Chapter 150: Correcting the Course Requires Overcorrection! "Hiashi! Save me!"

Hyūga Neji’s words had struck like a thunderclap, turning the faces of Hyūga Jinpu and the senior branch’s elite ninja ashen with shock.

Who could have guessed that the one who dragged Uchiha Iizumi into this affair was none other than a mere academy student from the Hyūga clan?

Neji, that boy—so coldly righteous, so smug in his self-righteousness—acted as though he stood on the moral high ground.

But they knew better. They knew the truth: Neji’s hatred for the Main Branch wasn’t born of justice, but of personal grievance—of the trauma his father had suffered, of the injustice that had consumed him. This was vengeance. Pure and simple.

“A traitorous Byakugan wolf with his loyalty twisted outward! Does he forget what family he belongs to?!”

“What did Hiashi say to him on his deathbed?!”

“If he can betray the Main Branch today, what’s to stop him from betraying the Leaf Village tomorrow?!”

Hyūga Jinpu seethed inwardly, his eyes darting warily toward the impassive Uchiha Iizumi. Fear, already gnawing at him, now surged into full-blown panic. His wrinkled face glistened with cold sweat, every line etched with dread.

Desperation clawed at his throat. He had to act first.

“Uchiha Iizumi,” he blurted, voice cracking, “are you really going to believe the lies of a child still in ninja academy? Your eyes—those eyes that see into the soul—must have seen that I carry no guilt!”

He pressed on, breathless: “Hyūga Yoko, the deceased branch elder, was old and ill. We’ve already confirmed the cause of death—his long-standing illness. He died of natural causes!”

Before he could go on, Uchiha Iizumi’s voice cut through the air like ice.

“Hyūga Jinpu. Fifty-seven years ago, you raped and murdered a Hyūga branch member. You then slaughtered her husband, dismembered both bodies, and dumped them into the river for fish to devour.”

The words froze the blood in Jinpu’s veins.

A memory flickered—faint, buried beneath decades of denial. Yes… he had done that. But that was long before the Leaf Village existed, before any real order had taken root. In those chaotic times, such acts were common. Not even considered evil.

“Uchiha Iizumi! That was a different era!” Jinpu pleaded, voice rising in panic. “Morality changes with time! And since then, I’ve done nothing wrong! I’ve dedicated my life to the Hyūga clan and the Leaf Village!”

But his words fell on deaf ears.

“Last night,” Uchiha Iizumi continued, cold and precise, “you tortured Hyūga Yoko with the Cage of Birds Seal. Even after he begged—pleaded—that he could no longer endure it, you continued for thirty minutes.”

His gaze was utterly devoid of emotion. Not a flicker of pity. Not even recognition of a living being. He looked at Jinpu as one might look at a corpse.

Neji’s eyes widened. So did the eyes of the young Hyūga branch member—Yoko’s grandson—staring in disbelief at the trembling elder.

“So… it was you,” he whispered. “You… tortured my grandfather for half an hour.”

Jinpu’s sweat poured down his back, soaking his robes. “How could I know he wasn’t lying?!” he stammered. “A ninja’s body is stronger than a civilian’s! Even at his age, he could’ve endured it! If he couldn’t, he’d have died during the seal—long before thirty minutes!”

Thirty minutes… endure it?

Neji felt a wave of disbelief. When his own father had triggered the Cage of Birds Seal—just once, for a minute—his father had been drenched in sweat, writhing in agony. And now, thirty minutes? The thought was unbearable.

This wasn’t punishment. This was torture. This was the Main Branch’s cruelty—treating branch members like disposable tools.

Uchiha Iizumi delivered the final verdict: “After thirty minutes, you released the seal. But the prolonged agony triggered Yoko’s pre-existing illness. He died of a heart attack. Your actions have plunged you into eternal damnation.”

Jinpu’s pupils trembled.

“Absolute Justice,” Uchiha Iizumi declared, “has rendered its judgment—life for life.”

