Caged Bird Seal

"Taijutsu?" Sasuke asked, puzzled.

"That's right. At this stage, taijutsu is your best option." Neji nodded. "Your fire release ninjutsu is already pretty good, and improving your genjutsu without a teacher would be difficult. But for taijutsu, you can use your Sharingan to watch and copy people at the various training grounds."

Neji's reminder was like a ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds. Sasuke's thinking suddenly opened up.

"Right! Not just taijutsu—I can copy other ninjutsu, too. My Sharingan can already copy ninjutsu, so I can go around Konoha's training grounds and pick up a few techniques while I'm there." Everything suddenly clicked for Sasuke.

"Not bad. You're already taking the idea further." Neji laughed.

"Don't underestimate the Uchiha!" Sasuke declared proudly.

"One thing, though. Don't sneak around to watch them. Do it out in the open," Neji reminded him.

"Out in the open?" Sasuke asked, confused.

"Exactly. Watch them openly. Even if someone catches you, don't admit you're using your Sharingan to copy ninjutsu. You're just there to observe real ninja fighting. Tell them their movements are too fast to follow without your Sharingan." Neji had already prepared an excuse for him in case he got caught.

"Why do you sound so practiced at this? It's like you've been planning it for ages..." The corner of Sasuke's mouth twitched. He had a feeling he'd walked into a trap.

"Don't go making accusations. I'm just offering a suggestion. The final decision is yours." Neji gave him an amused smile.

"Heh." Sasuke could only chuckle dryly.

"Where did you go today?" When Neji returned to the Hyuga Clan compound, an interrogation awaited him from Hyuga Keisuke, an elder of the Main Family.

After a brief silence, Neji replied, "Elder, Sasuke Uchiha asked me to spar with him."

Hyuga Keisuke looked Neji over. He seemed drenched in sweat. "Didn't I tell you to stop associating with that orphan from the Uchiha Clan? Are you disregarding my instructions?"

"Elder, I had no choice this time. Sasuke Uchiha staked his clan's reputation on the match. For the honor of the Hyuga, I had to accept," Neji said.

"Hmph!" Hyuga Keisuke snapped angrily, "What right does a member of the Branch Family have to represent the Hyuga Clan's name and honor?! Don't you think too highly of yourself?!"

"Elder, it won't happen again!" Neji lowered his head.

"Do you think that being the son of the Clan Head's younger brother makes you different from the other members of the Branch Family?" Hyuga Keisuke asked coldly.

"I have never thought that," Neji replied, his head still lowered.

"Hmph! Byakugan!" Hyuga Keisuke suddenly activated his Byakugan and stared coldly at Neji. "Just as I thought. You may say that, but you're still defiant at heart. What's the meaning of those fists clenched inside your sleeves?"

Neji fell silent. The bastard's words really did infuriate him.

"Hmph. It seems I'll have to teach you a lesson, lest you forget who belongs to the Main Family!" Hyuga Keisuke sneered and formed a hand seal.

In an instant, a tearing pain shot through Neji's head. It felt as though his skull were truly splitting apart.

"Ah..." Neji couldn't suppress a pained groan. He clutched his head, unable to stay on his feet through the overwhelming agony, and collapsed to the floor.

"This is the punishment you deserve for disrespecting the Main Family." Pleasure flickered in Hyuga Keisuke's eyes as he watched Neji collapse, and a faint smile curled his lips.

"Ah..." Neji felt as though an electric drill were boring into his brain. Even the pain of losing an arm couldn't compare to this agony.

"Hmph. This was only a minor punishment. If you dare harbor ill intent toward the Main Family again, you won't get off so lightly." With a cold sneer, Hyuga Keisuke strode away.

"Hah... hah..." Once the Caged Bird Seal stopped, Neji slowly rose to his feet, gasping for breath.

Neji's indifferent eyes followed Hyuga Keisuke's retreating back as though he were looking at a dead man.

After shutting the door, Neji went into a side room and sat on a meditation cushion.

When the Caged Bird Seal had activated just now, Neji had sensed something different from before.

To resist the pain of the Caged Bird Seal, he had instinctively gathered chakra in his eyes and brain.

He had keenly sensed some of the chakra gathered around his eyes being absorbed.

Without the Caged Bird Seal's interference, Neji could clearly feel a soothing pulse coming from his Byakugan.

Feeling that pulse in his eyes, Neji broke into an enormous grin. "I can feel it. These eyes are absorbing chakra. What a wonderful feeling!"

"Hahaha... Just you wait, Main Family..." His days of effort had finally borne fruit. Though Neji tried hard to restrain himself, he still laughed aloud.

"Byakugan!" Neji activated his Byakugan, hoping to find the source of the change in his eyes. But through its vision, his chakra looked no different from before.

"So I still can't find any clues..." Disappointment crossed Neji's face as he deactivated his Byakugan.

Early the next morning, the Ninja Academy's graduation exam officially began.

Ninjutsu at the level of the Three-Body Technique was child's play for Neji.

Without any surprises, Neji graduated successfully.

Their homeroom teacher, Omori Kyohei, stood at the podium and read out the team assignments.

"Team 1: Kono Hideki, Tazaki Shuji, Tagami Saho."

"Team 3: Neji Hyuga, Tenten, Rock Lee!"

"Great! I'm on a team with my eternal rival, the genius Neji!" Wearing a bright green bodysuit and sporting a bowl cut, Rock Lee gave Neji a thumbs-up and flashed a brilliant smile.

At the sight of Rock Lee's signature gleaming white teeth, the corner of Neji's eye twitched involuntarily. He really was an odd beast.

"Neji!" Tenten was just as happy, though a little shy as well.

Noticing Tenten's shyness, Neji could only pretend he hadn't seen it. At this point, he simply couldn't accept a girl's affection.

If his plans succeeded, they would no longer be on the same side. If they failed and the Caged Bird Seal remained, he still wouldn't be able to accept her with peace of mind.

The Caged Bird Seal restricted far too much of his life!

Until the Caged Bird Seal was removed, Neji could never truly live as a normal person.

As he was now, Neji Hyuga was nothing more than a slave to the Hyuga Clan's Main Family.

Seeing no response from Neji, Tenten changed the subject, a little disappointed. "Lee, do you know who our team leader will be?"

Still delighted over graduating, Rock Lee turned to Tenten. "Tenten, I think it might be Teacher Guy. After all, I've officially become his student."

Tenten pressed a hand to her forehead helplessly. "What does your teacher have to do with us? Do you really think Lord Hokage would let you pull strings?"

"Huh?" Tenten's words rattled Rock Lee. He had genuinely believed Might Guy would become Team 3's teacher.

"Please let it be Teacher Guy. Please don't let it be some other ninja..." Rock Lee prayed.