"Whoosh…"
A gentle breeze swept across.
On the open grassland—
The two, who hadn't seen each other for a long time, sat there chatting casually.
Hearing about everything Akira Ren had experienced over the past two years outside—
In comparison, Neji felt as though he had been stuck in Konoha this not-too-big, not-too-small village, like a frog at the bottom of a well.
He couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
"Oh? Lee was taken in as a disciple by Jonin Might Guy?"
Hearing Neji mention that Rock Lee had actually become Might Guy's disciple, Akira Ren was quite surprised.
He hadn't expected that Lee—
Who was supposed to be accepted only after graduation—
Would gain Guy's recognition ahead of time and become his student.
"Well, isn't that because of you?"
Neji spread his hands helplessly.
Recalling Lee's bumpy journey to becoming a disciple, he sighed:
"That guy saw you being accepted by one of the Sannin, got fired up, and started asking around everywhere for where Might Guy lived. He even went to Guy's doorstep and knelt there for three days and three nights. After that, he followed Guy through intense training—three whole months without ever giving up!"
"In the end, even Might Guy was moved by his sincerity and accepted him as a disciple!"
Only that single-minded hothead could endure something like that.
If it were Neji himself, he admitted he would've given up long ago.
After all—
He knew his own pride.
It wouldn't allow him to humble himself like that and beg someone.
Even if he lived an ordinary life—
He still had his own principles.
"…"
Akira Ren fell silent.
He hadn't expected that his casual remark back then—
Would push Lee to go all out and stubbornly cling to Might Guy as his master.
And actually succeed.
But just from Neji's description—
He could already feel the hardship and struggle involved.
If it were him—
He wasn't sure he could do the same as Lee.
Perhaps—
It was precisely because Lee had never been called a "genius" since childhood, always labeled a failure—
That he lacked that pride, and could grit his teeth and persist in anything he set his mind to.
Even if it meant humbling himself to beg.
"Shh…"
The glow in his hand faded.
Akira Ren casually treated Neji a bit—
Healing his hands, which had accumulated injuries from years of training—
And also adjusted his body, which inevitably had hidden damage from high-intensity practice.
"Thank you…"
Neji revealed a faint smile.
He sincerely thanked Akira Ren.
After the treatment, he truly felt much lighter.
"It's nothing, just a small effort…"
Akira Ren waved it off.
Looking at Neji's forehead, which he deliberately covered with cloth—
He grew curious and asked directly:
"By the way, can I take a look at your Caged Bird Seal?"
Although it was somewhat abrupt—
He was genuinely curious.
After all, through ROOT's resources, he had mastered quite a bit of sealing techniques.
In this field, he could be considered an expert.
And the Caged Bird Seal—
Was also a type of sealing technique.
"…"
Neji froze.
He fell silent, subconsciously clenching his fists.
Knowing Akira Ren wasn't mocking him—
He took a deep breath and removed the cloth from his head.
"If you want to see, then look."
A greenish seal was engraved on his forehead—
Clear and visible.
It looked rather unsightly.
Ruining his otherwise decent appearance.
"Ugly, isn't it?"
Neji spoke indifferently:
"The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan has always been coveted for its exceptional perception…"
"So, to prevent it from falling into outsiders' hands and to protect clan members, our ancestors developed the Caged Bird Seal."
"If anyone tries to seize the Byakugan, the seal will activate and directly destroy it."
"Even after death, the Byakugan will be destroyed by the seal."
There was one thing he didn't mention—
Because it involved a secret of the Hyuga clan.
The seal had a flaw—it created a subtle blind spot in the otherwise 360-degree vision.
Akira Ren, who already knew this, didn't press further.
Instead, he said plainly:
"I think the reason you hate it isn't just because of that, right?"
"That's right… Once branded with the Caged Bird Seal, your entire life is controlled by the main family. Life and death are no longer your own…"
Neji clenched his fists tightly.
His young face twisted slightly.
His eyes filled with undisguised hatred and unwillingness as he said in a low voice:
"My father… because of this seal, was forced to sacrifice himself—to act as a substitute for the main family head, Hyuga Hiashi… and died such a humiliating death!"
"That incident with Kumogakure, right? I've heard about it."
Akira Ren nodded.
As for the series of "brilliant moves" made by Konoha's leadership—
He was honestly speechless.
Once, Konoha had been so powerful.
And now—
It was bullied by Kumogakure and could only swallow its anger.
Back then—
Coveting the Byakugan, Kumogakure used a peace treaty as a pretense and sent people to kidnap the three-year-old Hyuga heiress, Hinata.
They were discovered by Hyuga Hiashi, who killed the kidnapper and rescued his daughter.
Yet Kumogakure turned the tables—
Refusing to admit anything, claiming instead that Konoha had killed their envoy and demanding the culprit be handed over.
In the end—
With the Third Shinobi War not long over, the village still weakened, followed by the Nine-Tails incident—
And with both civilians and shinobi growing increasingly war-weary—
The Third Hokage had no choice but to compromise.
Hyuga Hizashi—
The younger twin brother of Hiashi—
Was sacrificed in his place, his body handed over to Kumogakure.
Though it temporarily secured peace and avoided war—
It was a massive blow to Konoha's morale.
"Ridiculous, isn't it?"
Thinking of his father and his own inescapable fate—
Neji spoke bitterly:
"They were twins… just born a moment apart, yet their destinies are worlds apart!"
Even if he admitted he wasn't as talented as Akira Ren—
He was still far superior to that timid, mediocre main family heiress.
He had no ambition to become clan head—
He only wanted to escape the cruel fate of the branch family.
But the Caged Bird Seal—
Passed down for generations—
Was like an insurmountable barrier.
Binding him tightly.
Like a bird trapped in a cage—
Forever unable to gain true freedom.
"Any rule—no matter how well-intentioned it began…"
Akira Ren reached out.
Touching the Caged Bird Seal on Neji's forehead—
He carefully sensed the complex structure within using chakra.
"If it never changes, if it stubbornly clings to the past and refuses to adapt… it will inevitably decay."
The same applied to the Caged Bird Seal.
Over time—
While it protected the branch family—
It also became their shackles.
Turning them into birds in a cage.
Protected—
Yet never truly free.
No one wants their fate controlled by others.
With precise chakra control—
Without triggering the seal—
Akira Ren thoroughly examined it before withdrawing his hand.
Looking at Neji, who was clearly weighed down by resentment—
He sighed softly:
"That kind of absolute power—where others' life and death are held entirely in one's hands—inevitably breeds arrogance in the ruling main family. Over generations, they drift further from the ancestors' original intent…"
"And eventually, they begin treating the branch family like mere servants."
Over the long years—
The branch family had effectively become servants, protecting the main family generation after generation.
This duty itself wasn't wrong—
But the main family should also lead the clan to prosperity, protecting all members and allowing them to live with dignity.
It should have been mutual.
But absolute power inevitably led to problems.
A rigid, unchanging inheritance system might ensure stability—
But if the clan head was incompetent—
It would inevitably lead to decline.
And thus—
Incidents like Hizashi's happened.
If Hiashi had possessed strength comparable to a Kage—
And a firmer personality—
Who in Konoha's leadership would have dared to push the Hyuga clan like that?
"You're right…"
Neji tied the cloth back on—
Covering the ugly seal.
Looking up at the blue sky—
At the birds flying freely—
He couldn't help but feel a trace of envy.
With a self-mocking tone, he said:
"But this is my fate… no matter how hard I try, I can't escape it!"
"That may not be the case…"
Akira Ren looked at him calmly.
"Your Caged Bird Seal… I might be able to remove it."
...
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