*BOOM!*
A roar echoed.
A cloud of explosive air surged.
Satoshi turned into a streak of white light, flung a hundred meters away, crashing into a house, his fate unknown.
"Impossible! Kaiten was shattered? That's the Hyuga Clan's absolute defense!"
Many shouted in shock.
Their expressions were grim.
Despite surrounding the masked man, they didn't attack immediately after the shock.
An elder from the main family saw this and cursed:
"What are you branch family members thinking? He's just one man. Attack him now!"
"Right, one enemy. Attack!"
"Avenge Satoshi!"
"Bastard! Don't be so arrogant. The Hyuga Clan won't fall to you so easily!"
"Gentle Fist!"
"Lowly scum! Don't think you can escape!"
One by one, Hyuga Clan members shouted, charging at the masked man with all their might, fists and feet striking in unison.
The masked man had no room to dodge.
Yet… facing the onslaught, he didn't intend to evade. He merely swung his arms lightly.
"Taiji: Four Ounces to Deflect a Thousand Pounds."
In the next moment, the Hyuga attackers felt their hands and feet move uncontrollably, their bodies swaying left and right with the rhythm of his arms.
You strike, I deflect—hitting your own allies.
They screamed in pain, flung backward one by one.
In just over ten seconds, more than twenty Hyuga ninjas lay groaning on the ground.
The remaining Hyuga showed tense expressions.
This enemy was terrifyingly strong—at least Kage-level.
No wonder he dared invade the Hyuga alone.
"What kind of Gentle Fist is this? It redirects others' strength as its own?" Hiashi asked, frowning.
"This is the true Taiji Eight Trigrams. The Eight Trigrams in your hands are just patched-together garbage, like a dog's tail."
While answering, the masked man mocked their Eight Trigrams technique.
"Bastard! Don't think defeating a few lowly branch members makes you untouchable to the main family. Eight Trigrams Empty Palm!"
An elder from the main family, hiding behind the branch members, roared in fury.
His right palm unleashed a powerful gust, rushing at the masked man.
"Taiji: Single Whip."
The masked man sneered.
His right hand pulled to the side.
The air whistled sharply. A mass of dual Yin-Yang energy shot from his hand, clashing with the Empty Palm's gust.
No explosion occurred.
The Yin-Yang energy absorbed the gust's force, striking the main family elder with undiminished power, hitting his chest and stomach.
"Argh!"
The elder screamed in pain, spitting blood.
His body flew backward.
"Help me!"
The elder cried desperately.
Several branch family Hyuga rushed to catch him.
But as they approached, they felt their bodies weaken, drawn in, and flew dozens of meters with the elder, crashing through houses before stopping.
Buried in rubble, their fates unknown.
Seeing this, everyone drew a cold breath, too wary to act rashly.
"Your strength is extraordinary… We're impressed, but I truly don't understand where our conflict lies… What's your purpose in coming to the Hyuga Clan?"
"Perhaps we can sit and talk? The ninja world is vast, full of disputes, but we shouldn't be trapped in a cycle of hatred…"
Hiashi took a deep breath, forced to negotiate again.
The once-angry main family members fell silent, calming down.
They feared being targeted by a long-range attack.
"Conflict? There's none between us…"
The masked man shook his head.
"Then why?" Hiashi asked, confused.
"This world is filthy… The Hyuga Clan enslaves its own kin with the same blood. It's the center of that filth… I'm here to cleanse it." the masked man said flatly.
"So you see the Hyuga Clan as filth? Damned bastard…"
The Hyuga members nearly went mad with rage, their once-white eyes now bloodshot.
"So it's about the branch family issue?" Hiashi frowned, realizing something.
He paused, then continued: "But… I already explained the importance of the Caged Bird. Clearly, you don't believe me… So, is conflict between us inevitable?"
"Of course… the filth hasn't been cleansed yet."
"You're not afraid of Konoha's retaliation?"
"Konoha's retaliation?" The masked man's voice dripped with disdain, as if he'd heard an amusing joke.
"Hmph… I understand… But the Hyuga Clan isn't as weak as you think. No matter how strong one person is, their power is limited. The Hyuga are Konoha's top clan. Everyone is a ninja, not just skilled in Gentle Fist."
"Everyone, listen. Use Ninjutsu for long-range attacks!"
Hiashi took a deep breath and shouted.
"Yes, Clan Leader!"
The Hyuga roared.
They acted, forming hand seals for Ninjutsu.
In the next moment, a barrage of Ninjutsu unleashed, turning the Hyuga grounds into a sea of elements.
Most houses were destroyed, the ground shattered, but the Hyuga no longer cared.
They only wanted to kill the masked man.
"Taiji: Cloud Hands."
Facing the terrifying wave of Ninjutsu, the masked man remained calm.
His hands moved slowly through the air.
All attacking Ninjutsu were drawn by an invisible force, swirling with his hand movements, forming a black-and-white spinning ball.
The ball spun, a storm roared, making the masked man look like a god controlling chakra.
"Impossible."
"All the Ninjutsu… blocked."
"Unfused massive chakra is merging…"
"Can Taijutsu reach this level?"
"Even Kages from other villages couldn't do this."
The group gasped, shouting in shock, retreating in panic.
"Order birthed duality. Duality gave rise to balance. Balance formed the foundations of reality. And all returns to the source—the Grand Taiji! Release: Colossal Yin-Yang Grinder!"
The masked man muttered, completing his final hand motion, pushing lightly.
The energy ball, fused with dozens of Ninjutsu, flew toward Hiashi.
It moved slowly, yet it terrified everyone, making them sweat coldly.
"Everyone, dodge!" Hiashi shouted, soaked in sweat.
He stomped the ground, leaping aside.
The others, terrified, fled as well.
After they ran over a hundred meters, the energy ball hit the ground and exploded.
Instantly, fire, water, lightning, earth, and wind turned into a massive blast.
The ground and houses shattered like paper.
"Uwaaaaa!"
Heart-wrenching screams echoed across the Hyuga grounds.
Everyone screamed, flung back like ants in a storm.
When the fire, water, lightning, earth, and wind subsided, and the dust cleared, a massive crater over 150 meters wide and dozens of meters deep appeared. Houses within hundreds of meters were reduced to rubble.
Debris scattered everywhere, black smoke rising.