The failed [Caged Bird · Devour]

"The <Five Spirits Battle True Interpretation>" is a work compiled by the Five Spirits Fairy from the Cultivation World, based on Shazo's Ninja knowledge and the experience gained from its practical application and promotion in the Qingyan Sect.

Although this technique is also a longevity technique, it is extremely difficult to cultivate. Not only must one complete the fusion of two of the ten Five Elements, but also the fusion of three of the five elements.

Finally, by merging the two into a single ring and altering their fundamental essence, one can embark on the path to immortality.

This is far too complicated; no cultivator has a long enough lifespan to complete such an intricate cultivation process.

However, the "<Five Spirits Battle True Interpretation>" is very popular in the Qingyan Sect because this technique is extremely powerful and consumes very little energy during battle, truly deserving of its reputation as a battle method.

Almost every Qingyan Sect disciple practices one or two techniques as a means of self-protection, making the Qingyan Sect almost resemble the Five Spirits Sect.

Even Fairy Jin Shunyao's title of "Five Elements" was derived from "The <Five Spirits Battle True Interpretation>".

Following this technique, Shazo completed ten Kekkei Genkai and five Kekkei Tōta, and formed the Kekkei Genkai Ring and the Kekkei Tōta Ring, successfully changing his own root marrow.

After that, Shazo's self-proclaimed title was the last three bloodline limits involving organs in the cultivation technique: Byakugan, Sharingan, and Kekkei Genkai.

In fact, he had made preparations long ago, including collecting blood from Uchiha Itachi, Shimura Danzō the Sharingan from Danzo Shimura, and collecting Kimimaro's blood from Orochimaru.

The blood of the Motomu clan comes from Neji.

During her final year at the Ninja Academy, every time Tenten broke Neji's head, not a single drop of blood was wasted.

After becoming the Fifth Hokage, he even used a medical examination as an excuse to directly obtain Hinata Hyuga's blood.

Although this little girl isn't very strong, her bloodline purity is even higher than Neji Hyuga's. She's just a bit timid and lacks aptitude for combat.

But after today's training, Shazo was surprised to find that his preparations seemed to have been wasted.

Shazo arrived at the Main Gate of the Hyūga Residence, but did not knock on the door immediately. Instead, he patiently waited for Might Guy Guy's team to arrive.

After Might Guy led the way in bowing, Shazo smiled and dismissed Might Guy and Rock Lee. Then, he looked at Neji Hyuga and asked seriously, "Neji, are you ready to face your destiny?"

Neji Hyuga reached out and removed his Forehead Protector, openly displaying his forehead and the ugly [Caged Bird Seal] scar that had been hidden.

Without flinching, he looked at Shazo and said, "Fifth Hokage, I've finally waited for this day."

"Please grant me freedom, grant freedom to all the Hyuga Branch Family Ninja, I beg you."

Shazo's lips curled slightly. "I am the Fifth Hokage of Konoha. My responsibility is to protect the Konoha Ninja, not to protect any Konoha clans."

He stopped smiling and called out seriously, "Neji Hyuga!"

Neji stood at attention, his body taut, and loudly replied, "Here!"

Shazo stretched out his right hand, pointed at the tightly closed Main Gate of the Hyūga Residence, and commanded, "Break down this Main Gate!"

"As a reward, I will dismantle that damned cage for all Hyūga Ninja!"

Neji Hyuga shouted excitedly, "I am willing to die for the Fifth Hokage!"

Having said that, he assumed a fighting stance, treating the heavy Main Gate as his most detestable enemy, and unleashed the [Gentle Fist - Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms].

"Two palm strikes!"

"Four palms!"

"Eight Palms!"

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"

Neji Hyuga slammed his fist against the Main Gate again and again. He controlled his power perfectly, channeling all his Chakra and strength into the Main Gate with exquisite precision, yet the Main Gate did not shake or make a sound.

In Hyūga Residence's Main Gate, only this boy's resentful and unwilling shouts could be heard.

When the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms strikes were finished, the power accumulated on the Main Gate was nearing its limit, and it could knock down the Main Gate and its frame at any moment.

But Neji Hyuga couldn't stop. His emotions were incredibly turbulent, and his thoughts were clearer than ever before. His hands moved involuntarily, unleashing a technique he had never learned before.

One Hundred and Twenty-Four Palms!

This time, the thunderous applause resounded through the sky, like an explosion after being suffocated to the limit, shaking the entire Hyuga Estate.

After delivering the One Hundred and Twenty-Four Palms, Neji Hyuga felt weak all over, even experiencing a slight tremor in his legs.

But a stubborn resentment festered within him, and after a moment of pent-up anger, it erupted into a thunderous roar, "Open!"