Jinpu’s frail body convulsed. In a final burst of desperate strength, he shoved aside the senior branch ninja blocking his path and bolted toward the Hyūga Compound.

“Help me! Save me!!!”

“Hiashi! Clan Leader! Hurry!”

“Save me, I beg you!!!”

His scream, raw with terror and desperation, echoed through the compound.

The cry roused the clan. Branch members rushed out, eyes wide. One of them stopped, stunned—Jinpu was screaming for help?

Senior branch ninja came forward, concerned. “Senior Elder Renpu… what’s happened?”

And Hyūga Hiashi himself stepped from his home, frowning. “Renpu… what are you doing? Why aren’t you fleeing?”

But before he could ask, his gaze snapped to the entrance.

A group of figures had just entered the compound.

Hiashi froze. His voice, his steps—all stopped mid-motion.

“Iizumi…”

Jinpu saw Hiashi—and instantly saw salvation. He sprinted toward him, ignoring the tightening of Hiashi’s expression.

“Hiashi! That boy—Neji—is a Byakugan wolf! He’s betrayed the Main Branch!”

“Hiashi! Uchiha Iizumi—he’s going to—”

He never finished.

A tremor ran through the ground beneath his feet. Something was rising.

He looked down.

Dozens of tree roots erupted from the earth, wrapping around his legs like serpents.

At only ten meters away, Hiashi’s eyes narrowed. He activated the Byakugan—only one person’s chakra was flaring wildly. Uchiha Iizumi.

The roots surged upward, coiling around Jinpu’s neck with terrifying speed. In less than a breath, thick, gnarled vines had wrapped him completely.

“Hiashi… save…”

The plea choked off mid-sentence.

A dull crack echoed across the compound.

The roots tightened—violently. Jinpu’s torso was crushed to pulp. Exploded. Blood and flesh sprayed in all directions, splattering across the ground and landing on Hiashi’s robes.

A grotesque, bloody sculpture stood in the center of the compound—twisted roots, stained crimson, still dripping.

The head rolled, tumbling across the ground, coming to rest with a final, lifeless thud. The face, frozen in a mask of terror, was painted red with blood.

Silence. Utter silence.

Only the soft drip… drip… drip of blood from the roots remained.

---

“Wood Release…”

Kakashi, who had slipped into the compound unnoticed, stared with his dull, fish-like eyes.

He knew what he’d seen. No genjutsu. No illusion. He had seen Uchiha Iizumi use Wood Release.

Another bloodline limit? Beyond Sharingan, Molten Release… Wood Release?

Three rare bloodline limits? All powerful?

Kakashi’s mind reeled. He’d never seen Uchiha Iizumi use this technique before. This was the first time.

But where had it come from?

The question haunted him. And Hiashi, too, was stunned.

Hiashi slowly raised a hand to his cheek, wiped a smear of blood, then stared at his fingers. He looked at the head, at the mangled body, at the horrifying “wooden monument” before him.

His mind refused to process it.

And worse—Uchiha Iizumi had just executed a respected elder of the Hyūga clan—in front of the clan leader, in full view of dozens of witnesses.

More were arriving. At least twenty. More still coming.

Then—Uchiha Iizumi turned.

His eyes met Hiashi’s. Cold. Empty. And yet, somehow, terrifying.

Hiashi opened his mouth, searching for words, but froze.

Then—

“Father! No!”

A young Hyūga—Jinpu’s son—raced in, only to halt at the sight of the blood-soaked ground. His face went pale. He stared at the head.

Just minutes ago, his father had been alive—giving him instructions. Now… only a head remained.

“Huh? Oh? An unexpected bonus,” Uchiha Iizumi’s voice cut in, calm, almost amused.

The son barely registered it.

Hiashi’s pupils contracted.

---

Meanwhile, in the misty battlefield, the blade of the Execution Sword gleamed in the eye of a Kirigakure Anbu.

