A single snap of the fingers forced the entire clan to bow.
Such was the absolute majesty of the Tennin!
On Konohagakure's Tea Street, all the ninjas from various clans, key departments of the village, and representatives sent by the nobles and wealthy merchants of the Land of Fire were deeply shaken, their faces simultaneously filled with utter astonishment.
Before this, they had heard of the terrifying battle records publicized by the Foundation regarding the Tennin—crushing Kirigakure, suppressing the Land of Rain, forcing the Demigod into retreat...
However, their subconscious minds naturally inclined to believe that these achievements were merely piled onto a single person by the Foundation to create the golden brand of the "Tennin." After all, it was difficult for ordinary people to imagine a supreme power they had never witnessed with their own eyes!
They still viewed the Tennin as an elite jonin who possessed a unique ninjutsu, much like Minato Namikaze.
But now...
Looking at the members of the Hyuga main house, who were kneeling together and pressed against the ground like a pile of squirming insects under some invisible force, everyone present swallowed hard, their pupils shrinking. "Is... is this the 'Wind Style' that made the Tennin famous?"
"A wind capable of controlling gravity?!"
"No!" At the front of the crowd, Shikaku Nara, the newly appointed head of the Nara clan who possessed a superior intellect, immediately refuted the idea. Staring gravely at the scene, he said in horror, "This is by no means a simple Wind Style jutsu. Ordinary wind cannot generate gravity on such a massive scale. Furthermore, as far as this technique is concerned, gravity is merely a secondary factor..."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Look at their postures!" Shikaku's pupils trembled as he pointed at the main house clansmen who were writhing on the ground, unable to utter a single word. "It's air pressure and resistance!"
"For a single person, this pressure and resistance are precisely applied to both sides of six areas: the bends of their knees, elbows, spine, back of the neck, back of the head, and the soles of their feet. By exerting force from different directions simultaneously, it functions as if six veteran masters of grappling are pinning you down while you yourself are unconditionally cooperating with their movements."
"Applying twelve opposing forces to just one person is what forces the Hyuga main house members to bow and kneel in unison in this exact posture!"
"And the main house members present... total exactly one hundred and twelve people!"
"Each person's resisting strength is different, their chakra reserves are different, and their power, speed, and physical constitutions are all completely unique! Yet, the final posture displayed by everyone is absolutely identical!"
"In other words, the Tennin alone controlled this technique to execute 1,344 different calculations and adjustments in a single instant!"
"This kind of surgical precision in chakra control... I have never seen it in any other shinobi!"
Standing beside Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, the head of the Akimichi clan, still didn't quite understand. He looked at his friend blankly and asked, "Does this mean... the Tennin's chakra control is just exceptionally strong?"
"But the Hyuga clan is already renowned for excellent chakra control. Is there something special about this?"
Shikaku Nara shook his head and took a deep breath. He slowly raised his eyes to look at the gloomy layer of clouds swirling and gathering in mid-air. "With just a fraction of his power, he can generate enough immense pressure to immobilize Hyuga Hiashi, the strongest member of the main house. Choza, can you achieve this even if you utilize your Partial Multi-Size Technique with all your might?"
Hearing this, Choza Akimichi finally realized that something was profoundly wrong. He swallowed hard. "I can't... I've sparred with Hyuga Hizashi before. The Hyuga clan's chakra possesses immense penetration and resilience. Even if I temporarily suppress him, he can use Eight Trigrams Heavenly Spin to repel my Human Bullet Tank."
Shikaku Nara continued, "When a shinobi performs a ninjutsu, every measure of chakra control corresponds to the technique they can produce."
"By this logic..."
"If the Tennin were to use this precise chakra control solely to generate pure gravity, the scale of this technique would instantly expand by 1,344 times!"
"Its range..." Shikaku quickly calculated in his mind, and then, swallowing hard, he looked up at the sky in sheer horror, trembling. "It would envelop a quarter of Konoha!"
"The secondary impact caused by it... would instantly destroy the entire village!"
Nearby, among the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Inoichi Yamanaka, the head of the Yamanaka clan, heard his close friend's analysis. He seamlessly distanced himself slightly from his two friends, who had aligned with Minato Namikaze's faction, and moved closer toward the direction of the Foundation ninjas. Only then did his pale complexion ease up slightly. Taking a sharp breath of cold air, he spoke up, "Shikaku... are you saying that—"
"Just moments ago,"
"Without any warning, without any preparation, and without even performing a single hand seal—merely by snapping his fingers—"
"The Tennin unleashed a terrifying forbidden jutsu capable of destroying Konoha!"
"And,"
"It was solely to force these twenty-odd main house members, along with their attendants and relatives, to kneel and kowtow to him?!"
"If the Tennin had made even a minor error with this technique, wouldn't we have almost died just now?"
"???"