Boom-!!

The Main Gate to the Hyuga Estate exploded as the power of the Eight Trigrams One Hundred and Twenty-Four Palms erupted, blasting the massive wooden gate into pieces.

The force accumulated a bit too much, and the explosion was too violent; it didn't even have time to reach the door frame.

Clearly, Neji Hyuga had poor control over the Eight Trigrams One Hundred and Twenty-Four Palms, wasting most of his power and failing to unleash its full potential.

But does it matter?

He's only 13 years old and he's already mastered the advanced Gentle Fist technique that only Hyuga Shinobu can master. What's the point of talking about control?

Most importantly, as a branch family member of the Ninja Hyūga, Neji could only learn the [Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms]. The Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms that followed and the One Hundred and Twenty-Four Palms that he just used were all things he comprehended on his own from the previous fist techniques.

This is an extremely rare combat Talent, which is an important reason why Shazo values Neji Hyuga.

Most importantly, Neji Hyuga has a very stable personality and is extremely loyal, making him the perfect subordinate.

In some ways, he has the potential to become the second Shisui Uchiha, and Shazo has the ability to nurture him to reach that level.

Not to mention that there are many Jonin in the branch families of the Hyuga Clan, even just to gain Neji Hyuga's loyalty, it would be worthwhile for Shazo to destroy the Caged Bird Seal system of the Hyuga Main Family.

Neji Hyuga's destruction of the Main Gate caused a great commotion, naturally alarming the entire Hyuga Clan.

The Hyuga Branch Family Ninja who rushed out were surprised to find the Fifth Hokage treating Neji Hyuga. They looked at each other, none of them daring to step forward and ask questions, and could only stand awkwardly in the courtyard waiting for the Main Family Ninja to come out.

Soon, Elder Hyūga Ningde the Main Family arrived at the front yard with his guards.

Having grown accustomed to lording it over the Hyuga Clan, Hyūga Ningde's voice preceded his arrival. "Who dares to provoke the Konoha clan, a powerful Hyuga Clan?"

Pushing through the crowd, Hyūga Ningde's guards were startled to see the debris scattered everywhere. They whispered to the elder, "This is the destructive effect of the Eight Trigrams Palm; the Chakra attached to the fragments hasn't dissipated yet!"

"Elder Ningde, this was caused by Jonin from the Hyuga Clan."

Upon hearing the guard's explanation, Hyūga Ningde flew into a rage. "Who was it? Which bastard from which branch family did this? Step forward and accept your punishment!"

Without a second thought, he knew it was Inui, Ninja from the branch family, because the Hyuga Main Family only had one Jonin, namely the head of the family Hyuga Hiashi.

Hyuga Hiashi a steady and reliable person. Even when the Third Hokage forced his younger brother to his death, he didn't break a single cup. He would never damage his own Main Gate.

If it's not Hiashi Hyuga's Hyuga branch ninja, then it must be a ninja from the Hyuga branch family.

Although Hyūga Ningde was only a Chunin strength and had never fought an enemy before, he was not afraid of the Hyuga Branch Family Ninja at all.

He is a senior member of the Hyuga Main Family wields the [Caged Bird Seal: Devour] technique. With just a thought, he can kill any or all of the branch family Ninja.

As the saying goes, "With a sharp weapon in hand, the desire to kill arises naturally."

If a child finds a straight stick, he can break all the grass in his sight; how much more so would a pampered noble of the Ninja Clans?

Hyūga Ningde is the worst kind of bastard. He's always thinking about how to torment the branch family, and today, since a branch family Ninja made a mistake, he didn't hesitate to take advantage of the situation.

[It's been a long time since I've killed anyone. Today I'm going to use the Caged Bird Seal to kill one of the branch families!]

Shazo, who had been ignored by Hyūga Ningde, heard the bastard's thoughts through [Mantra], and a strong killing intent suddenly rose in his heart.

Shazo winked at Neji Hyuga, then cast Genjutsu [Invisibility Technique] on himself, disappearing into thin air.

Thanks to the Fifth Hokage's treatment, Neji Hyuga has recovered from his exhaustion and weakness.

For some reason, when Shazo winked at him, Neji instantly understood what the Fifth Hokage meant: he wanted Neji to step forward and bear the wrath of Hyūga Ningde.

Neji Hyuga frowned slightly. He didn't understand why the Hokage was making him suffer, but he didn't hesitate at all. He stood up and shouted, "I'm the one who broke down the Main Gate!"

Hyūga Ningde turned his head and looked over. When he saw that it was Neji Hyuga, a trace of fear flashed in his eyes. He did not immediately activate [Caged Bird Seal] to punish him as he had planned.

