought to step down immediately and let Lord Brook become the Fifth Hokage instead!"
His tone was mocking toward Minato, but flattering toward Brook.
In truth, he was calculating.
He believed Brook had no interest in the Hokage's position anyway. If Brook were nominally made Hokage, then the real power could still be restrained through the senior advisors and the Daimyo's network.
The clan heads and jonin present kept silent. None of them dared object.
Even Tsunade inwardly thought the suggestion was not entirely bad, so long as she did not become Hokage herself. Still, Minato was young, accomplished, and had only just risen to power. It was absurd to push him down so openly.
She looked toward Brook and even noticed that Minato himself seemed to be waiting for Brook's reaction.
If Brook nodded, Minato might truly hand over the position without hesitation.
Brook leaned back in the Hokage's chair and let out a cold laugh.
"The Fifth Hokage? Are you trying to make a fool out of me?"
"You want me to become the successor to Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Minato Namikaze?"
"Do I need that worthless title?"
"I have never cared about the Hokage's seat, that so called village chief's throne. I do not even care about the equally worthless title of Fire Daimyo."
He slowly looked at Tetsukata Kento, and his voice turned colder with every word.
"You insulted Minato Namikaze. Fine."
"But why did you have to disgust me too?"
"I have to admit, you've made me angry."
The moment those words fell, the entire conference room froze.
No one dared make a sound.
Brook had just cursed both the Hokage's seat and the Daimyo's authority to their faces, yet no one present had the courage to object.
Tetsukata Kento's face turned pale, but he still forced himself to bark back.
"You... you dare insult the Daimyo? Does Konoha not want supplies anymore?!"
His voice sounded fierce, but his body was trembling. Even so, he was still trying to protect the authority of the Daimyo's mansion.
Brook gave him a flat look.
"You just insulted me too."
"So now I'll pick a new Daimyo right here. You can go report to the Sage of Six Paths."
As soon as he finished speaking, Brook's black pupils shifted into the crimson pattern of the Kamui Mangekyo Sharingan.
Then he casually pointed at Tetsukata Kento.
A horrifying scene unfolded before everyone's eyes.
"AAAHHH!"
Kento's arm began to twist violently.
Then his shoulder.
Then his torso.
His entire body warped little by little like cloth being wrung dry by an invisible giant hand. Blood burst from his mouth as he screamed in pain, and his figure slowly vanished from his seat.
Tsunade and Jiraiya both tensed instinctively, almost moving to intervene.
Orochimaru pressed Tsunade down with a hand on her shoulder, while Minato appeared beside Jiraiya in a flash, smiling faintly as he stopped his teacher from acting rashly.
By the time Kento's screams were cut off, he had vanished completely.
The conference room fell into absolute silence.
Only the blood left splattered across the seat proved that a living man had just been erased from existence.
The remaining members of the Daimyo's delegation, along with the heads of the smaller clans, stared at Brook as though they were looking at a demon. Their faces were utterly drained of color.
No hand seals.
No chakra fluctuations they could perceive.
No elaborate ninjutsu signs.
A living person had simply been deleted from reality.
This was the terrifying power of the new God of the Ninja World.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]