The Hyuga Clan

Meanwhile, a Root squad entered the Hyuga Clan compound under cover of night.

After hearing the Root ninja's account, Hyuga Hiashi's face turned icy. He looked at the masked ninja and said, "Please tell Lord Danzo that the Hyuga Clan will deal with this matter seriously."

The Root ninja nodded. "Lord Danzo said that since Neji Hyuga is something of a prodigy, a lesson will suffice this time."

They trusted the Hyuga Clan to handle it. When Kumogakure had tried to abduct the Main Family Young Miss—a matter involving the head of the Hyuga Clan—the clan had handled it perfectly. This involved nothing more than an insignificant member of the Branch Family.

With that, they gave Hyuga Hiashi no chance to reply. They turned and left the Hyuga Clan compound.

Hyuga Hiashi watched the Root ninja leave without a trace of expression. Once they were gone, he turned to a Branch Family maid beside him. "Bring Neji Hyuga here."

"Yes, Clan Head." The maid bowed respectfully, then withdrew and headed for Neji's residence.

"Neji Hyuga, the Clan Head wants to see you." The Branch Family maid was nothing like the deferential servant she had been before Hyuga Hiashi. Now she looked openly pleased at his misfortune.

Neji glanced at her. From that expression alone, he knew nothing good awaited him.

Whenever Hyuga Hiashi had punished him before, this maid had worn the same look. She had shown not the slightest feeling for a fellow member of her own bloodline.

The Branch Family did not stand united against a common enemy. Its members were just as ready to kick one another when they were down.

Neji gave a slight nod and walked out.

He assumed word had gotten out that he and Sasuke had beaten up those Root ninja.

At worst, he would have to endure the Caged Bird Seal again. He was rather curious whether his vastly improved Eye Power would give him any resistance to it.

As soon as Neji arrived, he saw Hyuga Hizhu standing there with a cold expression.

At Neji's arrival, Hyuga Hiashi turned his head slightly. His white eyes swept over the composed young man. "Do you know why I summoned you, Neji?"

"Clan Head, I don't know," Neji replied.

"You don't?" Hyuga Hiashi raised his voice. "You don't know what you and Sasuke Uchiha did today? Didn't Elder Keisuke tell you to stop associating with that orphan of the Uchiha Clan? Do you think you can ignore the Main Family's orders?"

Neji said nothing.

"Has getting stronger made you bolder too?" Hyuga Hiashi demanded. "You dared attack the Hokage's Anbu? Are you trying to become a rogue ninja?"

Neji remained silent.

His silence stoked Hyuga Hiashi's anger. "If you dare attack the village's Anbu today, will you dare attack the Main Family tomorrow?"

"I wouldn't dare. I've never even considered it," Neji said, lowering his head.

The Branch Family maid watched with a flash of satisfaction in her eyes. For Branch Family members like her, who had been thoroughly conditioned to obey, seeing someone like Neji humiliated by the Main Family was gratifying.

"Hmph!" Hyuga Hiashi snorted. "Clearly, nothing we say gets through to you. Elder Keisuke told you half a year ago to stay away from the last surviving member of the Uchiha Clan, but you refused to listen. Now you've even joined him in attacking the village's Anbu!"

"I can tell you still resent this. It seems I'll have to teach you a lesson you won't forget." Hyuga Hiashi's voice was cold and detached. After a pause, he continued, "Without a proper lesson, you'll cause trouble sooner or later. A caged bird should stay obediently inside its cage."

"Without a proper lesson, you'll never heed the Main Family. Don't think being my brother's son changes anything. Branch Family is Branch Family!" As he spoke, Hyuga Hiashi formed a hand seal and activated the Caged Bird Seal.

In an instant, the familiar pain struck Neji again. He clutched his head, wishing he could smash his skull into Hyuga Hiashi and kill him.

Hah... It hurts a lot less than last time... Gripping his head, Neji realized that the pain from the Caged Bird Seal was nowhere near as severe as before.

The fact that he could still think clearly was proof enough.

When Hyuga Keisuke had activated the Caged Bird Seal last time, and when Hyuga Hiashi had activated it the time before, the soul-rending pain had shattered his awareness. All he could do was scream without knowing what he was doing.

Heh... Neji let out a cold laugh in his mind as he clutched his head.

He had already begun devising eighteen different ways for Hyuga Hiashi to die.

But to keep Hyuga Hiashi from noticing anything unusual, Neji acted as he had the last time the seal was activated. He rolled across the floor, howling in agony.

Hyuga Hiashi watched him writhe on the floor. There was no emotion in his eyes, only indifference.

The Branch Family maid lowered her head. Satisfaction crossed her face, then quickly vanished.

Soon. Soon. But not yet... Neji endured the pain in his head and struggled to reassure himself.

The Caged Bird Seal still affected him too severely. In this state, he could wield barely a tenth or two of his strength. Even if he managed to lunge up and kill Hyuga Hiashi with a single palm strike, it would do him no good.

As he was, Neji could not face the rest of the Main Family and the Branch Family lackeys who protected them.

The Hyuga Clan was not simply divided into the Main Family and the Branch Family. In truth, there was the Main Family on one side and, on another, the Branch Family members it had conditioned to obey. Those members sincerely believed it was their duty to protect the Main Family. They would die for them.

Then there were Branch Family members like Neji: outwardly respectful toward the Main Family, but inwardly longing to kill every last one of them and their lackeys.

Neji was a prime example of that group—if it could even be called a group. There were hardly any of them.

Under the Main Family's long-standing rule, enforced through the threat of the Caged Bird Seal, few could hold out for years.

From what Neji had seen, of the Hyuga Clan's thousand-odd members, only around thirty had yet to be completely conditioned by the Main Family.

Those were the people Neji needed to unite. He had never considered trying to win over Branch Family members who had already been thoroughly conditioned.

They had become the Main Family's slaves in both body and mind. Trying to recruit them blindly would only backfire.