Chapter 152: Eliminate the Main Family? Akatsuki's Greatest Enemy!

Had he, and every single member of the Hyūga Branch Family, been brainwashed by the rules set long ago by the Main Family?

Tachibana Jiro’s words echoed endlessly in Neji’s mind.

Hyūga Neji stared inward, searching his own heart.

He found he couldn’t refute what the Ninja Cat had said.

Because it was true.

If not for brainwashing… if not for years of ingrained mental habit… why had he, against all reason, still harbored the faintest hope for the Main Family?

They had never shown fairness to the Branch Family—only oppression, only enslavement.

And yet, he had always found himself unconsciously siding with them.

Now, every doubt, every confusion, had found its answer.

—The Main Family’s decades-long psychological indoctrination had trapped the Branch Family in a mental prison even more terrifying than the Cage of Birds.

Had it not been for an outsider’s intervention, the Branch Family would have remained utterly blind—unable to realize they were already imprisoned.

Neji lifted his gaze toward Uchiha Iizumi, standing alone, facing down the Main Family elders and Hyūga Hiashi himself.

It was strange.

The conflict within the Hyūga clan should have no business with outsiders.

Yet this man had chosen to intervene.

And Root didn’t care if it meant defying the Main Family.

Was this… justice?

“Uchiha Iizumi…” The elder of the Main Family forced his expression to remain calm, though a flicker of suppressed anger betrayed him.

“You are pushing too hard against the Hyūga clan. To attempt, as an outsider, to overturn traditions that have governed our family for centuries—no one in the Hyūga clan will support such an act!”

“Who said no one supports me?”

Neji stepped forward without hesitation, his eyes locked on the elder.

“I am a Branch Family member. I support changing the Hyūga clan’s laws.”

The elder’s face finally cracked.

He turned to Hyūga Hiashi, hoping the clan head would say something firm—something that would force Iizumi to back down without provoking open conflict.

He didn’t want a war with the Uchiha.

But he also didn’t want this outsider meddling in Hyūga affairs.

He wanted Hiashi to reject Iizumi without offending him.

Hyūga Hiashi remained silent.

“Huh…”

The weight pressed down on Hiashi’s shoulders.

On one side: the expectations of the Main Family, the clan’s most powerful members, who looked to him as their leader.

On the other: the cold, unyielding presence of Uchiha Iizumi, radiating Absolute Justice.

In that moment, Hiashi felt, for the first time, what Uchiha Fugaku must have endured within his own clan.

“The Hyūga clan… will consider it,”

He finally said, after a long, heavy silence, meeting Iizumi’s icy stare and the elders’ stunned gazes.

“If the rules truly cause suffering among our people, the Hyūga clan will seek to revise them.”

Neji’s voice was hollow, drained.

He felt as if his spirit had been stripped away.

He could sense the disappointment in the eyes of the Main Family members—those who had looked to him as their leader, their protector.

He felt ashamed.

He had failed them.

But he had no choice.

Because Hiashi had a premonition.

—If they kept arguing with Iizumi, the man would lose patience.

And once Iizumi lost patience…

He would become the most terrifying force in the Leaf Village.

A clan divided, uncertain, would not stand a chance.

“Hiashi…”

One of the elders, face grim, tried to speak.

But the words stuck in his throat.

He understood Hiashi’s torment.

In the end, he could only sigh.

“Uchiha Iizumi,” the elder said, “as our clan head has said, the Hyūga clan will deliberate this matter. We will work toward a solution acceptable to both Branch and Main Families. When we have one, we’ll deliver it to you.”

The elder clenched his fists inside his sleeves, his jaw tight.

“Is this satisfactory? Has your so-called Absolute Justice fulfilled its duty? Can you now leave?”

The Main Family… had backed down.

Many Branch Family members stared in disbelief.

They’d expected the death of Hyūga Yoko—the Branch elder, killed by the Cage of Birds Seal—to be swept under the rug with a few words.

But no.

Here stood an outsider—Uchiha Iizumi—storming into the Hyūga compound, defending the Branch Family.

And he had forced the Main Family to retreat.

This was, without question, the greatest concession the Main Family had ever made in history.

“No one said it was over,”

Iizumi’s cold voice cut through the silence like a blade.

“Are you truly blind to the fact that you’ve used the Cage of Birds Seal to oppress Branch Family members with impunity?

Are you pretending that your twisted, antiquated traditions aren’t just a cover for selfish cruelty?”

The elder and Hiashi exchanged a look—both felt a chilling premonition.

