According to tradition, Uenuku was a descendant of Tūmatauenga and became angry when his wife, Takarita, committed adultery with two other men, so he killed all three of them. To add insult to injury, he cooked her heart and fed it to his son Ira. Her brother, Tawheta, was more than upset with this, and so gathered a group of men and ambushed five of Uenuku's sons. Maputukiterangi, Ropanui, Mahinaiteata, and Whiwhingaiterangi were killed. The fifth, Rongoruaroa, barely survived, but he was wounded. He dragged himself back to the pā of Uenuku, who had unwittingly been entertaining his enemies as guests the whole time. Upon learning of the attack, and with a sense of duty to being a hospitable host, he instructed the guests to leave, and warned that he would pursue them at a later date.