Chapter 46: Chapter 46: The Caged Bird
Chapter 46: The Caged Bird
"I am a ninja of the village," Neji said flatly.
A clear and direct refusal.
"Good, very good."
Hyuga Chuukei felt a sudden and inexplicable sense of shame, as though being rejected by a Branch member—someone he'd always stepped on—was a humiliation in itself.
He sneered, then logged out of the game.
Bang!
In the luxurious estate of the Main House, a fine piece of porcelain shattered against the ground.
Chuukei was venting his fury. He muttered, "The Branch House... aren't they supposed to wag their tails like dogs in front of me?"
Hyuga's pride?
A Branch member actually thought he was something important?
"I should remind him what it means to be a proper Branch."
By evening, dressed in formal robes, Chuukei left the estate.
Worried about punishment from the clan head, he avoided all servants and kin, sneaking into a dilapidated courtyard.
It was small, with no pavilions, artificial hills, or ponds.
Most of the space had been converted into a training ground.
Judging by the worn flooring, its owner clearly trained day and night without rest.
"Young Master Chuukei."
Just logged out of the game, Neji rose and bowed politely.
His tone was respectful.
Exactly as the clan had taught him—
to hold heartfelt admiration for the true heirs of the Hyuga bloodline.
Chuukei scoffed. "Spare me. You're the Fourth Squad Captain of the Konoha unit. A village prodigy. Why call me 'young master'?"
Any other Branch member would have trembled under such sarcasm and mockery.
But Neji's expression didn't change. He maintained calm courtesy. "While I am a village ninja, I am also a ninja of the Hyuga clan."
Noticing the slight concession, Chuukei jeered, "Yet when you rejected me earlier, it sure didn't feel like you were part of the Hyuga. Are you thinking of leaving the clan?"
Neji shook his head. "You've misunderstood, Young Master Chuukei. I have no such intention."
Chuukei's eyes rose to Neji's forehead, hidden beneath his forehead protector.
Like a slave hiding a brand, as if concealing it could let him forget what he was.
He raised his right hand, two fingers together, and sneered. "It doesn't matter. Whether you plan to leave or not, I'll make sure you regret what you did earlier."
"Every member of the Hyuga has responsibilities."
"If the clan is one body, then we of the Main House are its spirit and blood."
Chuukei's gaze turned cold, like he was eyeing a disobedient dog. "You, as Branch, are the flesh that protects us."
"Do well, and you might be promoted to something useful—limbs, perhaps organs. That's how the diligent Branch members earn the right to kneel at the Main House's back and attend clan meetings."
He wasn't wrong.
Ordinary Branch members had no right to clan meetings.
Only those approved by the Main House could participate in high-level decisions.
Even then, their right to speak was limited. Speaking out of turn came with severe consequences.
His words grew more and more cutting. Neji frowned slightly. "The clan head has said that even the honored Main House must not provoke the Branch without cause. Are you planning to break the clan rules, Young Master?"
"Clan rules are your shackles. What do they have to do with me?"
Chuukei laughed like it was a joke. "Besides, all Hyuga are meant to protect the clan's interests. And yet you handed the Wraith Commander's ashes to Konoha. Isn't that grounds for punishment?"
So this is the clan?
Neji remained emotionless, but inside, he felt like he was standing in a freezing wind.
Father… what should I do?
Should I, too, shed my last drop of blood for this clan?
His fists clenched—then slowly relaxed.
He wanted to be free of the Caged Bird seal, but he never planned to become the clan's enemy. After all, they shared the same blood.
To sever such ties without hesitation—only a madman could do that.
And Neji was no madman.
After some thought, he bowed his head slightly and said, "I hope you can forgive my mistake, Young Master Chuukei. I'll find a way to make up for the loss I've caused the clan."
He knew that once the Caged Bird seal was fully removed, he'd be subjected to brutal interrogation if caught.
So he'd already prepared to leave the village.
To his friends from the academy, to the straightforward but kind Might Guy-sensei, to the villagers who had supported him…
Doing this was, in essence, betraying the village.
That was why he insisted on donating the Wraith Turret blueprint to the village—as a form of gratitude for all it had given him.
He had grown up being taught formality and etiquette. Neji couldn't just leave without repaying his debts.
Just a little longer… until the seal is removed without harm.
He wasn't worried about his future.
The game body's strengthening had already pushed him to elite jōnin levels in real life.
He had held back in front of Asuma.
"Make up for it?"
Veins bulged at Chuukei's temples. "All rewards obtained by Branch members must be turned over to the clan. No matter how much you earn in the future, it's only your duty. The damage you've done can never be repaid."
Neji said nothing.
He just wanted to keep the peace and get this troublesome heir out of his courtyard.
Then Chuukei's tone turned regretful. "Come to think of it, wasn't your father the one who died as a scapegoat to protect the clan head? He made an unforgettable sacrifice."
"You? You're not even half the man he was."
Boom!
The chakra Neji had suppressed exploded forth.
His polite mask shattered.
His father's death—was the one line that could never be crossed.
"You dare bare your fangs at me, dog?"
Chuukei stood firm as the surge of chakra whipped past him.
He didn't even raise a guard.
Why would he? He had the ultimate defense.
Had it been a foreign ninja, he'd already be preparing to fight for his life.
But a Branch member?
Even one as terrifyingly strong as Neji was still shackled—
a dog with a muzzle, incapable of harming its master.
Neji spread his arms. Spheres of ki floated around him like marbles.
When they touched the stone floor, they carved deep gouges into the rock.
"Fool."
Jealousy flashed across Chuukei's face.
The Qi Master class paired perfectly with the Hyuga's style.
He had tried and failed multiple times to awaken it, but Neji had succeeded.
Neji's foot pressed down, and he vanished.
Caged Bird!
Chuukei calmly flicked his fingers. His chakra surged along a special path.
And then—
Boom!
Like a ragdoll caught in a hurricane.
The stone floor cracked.
Chuukei, the proud Main House heir, lay crumpled in a crater—bones broken, unable to move.
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