Just as he thought...
Every member of the Hyuga Clan...
Starting with Hyuga Hiashi, starting with Hyuga Hiashi! Looking at that smooth, fair forehead, Chiba's eyes narrowed bit by bit, his hands clenched so tightly they almost crackled.
Within those narrowed eyes, in pupils gleaming sharply, was reflected the bluish, formula-like pattern on that flawless forehead.
A curse mark—the Caged Bird Seal!
Yes, at this very moment, the X-shaped curse mark on Yukina's forehead was unmistakably the Caged Bird Seal, the curse mark used by the Hyuga Clan's main family to bind the branch family!
The name of this curse mark was quite fitting as well.
Once branded with the curse mark by the main family, one became like a bird in a cage, forever controlled by the main family.
And with a single hand sign, anyone branded with the Caged Bird Seal would die.
Once this curse mark was applied, there was no way to remove it except through death.
Looking across the entirety of Naruto, the Caged Bird Seal could be considered a particularly vicious curse mark.
"Two months after I was branded with this curse mark, I completely lost my sight."
At that moment, Yukina's remaining words reached him.
So it really was because of the Caged Bird Seal! Yukina's eyes had already been intermittently failing, with unpredictable issues appearing. Now, with the Caged Bird Seal added to the mix, blindness was only natural!
Upon hearing that, Chiba's clenched fists seemed to tighten even further.
From Minato Namikaze's account, he had learned that every member of the Hyuga Clan, starting with Hyuga Hiashi, had been branded with the Caged Bird Seal. Besides, even if that had not been the case, Yukina, as the daughter of Hyuga Shinsuke, the mastermind behind the rebellion, could not possibly have retained