Inoichi Yamanaka's mind was filled with question marks. He abruptly turned his head to look at the young man with the Byakugan. Tall and upright, clad in a black, tight-fitting combat uniform, Hyuga Yu was walking slowly toward them with a serene expression, as if he had merely performed a trivial task.
Shikaku Nara took a deep breath, the muscles on his face twitching slightly as a drop of cold sweat silently rolled down his forehead. After recalculating in his mind over and over, he nodded with a heavy expression. "I'm afraid... that is exactly the case!"
Hearing this, Inoichi Yamanaka didn't hesitate for another second. He immediately bid farewell to Shikaku Nara, who served as Minato Namikaze's strategist: "Since that's the case, I suddenly remember that I have some cooperation projects to discuss with the Foundation. Let's catch up when we have time."
"Shikaku, don't misunderstand. We are still friends. It's just that standing together with you, I'm afraid Lord Tennin might harbor some unnecessary misunderstandings~"
With that, Inoichi Yamanaka turned around, gestured to his clansmen behind him, and immediately led his people away from the Nara clan's formation, moving closer toward the front lines of the shinobi clans allied with the Foundation.
"This guy..." Shikaku Nara's face darkened instantly. He knew that his plan as Minato's advisor to win over the Yamanaka clan into Minato Namikaze's camp had completely fallen through.
However, he could understand it. Due to the nature of their secret technique, the Mind Transfer Jutsu, the shinobi of the Yamanaka clan had always held vital positions in Konoha's Cipher Department, Anbu, and the Intelligence Division. Working in these fields inevitably required dealing with the deeper layers of the Foundation, making them naturally inclined toward the Foundation's faction.
Furthermore, the Ino-Shika-Cho clans operated as a triad, and he understood the wisdom of not putting all their eggs in one basket. Inoichi Yamanaka joining the Foundation's camp wasn't entirely a bad thing for them either...
At that moment, from the corner of his eye, Shikaku Nara suddenly noticed that his large friend beside him was also subtly moving his clansmen outward. "???" He immediately turned around and glared at Choza Akimichi. "Wait, Choza, what are you doing? I recall the Akimichi clan doesn't have any ongoing cooperation with the Foundation, right?"
"Cough, cough..." Caught red-handed, Choza Akimichi let out a dry cough, offering an embarrassed, awkward smile as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, it's like this. Tanuki Shigaraki from the Foundation previously extended an invitation to my clan regarding a certain project. Shikaku, don't get the wrong idea. I just feel that perhaps exploring opportunities outside might reveal a broader world more suited for my Akimichi clan to display our strengths..."
With both the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans displaying such inclinations, Shikaku Nara's heart sank instantly. He immediately turned his gaze around and saw that as the Tennin's single finger snap forced the entire Hyuga main house to kneel, the two distinctly demarcated factions on Konoha's Tea Street—the various large and small shinobi clans and key departments belonging to the camps of the two Hokage candidates, Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze—were beginning to shift their formations.
Small clans like the Fuma, Yuhi, Kurama, and Kohaku... who had not achieved many military exploits during the Third Shinobi World War, moved almost in their entirety toward the Foundation's formation—specifically toward the very rear of that faction.
As for mid-sized clans, aside from the Aburame clan, which already shared close ties with the Foundation, the entire Yamanaka clan had now moved over. Mid-sized clans like the Akimichi and Inuzuka also split off a portion of their clansmen who had prior interactions with the Foundation to align themselves over there.
One could even see that on the field, even the Uchiha clan—a top-tier great clan—seemed to be stirred up. Several hawk faction members were urgently surrounding their clan leader, Fugaku Uchiha, discussing something with great anxiety...
Seeing this situation, Shikaku Nara couldn't help but look at the tall, upright figure walking toward them.
It's a demonstration of deterrence, but it's also a method of division and enlistment!
Was this also a part of your plan? Tennin...
However, Shikaku Nara knit his brows, his gaze drifting further back toward the line of the Hyuga main house writhing on the ground, having lost all semblance of dignity. The issue regarding the Caged Bird hasn't been fundamentally resolved or proven.
Furthermore, as the head of the main house, will Hyuga Hiashi truly be willing to hand over all of the main house's authority?
Meanwhile, at the position of the Hyuga clan's formation: orz, orz, orz, orz... Yu, Hiashi rz, orz, orz, orz... orz, orz, orz, orz...
All the main house members bore expressions of profound humiliation. Following Hyuga Yu's steps, they continuously writhed on the street like insects, uncontrollably adjusting the direction of their kowtows to ensure their lowered heads were constantly aligned toward Hyuga Yu. The foreheads of the crowd, pressed tightly against the street surface, bled from the constant friction.
