Neji left the underground laboratory and rushed straight toward the village.
The closer he got to Konoha, the more violently his eyelids twitched. A sense of dread pressed against his chest, and that unsettling heartbeat grew sharper and sharper.
Somewhere deep inside, a wave of unease kept rising stronger.
As soon as Neji and his companion entered the village, they headed directly toward the Hyūga compound. But the moment they arrived, both of them froze—something was wrong.
There was no one here.
Impossible.
At this time of day, there should always be Hyūga clansmen moving around the compound. But now, the place was completely silent, as though everyone had been confined indoors.
Something had happened.
"This feels… strange," Hyūga Aomatsu muttered, glancing around at the lifeless surroundings. He too sensed something terribly wrong.
The two exchanged a heavy look, their expressions grim.
Neji furrowed his brows. A faint glow of chakra flickered across the lotus mark on his forehead, and the veins around his pale eyes glimmered faintly.
Byakugan, activated.
He didn't push it to its limit—there was no need. A simple activation was enough to scan the compound.
Sweeping across the grounds, his vision locked onto a corner where multiple chakra signatures were gathered. Among them, one flickered weakly, on the verge of fading away.
Buzz.
At the sight, Neji's head roared as if struck by thunder, blood surging wildly in his veins.
That was his home.
Why were they gathered there?
What were they planning to do?
The ominous feeling in his heart surged even higher, boiling over into raw agitation.
He had only left for a short while…
And now they were at his house?
And who was that person whose chakra was so faint, hanging on to life by a thread?
As his thoughts and guesses grew darker, Hyūga Neji's emotions became increasingly restless.
Chakra leaked out from his body, and sharp bone-like protrusions began spreading from his joints.
"Neji… what's wrong with you?" Hyūga Aomatsu sensed the change in Neji's emotions and couldn't help but ask.
Something was terribly off. The oppressive chakra spilling from Neji, along with the terrifying killing intent hidden within, drained the color from Aomatsu's face.
"Mother… please, don't let anything happen to her!" Neji muttered under his breath, ignoring Aomatsu completely. His body blurred into an afterimage as he darted toward his home.
He was so fast that Aomatsu couldn't even track his movements.
But when he heard Neji call out for his mother, his heart sank heavily.
Could it be… something happened to Neji's mother?
During all that time spent in the underground laboratory, Aomatsu had interacted with Neji.
Though cold and distant, Neji never caused unnecessary trouble—unless someone touched his reverse scale. If that happened, the consequences were unimaginable.
And Neji's reverse scale… was his mother.
He still remembered. Back then, Hyūga Zōsuke had insulted Neji's mother, and Neji crippled him for it. Now someone dared lay hands on her again?
"Damn it… who dares to attack Neji's mother?" Aomatsu's tone was grim, edged with fear.
Damn it.
He knew exactly how strong Neji was. In the past, the Caged Bird Seal had restrained this demon god.
Now that the cage had been broken—how could anyone stop him?
The Hyūga clan was about to face a catastrophe.
"No… I need to get there too!" Aomatsu muttered quickly before rushing after him.
All he could do now was pray—pray that the main family hadn't gone too far.
"Bind her!" The Eighth Elder looked at a young branch family member beside him and ordered coldly.
Today, he would show the entire branch family what happens when they dare to resist the authority of the main house.
"Pah! Kill me if you want—I only feel shame to share the Hyūga name with the likes of you!" Neji's mother was lifted up again, her eyelids barely able to open, but her voice was filled with unshakable resolve.
"Feel shame? The Hyūga clan is the greatest family in Konoha. With words as arrogant as yours, no wonder you raised a son like Neji!" The Eighth Elder gave a cold snort.
This time, however, he showed no courtesy to Neji's mother. His voice was slow and ruthless.
"Enough nonsense with her. Hang her outside, at the highest point of the compound. As long as Neji does not return, she will remain hanging—until the day he comes back!"
The Eighth Elder had completely lost any interest in speaking with Neji's mother. With a wave of his hand, he signaled for her to be taken away.
"Elder Eight, aren't we going too far?" One of the old men frowned as he looked at him.
"Too far?" The Eighth Elder chuckled. "Fifth Elder, you're far too softhearted. If we don't discipline Neji and his mother, the rest of the branch family will think the main house can be trifled with."
The Fifth Elder shook his head. His tone was sharper. "I care nothing for the life of a branch family member. What concerns me is this woman is the clan head's sister-in-law. What if Hiashi returns and holds us accountable?"
"Hmph! Since we've acted, why should we fear him knowing? That clan head of yours still relies on our support. Do you really think he would dare turn against us?" Before Elder Eight could answer, the Great Elder beside him spoke up, cutting Fifth Elder off.
They had followed Elder Eight here fully prepared to negotiate with Hyūga Hiashi if it came to that.
Fifth Elder fell silent.
No one raised further objections. Soon after, Neji's mother was dragged away, carried out of the courtyard.
"Mother!"
A furious shout split the silence.
Everyone froze, startled, their gazes snapping toward the sound.
There he stood—Neji, clad in white, at the very back of the crowd. His expression was dark and cold, his eyes fixed only on the frail, near-lifeless figure of his mother.
"Neji?"
"Neji, why have you returned?"
"Neji…"
The branch family members looked at him. In some eyes there was shock, in others, sorrow.
Neji shouldn't have come back. He shouldn't have returned at all.
His mother had sacrificed so much, endured so much pain, all for the sake of preserving his life. But now, by coming back on his own, hadn't he thrown away all of her suffering?
Wouldn't all her struggles be for nothing?
And more than that, Neji would once again fall into the hands of the Main House. They would torment him without mercy.
Foolish child…
"Heh… you finally appeared. Took me long enough to find you," Eighth Elder's aged face twisted into a smile, deep wrinkles folding with satisfaction.
This boy had finally shown himself. And if Neji was here, then surely he knew the whereabouts of his son.
On the side, Hyūga Sōsuke gripped the arms of his wheelchair tightly, his eyes burning with hatred. "Hyūga Neji… I'll make sure you die!"
The others of the Main House looked at Neji the same way—like a slave already marked for slaughter.
Everything they had done, every cruel scheme, had been for this moment: to force Neji to appear.
"Neji… my child…"
The frail, dying voice of his mother trembled through the hall. She had been on the verge of giving up, her heart already sinking into despair.
But hearing his name, hearing his presence, stirred her will one last time. With great effort, she forced her dim eyes open toward the sound.
"Neji… Neji…"
Her vision was blurred and white, almost empty, yet she still found that faint, familiar silhouette standing not too far away.
Neji…
****
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