Brainwashing

"You mean the village? The village is very big! There are many fun places in the village. I'll take you there next time." Uzumaki Riori said enthusiastically when Neji asked about Iwagakure.

"There's a deserted street near the Ninja Academy that's really interesting. Lots of kids go there to fight. When you're a little older, I'll take you there to see it."

"My sister has many friends in the village, but after graduation, Teacher Yichen kept forcing me to train and learn Ninjutsu, so I haven't fought with them for a long time."

"However, I've improved a lot recently. I couldn't beat them before, but I believe I can win now. I've even learned to Water Walking."

"Teacher Yichen said that learning to Water Walking will greatly improve your strength. I'll teach you from now on, and I guarantee you'll win every fight."

"Oh, and also, my sister has learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu." After saying that Uzumaki Riori sat up straight and then formed Hand Seals to cast a Shadow Clone.

"See that? That's Shadow Clone. Now when I'm alone, I fight with my Shadow Clone, so I'll never be lonely again. Hahahaha!" Uzumaki Riori pointed at her Shadow Clone and laughed, looking smug.

"However, you don't have enough Chakra yet. When you grow up, I'll teach you the Shadow Clone Jutsu, so you can fight with yourself when you're bored."

Yichen didn't want to listen to what Uzumaki Riori and Neji were saying, but the silly girl's voice was so loud that not only Yichen but also the other ninjas nearby could hear it.

Two questions lingered in everyone's mind: How do the Uzumaki Clan view the village? Is it really appropriate to introduce the village to a two-year-old child like this?

Centered on the Porcelain Platform, everyone within a dozen meters around it would occasionally cast strange glances at Uzumaki Riori.

Hu was one of them. He leaned close to Yichen and whispered, "Lord Tsuchikage, is this really alright? Won't that Hyuga Clan brat misunderstand the village?"

Yichen was also somewhat conflicted. After Uzumaki Riori's actions, would his brainwashing still be effective? Or rather, was Uzumaki Riori essentially brainwashing Neji?

Although Neji is a genius, he is only two years old after all, and Yichen is not sure whether he will form a peculiar preconceived notion about Iwagakure because of Uzumaki Riori's words.

Yichen ultimately did not disturb Uzumaki Riori and Neji. Although the little girl's description had many strange and misleading tendencies, it undoubtedly played a significant role in helping Neji integrate into Iwagakure sooner.

The little girl was probably the youngest in the family and had never been an older sister; she was always the one being lectured. So when she had the chance to teach her younger brother, she put in a lot of effort and explained everything she knew in detail.

Including her unreliable instructor who only knew how to bully her and forced her to practice Ninjutsu at the drop of a hat.

As Neji listened to Uzumaki Riori's narration, he gradually lowered his guard and eventually fell into a deep sleep.

Neji hasn't slept in a long time. Ever since the rumors started circulating in the village that the Hyuga Hiashi Cloud ninja were forcing Konoha to hand over Hiashi Hyuga, Neji hasn't slept at all.

In just a few days, he first experienced the immense grief of his father's suicide, and then the despair that followed after witnessing the truly terrifying effects of the Caged Bird.

Then came the surprise of being pulled out of the cage by the Iwa ninja, and the anxiety about the future.

Now, finally, Uzumaki Riori's silly expression, I completely relaxed and fell asleep instantly, into a deep sleep.

After Neji fell asleep, Uzumaki Riori continued talking to herself for a long time, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings. It wasn't until the silly girl realized that Neji, who was supposed to be listening to her, was asleep that she remembered where she was.

She turned her head and looked around, then instinctively shrank back when she saw Yichen.

The next day, when Neji woke up, the Iwa ninja group had already set up camp and were resting.

After Uzumaki Riori clumsily helped Neji wash up and eat, she was then sent aside by Yichen to practice the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.

Looking at the Tsuchikage sitting in front of him, ready to continue yesterday's conversation, Neji felt a little flustered. After Uzumaki Riori's outburst, he had already begun to accept Iwagakure.

With this mindset, he felt somewhat nervous facing the Kage of a village.

Just then, Uzumaki Riori's voice rang out from afar. "Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

The little girl is repeating her method of shouting while practicing Ninjutsu again.

Hearing Uzumaki Riori's occasional calls, Neji finally felt a little more at ease.

Yichen also witnessed this scene and found it somewhat amazing.

"You and Riori get along quite well," Yichen said.

"Sister Riori cares about me a lot." This was the Neji had spoken to Yichen.

Yichen nodded and said, "I told you about the purpose of the Caged Bird yesterday. Have you thought about it? How do you feel about the Caged Bird now? Do you still hate it?"

Neji, then said, "Although I know that the Caged Bird does indeed serve to protect us, I don't know why I still can't accept it."

Neji felt somewhat ashamed when he said this. Although he was the victim, he felt a strange sense of self-reproach for being unreasonable.

Yichen nodded. This was exactly what he wanted. Neji was still a child after all. Yichen hoped that Neji would genuinely join Iwa ninja, rather than just choosing a temporary place to stay because of hatred.

