Freedom

Neji nodded again.

He could tell who I was at a glance. Mr. Monkey truly was extraordinary.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was completely baffled, unable to understand the riddle the two of them were speaking in.

Monkey Kitsu explained:

"In a household, if someone serves as its face, someone else must serve as its hidden foundation.

"The face cannot be stained by even a speck of dust. When blood is spilled, the hidden foundation must contain it. If it cannot, and the blood reaches the face, it becomes a catastrophe capable of destroying the entire household."

Neji nodded repeatedly, while Sasuke understood even less.

Monkey Kitsu spoke directly to Sasuke. "In the Hyuga Clan, the Main Family is the face, while the Branch Family Neji belongs to is the hidden foundation.

"The former handles social engagements and brings glory to the clan. The latter hides in the darkness, sees blood on the blade, and fights inch by inch."

"That's far too unfair," Sasuke said.

"Dark deeds are easy to carry out, but open ones are hard to accomplish. Do you think it is easy to be the face?" Monkey Kitsu seemed to be answering Sasuke, but his eyes slanted toward Neji Hyuga as though he were offering him guidance.

Neji bowed respectfully again, but his voice remained stubborn. "People live by their own abilities. Even if we take a step back, what one becomes is dictated by the times.

"But in the Hyuga Family, the distinction between Main Family and Branch Family is decided at birth, and we are branded with this Cursed Seal, the Caged Bird. How is that any different from slavery?"

Growing emotional, Neji removed his Headband and bandages, revealing the ugly blue mark.

At that moment, Monkey Kitsu's heart could no longer remain calm.

For most of his life, he had devoted himself to intelligence work that could not see the light of day, spending his years amid deception, schemes, and intrigue.

But just as Neji had said, it was dictated by the times.

"This... is the Caged Bird?"

Monkey Kitsu murmured.

He had long heard of this mark.

"It is said that the Main Family can use this Cursed Seal to control and damage the brain nerves of Branch Family members, thereby controlling the Branch Family.

"This Cursed Seal can also seal the Byakugan's power. If the bearer's eyes are removed or they die, it can completely destroy their eyeballs and brain."

Neji nodded and silently tied his Headband back on.

This was also Monkey Kitsu's first time seeing the mark with his own eyes.

Even with his vast experience, he could not help but feel a trace of pity.

Beside them, Sasuke clenched his fists. He had never expected such rotten business to exist within the village, and a fierce surge of anger and sympathy rose from the depths of his heart.

"Sasuke told me that you once said, 'There is more than one way to accomplish something.' I want to know, other than killing every member of the Main Family, what other way do I have to save myself?"

In truth, Neji knew full well that under the Caged Bird's control, even slaughtering the Main Family was nothing more than a fantasy.

That was the fundamental reason he had felt such deep despair throughout the past dozen years of his life.

At that moment, Neji fixed his yearning gaze on Deceitful Monkey Kitsu, trying to find the direction and meaning of his life through this gentleman's guidance.

"Borrow stones from another mountain to polish one's own jade." Monkey Kitsu considered it before answering, "Become Hokage, or become the person who makes a Hokage."

"Become Hokage" was the strategic direction.

"Become the person who makes a Hokage" was the more practical path.

After all, given Neji's status as a Branch Family member, he would soon be controlled and exploited by the Main Family halfway down the road to becoming Hokage.

Neji was already intelligent. Upon hearing this, his eyes lit up, and he was overjoyed.

He rose, walked before Monkey Kitsu, and knelt in a deep bow. "Thank you, sir, for the kindness of giving me a new life."

Monkey Kitsu said in a low voice, "But even if you succeed, you will still spend your life as the hidden foundation. What difference would there be?"

Neji's eyes shone as he answered, "It would be different. At the very least, the descendants of the Branch Family would no longer have to endure this miserable fate.

"Moreover, this would be a path I chose for myself. That is the difference between a human and a tool!"

For an instant, Sasuke and Monkey Kitsu seemed to see the bird in the cage break free of its restraints for the first time, every feather gleaming with the light of freedom!

Over the past month, Neji had turned over every person and event around him in his mind countless times, but he had always lacked one central principle that could connect everything together.

He had considered borrowing outside power, but after taking his own circumstances into account, he had dismissed that route. In the end, he had returned to circling through familiar lines of thought.

Now, with Monkey Kitsu's help, Neji grasped the whole picture at once, and his mind had never been clearer.

To become the hand behind a Hokage, the first key issue was naturally choosing someone worth supporting.

Judging by the generations of potential successors, the age groups most likely to produce the next Hokage were, in order: the generation of clan heads such as Hyuga Hiashi; the next generation of Elite Jonin such as Kakashi; and then his own peers.

In terms of both timing and possibility, the Fifth Hokage could be ruled out first.

As for the Sixth Hokage, his teacher Might Guy clearly had no chance of competing.

As for pledging himself to someone else, it would be too obvious and would easily alert the Main Family. Besides, choosing between Asuma and Kakashi would be difficult.

Then, if he turned his gaze back to his own generation, Uchiha Sasuke, who had once defeated him, was undoubtedly the best candidate.

Considering intelligence, strength, judgment, image, and many other factors, Sasuke held a clear competitive advantage over the others.

And in terms of legitimacy, Neji had recently read extensively through Konoha Hidden Village's historical records.

As one of the two great clans that had laid the foundation for the village, the Uchiha Clan had declined, but that was still an enormous political asset.

However, Sasuke's flaws were also obvious.

After rapidly reviewing everything in his mind, Neji Hyuga asked, "What do you plan to do after killing Uchiha Itachi?"

At those words, Monkey Kitsu's heart stirred, and he closed his eyes as if dozing.

"To be honest, I haven't really thought about it," Sasuke answered truthfully.

In fact, Sasuke himself was not certain whether he would truly succeed in completing his revenge in this life.

Sometimes, when his thoughts wandered, he felt that if he could kill Uchiha Itachi and watch him die with his own eyes, then even dying immediately afterward would be a price he could accept.

"Help me," Neji said.

I cannot place all my bets on Uchiha Sasuke alone. But for now, he is my first choice.

"What?" Sasuke asked in astonishment.

"I will help you become Hokage, and you will help me change the fate of the Hyuga Branch Family—no, the entire Hyuga Clan."

Neji spoke solemnly.

Sasuke fell silent.

"If you become Hokage, you can also use the strength of the entire village to help you take revenge, can't you?" Neji continued.

Sasuke thought seriously for a while, then shook his head. "Becoming stronger and taking revenge are things that can never be entrusted to someone else."

No matter what, becoming stronger remained Sasuke's foremost priority.

Without that, becoming Hokage and taking revenge were both merely empty talk and castles in the air.

"But I promise you.

"After I complete my revenge, I will strive to become Hokage!"

Sasuke continued.

At that, Deceitful Monkey Kitsu abruptly opened his eyes.