Escaping Konoha

Since the request had been made and the deterrent effect achieved, Neji saw no reason to linger and left the Hyuga compound.

It was late at night now, and there weren't many pedestrians on the streets. Walking down the somewhat dark street was a stark contrast to the bustling scene at noon.

The sun had set completely, leaving only heavy darkness!

As the saying goes, "One thought leads to heaven, one thought leads to hell." Neji left the choice to the Hyuga Clan. Whether they chose "peace" or "war," Neji would accept it, considering it a punctuation mark on his past self.

From this day forward, he would live a completely new life!

If you treat me with peace, I will give you peace. If you treat me with war, I will bring you destruction!

This was the first time in his life he had been forced to make a choice, and he hoped it would be the only time!

Returning home, he stored some of his important data and then called Sasuke and Haku.

Sasuke seemed to sense something was wrong and asked, "What's up?"

Neji didn't hide anything. He opened his forehead protector, revealing his forehead.

Sasuke looked at his bare forehead in surprise. Coming from a prominent family, Sasuke knew that all members of the Hyuga Branch Family had the "Caged Bird" curse mark on their foreheads. This curse mark was extremely stubborn, and over a hundred years, no Branch Family member had ever broken free!

And now, Neji had done it!

Based on his understanding of Neji, it was normal for Neji to find a way to break the "Caged Bird" curse mark. In Sasuke's mind, Neji was never someone who would willingly be controlled by others.

But to break it at the age of twelve, something that over a hundred years and tens of thousands of Hyuga Branch Family members couldn't achieve!

It also greatly surprised Sasuke. He's truly a monster, Sasuke thought. Even the so-called geniuses pale in comparison. They're dim compared to Neji!

However, when he thought of another serious problem, Sasuke broke out in a cold sweat.

Neji breaking the "Caged Bird" curse mark was equivalent to exposing the Hyuga Clan's secrets. The Hyuga Clan would absolutely not tolerate such a thing, and Neji was in great danger! Even the Konoha higher-ups would proactively assist the Hyuga Clan in eliminating this "heretic" to maintain the "stability" and "balance" that the higher-ups valued so highly!

Seeing Sasuke's increasingly complex gaze, Neji knew he had guessed the general situation.

It wasn't hard to guess. Neji didn't intend to hide it either. He needed Konoha and the Hyuga Clan to show their stance, which would help him make up his mind and choose the path he needed to take in the future.

If he didn't push himself, he might have truly adapted to Konoha's superficial peace!

Approaching the laboratory equipment, Neji casually said to Sasuke while storing some of Hiashi Hyuga's blood he had obtained during their fight, "I've taught you everything I can. With your current growth rate, you're expected to reach Jonin strength in about a year. From now on, you'll have to forge your own path."

Neji paused and continued, "Leave here today. If I'm still in Konoha after this period, you can continue to visit. If not, you'll have to train on your own."

After speaking, Neji pointed at Haku and said, "Take him with you too."

Without waiting for Sasuke's reply, he walked directly into the underground laboratory!

He left behind a Sasuke who wanted to speak but hesitated, and a Haku who was still blankly confused about the situation.

He placed the test tube containing Hiashi Hyuga's processed blood into a sealed box filled with test tubes of blood. This box contained the blood of over a hundred Hyuga Clan members.

Neji had collected these blood samples through various channels since he decided to implement the "Gene Completion" plan seven years ago. With the blood samples of these hundred-plus clan members, he should be able to cover all the genetic information of the Hyuga Clan. If that wasn't enough, he'd just have to fly to the moon.

He packed some important experimental data and samples, sealing them into space scrolls.

After finishing everything, Neji returned to the residence his father had left him. He lay down in his room, quietly waiting for events to unfold!

The outcome of the events didn't make Neji wait long. By noon the next day, his residence was surrounded by ninja. Many of them were from the Anbu or Root, with some Hyuga Clan ninja interspersed among them.

Some of the surrounding residents had already been evacuated, and others were in the process of being evacuated. It seemed they intended to capture him with minimal cost or kill him outright!

This way of handling things is so Konoha! Neji thought with a hint of dark amusement!

Since the Hyuga Clan and Konoha had given their definitive answer.

Neji actually felt much more relaxed. He muttered softly to himself, Father, and Neji... It's not that I want to rebel against Konoha or the Hyuga Clan. I just want freedom. Is that too much to ask? But they refuse to give it to me and insist on pushing me to a dead end!

If you're watching from the afterlife, you wouldn't want me to join you at such a young age, would you?

Then I can only live out the rest of my life according to my own desires!