“What are you going to do, Iizumi?” Hiashi asked.

“I will judge each individual by the severity of their oppression against the Branch Family,” Iizumi said, voice like ice.

“Those guilty of extreme acts—like Hyūga Jinpu—shall die. Execution on the spot.

Those with grave offenses—ten to twenty years in prison.

Those with moderate offenses—three to ten years.

Those with lesser offenses—minimum three months of detention.”

As Hiashi’s expression froze in shock, Iizumi added,

“Not all evil is murder. Not all crimes require bloodshed to deserve justice.”

“In my eyes, not a single person in the Main Family is truly innocent.

Most of you have used the Cage of Birds Seal on Branch members.”

He turned his gaze to Hiashi.

“Even you.”

A cold bead of sweat rolled down Hiashi’s temple.

He finally understood why the villagers called Iizumi extreme.

Why they gave him the nickname Uchiha Plague.

Why he was feared like the Tiger of the Streets in the Leaf.

Iizumi didn’t care about your retreat.

He didn’t care about your compromise.

He didn’t suspect you of betrayal.

He was here to deliver justice—harsh, unrelenting, merciless.

No mercy. No exceptions.

He was going to punish the Hyūga clan.

And their surrender, their softness, their hesitation… would earn them nothing but scorn.

“Are you kidding?!”

A sharp voice rang out—too late to stop.

Hiashi’s heart sank.

A young Main Family ninja, barely nineteen, a prodigy among the clan’s elite, stood defiant.

“Just because someone used the Seal doesn’t make them a criminal? Who made this rule? You? Uchiha Iizumi?!”

“If you apply this logic, nine out of ten of the Main Family would be locked up! Who will carry on our bloodline then?

Do you want to erase the pure Byakugan bloodline?!”

“You’re the one committing evil!” the young ninja shouted.

“You don’t care about the majority. You only care about your own warped sense of justice. You’re the one in the minority!”

Hiashi was drenched in sweat.

He recognized the voice—this young man was a genius, already an elite ninja at nineteen.

He carried the arrogance of youth, the pride of a rising star.

But he had no idea when pride should be tempered.

“You have no right to claim you represent the majority of the Hyūga clan!”

Neji stepped forward, teeth clenched.

“Look around you! Look at the numbers! Who is truly in the majority?”

“Those who stayed silent? They’re not afraid of you—they’re afraid of the Cage of Birds Seal.

They’ve been broken by years of oppression.

That doesn’t mean they support you!”

“The Branch Family has hundreds of members.

How many of you are there? Forty?

You’re clinging to privilege.

Or are you afraid that once the Seal is gone, others will surpass you—your so-called ‘genius’ status will be crushed beneath their feet!”

Neji realized this was the only chance to reclaim justice for his father.

The only chance to break the cage.

He couldn’t let this moment pass.

“Y-you…”

The nineteen-year-old elder’s face twisted in rage.

His hand rose—forming a seal Neji recognized instantly.

That was the same seal that had triggered the Cage of Birds on his father’s forehead.

“Stop!”

Hiashi turned, lunging forward, trying to break the seal.

But someone was faster.

Swish.

No one saw Iizumi draw his sword.

No one saw him use Shunshin.

All they saw was a blur—then a flash of steel.

A single arm flew into the air.

Blood sprayed.

“Hyūga Horiyou—imprisoned in the Leaf Village Prison for twenty years.”

The voice was colder than ice.

Silence.

Then, the world snapped back into motion.

—

Meanwhile, in the Hokage Tower.

A ninja dog burst through the door—Kakashi’s own, Parker.

It darted straight into the Hokage’s office.

“Hmm?”

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised an eyebrow.

Then, seeing the dog, he relaxed.

No wonder the Anbu guards hadn’t stopped it.

“Hokage-sama,” Parker barked, “Kakashi sent me. The Hyūga clan is in crisis.”

Sarutobi blinked.

“The Hyūga clan?”

His expression darkened.

He exchanged a glance with Hyūga Menji, then turned to the dog.

“Was it Iizumi? What happened?”

“Don’t know,” Parker said, ears drooping.

“Kakashi just told me to report it.”

It paused, then added,

“I smelled strong blood when I was summoned. At least two or three people.”

Sarutobi froze.

Two or three?

“Hiruzen,” Menji said, frowning, “this doesn’t sound right. Iizumi might be… overcorrecting. He’s done this before.”

Sarutobi took a slow breath.

