Chapter 41: The Caged Bird, When Will It Fly? Its wings are slightly spread, awaiting the wind!
"So that's what happened!"
Everyone in Konoha finally understood what had truly transpired that day.
Why Hyūga Hizashi sacrificed himself for the village.
Turns out he sacrificed himself for you!
Inuzuka Tsume: "Damn it!"
Inuzuka Tsume: "I knew there was a reason why it ended up like that!"
Inuzuka Tsume: "So it was you, old monkey, manipulating things behind the scenes!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's moral bottom was once again refreshed.
The Konoha ninja were already somewhat numb to it.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart was in immense torment.
At this moment, he sat at the very top of the stands, as if being roasted by fire.
Orochimaru's playful gaze, his smile laced with mockery.
It made him somewhat flustered and angry.
He couldn't escape.
Uchiha Izuna: Tobirama, do you have anything else to say?
Tobirama Senju: I'm telling you… beep—
Muted for ten minutes.
A good hand played poorly.
Kakashi looked at the large black-framed screen, his thoughts drifting far away.
His mind conjured Hatake Sakumo's smile.
"Father… were things really just like that back then?"
Kakashi didn't know yet that his father was still waiting for him in the spiritual space connecting the Pure Land and the ninja world.
Whether Sakumo (Hatake Sakumo) was thin-skinned or not, it was when Kakashi, like the others, blamed his father that it became the final straw that broke Sakumo.
['So that's it, the hawk was for transmitting messages.']
['No one has come to monitor me these past few days, not once.']
['It must be because of the death of that Hidden Cloud Village envoy.']
['How will this old man resolve this?']
['Shikamaru's book mentioned that the death of an envoy could very likely become a reason for two nations to go to war.']
['They must be heading to the Hyūga clan.']
[Hiruzen Sarutobi left with a few Anbu ninja.]
[No one noticed little Naruto playing in the corner.]
[Because Ino and her two teammates had to train, and Sakura continued going to school, little Naruto had been 'wandering' around this area during this time.]
[Finally, he had a 'discovery'.]
[He didn't follow them, but instead took a detour back home.]
[Following them would make him too easily discovered.]
[Meanwhile, at the Hyūga compound.]
[The day of the Konoha celebration was the day Neji was subjected to the Caged Bird seal, and also Hinata's birthday, and also the day Hyūga Neji was brought to live within the clan.]
[Hyūga Dojo.]
['Your footwork is too messy.'] Hyūga Hiashi looked at the swaying girl in front of him, his brows furrowing involuntarily.
[The death of the Hidden Cloud envoy gave him a faint bad premonition.]
[He had been strictly training little Hinata these past few days.]
[Although he felt a pang of reluctance, thinking of the worst possible outcome, Hyūga Hiashi put on a cold-blooded mask.]
['Yes~!' Hinata stood still, then took up her stance again, attacking Hyūga Hiashi.]
[To the side, Hyūga Hizashi and his son, Hyūga Neji, sat kneeling.]
[Neji's forehead was bandaged, concealing the mark of the Caged Bird.]
[Watching the girl attacking in the arena, a slight smile played on his lips.]
['Neji, listen carefully.']
['You were born to protect Lady Hinata, to protect the Hyūga clan's abilities.']
Hyūga Hizashi said in a deep voice.
['Yes~ Father~!' Neji replied without a moment's hesitation.]
[Hearing this, Hyūga Hizashi couldn't help but look at his son, seeing the smile on his lips, Hyūga Hizashi's eyes showed a slight change.]
[Looking at the flustered Hinata in the arena, in terms of talent, she was completely inferior to Neji.]
[His hands couldn't help but tremble, and he slowly lowered his head.]
[The blood vessels around his eyes slightly bulged.]
Why must his excellent son be branded with the Caged Bird?!
['Hm?!']
[The moment the Byakugan was activated, Hyūga Hiashi immediately sensed it.]
[He stopped his movements, then quickly stepped forward to shield Hinata, forming a hand seal.]
['Ah—!!!']
[The Caged Bird curse mark beneath Hyūga Hizashi's forehead protector activated.]
[Hyūga Hizashi clutched his head, letting out a series of screams.]
[His killing intent was not directed at Hinata, but rather at the unfairness of the Hyūga clan.]
['Father!'] Neji froze, then quickly went forward to check on him.
[He saw the Caged Bird mark on Hyūga Hizashi's forehead emitting a faint green light.]
[At this moment, Hyūga Neji seemed to realize something.]
['You may return, I will forgive you, you shameless wretch, but only for today. Never forget your destiny.']
[With that, Hyūga Hiashi left with Hinata, who was filled with worry.]
[Watching their retreating figures, then looking down at his suffering father.]
[Tears streamed down Neji's cheeks, and he clenched his teeth.]
[One moment he was smiling, the next, he witnessed the cruelty of the Hyūga clan.]
Watching the scene on the black-framed large screen.
Neji closed his eyes.
The Hyūga clan as told by the black-framed large screen.
It had a greater impact than his own telling.
And the effect was better.
"A captured bird, if smart enough, will use its beak to open the cage door, because they haven't given up hope of soaring freely in the sky."
"Show me you can open it."