Hatred can be resolved. Only Neji himself understands the ins and outs of the situation and realizes what Konoha and the Hyuga Main Family have done to wrong him will he not waver.

Neji is indeed filled with hatred, but it's misdirected. Most of his hatred stems from the Caged Bird itself and the difference between the main Main Family, while a smaller part is from the fact that the Main Family can easily control his life and death.

Neji didn't actually harbor much hatred for his father's death.

However, this idea is wrong, and those in this idea, such as Hyuga Hiashi and the Konoha High-ranking officials, are easily forgiven.

As Neji grows up and witnesses the cruelty of the Ninja World and the true power of the Byakugan, he begins to wonder if he would have perished in this Ninja World much sooner without the Byakugan.

How much loss would Konoha suffer without the Caged Bird?

Then, the deeper his hatred, the deeper his self-reproach and shame for his past ignorance.

The result was a complete 180-degree turn; he became a tool truly fighting to protect the Main Family.

Yichen didn't want Neji to misplace his hatred from a young age; he needed Neji to pinpoint the biggest and most fundamental flaw in the Hyuga Main Family and branch family system.

So Yichen said, "Are you feeling guilty? Don't you have a feeling that your uncle did the right thing, that he had his reasons, and that he was doing it for the sake of the entire Hyuga Clan?"

Neji dared not look into Yichen's eyes and unconsciously lowered his head.

"Sigh!" Yichen sighed and said, "Neji Hyuga, you don't understand the fundamental problem of your Hyuga Clan Main Family and branch family system."

Neji quickly looked up at Yichen; he desperately needed to understand this.

"Aren't you feeling complicated right now? You clearly feel extremely wronged, but after witnessing the Byakugan from the Main Family being taken away, it feels like something is blocking that sense of injustice." Yichen directly pointed out Neji's feelings.

Neji nodded subconsciously.

"You don't know what that thing is? Let me tell you. That thing is called righteousness, it's called a sense of the bigger picture, it's called the Hyuga Clan, it's called the Will of Fire."

"In your uncle's view, the Caged Bird was used to protect Byakugan, and he did nothing wrong. Even if the members of your branch family don't understand, it doesn't matter; he doesn't bother to explain."

"Because he knows that without the Caged Bird, the Hyuga Clan would be targeted by the enemy on the battlefield and suffer heavy losses. So in his eyes, your behavior can only be described with two words: childish."

"He won't explain to you that even if you cultivate diligently and grow to a level that surprises him, he'll still stand on his moral high ground and tell you that you've finally grown to the point where you can know the truth."

"Then he'll explain to you the purpose of the Caged Bird and the consequences of losing Caged Bird. At that point, you'll be the one in the wrong."

"As for the Konoha High-ranking officials, in their view, your splitting up of the family is completely unreasonable. There has never been true freedom in the Ninja World. Only the Hokage can be considered truly free in the entire Konoha."

"Even your clan leader has to go to the front lines after the Hokage gives the order. So they completely scoff at the freedom that your branch family so desperately wants."

"Even if you're freed from your Caged Bird, you still have to obey the Hokage's orders, right? Which ordinary ninja or ninja from other clans can disobey the Hokage's orders?"

Hearing this, Neji's worldview was shaken. He felt that Yichen was right. The result of releasing the Caged Bird was completely different from what he had imagined.

"Perhaps I really shouldn't hate them," Neji said with difficulty.

Seeing Neji's expression, Yichen scoffed and said, "Naive! Now that you know what's blocking your hatred, you no longer hate?"

"You don't even understand why you feel wronged, yet you want revenge?"

Neji sprang to his senses, then sat up straight and bowed deeply to Yichen, touching his forehead to the ground, saying, "Please tell me the real reason Lord Tsuchikage."

Yichen shouted, "Raise your head! You are no longer a member of the Hyuga Branch Family Iwagakure. You are no less than anyone else. Get rid of the habit of bowing to others."

"Yes!" Neji sat up straight upon hearing this.

"The Konoha High-ranking officials and the Hyuga Main Family are both beneficiaries; they are the ones who benefit, so naturally they want everything to remain stable and hope that nothing will ever change."

"But their biggest mistake is that they've never put themselves in your shoes and considered things from your perspective."

"No one has asked you if you'd be willing to destroy your Byakugan, replace it with ordinary human eyes, and become an ordinary ninja, or even a commoner."

Yichen's suggestion might seem unbelievable to others, but to the members of the Hyuga Branch Family, it was like a revelation.

As a member of the branch family, Neji could easily tell that there were many others in the branch family willing to do the same. The intensity of their hatred for the Caged Bird was unimaginable to outsiders. Neji himself had repeatedly considered suicide.

They've even contemplated suicide, so who cares about the disdainful Byakugan that brought them misfortune?

As for whether anyone will still target them after losing the Byakugan, it's actually quite simple: they can simply stop living with the Hyuga Clan and disperse among the Konoha, just like the Senju Clan.

Who knows that the commoner is from the Hyuga Clan?