Hyuga Neji

Hyuga Hiashi's White Eyes were ice-cold!

They held not the slightest warmth, as if he were inspecting a criminal!

"Clan Head!"

Hyuga Wa's expression changed. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way. The first to be insulted had been someone from the Hyuga Branch Family, and the relationship between the Branch Family and the Main Family had been the one challenged!

"There's a reason this happened. Gekko Hayate provoked Kagami-kun first. Kagami-kun only acted because he wanted to defend the Hyuga Clan's dignity, so he couldn't help but strike!"

"Please investigate this thoroughly, Clan Head!"

How could this be?

Hyuga Wa's White Eyes trembled. Clearly, Hyuga Kagami wasn't the one in the wrong.

If he were in the same situation, he couldn't guarantee he would have handled it better than Kagami-kun.

"Are you questioning me, the clan head?"

Hyuga Hiashi's voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable authority that made a chill rise in everyone's heart!

He turned to look at Hyuga Kagami and gave a cold snort!

He looked down on him from above!

"No matter the reason, the Hyuga Clan follows its rules. Your actions have already violated them!"

He paused, then continued, "But there was a reason for what you did, too."

"So I won't hold you responsible for this. But remember, Hyuga Kagami: as a member of the Hyuga Branch Family, you don't have the right to make decisions on your own!"

"This time, I'll let it go. Don't let it happen again!"

His White Eyes were cold, and his words carried the weight of a command from on high. After speaking, he turned and left.

After a long while,

Hyuga Wa finally let out a heavy breath and recovered from the oppressive aura.

"The Clan Head's presence is truly terrifying. But... I never expected him to care so little about what happened. And... he even thinks we were the ones who broke the rules."

He gave a bitter smile.

The light in his eyes and his indignation from earlier had all disappeared.

Only disappointment remained.

Perhaps it wasn't just outsiders who thought the Branch Family didn't matter. The Clan Head felt the same way. But... how could this be?

"That's the difference between the Hyuga Main Family and the Branch Family. The two can never be equals."

Hyuga Kagami walked slowly toward the exit.

His eyes narrowed slightly. At first, I only wanted to take Hyuga Hiashi down for the sign-in mission. Now... I have another reason!

I won't let anyone keep me under their thumb!

Hyuga Wa looked dejected. "But there's nothing we can do."

"The moment the Caged Bird Seal was branded onto us, our fate was decided. We're just playthings and pawns in the hands of the Hyuga Main Family, with no will of our own!"

He turned and walked away, head bowed, like a warrior who had lost all his fighting spirit.

Only a walking corpse remained.

When the faith and hope in your heart are gone, there's no meaning in living.

Hyuga Kagami was just about to leave when he spotted a boy whose forehead was covered in sweat, training with all his might.

"Why!"

"Why was I branded with the Caged Bird Seal? Is this the fate of everyone in the Branch Family?"

Hyuga Neji's eyes were red. He refused to accept any of it.

His father was the Clan Head's younger brother.

Yet he had to kneel before the Clan Head, stripped of all dignity!

And Neji himself had been branded with that hideous Caged Bird Curse Seal!

He would lose his freedom for the rest of his life!

"It's the year 54 of Konoha. Hizashi Hyuga became a scapegoat, and Hyuga Neji was branded with the Caged Bird Seal..."

Hyuga Kagami glanced at the white cloth around Neji's forehead.

A boy's thoughts were easy enough to guess. The cloth was there to hide the ugly Caged Bird Seal.

Hyuga Neji shouted, "Gentle Fist: Sixteen Palms!"

A small amount of chakra gathered in his hands as he struck repeatedly!

He actually managed to unleash all sixteen palms!

The moment he finished, he collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving as he greedily sucked in air.

"I won't accept this! I won't be a bird imprisoned by the Caged Bird Seal. I'll break free of my fate, no matter what!"

He gritted his teeth, fury and resentment burning in his eyes!

His father was dead.

He had died on a mission.

Neji couldn't accept that ending!

Hyuga Kagami walked over slowly. "Without great strength, passion alone won't be enough to achieve your goals."

From Neji's upward gaze, the handsome, straight-backed figure of Hyuga Kagami came into view.

"You... are you also a member of the Hyuga Clan?"

Hyuga Neji froze, a trace of hostility in his eyes.

"You're from the Branch Family, and you've been branded with the Caged Bird Seal too. You can't escape the Main Family's control, so what right do you have to lecture me?"

He refused to back down.

He was practically picking a fight with the whole world!

Well, well.

Hyuga Kagami couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't expected young Hyuga Neji to be such a troublemaker, refusing to bow to anyone.

"I have no reason to help you. I was just offering a few words of advice."

Hyuga Kagami shrugged.

Whatever happened to Hyuga Neji had little to do with him.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he considered this.

But no matter the game, a player needed a pawn to charge into battle. And on the grand chessboard of the Hyuga Clan, Hyuga Neji—the son of the Branch Family's head—was the perfect pawn!

Hyuga Kagami spoke slowly, a faint smile on his face.

"Your father's death wasn't as simple as it seems."

Hyuga Kagami paused. "He became someone's scapegoat. If you want to change your fate, then why not... start by clearing your father's name?"

"What!"

Hyuga Neji's expression changed, and his breathing suddenly quickened!

The Clan Head had told him his father died on a mission.

But now... he'd learned that his father hadn't died on a mission at all. He'd been made a scapegoat?

"Who was it? Who? Tell me!"

He growled like a wounded cub!

Hyuga Kagami turned and walked away without explaining. "Want to find the answer? Use your own strength to find it. If you don't even have the strength to uncover the truth, then how can you talk about breaking free of the Caged Bird Seal?"

He turned his head.

The corners of his mouth lifted. Hyuga Neji would investigate the truth, then expose to the world that Hyuga Hizashi had been made a scapegoat.

That would surely be very interesting!

"Having the Azure Dragon Fruit doesn't mean every problem has to be solved with violence. Kaido isn't stupid. Some things are more fun to solve with your head."

Hyuga Kagami shrugged.

He didn't want to give up such a great sign-in location as Konoha.

As the most blessed place in Naruto, Konoha had the most places to sign in, and the rewards were the most generous!

Starting a huge commotion in the Hyuga Clan, then falling out with Konoha—

That clearly wasn't a wise choice.

Elsewhere,

Hyuga Neji stood up, his gaze firm and calm. "Father, I'll never let you die without knowing why!"

"I'll find out the true reason you died."

"I'll clear your name!"

His White Eyes flickered as he turned and headed back to his room.

To investigate, he first needed to come up with a plan!

Besides... his father had once had quite a few subordinates he could trust!