The reflection grew—then vanished—split in an instant as the blade sliced through the ninja’s face.

Pfft—

The severed half of the head fell.

Biwa Jūzō turned. His Wood Clone was surrounded—two Anbu, hidden in the fog, wielding bizarre tools, attacking from all sides.

“Damn—” Biwa Jūzō barely saw three figures. He slammed his sword into the ground and began forming seals.

Then—snap!—a scroll burst from the Wood Clone’s left wrist.

It unfurled in a flash. The clone leapt into the air, slamming both palms onto the scroll.

“Seal Fire Incantation—Release!”

A torrent of molten lava erupted from the scroll, roaring downward like a volcanic wave. It engulfed one Anbu in an instant—body and weapon vaporized, no scream, no time to react. The lava hit the ground, igniting flames.

The second Anbu recoiled, eyes watering from the heat. He leapt back, terrified.

“Water Release—Water Scatter Pearl Technique!”

Biwa Jūzō finished his seal. He exhaled—a burst of water bullets, like bullets, shot forward and pierced the Anbu’s body, spraying blood.

The ninja fell to his knees, coughing up blood, his mask cracked.

Before he could rise—Biwa Jūzō’s sword was already at his neck.

“Fourth Hokage sent you?” his voice was ice. “To hunt me?”

The Anbu gasped, then coughed. The mask fell off, revealing a face twisted in a bloody grin.

“Cough… cough… Biwa Jūzō! Blood Mist Village… no traitors allowed! We didn’t expect your companion to be this strong. Our squad failed. But if we don’t return, the Fourth will know. He’ll send more.”

Pfft—

Biwa Jūzō’s sword severed the man’s throat.

He exhaled slowly, his face grim.

“The Blood Mist policy… it’s turned people into mindless killers.”

He looked at the Wood Clone. “You’ve left a lot of tricks behind.”

The clone landed, avoiding the lava. “You’re in Akatsuki. Yet the Fourth Hokage still sends Anbu to kill you. This wasn’t his order. It was Obito’s plan.”

Biwa Jūzō froze. “What? Obito?”

“The Fourth Mizukage is already under Obito’s Mangekyō Sharingan. Kirigakure became a Blood Mist Village because of Obito. This squad? They were the backup. If you escaped, they were to finish the job.”

Biwa Jūzō’s breath caught.

The Fourth Mizukage… controlled by Obito?

The Blood Mist policy… all Obito’s doing?

He was stunned.

He wanted to demand proof—but then he realized: Uchiha Iizumi knew more about small factions than most. If he didn’t know Akatsuki’s base, but did know this… it made sense.

He believed it.

He gripped his sword tighter. His face twisted—rage, grief, fury.

“So that’s where it all began… with that cowardly bastard hiding in the shadows.”

He’d seen the cost of Blood Mist. The stench of blood in the air. The poverty. The system where students killed each other to graduate. The bloodline clans erased. The iron-fisted rule. The isolation.

Land of Water—Kirigakure—was the darkest place in the ninja world.

He’d fled because he couldn’t bear it. Even the Seven Swordsmen couldn’t endure it.

Now, standing over a corpse, he looked at the Wood Clone.

“You know… why Kirigakure is called the Blood Mist Village?” he asked, voice low. “If you were a ninja here—if you’d witnessed its descent into bloodshed… what would you do, with your Absolute Justice?”

The clone replied, “You’re asking for my approval?”

Biwa Jūzō blinked. It felt like the clone knew what he was thinking.

“The original wouldn’t run,” the clone said coldly. “Running hides the evil—it doesn’t erase it. Justice has no room for cowardice. The original will destroy every sin in Blood Mist Village. Every last trace. With iron hands. Purge the entire Land of Water.”

He paused. “Kirigakure’s corruption is far worse than Leaf Village. The original will use harsher methods. Because in chaos, only harsh laws can correct the course.”

“Correcting the course requires overcorrection.”

Biwa Jūzō fell silent.

