Another Talk with the Clan Head

Looking at the devastated courtyard, the missing corner of the house and wall, Neji suddenly felt like he'd been utterly screwed. In a moment of excitement, he had actually forgotten this was his own backyard!

Moreover, Neji sensed several chakra signatures rapidly approaching. This was getting troublesome. He had no idea whether he could talk his way out of it, so he would have to play it by ear!

Several patrolling ninja were the first to arrive at Neji's courtyard. Staring at him, they asked, "Who are you? What happened here?"

Neji was nearly 1.7 meters tall now, and his presence was far from weak. He no longer looked much like a child, so the patrol ninja did not underestimate him. Their attitude remained fairly polite.

However, since Neji could sense that the other two chakra signatures were also about to arrive, he did not rush to answer the patrol ninja. He waited until all three parties were present before speaking.

But Neji's behavior made the patrol ninja who had spoken frown, feeling that his authority had been challenged. Still, this was Hyuga Clan territory, so he did not dare go too far. After all, there appeared to be no casualties at the scene.

Before long, the other two chakra signatures arrived in the courtyard.

To Neji's surprise, one of them was actually his clan head, Hyuga Hiashi!

Neji no longer dared be negligent. He immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Clan Head!"

Before Hyuga Hiashi could reply, Neji continued, "I was sparring in ninjutsu with my classmate, Uchiha Sasuke. In a moment of excitement, I failed to control the power of my ninjutsu and disturbed you, Clan Head. This nephew is deeply ashamed."

With just a few simple words, Neji tried to define the incident as a sparring match between classmates. In truth, that was indeed what it had been, and no one had been injured.

Sasuke also got to his feet and stood beside Neji, indicating that this was indeed the case.

Hyuga Hiashi swept his gaze over the battered courtyard, staring at the enormous crater twenty meters across, the neatly sliced trenches in the ground, and the wall struck by the Lightning Cutter. He was deeply shocked as well!

However, Hiashi was the clan head after all, and he did not make a big issue of it. Turning to the patrol ninja, he said, "This is Hyuga Clan territory. Our clansman Hyuga Neji was practicing ninjutsu in his own courtyard with his classmate. No Konoha public facilities were damaged, and there were no casualties. I apologize for making the three members of the Military Police Force come here for nothing. The Hyuga Clan will handle this matter ourselves."

The meaning was perfectly clear. They had practiced ninjutsu in their own clan grounds, in their own home. No one had been hurt, and no public property had been damaged. This was not the Military Police Force's business, so they could leave!

The three Military Police Force members were extremely displeased, but they did not dare show it. Although they knew this matter was far from simple, they could only say it was no trouble and leave. Even as they departed, they kept looking back at the exaggerated battlefield.

After the three Military Police Force members left, Hyuga Hiashi instructed a nearby Hyuga clansman to clean up the courtyard. Then he called Neji to visit his home with him.

Neji had no way to refuse. He could only tell Sasuke to rest for now and come find him later. He also informed the researchers underground that they could take the day off. After arranging everything, Neji followed Hyuga Hiashi to the reception room at the clan head's home.

Once both had taken their seats, Neji did not hide anything. Before Hyuga Hiashi could question him, he directly said, "Clan Head, Neji has already mastered the clan's secret technique, Kaiten; the Gentle Fist Art—Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms; and Hatake Kakashi's famed ninjutsu, Chidori."

Seeing Neji be so forthright, Hyuga Hiashi was momentarily at a loss. He had prepared a whole pile of things to say, but suddenly did not know how to begin. After all, Neji had done nothing wrong. He was simply too gifted. At this point, even the word genius seemed insufficient to describe Neji.

At only eleven years old, setting aside the clan's secret technique Kaiten and the Gentle Fist Art—Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, he had managed to replicate Hatake Kakashi's famed ninjutsu, Chidori, without anyone teaching him. Even Hiashi himself could not accomplish that now!

Thinking that the clan had produced such a genius, Neji probably would not be inferior to Hatake Kakashi, who had become a Jonin at twelve. He should place greater importance on this junior!

Hiashi sighed inwardly.

If his younger brother Hizashi were still alive, he would surely be relieved to see Neji become so outstanding.

After steadying himself, Hiashi said to Neji, "Neji, you have done very well. To reach this level at your age, there are probably very few people in the entire clan—perhaps even all of Konoha—who are more outstanding than you."

After pausing for a moment, Hiashi continued, "From now on, you may enter and leave the clan library as you wish. The clan will also provide you with additional funds each year for your training. If there is anything you do not understand during your cultivation, you may come ask me at any time. I will teach you diligently."

Neji was rather surprised by Hiashi's words. In the original story, Hiashi had indeed treated Neji well. Because of Hizashi's death, Hiashi had always felt guilty toward Neji. During the Chunin Ninja Exams, he had even been willing to trade his own life for Neji's forgiveness.

Though Neji did not know how much of it was sincere, for the head of a great ninja clan to do this much was already quite admirable.

Honestly, Neji had never blamed Hyuga Hiashi. Hiashi had not been wrong. From the moment he was born, he had been destined to become the Main House head. Branding the Branch Family with the Caged Bird Seal had not been Hyuga Hiashi's decision either. Even if Hiashi wanted to change these things, it was unrealistic for a single clan head to overturn a traditional system that had endured for centuries.

Some Branch Family members had even completely adapted to the existence of the Caged Bird, believing it gave them a layer of protection. With it, no one would covet their Byakugan! That way of thinking could not exactly be called wrong.

It could only be said that sparrows could never understand the aspirations of swans!

Once you had gained freedom, having it taken away from you made you completely different from those who had never possessed freedom in the first place. They were people from different worlds, incapable of understanding one another!

That was why, from beginning to end, Neji had sought only to free himself, rather than supposedly save the Branch Family or destroy the Hyuga Clan!

After thanking the clan head and chatting with him for a while, Neji returned to his residence.

The ninja were quite efficient. In just that short time, Neji's courtyard had already been repaired for the most part, and no obvious traces of battle remained. It would probably be finished in another hour or so.

He found Sasuke in the living room and had him follow him down to the basement, preparing to have a deep conversation with Sasuke!