The high-density chakra sphere, condensed into a ball, was completely materialized. Even without a Dōjutsu, Shiumura Danzō could instantly judge the immense destructive power this attack would generate.
Glancing hastily toward Hyūga Shinichi and seeing the chakra sphere shooting directly at him, Danzō no longer hesitated. While leaping to dodge, he forcefully exhaled a blast of wind to ensure he avoided the Jutsu. The recoil from the strong wind propelled Danzō high into the air, instantly lifting him off the ground.
"BOOM!!!"
The chakra sphere struck the ground where Danzō had just stood. The terrifying explosion instantly caused everyone present to feel a sharp pang in their hearts.
Ninja scrambled to look, witnessing a crimson fireball cloud rising from the plaza in front of the Hyūga compound.
A powerful shockwave, accompanied by rolling heat, rapidly expanded. The fighting Hyūga clan members and Anbu couldn't withstand the gale and were thrown to the ground.
Even Danzō Shimura, who had foreseen the danger and leaped high into the air, was violently hit by the suddenly erupting shockwave. He tumbled awkwardly in the air, completely unable to stabilize his body, and crashed heavily back to the ground from a great height.
"THUD!!!"
Even the residual shock was enough to injure Danzō. Falling to the ground, he felt like his body was shattering. Intense pain caused cold sweat to seep from his forehead and cheeks.
"Hiss—"
Unsure how many bones were fractured, Danzō, who had not yet transplanted Hashirama cells, was defenseless against such an impact. The agonizing pain prevented him from getting up for a long time.
Hyūga Shinichi naturally couldn't pass up the opportunity to finish off the weakened target. Both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō had attempted to step over the Hyūga clan. If he didn't use a strong hand to make them "feel the pain," the two would never back down easily.
Killing Danzō now, as a fait accompli, would likely prevent anyone from challenging the Hyūga Main House over a dead man, especially since Danzō initiated the attack.
Even if someone did object, the Hyūga clan would have room to maneuver. Furthermore, Shinichi's confidence stemmed from the Flying Thunder God Technique; even without the Hyūga clan's strength, relying on the technique alone was enough to resolve the crisis calmly. Space-time Ninjutsu was that powerful.
Another chakra sphere condensed in the lion's mouth. Shinichi, intent on killing, looked cold. In just a few breaths, another miniature Tailed Beast Bomb was formed, aimed directly at Danzō, who lay on the ground unable to get up.
"STOP!!!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi finally perceived Shinichi's killing intent. He had previously assumed the boy's attack was a necessary counter to the immense pressure Danzō exerted. However, seeing Shinichi continue his assault while Danzō was momentarily incapacitated from the fall, this was clearly more than just a counterattack. Hyūga Shinichi genuinely intended to assassinate a Konoha Advisor right here.
Hiruzen naturally couldn't allow his old comrade to be killed. While shouting to stop him, he instantly became a blur, rushing toward Shinichi.
However, Shinichi completely ignored Hiruzen Sarutobi. The miniature Tailed Beast Bomb, completed in his hands, shot out instantly. Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't even reached Shinichi when he saw the chakra sphere that had caused such immense damage again hurtling toward Danzō.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment. A look of terror and sorrow appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face. He doubted Danzō, in his current state, could survive such an attack. The Root ninja looked anxious, rushing toward Danzō, seemingly trying to shield him.
Uchiha Fugaku, his eyes now spinning scarlet with the Sharingan, assessed the power of Shinichi's Jutsu and Danzō's capability, silently condemning Danzō to death.
A strong sense of anticipation filled his eyes. The Uchiha clan's current plight was inseparable from Danzō, and while Fugaku hadn't chosen to directly confront him, it didn't mean he had no feelings about Danzō.
Ironically, the attacking Hyūga Shinichi's calm face suddenly registered surprise.
The next moment, the chakra sphere struck near Danzō. Seeing the attack about to consume him, countless images flashed through Danzō's mind, like a death reel.
"I'm actually going to die at the hands of this brat?"
The final image in the death reel was reality. Danzō looked at the distant Hyūga Shinichi with his piercing azure eyes, feeling as though his decades of effort and years of combat had been a complete joke. The gap between ordinary ninja and Bloodline Limit ninja was vast... He attributed all of Shinichi's abilities to his superior lineage. Then, he closed his eyes, calmly accepting his defeat.
However, just then, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Danzō Shimura. A white Hokage cloak filled everyone's vision. The inwardly despairing Danzō noticed the presence, opened his eyes, and saw the stark red characters: "Fourth Hokage."
"Minato?"