He was one of the Seven Swordsmen. He’d chosen exile. He’d believed he was stronger than the system.

But to Uchiha Iizumi… his choice was cowardice.

He wanted to argue. To defend himself. But no words came.

“Cowardice…”

“Running…”

He exhaled slowly, shouldered his sword.

“Maybe… one day, you should come to Kirigakure.”

He looked at the clone.

“If you truly want to change the ninja world… start by cleansing its darkest place.”

He paused.

“Kirigakure… the Land of Water… it’s worse than Leaf Village. Ten times. A hundred times. Everyone—noble, ninja, commoner, beggar—is sick. And they’re beyond saving.”

He laughed bitterly.

“Uchiha Iizumi… if I’d met you sooner… I might never have joined Akatsuki.”

He looked at the clone, eyes flickering.

“Your extremism… it’s focused. On evil. Not on people. Your Absolute Justice… it calls to me more than any other.”

---

Back in the Leaf Village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to Hyūga Menji. “Yamada, did the Hyūga clan handle this matter?”

Menji sighed. “They claim they’ve dealt with it. Their solution? Exile Jinpu. Remove him from power. Let him leave the village.”

Hiruzen frowned. “An eighty-year-old man? Who knows if he’ll even survive two years outside the village? The moment he’s gone… it’s a death sentence.”

“Cold handling?” Hiruzen mused. “It might keep the branch members quiet. Prevent a clan war.”

“But Iizumi? He won’t accept a half-measure. If he sees guilt… he’ll want blood.”

He rubbed his temples. “I know Iizumi better than I know the Fire Nation’s will.”

“If Jinpu had listened to my warning… he’d be miles away by now. Iizumi might not even find him.”

Menji replied flatly, “If Iizumi leaves the village to hunt him… then the Leaf Village gets a reprieve.”

Hiruzen blinked.

---

“Hyūga Kengijirō,” Uchiha Iizumi said, naming the elder’s son.

The man’s face paled—shock, rage, disbelief warring in his eyes.

“You’ve collaborated with Kado to run a smuggling route from the Land of Water to the Land of Fire—ten years of trafficking hundreds of tons of banned drugs.”

“Nine years ago, you murdered a Hyūga branch ninja who tried to stop you. Then lied—claimed he was assassinated by enemy ninja.”

The words struck like a hammer.

Kengijirō’s face turned ashen.

Hyūga Hiashi, still reeling from his father’s death, stared at him—then at the ground.

“You… killed him?” he demanded. “You sold drugs under the clan’s name? With Kado?”

Kengijirō stammered, “Hiashi-sama—this is just—”

“Two months ago,” Iizumi continued, “you sold tons of drugs to Uchiha Hayato and two others. They brought it into the Leaf Village.”

Silence.

Kengijirō’s breath came fast. He knew—he knew—the truth.

No one could fake this. Not even a lie.

Uchiha Iizumi drew his blade.

The silver blade reflected Kengijirō’s terror—and Hiashi’s hesitation.

Kengijirō was a special jonin. But the sight of his father’s corpse… the raw power of this Uchiha… he knew he was no match.

“Uchiha Iizumi! This is the Hyūga Compound! Hiashi-sama is right here!” he screamed, grabbing Hiashi’s sleeve like a lifeline.

“Are you really going to—”

But then—Hiashi pulled away.

Kengijirō froze.

Uchiha Iizumi turned to Hiashi. “So… you’ll protect him?”

Hiashi said nothing.

But the silence spoke volumes.

The entire clan watched. The truth was clear.

“Wait—Hiashi-sama! I’m part of the Main Branch! My father was a clan elder! You can’t abandon me! I gave part of my earnings to the clan!”

“Hiashi-sama!”

Pfft—

A massive head burst into the air.

Blood splattered across Hiashi’s face—half his cheek, his robe stained red. The head landed on his shoulder with a wet thud.

Hiashi’s heart sank.

---

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end