Neji Hyuga is no ordinary Hyuga Branch Family. His grandfather was from the Main Family, and his father, Hizashi Hyuga, was the younger brother of the head of the Hyuga Hiashi Hyuga Branch Family.

Hizashi Hyuga not only had a high reputation in the branch family, but also had extensive connections in the Main Family. He even committed suicide for his elder brother, the head of the family, thus giving his life to the Third Hokage.

Most importantly, Hyuga Hiashi values Neji Hyuga very much, frequently inquiring about his training progress and showing concern for his daily needs.

Killing Neji Hyuga would definitely incur punishment from the clan head Hyuga Hiashi.

Unlike killing other branch family Ninja, which at most resulted in a few words of scolding and a few days of confinement—a rather insignificant punishment—this time, the perpetrator would be stripped of their property and rights, suffering excruciating pain and devastation.

Just as Hyūga Ningde was considering how to punish Neji without incurring the wrath of the clan head, he suddenly noticed that Neji looked different.

After careful observation, Hyūga Ningde was surprised to find that Neji had actually removed his Forehead Protector, openly revealing the [Caged Bird Seal] scar on his forehead, and his eyes no longer held the humility and resentment they once had.

Neji Hyuga's eyes held only anger, determination, and hope.

In Hyūga Ningde's view, this was not a good thing. Hyuga Branch Family Ninja of the Hyuga branch family had such a vision, it proved that he was no longer afraid of the Main Family and had even begun to take revenge on the Main Family in secret.

Because of his love of pleasure, he was inconsistent in his training, only achieving the Chunin level when he was over 20.

As the Hyuga Main Family, Hyūga Ningde was filled with guilt and an inexplicable sense of inferiority.

But this feeling did not make him work harder; instead, he tortured the branch family Ninja even more. He gained unprecedented pleasure from tormenting his fellow Ninja who were stronger than him.

But once the pleasure fades, feelings of guilt and fear will return in double the intensity.

[I was so humiliated by the separation that I lost all my dignity. He must hate me to death. Will he suddenly attack me next time?]

[That guy's Jonin, and he's so fast. Can I really activate the seal before he kills me?]

With so many branch families, if I activate the seal, will I miss one and get killed by them?

Similar thoughts never disappeared, so Hyūga Ningde saw Neji's fearless eyes, his fear and anger erupted uncontrollably, instantly overwhelming his rationality.

Hyūga Ningde Hand Seals with one hand. That seal was not any of the twelve hand seals, but in the eyes of the Hyuga Branch Family, it was the most memorable and the most terrifying hand seal.

[Caged Bird Seal - Devour]

However, Hyūga Ningde did not immediately activate the seal. The fear, apprehension, and pleading of the branch family Ninja around him restored his familiar absolute confidence and an indescribable sense of pleasure.

His will was so weak that he couldn't control his desire to enjoy pleasure, so he paused the sealing and looked at Neji Hyuga.

As expected, Neji Hyuga's eyes were filled with fear; his hands were trembling, and his legs were shaking so badly that they were almost blurry.

Hyūga Ningde was extremely smug, and he opened his mouth wide to laugh loudly, "Neji Hyuga, where did your eyes go just now? I thought you weren't afraid at all!"

"So what if you're Hizashi's son? You're still a branch family member, Bug I, the Main Family, can crush with a flick of my wrist!"

"Now, kneel down! Apologize to me for your rude look just now!"

Neji Hyuga closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the fear was still there, but it had been suppressed by anger.

His body was still trembling, but not from fear, but from the stimulation of adrenaline.

A murderous aura, an intense murderous aura, emanated from Neji Hyuga, leaving Hyūga Ningde speechless with fright.

For a moment, he forgot about [Caged Bird Seal - Devour], and he also forgot the hand seals he had formed. He shouted incoherently, "What are you doing? What are you doing? Don't come any closer!"

He then looked at the Hyuga Branch Family Ninja around him, as well as his own guards. "Take him down, or I'll make you all experience what it's like to be Caged Bird Seal!"

But the Hyūga Ninja did not act; they were all terrified by the Caged Bird Seal's fear and did not hear Hyūga Ningde's words at all.

But the Main Family Ninja was reminded of his own words, and he grinned maliciously at Neji Hyuga: "Damn branch family member, damn Neji, how dare you look at me, a member of the Main Family, like that? You're a damned bastard!"

"And you damned branch families, how dare you disobey my orders! You're all damned traitors."

"You all should die!"

Hyūga Ningde's Chakra emanated through hand seals, releasing a strange fluctuation.

Sensing this most painful prelude, all the Hyuga Branch Family present involuntarily closed their eyes, tensed all their muscles, and prepared to endure the pain.

However, nothing happened.