Having enjoyed a life of luxury and superior status since birth, the main house members—who had never experienced such a humiliating ordeal—felt their blood rushing frantically to their brains. Their cheeks flushed as red as lanterns, and hatred gnawed at their minds like a vicious beast. Uncontrollable fury blazed within their eyes, which they were unable to lift. The four elders of the Hyuga main house kneeling in the front row constantly let out muffled, trembling growls from their mouths: "Preposterous! This is utterly preposterous!!!"
"The Tennin is simply a monster without a shred of filial piety!"
Among them, Hyuga Sosuke reached out with a trembling hand, grabbing the wide sleeve of Hyuga Hiashi in front of him, tugging it as he hissed, "Clan Leader..."
"Clan Leader..."
"Activate the Caged Bird Curse Seal quickly!"
"He killed my grandson, gouged out my grandson's eyes, and now he humiliates me like this! Aaahhhhhhhh!"
"Kill him! This old man wants to kill him! Aaahhhhh!"
At this moment, Hyuga Hiashi's face was shriveled like a dried eggplant. His eyes were wide open, his teeth tightly clenched, and his cheeks puffed up high like an enraged toad. He too was enduring, suppressing the burning hatred that made him want to activate the Caged Bird on Hyuga Yu this very instant. However, in the end, he closed his eyes heavily, forcing himself to calm down, and barked in a low voice, "Kill him?"
"And then what?"
"Do you think we can withstand the wrath of the Foundation? The wrath of Shimura Danzo?"
"Not to mention, given our current state of being completely suppressed by him, if we attempt to activate the Caged Bird, will he die first, or will we be instantly crushed to death by him?"
Hyuga Sosuke clenched his molars tightly, rebuking in hatred, "But... but are we just going to let this matter drop?!"
Huff, puff...
Hyuga Hiashi panted heavily, smoothing out the humiliation and malice in his heart, a venomous glare flashing through his eyes. "Don't be anxious... don't be anxious..."
"We must absolutely not make a move ourselves. Striking now will bring a catastrophic disaster upon the Hyuga clan!"
Hyuga Sosuke remained unwilling. "But, but—"
Hyuga Hiashi said coldly, "Calm down and watch!"
"The Tennin, Hyuga Yu—he will not survive past today!"
Hearing this, Hyuga Sosuke was momentarily stunned. He then lifted his eyes slightly, his head still pressed against the ground as he scanned his surroundings, as if suddenly realizing something. Of the six elders of the Hyuga clan, excluding Hyuga Sogo, who maintained close relations with Hyuga Yu, only four had arrived today.
There was still one more... who similarly harbored a bone-deep hatred for Hyuga Yu!
At the same time, because that person had been stripped of his position, he was unable to participate in this event. Hyuga Sosuke's eyes instantly lit up. "Are you saying—"
Clenching his teeth, Hyuga Hiashi writhed his body to adjust his direction and continued to kowtow toward Hyuga Yu, commanding in a freezing tone, "Silence!"
At the same time, within the shadows of a building at the edge of the Hokage Residence's square, an elderly figure with disheveled hair, bloodshot eyes, and a body covered in bloodstains slowly raised his head. He revealed a sinister, elderly face resembling a hawk. This person was none other than the former Great Elder of the Hyuga main house, Hyuga Sodo!
Presently, he slowly paced out from a blind spot of a lane that was under the Foundation's surveillance. Spitting out a mouthful of bloody water, he bared a set of yellow teeth stained with blood. "Old fool, you were no match for me back then. Now, even you think you're worthy of stopping me?"
Behind him, another elder of the Hyuga main house, Hyuga Sogo, lay slumped in the alleyway with a head covered in blood, his survival unknown.
Hyuga Sodo tapped the ground with his toes, his elderly form displaying an agility that defied his years. In a single bound, he leaped onto the roof. Following that, he barked, "Byakugan, Open!"
The veins around his eyes bulged violently, and his vision instantly expanded outward!
Upon witnessing the farce taking place on Konoha's Tea Street, Hyuga Sodo couldn't help but let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Hiashi... you have ultimately changed!"
"To think the Hyuga main house has fallen to such a wretched state today! Facing a mere piece of trash from the branch house, you actually have to kneel and kowtow to him?!"
"Forget it..."
Hyuga Sodo took a deep breath. He slowly raised his palms, forming the 'Ram' hand seal for the Caged Bird Curse Seal, his gaze locked tightly onto the Byakugan youth who was pacing forward at a leisurely distance!
"Allow this old man to reshape the glory of the Hyuga main house, and let you comprehend the insurmountable chasm that exists between the main house and the branch house!"
He stared fixedly at the approaching Hyuga Yu, grinding his teeth until they clicked. His nostrils and throat felt a stinging heat as if filled with thick smoke, and his brain throbbed from the rush of blood as if it were about to explode!
Gradually, his expression became incredibly distorted: "Hyuga Yu, you absolute abomination of a half-breed who disgusts this old man!"
"Today, this old man shall completely eliminate you!!!"
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