Shiranui Genma was stunned.
"What's the difference between you and that ugly Third Hokage, and those who cursed and reviled Naruto?"
Shiranui Genma was left speechless.
Yamanaka Inoichi, who was nearby, also stopped his actions.
He sighed.
This was someone else's family matter, and as a clan head, he had no standing to say anything.
Naruto rubbed his bottom and quickly broke free from Yamanaka Inoichi's restraint.
The scene continued.
[Night fell.]
[Hiruzen Sarutobi had the Anbu ninja wait outside.]
[He entered the Hyūga dojo alone.]
[Candles were lit in the dojo, and Hiruzen Sarutobi knelt in the seat of honor, facing four Hyūga elders and the two Hyūga Hiashi brothers.]
[In front of them was also the forehead protector of the Hidden Cloud envoy.]
['The envoy is dead.']
['The letter from the Hidden Cloud demanded many things.']
['Including… the life of the killer.']
Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a deep voice.
[After the Nine-Tails attack, Konoha could no longer withstand a major war. To avoid this war, they could only reach a secret agreement with the Hidden Cloud Village.]
[In fact, this incident had already escalated to the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning had made demands, and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was still waiting for Konoha's reply.]
[The dojo fell into an eerie silence.]
['For Konoha… no, I absolutely will not allow such a thing to happen!'] Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke again.
['There's no other way. If my life alone can save the entire village…']
Hyūga Hiashi spoke.
Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his head slightly.
['Wait, Hiashi, don't make such a hasty decision!']
['The Hyūga clan's kekkei genkai is the village's trump card!']
['It is the main family's duty to protect it.']
Hyūga Hiashi's father interrupted Hyūga Hiashi.
['However, we, who should be fulfilling our duty, are instead dragging the village into the abyss of a desperate war.'] A thin layer of cold sweat appeared on Hyūga Hiashi's forehead.
This scene made Uchiha Izuna unable to watch anymore.
Uchiha Izuna: Huh?!
Uchiha Izuna: The Hyūga are Konoha's strongest clan?
Uchiha Izuna: Although the Hyūga are indeed not weak, don't forget, you have the Senju and Uchiha before you.
Uchiha Fugaku: Second Ancestor, the Senju merged into Konoha, so on the surface, it's us.
Uchiha Izuna: Oh, then I understand. These young Hyūga are so foolish, they probably don't even know what it means to be praised to death.
[The father and son said a lot.]
[Finally, the two brothers' father directly made the decision.]
['Let Hizashi's body be disguised as yours and handed over to the Hidden Cloud.']
[Hiruzen Sarutobi personally found them and explained the reasons; what was said during that time can be imagined.]
[And Hyūga Hiashi, as the one who killed the Hidden Cloud envoy, had long anticipated this moment.]
['I agree.'] Hyūga Hizashi said expressionlessly.
[The two were twins, identical, so even if the Hidden Cloud got the body, they wouldn't be able to pry into the Byakugan's secrets.]
[However, the words of the Hyūga brothers' father were somewhat laughable.]
[If they've already handed him over, what more could the Hidden Cloud say?]
[If they truly dared to start a war, why would they need so many reasons?]
[The envoy's death is one reason; handing over an identical but useless corpse, why couldn't that also be a reason for war?]
[Finally, the two brothers put on a show of 'brotherly love' in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, which was considered to preserve the Hyūga's last bit of dignity.]
[However, when Hyūga Hizashi bravely went to his death for his son and his older brother, the Hyūga's last shred of pretense was gone, what dignity was left?]
[Hiruzen Sarutobi watched this scene in silence.]
[Not long after, Hiruzen Sarutobi left.]
[Those Anbu ninja also came in handy.]
[Hyūga Hizashi's body was carried away.]
[It was as if Hiruzen Sarutobi had already known the outcome when he arrived.]
After watching all this, Neji's heart remained unsettled for a long time.
He looked up at the arena stands.
But he didn't see Hyūga Hiashi's figure.
He guessed that Hyūga Hiashi was waiting for him in the lounge.
Perhaps to prostrate himself and beg for forgiveness?
Then what?
Neji looked up at the black-framed large screen.
"Perhaps in that world… the future Hyūga will no longer have the Caged Bird."
Clearly, Neji suddenly realized that the moment he was struck down by the Nine-Tails, he seemed to have brainwashed himself.
However, looking at Naruto not far away, he still couldn't force himself to believe that this Naruto could break fate.
Neji didn't know that in the future, he too would become a scapegoat like his father, though it would be for Hyūga Hinata instead of Hyūga Hiashi, but both were from the main family.
Hmm… the Caged Bird still existed in the end.
Tobirama Senju really couldn't stand it anymore.
Tobirama Senju: I, and my elder brother, as the First and Second Hokage of Konoha, declare!
Tobirama Senju: From this moment on, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura, along with the families behind them!
Tobirama Senju: All of them are to be expelled from Konoha!!
Tobirama Senju: Any who defy or disobey shall be listed as rogue ninja!
Danzo Shimura: "Tobirama-sensei, you should calm down. Don't forget, you're just a dead man!"
Danzo Shimura: "Hiruzen is the Hokage! In the current Konoha, what Hiruzen says goes!"
....
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