Sota and Shuji didn't have time to grieve for Yuto and Motou.
They surged up toward Hiashi together, standing one in front of the other.
They made sure that even if one of them died, the other would fight Hiashi to the death.
To prevent Hiashi from using the curse seal, both of them attacked without defending, the danger of that was obvious.
Hiashi faced their storm of attacks and squeezed out a few words between his teeth, "Wh-why?"
Sota was silent, only furiously attacking, every strike aimed for a vital point; Hiashi's strength alone was not something Sota could contend with.
Only by joining forces with Shuji could they barely hold even.
Shuji searched for a weakness in Hiashi while continuously attacking, shouting wildly, "As long as the branch family exists, the Hyuga will be destroyed!"
"WE WILL NOT BE SLAVES! WE WILL NOT BE SCAPEGOATS!"
Every branch-family person's eyes burned with fire, their momentum like a soaring banner.
Feeling the murderous intent in Shuji's tone, Hiashi's heart trembled.
Shuji then used his left arm to block Hiashi's attack path, and Sota seized the chance to deliver a fierce punch to Hiashi's back.
Hiashi inhaled deeply and spun his body violently, Rotation!
A huge chakra projection formed an outer shield and knocked Sota flying.
Although Sota reflexively tried to form a defensive pose, he had struck too hard; his forearm was bent by the force of the Rotation.
Rotation could only last a few seconds at most because it consumed tremendous chakra.
One could spin several times without getting dizzy, but if too much chakra was released the body would go limp in two seconds.
Sota and Shuji were determined to die if necessary to take Hiashi down; only with Hiashi dead could the New Sprout Plan possibly succeed.
Even if Hiashi didn't die, they just had to hold on until the branch family outside came in.
Those who entered for the clan meeting could not bring weapons—only bare fists.
But the branch members on duty outside had weapons; at that time, even shuriken could be used to pile onto Hiashi and kill him.
At that moment Sota could only spare glances at the battlefield between branch and main family members.
Their positions were arranged with branch and main families standing opposite.
Although the main family lacked battle experience and the branch family pressed forward quickly, the main family nevertheless had been trained in Gentle Fist and were not entirely without combat ability.
After twenty-six main-family youths had lost their lives, the remaining twenty-two organized an effective defense.
The strongest twelve held off the branch-family assault at the front.
The other ten released the Caged Bird seal from inside.
The Caged Bird seal had levels; these main-family youths could at most punish branch members, not instantly curse them to death.
As long as they formed the hand seals and shaped the target in their minds, they could cast the jutsu.
Punitive Caged Bird required continuous chanting.
The pain of the Caged Bird was not something ordinary people could endure.
Usually, anyone who could hold on for three seconds was someone of extremely firm will.
Those punished by the Caged Bird would of course become lambs to the slaughter, to be instantly killed by the main family.
So the branch-family tactic was sacrificing lives to overwhelm.
The battlefield became branch members recklessly throwing themselves forward in swarms.
The main family desperately blocked them while inside people kept switching targets to cast Caged Bird.
With greater numbers, there were always branch members who escaped attention.
By the side of Hyuga Aoto, Hyuga Ryu had been cursed to the ground, and Aoto stepped on Ryu's body, delivering an Eight Trigrams Air Palm at Hyuga Hizan.
Hyuga Hizan panicked and immediately used Rotation.
Although Rotation successfully defended against Aoto's attack, its protective shield could not be everywhere.
He directly disrupted the main family's formation.
Several branch members seized the chance and surged forward, killing two main-family youths.
Standing at the center of the main-family line, Hyuga Kan shouted angrily, "Idiots!"
The main family's defensive gap was torn open in an instant, and what was even more desperate: Figures flashed outside; branch-family members on duty in Konoha had already rushed back.
They entered without a word and threw kunai toward the main-family youths, some fitted with explosive tags.
BOOM!
When Hyuga Kan attempted to dodge, he was blown outward.
At that moment he saw that Hiashi had once again activated Rotation.
Shuji and Sota, who were besieging him, were waiting for Hiashi's Rotation to finish so they could attack again.
A branch member charged straight at Kan; gritting his teeth, Kan abandoned his defense.
He immediately formed hand seals, directly locking onto Shuji.
Caged Bird seal, activate!
Hiashi had just finished Rotation and a violent pain rushed toward Shuji.
"Ahhhhh!", Shuji cried as the severe pain gripped him.
Sota was knocked flying aside by Hiashi; as long as Hiashi could free a hand, the plan would fail.
'Years of planning! Lord Hizashi! Lord Koshin!'
Shuji wept tears of pain, his face contorted, ripping at his skin.
As the explosive tag sizzled and burned, he leapt toward Hiashi.
"Please, clan head, die!", he yelled.
Hiashi had never seen anyone withstand the Caged Bird before; Shuji's will shocked him.
But Hiashi still thrust out an Eight Trigrams Air Palm, preventing Shuji from getting close, and Shuji exploded in midair.
BOOM!
There was a large amount of explosive on Shuji, even without contact, the blast sent Hiashi reeling.
Hyuga Kan, who had forcibly used Caged Bird without a defensive backup, was chased down by branch members and killed.
Hiashi, severely wounded by the explosion, fell to the ground, and saw branch family members fully armed pouring in.
A chill filled his heart; he knew the main family was finished.
His chakra scattered from grievous injury, and gathering the Caged Bird seal required time.
At that moment a figure staggered toward him.
Blood slicked all over him, it was Sota, also wounded by the explosive tags.
Explosive tags did not distinguish friend from foe; although Sota's injuries were lighter than Hiashi's, they were clearly severe.
That he could still stand was purely due to astonishing willpower.
Hiashi barely formed a seal and, staring at Sota, gathered chakra, spitting blood foam, "Was this worth it?"
Sota had seen Hiashi forming the seal and sensed Hiashi gathering chakra.
But he too was badly hurt and could only force his legs to move closer to Hiashi, blood pouring from his mouth as he said, "Worth it! We the branch family will not be slaves! We will not be scapegoats!"
Hiashi coughed blood and finally completed the Caged Bird seal and began to activate it.
Sota stared at Hiashi, images of Koshin and Hizashi flashing through his mind.
In his final moments he tore open the explosive tag already tied to his body and, with all his strength, hurled himself at Hiashi!
"For… Lord Hizashi, Koshin, pay with your lives!"
Hiashi's heart trembled; someone after all these years still remembered his younger brother's kindness and took revenge inspired by that memory.
Sota's Caged Bird mark lit up while he was midair; his brain tissue and eyes were instantly burned out.
The detonated explosive dragged Sota onto Hiashi.
Hiashi no longer had the strength or time to push Sota off.
'Hizashi, your brother is not as good as you.'
That thought flashed through Hiashi's mind in his last instant.
BOOOOMMM!!
A violent explosion, flesh and blood scattered.
Hiashi and Sota were blown to pieces in an instant.
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