A whisper escaped Danzō's lips. As Minato Namikaze entered the scene, the miniature Tailed Beast Bomb Shinichi fired was instantly absorbed into a separate dimension just before reaching Danzō. The Flying Thunder God kunai in Minato's hand was held horizontally. The complex seals rapidly enveloped the miniature Tailed Beast Bomb, and it vanished into the alternate dimension.
A moment later.
An explosion, like rolling thunder, came from behind the Hokage Rock. Minato, who had successfully redirected Shinichi's attack, turned his head to check Danzō's condition. Then, he loudly shouted at Shinichi and the Hyūga ninja who were still planning to attack the Anbu:
"That's enough!"
"Everyone, stop fighting!"
Minato Namikaze's appearance brought the conflict to a halt. Although Shinichi felt immense regret for failing to eliminate Danzō, he knew that with Minato present, he could do nothing more. Hearing Minato's words, the Hyūga clan members first looked toward Shinichi, awaiting their Main House heir's command.
Seeing Shinichi wave his hand, the clan members finally ceased their attack, no longer pursuing the Anbu and Root ninja.
The fighting had reached a point where every Anbu and Root ninja had their chakra flow partially restricted. Although they were elite, the Hyūga clan outnumbered them and fought with synchronized teamwork. The Anbu had gained no advantage in the engagement.
"Advisor Danzō, what exactly happened to cause the Hyūga clan to attack you and the Anbu?"
Minato Namikaze's first question immediately revealed his stance. Even without knowing the specifics, Minato's questioning was subtly biased toward the Hyūga clan. No... not subtly; he was openly favoring the Hyūga.
Danzō, having recovered slightly, was slowly helped up by his subordinates. Hearing Minato's question, his old face flushed red. He coughed, unable to speak.
Seeing Danzō silent, Minato turned his gaze to Hyūga Shinichi and Hyūga Hizashi. Compared to the consciously guilty Danzō, Hizashi felt completely justified:
"Fourth Hokage, those people deliberately caused trouble and made things difficult for our Hyūga clan."
"The situation is this..."
Hizashi then recounted everything that had happened to the Hyūga clan recently: from Shinichi's assassination attempt, to his efforts to track down the assassin, to the execution of the assassin, and the subsequent obstruction by the Anbu when they tried to claim the corpse for investigation.
Minato had previously received a report from Kakashi Hatake about Shinichi's assassination attempt, but he was hearing about the events of the current day for the first time. However, with Fugaku Uchiha present as a corroborating witness, Minato completely believed Hizashi's account.
Learning that the Hyūga clan had engaged in a conflict with the Anbu, even drawing in the Advisor Danzō, over the right to investigate a corpse, Minato sensed something highly unusual. The Anbu were so aggressively disrespectful to the Hyūga clan over the corpse? This was unexpected for Minato.
Silently glancing at Danzō and the Third Hokage, Minato made his decision:
"This matter ends here. Kurama Unkai's corpse will temporarily remain with the Hyūga clan."
"You have one week. If you find nothing, the corpse will be sent to the Analysis Division."
"Even if you find something, do not act rashly. Report to me first."
"That is all. Everyone disperse!"
The noise of the fighting was already drawing more and more ninja to the scene. To prevent the situation from escalating further, Minato wanted to quickly disperse everyone.
Although the objective was not fully achieved, the brief exchange with Danzō had allowed Shinichi to demonstrate his strength, and forcing Danzō into such a desperate position was considered a success.
After instructing his clan members, Shinichi paid his respects to Minato and expressed his gratitude to Fugaku Uchiha before leading his clan members back to the compound. He also instructed his uncle, Hizashi, to greet the Yamanaka clan members on his behalf.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, seemingly embarrassed, quietly slipped away.
And Danzō, escorted by the Root ninja, hurriedly departed.
Minato, hearing that the Hyūga clan had invited the Yamanaka clan to investigate the assassin's brain, was intrigued by the mastermind and did not leave. Instead, he accepted Hizashi's invitation to enter the Hyūga compound.
Shortly after the crowd dispersed, Inoichi Yamanaka, the head of Konoha's Analysis Division and the Yamanaka clan, arrived at the Hyūga compound.
As the onlookers dispersed, the fame of the Hyūga clan began to spread widely throughout the village, especially the story of Hyūga Shinichi, the Main House heir, who nearly killed Advisor Danzō. The news reached the ears of all clan heads and elders, and even ordinary ninja began discussing the events.
However, the Hyūga clan paid no mind to these developments. Their primary concern was identifying the mastermind behind Kurama Unkai's actions. While Shinichi had his suspicions, the Yamanaka clan's investigation result was crucial for gaining the Fourth Hokage's trust.
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