Composing himself, a slightly wild smile appeared on Neji's face. This was the first time he had smiled like this. It was also the first time Neji would completely abandon his previous personality and become a truly "free person" with no restraints or attachments!

So, the first small goal is to blow up the Hokage Monument!

Since he had made his choice, Neji was not a passive person. He liked to keep the power of choice firmly in his own hands and proceed at his own pace.

Without any hesitation, Neji directly smashed nearly twenty kilograms of sealed Natural Energy containers in his home. Instantly, an extremely dense wave of Natural Energy dispersed outwards from Neji's old home as the center!

This was one of the backup plans Neji had prepared for himself. In an environment with dense Natural Energy, his strength would increase by at least double. His Sage Chakra recovery would also double.

And this was his capital for confronting Konoha head-on.

The more than a hundred ninja surrounding Neji outside the house saw the unknown mist rapidly dispersing from inside the house and immediately became alert, holding their breath to prevent poisoning.

But before they could take any further action, they heard a voice from inside the house, sounding both elegant and indifferent: "Sage Art: Eight Trigrams: 256 Palms"

The Eight Trigrams Formation, amplified by Sage Chakra, covered an area of nearly 300 meters, instantly engulfing all the ninja surrounding him and suppressing them firmly!

As for the dozens of ninja positioned towards the Hokage Monument, their hearts instantly sank. Not only were they suppressed by the Eight Trigrams Formation, but they were also directly facing the Eight Trigrams: 256 Palms, also amplified by Sage Chakra.

The overwhelming, tangible Chakra palms rapidly descended upon these dozens of ninja. Although some of the quicker ninja had managed to use defensive Ninjutsu in time.

But when suppressed, what difference was there between a defensive ninjutsu barely used and no defense at all! It would be shattered in an instant all the same, and crushed into a pulp!

Neji didn't waste time. While not yet fully surrounded by the main force, while the villagers hadn't completely evacuated, and while the Natural Energy he released hadn't completely dissipated!

Neji pushed off the ground, instantly darting out of his home and heading straight for the Hokage Building.

Since his home was only five hundred meters from the Hokage Building, Neji had already unleashed his full speed towards the building after breaking through the encirclement. By the time he was only fifty meters away, he still hadn't been intercepted.

However, Neji had no intention of getting any closer. A figure was already standing firm on the roof of the Hokage Building, staring directly at him with immense pressure.

But Neji felt no fear, even wanting to laugh wildly. This was the outcome you all wanted, and I'm giving it to you!

Neji faced the Hokage Building, planted his feet, and began to rapidly gather Chakra in his hands. A violent, spinning wind-style Chakra quickly gathered in Neji's palms.

Seeing that the surrounding Ninja were about to surround Neji again, the Third Hokage on the rooftop also commanded the Anbu to surround Neji, even intending to act himself if the situation called for it.

Yet, only a moment passed before Neji completed his ultimate ninjutsu, "Sage Art: Wind Style: Rasenshuriken," and threw it directly at the Hokage Building without hesitation!

The Third Hokage, who was still standing on the roof of the Hokage Building, saw the giant, spinning Chakra Rasenshuriken flying towards him and could no longer remain calm. A strong sense of mortal danger emanated from the Chakra Rasenshuriken, making the Third Hokage realize he couldn't withstand Neji's technique and had to retreat!

As soon as the Third Hokage retreated, he regretted it. The Hokage Building was behind him! But he could no longer choose; the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken had already slammed violently into the Hokage Building.

For an instant, the world seemed to fall silent, until a terrifying roar erupted from the location of the Hokage Building, followed by continuous explosions, sounds like a bulldozer plowing the earth, and dust clouds filling the sky!

When the sounds stopped and the dust settled, the Hokage Building, Konoha's iconic landmark, was gone. All that remained was a massive crater nearly two hundred meters wide and thirty meters deep.

And the culprit behind it all was now riding on the back of a giant Thunder Roc, charging towards Konoha's outer barrier.

As all the Konoha Ninja hoped the barrier would stop this demon, they heard Neji calmly say, "Sage Art: Gentle Fist: Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack!"

Neji instantly gathered all the Sage Chakra in his body into his palm, compressed it, and released it, forming a violent Sage Chakra fist imprint that struck the barrier.

The barrier before Neji shattered like paper, and with it, the hearts of the Konoha Ninja were broken!

Having done all this, Neji no longer hesitated. He rode the Black-Winged Thunder Roc and charged out of Konoha, soaring into the sky!

From this day on, Neji would break free from Konoha's constraints and grow freely in the vast world!

From this day on, Neji would begin his new chapter and forge his own glory!

From this day on, Neji would have boundless seas to leap in and skies high enough for birds to fly!