As Fugaku arrived, the Uchiha clansmen immediately perked up, parting like a tide to form a path for him to reach the front line.
"Hiashi!" Fugaku bellowed. "Our clans have always kept to our own lanes—we don't interfere with each other. So what's the meaning of you barging into our territory with your people?"
"Today, you will give me a proper explanation. Otherwise, the Uchiha clan won't let this slide."
Fugaku's tone was sharp—he clearly needed somewhere to vent the frustrations that had built up inside him all day.
"Tch! Haven't seen you in a few days, Fugaku, but your shamelessness has clearly leveled up," Hyūga Hiashi retorted coldly.
"Your damn son, Uchiha Rukawa, publicly humiliated my Hyūga Clan, and you've got the nerve to demand explanations from me? Ridiculous!"
"What humiliation? It was just a bit of harmless sparring between kids," Fugaku said with a frown. "You're overreacting, Hiashi. Don't tell me the mighty Hyūga Clan can't handle losing a scuffle?"
Of course, he was only backing Rukawa under the assumption that his side of the story was true.
"Harmless?" Hiashi's face darkened, veins bulging. "My clan's honor and reputation have been trampled into the dirt—and you dare call it harmless?"
"Tch. So I gave your brats a little lesson. Is that really worth blowing things out of proportion for? I just don't get how your white-eyed clan's logic works."
Rukawa strolled out casually, hands in his pockets and a disinterested look on his face.
Instantly, the entire Hyūga party turned their seething glares on him—their eyes full of murderous intent.
"You're Fugaku's son, Uchiha Rukawa, right?" Hiashi's voice was icy. "Good. I'll make sure you learn what happens when you insult the Hyūga Clan!"
If looks could kill, Rukawa would've been sliced into ribbons a thousand times by now.
This brat, with his innocent-looking face, had single-handedly brought shame to their entire clan.
"Oh, come on," Rukawa replied lazily. "Your little cousins came to pick a fight. I defended myself. Gave them a tiny bit of discipline. That's reasonable, no?"
"What, someone swings at me and I'm supposed to stand there smiling like an idiot? You guys must've lost your minds."
"Exactly," Fugaku quickly chimed in. "If what Rukawa says is true, then this is nothing more than kids fighting. No need to blow it out of proportion."
"In the shinobi world, if you lose a fight, it means you weren't strong enough. Nobody blames their opponent for being better."
He spoke calmly now, far from the furious man who had confronted Hiashi minutes ago.
With pressure from the Leaf elders mounting, he couldn't afford to make an enemy out of the Hyūga too—especially over something as trivial as a teenage scuffle.
He sighed and softened his stance.
"Let's just end this peacefully, Hiashi. If Rukawa truly overstepped, I'll apologize on his behalf."
He bowed deeply toward the Hyūga.
"Clan Leader! Why should we apologize?! We're Uchiha—we're not afraid of them!"
"Exactly! What right do they have to demand anything from us?!"
Several Uchiha clansmen cried out in protest.
But Fugaku's face darkened and he raised his voice.
"Enough! I have my reasons. You don't need to question me."
Then he looked up at Hiashi and said sincerely, "Hiashi, I've apologized. That should be enough. Let's move on."
But Hiashi wasn't satisfied. His expression grew even colder.
"Fugaku, you clearly have no idea what your bastard son actually did."
"You think a simple apology will settle this? Laughable!"
Fugaku frowned. "Wasn't this just a fight between kids? Maybe Rukawa went a little too far, but…"
"Heh. Let me enlighten you, then!" Hiashi snapped. His voice rose dramatically.
"Your bastard son used genjutsu on a member of my clan. He forced him to… to…"
He paused, his face flushing with humiliation—he couldn't even bring himself to say it.
Instead, he turned toward Hyūga Daiki, pointed to a tree nearby, and ordered coldly, "You. Reenact what happened."
Hyūga Daiki's face turned ghostly pale.
"C-Clan Leader… I…"
Reenacting that scene in public? He might as well dig a hole and bury himself now.
This was worse than death.
He deeply regretted listening to his idiot cousin and provoking Rukawa.
"Go. Don't make me repeat myself a third time."
Hiashi's voice was cold as ice. His gaze—colder still.
Pressed by the threat of the Caged Bird Seal and his clan leader's fury, Daiki staggered toward the tree.
In front of dozens of shinobi, he wrapped his arms around the trunk…
…and began to move.
His eyes were dead. His soul had left his body.
He had only one wish in that moment:
Please let the ninja world explode and end this misery.