“Fire, gather five Anbu squads. Go there now.”

Five squads.

Menji’s heart dropped.

That meant preparation for conflict—either with Iizumi or the Hyūga clan.

“Understood.”

—

On the other side of the ninja world—Rain Country.

Rain poured down in sheets.

Konan stood beneath a canopy of white paper, gazing over the storm-lashed village.

She glanced sideways at Nagato, seated in his wheelchair.

“Biwa Jūzō has returned,” she said, voice steady.

“He’s retrieved what I needed. He’s on his way back.”

Nagato lifted his head.

“Why are you so certain?”

“Because he didn’t use a remote communication device,” she replied.

“He knows if he speaks, someone might intercept it.

And if they do… they’ll kill him.

Because some people don’t want him to know the truth.

Or to tell me.”

“So he had to come back in person.”

Nagato nodded slowly.

“Cautious. Smart.”

“But I still have a question,” he said.

“If you’re certain Uchiha Sharingan is dangerous… what will you do?”

Before she could answer, Nagato added,

“I agreed with his plan. Whatever you do—don’t break it.”

Konan paused.

“I just want to expose the danger in him.

So if he changes, we can act immediately.

But I won’t jeopardize the plan.”

She changed the subject.

“We’ve stirred up conflict between Bird Country and Bear Country. Hundreds of soldiers dead. A few ninja too.

For small nations, it’s unacceptable.”

“Perfect opportunity,” she said.

“We can sell our War Employment Mechanism to both. Have them hire us to fight.

We send agents to each side, stage a battle—then collect money from both daimyōs.”

“Collecting the Tailed Beasts is a massive undertaking.

We’ll need new, powerful members.

Costs will be huge.”

“You handle it,” Nagato said.

“You’re better at this.”

“Also,” he added, “list the strongest opponents we’ll face when collecting each Tailed Beast.

Get intelligence on them early.”

“For example,” he said, “if we take the Nine-Tails… we’ll have to face Uchiha Iizumi.”

He paused.

“He’s not just dangerous.

He’s a threat.

And if even Uchiha Sharingan fears him… then he may be our greatest enemy yet.”

Konan nodded.

“Got it.”

—

Back at the Hyūga Compound.

Thud.

A severed arm hit the ground.

The sound was followed by a scream—raw, agonized, unbearable.

The young Main Family prodigy, his arm gone, staggered backward, clutching the stump, face pale with terror.

He stared at Iizumi, disbelief etched into every line of his face.

“You—”

Iizumi ignored him.

“Hyūga Sakai,” he said, voice like steel, “repeatedly applied the Cage of Birds Seal to Branch members without cause. Ten years in prison.”

The words struck another elder like a hammer.

Hiashi turned to him—this man was one of his personal guards.

“Hyūga Shōno—five years.”

“Hyūga Hitomi—seven months.”

“Hyūga Shokushu—nine years.”

One name after another.

Each time, a Main Family ninja flinched—some paled, some swallowed hard, some backed away.

Hiashi’s mind reeled.

If this continued… would everyone in the Main Family be targeted?

If they all went to prison—months, years, decades—what would remain of the clan?

The Branch Family would have taken over.

Or worse—there might be no distinction left.

The Main Family would have fallen from grace, dragged into the mud.

“Hyūga Mei,” Iizumi said, locking eyes with the elder, “twenty years in prison.”

The elder’s mind shattered.

This is outrageous!

This is madness!

This Uchiha brat was acting like the ancient Uchiha Sharingan himself—arrogant, ruthless!

All Uchiha were mad.

And this one… was mad beyond reason.

“Enough!”

The elder roared, face crimson, his staff pounding the ground.

“The Hyūga clan is not the Uchiha clan! You can do as you please in your own family—but you are not welcome here! You are an outsider, claiming to act for the Branch Family, yet you’re destroying us! What responsibility will you bear if we fall apart?!”

“You’re trying to imprison the entire Main Family? Do you know the chaos this will bring to the clan—and to the entire Leaf Village?!”

He choked on the words.

Because a bloodied ninja sword now rested against his throat.

The blade had already cut through his skin.

“Those who defy Justice,”

Iizumi said, cold and final,

“shall be executed.”

“If greater chaos follows,”

he added, “then it only proves Justice is not strong enough.

And that we haven’t punished enough evil.”

The elder opened his mouth—nothing came out.

Then, a voice rang out—like salvation.

“Iizumi—wait!”

Hyūga Menji arrived, flanked by five Anbu squads.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end