A blade combined with lightning.
That alone was enough to pin the blame on the Cloud ninja.
Hiashi truly had no brains at all. With the surroundings this quiet, how could he think he was the only target? Akira wasn't the only one planning to make a move.
[EXP +1,567]
[Byakugan]
[Skill: Rotation]
His strength had grown quickly—already at the level of a chūnin. But he hadn't officially been promoted yet. It seemed he planned to become one after the war.
Unfortunately—
He wouldn't get that chance.
"Use Byakugan."
A main family Byakugan could raise his own by one level.
[Byakugan (Lv.7) EXP (0/24,300) Trait (None)]
"Three more to max it out."
Akira had no intention of wasting EXP on upgrading Byakugan anymore.
After all—there were plenty of "materials" walking around.
He turned his gaze toward the distant forest.
"Have you seen enough?"
A figure leapt out from the trees, rapidly closing the distance until he landed in front of Akira.
He had deliberately stayed outside Hiashi and the twins' field of vision, avoiding detection.
The man approached with a heavy expression.
"You shouldn't have killed the twins. They were elite members of the branch family."
Akira looked at him with a faint smile.
"Are you lecturing me?"
A terrifying killing intent erupted from him, staining even the air with a faint crimson hue.
The man fell silent.
After a long pause, he dropped to one knee.
"Hyūga Hikaru… is willing to become your blade."
Akira shook his head in disappointment.
"Have you been kneeling for too long?"
To him, everyone was equal.
NPCs were NPCs. Monsters were monsters.
He had no intention of creating another "main house."
Hikaru's expression stiffened. He stood up awkwardly.
He had grown used to submission.
But Akira… was completely different from anyone he had ever met.
His hand unconsciously touched his forehead protector.
Beneath it… was a black mark.
His thoughts drifted back—
"If I can make your Caged Bird seal ineffective… would you dare oppose the main house?"
Hikaru's face changed instantly.
"What nonsense are you talking about?!"
He immediately activated his Byakugan to scan the surroundings.
No one.
Only then did he relax slightly.
Akira simply looked at him calmly.
After a long silence, Hikaru said:
"Prove it. If your Caged Bird really doesn't work."
Akira smiled faintly.
"I asked—do you dare?"
Hikaru fell silent again.
Every so-called genius once carried pride deep in their bones.
But years of suppression by the main house had crushed him—
Until he willingly became their tool.
But if the cage… truly disappeared—
Then what?
Hikaru stared at Akira, trying to find even a trace of deception.
But Akira's actions—
And the new bloodline ability he had awakened—
Proved one thing.
He and the main house were already irreconcilable enemies.
And if the Caged Bird truly no longer worked—
Then the main house had no way to control him.
"Dare!!"
Hikaru clenched his fists.
"As long as I can be free from the Caged Bird—!"
"I'll do anything you ask!!"
He was done.
Done being controlled.
Done being a dog.
Akira walked up to him—and kicked his knee.
"Squat down. You're too tall."
"…Damn height…"
Hikaru awkwardly lowered himself.
Akira placed a hand on his forehead.
"Exorcism."
A strange chakra flowed into Hikaru's brain.
Time passed.
Only after a long while did it fade.
Akira withdrew his hand.
"You're free now."
"If you want proof—watch what happens to Hiashi."
"What you do next… is up to you."
Hikaru returned to the present.
Akira had removed his seal so easily—
Without using it as leverage.
From the moment his blind spot disappeared, he had believed it.
And today—
He saw it with his own eyes.
Hiashi activated the Caged Bird—
And it did nothing.
That's right.
Everything today… had been arranged by him.
The so-called Cloud ninja—
Were just his Shadow Clones.
The main house might have cut off access to jutsu—
But that didn't mean there were no other ways to obtain them.
For that, he could almost thank Hiruzen.
He had just chosen to hide it all this time.
The main house restricted jutsu not just out of tradition—
But to prevent the branch family from finding a way to break the Caged Bird.
But now—
That era was over.
Akira stepped forward and patted Hikaru on the waist.
"My name is Hyūga Akira. Yours is Hyūga Hikaru."
"We both have a bright future."
"What you choose next… is up to you."
He glanced once at Hiashi's corpse.
Killing him—
Had been decided the moment Hiashi used the Caged Bird on him last time.
Hikaru was just a bonus.
A freed branch member—
An elite jōnin, no less.
The Hyūga clan was about to become… very interesting.
"The rest is yours."
Akira turned and began walking away.
Toward Nawaki's direction.
Hikaru suddenly spoke.
"What if I betray you?"
"If I can betray the main house… I can betray you too."
Akira didn't even turn around.
"Doesn't matter."
To him—
That would just be another monster.
And a branch member without the Caged Bird…
Might even drop a perfect Byakugan.
No loss.
Hikaru bowed deeply toward Akira's back.
Such magnanimity…
If someone like him led the Hyūga clan—
It would surely rise to glory once more.
Akira, however, didn't care what Hikaru thought.
He moved quickly toward Nawaki's location.
Soon, he spotted them waiting.
Silently—
He swapped back using the Substitution Jutsu.
Then dispelled the Shadow Clone.
Memories flowed back into his mind.
"Big brother, should we keep going? We're about to enter the Land of Lightning," Nawaki asked, staring at the towering mountains ahead.
"We're heading back," Akira replied calmly.
"We can't cross into their territory without orders."
"Those Cloud ninja were probably just scouts. They've likely already returned."
With this setup—
And the lightning-based sword technique he used—
He had created a perfect alibi.
As long as he didn't use Thunder Breathing in front of Konoha ninja—
Even if Hikaru betrayed him, there would be no evidence linking him to Hiashi's death.
After all—
Everyone knew Hyūga Akira specialized in Fire Release.
He had never once used Lightning Release.
A thirteen-year-old who had already created a Fire Release bloodline limit—
Where would he find the time to learn Lightning techniques too?
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