Chapter 7: A Sinister Plot

Chapter 7: A Sinister Plot

Many people gathered in front of a room within the Hyuga clan compound.

"Lord Hiashi is here!" someone shouted. The crowd parted to make way and bowed respectfully as a young man approached.

"Lord Hiashi!"

Hiashi Hyuga frowned as he reached the doorway, his expression darkening at the sight of the corpse on the floor inside. He had already been informed that Hitoo Hyuga had been murdered in his own room.

"Lord Hiashi, Hitoo is..."

"Lord Hiashi, we must find the culprit!"

"Lord Hiashi!"

The voices of the clan members rose in anger and indignation. For one of their own to be killed within the clan compound was a grave insult to the Hyuga. Who would dare be so bold?

There were no signs of a struggle in the room. Hitoo's body bore only a single wound - his throat had been slit by a sharp object.

Hiashi stood in silence for a moment, deep in thought. He then promised the clan members that the murderer would be found and Hitoo avenged. After calming the crowd, he dismissed them.

Some who were close to Hitoo were reluctant to leave, but they dared not disobey the clan leader's orders.

Once everyone had departed, only Hiashi and Hizashi remained.

Hiashi took a deep breath. "Search for the key," he instructed.

Hizashi had already begun examining the body but found nothing. He activated his Byakugan and scanned the entire room thoroughly before shaking his head silently at Hiashi.

Hiashi suddenly felt dizzy. Hizashi quickly moved to steady him.

"Lord Hiashi!"

"This was aimed at us! They're targeting the Hyuga!" Hiashi said through gritted teeth.

"Hitoo was a jonin, one of the strongest in the clan. Whoever killed him so stealthily must be no ordinary person," Hizashi remarked.

Hiashi's expression shifted as his mind raced.

"Let's check the Byakugan storage," he said.

In an instant, he vanished with Body Flicker technique. Seeing his urgency, Hizashi hurried to follow.

Moments later, they arrived at the secret chamber housing the clan's Byakugan. This courtyard was rarely visited, so no one had noticed that the locks and seals had been broken.

Hiashi hesitated before the partially open door. The theft of the Byakugan and the loss of the clan's bloodline limit - he could already envision a future where a group possessing stolen Byakugan would come to overthrow the main family.

He didn't want to open the door, but a cool breeze blew it open with a creak. The scene inside came into full view - the wooden boxes that had been arranged on shelves and tables were now completely gone, leaving nothing behind.

Hiashi felt his chest tighten at the sight, struggling to breathe.

Hizashi silently stepped forward to close and re-lock the door.

"Lord Hiashi, we should keep this quiet for now," Hizashi advised.

Hiashi snapped angrily, "How can we keep it quiet when others already know? Hitoo had the key, and all the elders were aware of it!"

Gone was his usual calm and dignified demeanor. Though he led a great clan, he was still just a young man in his early twenties, and today's events had shaken him deeply.

He quickly regained his composure. "First, we'll take care of Hitoo's body. Don't tell anyone about the stolen Byakugan. We'll investigate the murderer thoroughly."

Hizashi asked, "What about Lord Hokage?"

Hitoo was both a Hyuga clan member and a Konoha shinobi. His murder in the village would certainly be of interest to the Hokage.

"I'll report it myself," Hiashi replied.

They would need the Hokage's help to thoroughly check recent village entry records and visitors.

Feeling overwhelmed, Hiashi waved his hand dismissively. "Go now."

But Hizashi remained motionless.

"What is it?"

"Lord Hiashi, what about the real surgery?"

Hiashi recalled the dark-eyed boy he had dined with yesterday, whose gaze now seemed so piercing in hindsight.

"That matter... we'll discuss it later."

Hizashi returned to Hitoo's quarters, where the body still lay on the floor, the blood now dry.

As a fellow clan member, Hizashi was deeply troubled by Hitoo's death. Unlike Hiashi's anger, Hizashi felt sorrow for the loss of a friend.

Nothing in the room had been disturbed, suggesting the killer had struck swiftly, giving Hitoo no chance to resist.

Hizashi activated his Byakugan and carefully examined the room. Every detail, down to the dust particles on the table, became clear in his enhanced vision.

Finally, he noticed something unusual under the bed. The area was rarely cleaned and had accumulated a layer of dust, revealing a winding trail.

He deactivated his Byakugan and bent down to look closer. It was indeed an unusual mark, as if a snake had slithered across the floor.

"Did you find anything?" Hiashi's voice suddenly came from behind, startling Hizashi.

Maintaining his composure, Hizashi continued to examine the floor closely. With a casual breath, he blew away the trail on the ground, then stood up coughing.

Hizashi waved his hand to clear the dust and calmly said, "No, I was just checking for any clues at the scene."

Hiashi stood in the doorway, glancing at the now empty space under the bed.

"Don't leave the body here too long," he instructed.

"Understood."

...

Shin had stayed in his room all day without going out.

After hearing the scream early in the morning, he saw clan members passing by on the nearby road, engaged in discussions.

In the afternoon, Hizashi suddenly came to visit.

"Lord Hizashi!" Shin exclaimed in surprise, then smiled and welcomed him in.

"What brings you here?"

After entering the room, Hizashi's gaze swept around. He had already used his Byakugan from outside and seen that the boy had been reading in his room all day.

"You didn't go out today?" Hizashi asked casually as he sat down.

"No, I may have caught a slight cold from the rain yesterday, so I'm not feeling well today."

Hizashi nodded. "Your body hasn't fully recovered yet. Be careful not to fall ill again during this time."

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Hizashi."

Hizashi then asked, "A major incident occurred in the clan today. Did you hear about it?"

Shin replied with confusion, "I saw many clan members walking together this morning, talking about something."

"Hitoo is dead. He was killed in his home last night."

"H-Hitoo-senpai..." Shin was stunned for a moment, then his face filled with shock.

"How could this happen?!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

Hizashi watched Shin's reactions closely, noting that his expressions seemed genuine.

"But Hitoo-senpai was a jonin! How could he be killed?" Shin pressed further.

"There are many in this world stronger than jonin," Hizashi replied.

"Who is the killer? Who killed Hitoo-senpai?!" Shin demanded angrily.

Hizashi countered, "Are you very angry?"

Shin responded indignantly, "How dare someone kill within our Hyuga clan compound? Isn't this a slap in the face to our entire clan?!"

He was well aware that his relationship with Hitoo had been quite ordinary. Even when Shin greeted him respectfully, Hitoo would often not bother to respond.

"The culprit will certainly be found," Hizashi assured him.

"The person who killed Hitoo-senpai must pay with their life!" Shin said through clenched teeth.

"Mm." Hizashi merely gave a noncommittal response. He then stood up and casually advised Shin not to go out unnecessarily in the next couple of days, as the clan would be conducting a strict investigation.

"Take care, Lord Hizashi," Shin said as he saw him out.