Neji Takes a Master

In the end, Hiashi Hyuga chose to compromise, though his heart was filled with resentment.

His younger brother, Hizashi Hyuga of the Hyuga Clan's branch family, was even willing to make a sacrifice for this matter.

At that moment, nameless fury ignited within Hiashi Hyuga, like a blazing fire churning in his chest.

Has Konoha really decayed to this extent?

Thinking back to the days when the First and Second Hokage were still alive, who would have dared to so brazenly oppress the Hidden Leaf Village?

And now, merely because a Hidden Cloud Village envoy had died, the Hyuga Clan had to endure such humiliation.

His rage surged like a tide, as though it would wash away this disgrace along with everything else. Yet reason told him that in an era like this, compromise seemed to be the only way out.

At that moment, a young boy from the Hyuga Clan's branch family covered his face and sobbed, his voice filled with helplessness and despair. "Father..."

He was Hizashi Hyuga's son, Neji Hyuga. At that moment, deep hatred for the Hyuga Clan's main family had already taken root in Neji's heart.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror. The vexing Caged Bird mark on his forehead filled him with confusion and helplessness.

That mark seemed to remind him that his fate had long been controlled by others. The future of becoming a pawn of the main family made him feel suffocated.

Turbulent emotions churned within Neji—anger, powerlessness, and a yearning for freedom intertwined deep in his heart.

At this very moment, what he felt was not only longing for his father, but also defiance and unwillingness to submit to fate.

"Kid, judging by the look on your face, you seem to have quite a lot on your mind." Just then, Uchiha Feng's low, magnetic voice quietly reached Neji Hyuga's ears.

"Who's there?" Like a startled cheetah, Neji reacted instantly and shouted warily, "Show yourself!"

"I'm right behind you." The voice sounded again, carrying a teasing note of amusement.

Neji's heartbeat instantly quickened. As he turned around, he felt a warm hand gently settle on his shoulder.

In that instant, tension and confusion surged through him at once.

"Neji Hyuga." Uchiha Feng smiled faintly, his gaze carrying a hint of understanding and concern. "I can sense the sorrow in your heart. Would you be willing to share it with me?"

Neji's heart pounded like a war drum as his eyes locked tightly onto Uchiha Feng.

Those deep crimson Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan eyes were like bottomless abysses, radiating a chilling cold that made it hard to breathe, as though they had frozen even the air around them. Uchiha Feng's icy aura was fully revealed at that moment, leaving Neji breathless.

"Y-you... who are you?" Neji's voice trembled as unease and fear tangled together within him, beyond his control.

Uchiha Feng smiled slightly, his voice calm and clear. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Uchiha Feng."

After a long while, night gradually fell. Stars glimmered across the sky, and the night breeze brushed past them, carrying a trace of chill.

At the summit of Konoha's back mountain, two figures sat side by side, like two stars illuminating one another.

Uchiha Feng tilted his head slightly and looked at Neji Hyuga beside him, his tone carrying a trace of concern. "Kid, is this why you harbor such resentment toward the Hyuga Clan's main family?"

Neji Hyuga raised his head, his eyes flickering with indignation and helplessness. He gently touched the mark on his forehead with his finger. That deep mark was branded upon him like a seal, as though proclaiming the shackles of his fate. "Look at the mark on my forehead. This is the mark the main family placed on me to control me. It means I'll never truly have freedom for my entire life!"

Uchiha Feng sighed softly, his tone turning heavy. "Born between heaven and earth, where is there such a thing as absolute freedom? Do you really think the members of the main family possess that kind of freedom? Was your father's death truly something the main family wished to see?"

Neji Hyuga gritted his teeth furiously, suppressed anger leaking into his voice. "Wasn't it? Why did my father die for no reason? Wasn't all of this caused by the main family?"

Uchiha Feng frowned slightly, his tone turning stern. "Kid, calm down. The Caged Bird you speak of is merely a curse mark placed to protect the Byakugan of your Hyuga Clan. Without this curse mark, your Hyuga Clan would have been wiped out long ago. Think about it. As the most gifted member of the branch family, you now harbor hatred for the main family. This outcome is definitely not what the main family wanted. Who benefits in the end? Don't you understand?"

Neji Hyuga froze, confusion washing over him. His clenched fists loosened slightly, and a trace of helplessness entered his voice. "I don't understand. No matter what, my father died because of this. It's all the main family's fault."

Uchiha Feng smiled faintly, his gaze sharp as he slowly said, "The Caged Bird curse mark is not impossible to remove, and your father's death does not mean he cannot be brought back to life. If you still feel unwilling to accept this, what meaning is there in giving up on yourself like this? Remember, weakness is the greatest original sin! Do you understand?"

The moment Neji Hyuga heard those words, the fire in his heart was ignited. Hope shone in his eyes. "This mark can really be removed? My father might still be revived? Is that true?"

A playful smile tugged at Uchiha Feng's lips. "Of course it can. But with your current abilities, accomplishing that is nearly impossible."

"Then can you do it?" Neji Hyuga's voice carried urgency and expectation.

"I... of course I can." Uchiha Feng's tone was filled with confidence, but he then shook his head slightly, his expression turning serious. "But why should I do this for you? If I help you once, what about next time? If another one of your loved ones meets with misfortune, can I step in again? I can help you for a while, but can I help you for a lifetime? Only your own strength is what truly gives you the means to obtain freedom!"

Filled with sincerity, Neji Hyuga's eyes shone with longing and determination, as though the conviction in his heart had found its finest expression in that moment. "Please teach me!"

Uchiha Feng's interest was piqued. He raised one eyebrow slightly, a playful smile curling at his lips. "Oh? You want to take me as your master?"

Neji Hyuga did not hesitate, his voice firm and clear. "That's right! Please teach me!"

After all, in the world of Naruto, the success rate for killing one's master was as high as one hundred percent.

However, Uchiha Feng did not seem to care in the slightest. He smiled and said casually, "Fine! Then we'll start tomorrow. Every night at this time, I'll wait for you at Konoha's back mountain."