Chapter 569: Sorry to Have Troubled You!

Chapter 569: Chapter 569: Sorry to Have Troubled You!

"We can’t exactly leave them piled up here, can we? Sigh, what a headache."

Looking at the half-man-high pile of eight unconscious Uchiha jonin beside him, Kagami rubbed his chin, a somewhat troubled expression on his face.

Just then, a branch family member stationed at the entrance to the clan compound hurried across the long street and arrived beside Hiashi. Leaning forward, he whispered into the clan head’s ear, "Clan Head, something terrible has happened! The Uchiha clan’s Mangekys is heading toward our compound!"

"What!?"

Hiashi was startled, and his expression immediately darkened. The very thing he had feared most had finally happened.

Disputes between shinobi clans often began with personal conflicts between individual clan members. However, as these disputes developed, the original personal grievances frequently ceased to matter.

This was because conflicts would continue to escalate, eventually and inevitably turning into struggles over reputation, dignity, and even life and death between entire shinobi clans!

During the chaotic Warring States Period, countless conflicts between shinobi clans had erupted over all manner of trivial and bizarre grievances. Many clans had even been driven to extinction as a result.

While Hiashi was secretly worrying, three figures wearing clothing emblazoned with the Uchiha clan’s fan crest appeared on the long street of the Hyuga compound.

Without a doubt, they were Shisui, Itachi, and Sasuke, who had hurried over.

"Oh no! Isn’t that Uchiha Shisui from the Uchiha clan?"

"Yeah, I recognize him! That’s Shisui of the Body Flicker!"

"Those two beside Shisui... Aren’t they the eldest and youngest sons of the Uchiha clan head? I heard they’re both geniuses of the Uchiha clan! Have they come to cause trouble for our Hyuga clan too?"

"The Uchiha’s Mangekyo has arrived! What are we supposed to do now?"

As Shisui and the others entered the Hyuga compound, the Hyuga clan members lining both sides of the street immediately began whispering among themselves.

After learning the identities of the newcomers from clan members who recognized Uchiha Shisui, expressions of worry and fear appeared on many of their faces.

It was common knowledge that Uchiha Shisui, who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, was a powerhouse capable of intervening in the battle between the leaders of Kamigami and Akatsuki. He was currently the strongest known member of the Uchiha clan!

One could easily imagine how such a powerful individual would react upon seeing his own clansmen beaten black and blue, their heads bloodied, and their unconscious bodies piled together!

Rei, who had finally managed to breathe a sigh of relief, immediately felt her heart leap into her throat again.

Nervously watching Shisui and the other two slowly approach Kagami, she silently prayed, "Shisui and Kagami are colleagues. He... he shouldn’t cause trouble for Kagami, right!?"

Although she knew Shisui and Kagami were good friends, when the honor of their respective clans was involved, even Rei couldn’t be certain whether Shisui would fight Kagami.

After all, in the eyes of prestigious shinobi clans, the honor of the clan stood above everything else.

Hizashi, who had been watching the battle all this time, no longer hesitated and immediately stepped forward to meet them.

Uchiha Shisui was a genius capable of using the Body Flicker Technique almost like the Shadow Clone Technique. Furthermore, he possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, which represented the pinnacle of the Uchiha Sharingan’s ocular power.

He was simply not an opponent who could be dealt with in single combat. If a fight broke out, their only chance of victory, however slim, would be to overwhelm him with numbers!

Neji, meanwhile, spotted Sasuke among the newcomers.

He had originally wanted to greet him from a distance, but upon noticing that Sasuke’s attention seemed entirely focused on the pile of bodies beside Kagami, he had no choice but to follow his father over.

In front of the main family’s residence, Hiashi pondered briefly before also stepping forward.

"I hope the Third Hokage arrives in time. Otherwise, the consequences could be unimaginable..."

As he walked, Hiashi grew increasingly anxious.

As the head of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi understood better than anyone that the clan was currently surviving entirely on its former reputation. There was simply no one in the clan capable of standing against an Uchiha who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Therefore, if a fight broke out with Uchiha Shisui inside the clan compound, the weakness of the Hyuga clan, which he had been desperately trying to conceal, would be completely exposed for the entire world to see.

Hiashi absolutely could not allow the clan’s reputation to be tarnished under his leadership.

That was why he had sent someone to notify the Third Hokage early on, hoping the village would intervene in time and mediate this dispute over the position of Ninja Academy Principal.

Just as the Hyuga clan was filled with unease, Shisui and Itachi, who were approaching Kagami, were also feeling extremely guilty.

They were terrified that Kagami might direct his anger at the entire Uchiha clan because of the stupidity and arrogance of their fellow clansmen.

Sasuke, who was following behind Itachi, stared wide-eyed at the half-man-high pile of bodies beside Kagami, his face filled with disbelief.

"How did they get beaten up so badly?"

Sasuke clearly remembered these eight clansmen piled together. They were precisely the ones who had been clamoring to teach Neji’s sensei a lesson after the clan meeting ended.

According to the Uchiha clan’s rules, anyone qualified to attend a clan meeting had to possess at least the strength of a special jonin.

Thus, every single one of these clansmen, now beaten black and blue with bloodied heads, was an expert of jonin-level strength.

Confused, Sasuke glanced at Kagami, who stood quietly beside the pile.

Seeing that Kagami not only had no injuries but didn’t even show the slightest sign of having just experienced a fierce battle, Sasuke immediately turned his wary gaze toward the Hyuga clan members watching from both sides of the street.

He thought indignantly, "Hmph! The Hyuga clan must have ganged up on them! Neji’s clansmen have absolutely no sense of honor!"

A moment later, Shisui and the other two arrived before Kagami.

At that instant, every gaze in the entire Hyuga compound converged on them.

Time itself seemed to freeze!

The expressions of worry, vigilance, fear, and all manner of other emotions on the faces of the Hyuga clan members lining both sides of the long street seemed to become frozen in that very moment!

No one knew how the Uchiha clan’s Mangekyo wielder would react upon seeing his fellow clansmen piled together like this.

But even under the most optimistic expectations, a confrontation seemed all but unavoidable.

"Can Hyuga Kagami stand against the Uchiha clan’s Mangekyo? Hopefully, he won’t lose too badly!"

In an instant, this question surfaced in the minds of every Hyuga clan member.

Yet, at the very moment when time seemed to have frozen, the assembled Hyuga clan members saw Shisui and Itachi bow respectfully to Kagami in unison, saying in earnest voices:

"Senpai, we’re truly sorry to have caused you so much trouble!"

"Huh?"

Hizashi and Hiashi, who were approaching Kagami, immediately froze.

They had considered how to respond to all sorts of possible situations, but this was the one scenario they had never imagined.

The Hyuga clan members lining both sides of the street were equally dumbfounded. The situation was unfolding in a manner completely different from anything they had expected.

Kagami said calmly, "Go back and tell your clansmen that if they want to challenge me, they should make an appointment first. Don’t just barge into someone else’s clan compound making a racket. What a terrible impression that gives!"

"Please rest assured, this will never happen again!"

Shisui and Itachi bowed to Kagami in unison once more.

Kagami waved his hand dismissively.

"Take these guys away."

"Yes, yes!"

Shisui and Itachi hurriedly nodded.

Off to the side, Sasuke and Neji exchanged bewildered looks, both completely dumbfounded...