Two days later, as night fell, the Hyuga Clan was ready to leave.
Rain poured down relentlessly that night.
The Hyuga Clan Estate sat quietly on the edge of Konoha.
According to their carefully planned escape route, Hyuga Hiashi would lead them from the clan's meeting place directly towards the city walls.
Konoha was protected by a powerful Sensory Barrier, designed long ago by Uzumaki Mito herself.
Normally, crossing this barrier would trigger an immediate alarm.
But everything had changed when Ruri joined the Anbu.
The Head Family Elder had pressured and coaxed Hyuga Ruri into revealing the Barrier's secret Password.
Now that they knew the Password, they could slip in and out of Konoha unnoticed, just like Uchiha Itachi and Kisame had done before.
At midnight, fully prepared, Hyuga Hiashi left the estate with the Head Family Elder, his younger brother Hizashi, his fiancee Hyuga Hazuki, and Hizashi's fiancee, Hyuga Ruri.
The five figures moved quickly, heading for the city walls.
Using the Password, they opened the Barrier and slipped through.
Once outside, Hyuga Hiashi paused and looked back.
His home, the place where he had lived and grown up, was now behind him…
He felt a confusing mix of emotions.
"Let's go…"
With one last look, Hyuga Hiashi stepped into the rainy night.
They walked in silence, not daring to stop.
They traveled like this for most of the night.
As dawn approached, the rain grew even heavier.
"Let's rest for a while…"
Seeing the exhaustion in everyone's eyes, the Head Family Elder gestured for them to find a place to stop.
A small town was just ahead.
The houses were empty; the war had driven everyone away.
They chose a house at random, went inside, and began to rest.
Because they were trying to leave Konoha without being noticed, Hyuga Hiashi didn't light a fire.
Soon, Hyuga Hazuki, after eating some dried food, fell asleep.
Hyuga Hiashi glanced at his fiancee, then turned to his younger brother.
He thought about having Hizashi keep watch, but then shifted his gaze to Ruri.
"Ruri, go and stand guard at the door…"
His tone was cold, reflecting his superior position.
Even during their escape, the distinction between the Head Family and the Branch Family remained.
"…"
Hizashi didn't say anything.
He watched silently as Ruri got up and went outside.
After she left, Hizashi bowed his head slightly and went into the living room.
Ruri stood at the door, looking out at the swaying rain. A wave of sadness washed over her usually expressionless face.
Hizashi stood in the living room behind her, silently watching his childhood friend.
He had barely spoken on the way, and hadn't shown any concern for Ruri.
This silence was deliberate.
Hizashi knew that Young Master Ryo had already made his move.
His brother thought they were escaping Konoha, but Young Master Ryo had already set an inescapable trap.
Their escape was destined to fail.
And in all of this, he hoped to weaken Ruri's feelings for him… to push her closer to Young Master Ryo.
That was Hizashi's plan.
For the sake of his childhood sweetheart's happiness, he was willing to distance himself from Ruri even further.
He was even pushing the woman he loved into the arms of another man.
What is true Love really like …?
Could this be considered true Love?
Hizashi Hyuga didn't know.
He only hoped… that Ruri could find happiness… true happiness.
Lost in these thoughts, Hizashi eventually fell asleep.
----
…
He didn't know how much time had passed.
A loud clap of thunder woke him suddenly.
Hizashi instinctively activated his Byakugan and looked around.
Before he could speak, his brother burst out angrily: "That bitch!"
Hizashi had only seen his brother so furious when punishing Branch Family members.
Ruri stood at the door, still without expression, but with a hint of expectation in her eyes.
Hizashi immediately understood: "So, Young Master Ryo has arrived."
The house was filled with chaos.
Hyuga Hiashi, the Head Family Elder, and Hyuga Hazuki were all terrified.
With their Byakugan, they could see ninja approaching from all directions.
From the southeast, the northwest, and every point in the small town, pursuers were coming.
"People from the Anbu… Sarutobi Ryo… Yamanaka Hui…"
Familiar and unfamiliar faces emerged from the rain as dawn approached.
The sky was beginning to lighten; in less than an hour, it would be daylight.
Hyuga Hiashi and the others had been on the run all night.
"So, the Village knew about our plans and sent Sarutobi Ryo and the Anbu to track us…"
Hyuga Hiashi realized.
What were they going to do now?
"We have no choice but to fight…" The Head Family Elder suddenly radiated a powerful aura.
His aged appearance vanished instantly.
Rebelling against the Village… was a serious crime.
"…"
Hyuga Hiashi nodded; he understood this all too well.
"That's all we can do…"
----
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Figures leaped through the rain.
Soon, they had surrounded the house.
Moments later, Sarutobi Ryo appeared from the crowd and entered the courtyard.
"Hyuga Hiashi, can you explain why you left the Village with your Clan members without permission?"
Sarutobi Ryo looked at Hyuga Hiashi, completely ignoring Ruri.
At this moment, the less attention he paid to Hyuga Ruri, the better he could protect her.
"This is my explanation…"
The young and energetic Hyuga Hiashi knew that their only hope was to break through the encirclement.
Facing the trap.
He adopted the Gentle Fist stance and launched a palm strike at Sarutobi Ryo from a distance.
"Eight Trigrams Empty Palm!"
The air vibrated, creating a shockwave.
In the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist style, the Eight Trigrams Empty Palm was the fastest technique.
In the original story.
Even Kisame had trouble reacting to Neji's palm strike.
Hyuga Hiashi had devoted years to mastering Gentle Fist, so his Eight Trigrams Empty Palm was incredibly powerful.
His palm struck Sarutobi Ryo's chest, hitting his heart with a bang.
For most people, this palm would rupture their heart and kill them instantly.
However, Sarutobi Ryo barely moved and remained standing.
"Hmm?!"
Sensing something was wrong, Hyuga Hiashi immediately activated his Byakugan.
He quickly noticed the abnormality.
Beneath Sarutobi Ryo's black lining, he was wearing a layer of metal armor.
It was specifically for this mission.
In the original story, Jiraiya and others also wore armor at times, to protect against ambushes.
Sarutobi Ryo raised his hand, slowly brushed the dust off his chest, and looked at Hyuga Hiashi: "Everyone, don't move…"
His deep voice carried a powerful presence.
Sarutobi Ryo, who had never liked the Hyuga Clan, stepped forward and threw a punch at Hyuga Hiashi!
Gentle Fist vs. Strong Fist, which one would win?
Everyone watched with bated breath, anticipating the battle…
*
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[T/N:
Latest Chapter translated on Patreon - Chapter 269 (Vol 2 Ch 211) (+145 Chapters Ahead!)
Final Total Power Stone Collection : 138 PS
Goal : Reach +50 Total PS = +2 Bonus Chapters next day! 🚀
Here are the novels I'm currently translating:
-> Naruto Paradise: An Evil Uchiha's Rise
-> One Piece: I'm Destined to Be the Son-in-Law King!
-> Young Master, Please Become Hokage!
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]