Naruto: Starting from the time when the Six Paths of Pain was Kira Yoshikage

Chapter 117 Tearing open the cage, giving the caged bird its freedom

Among the many types of ninjas, the rarest are undoubtedly the sensory ninjas. Although sensory ninjas may not be very strong, they play a crucial role in war and battles. Imagine if you knew all the enemy's movements, even what they were eating. You would have a huge advantage in both tactical planning and trap setting. Among ordinary sensory ninjas, the most powerful is undoubtedly the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan.

Once the Byakugan is activated, it can take in the entire surrounding area from a 360° perspective. Combined with its X-ray vision, ability to see through chakra flow, and other similar functions, it's enough to drive other villages crazy.

Most importantly, the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan, even if transplanted by someone outside the clan, doesn't consume a large amount of chakra every moment like the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan. Although it does consume some chakra, the cost-effectiveness is extremely high.

The price of a pair of Byakugan has been driven up to an outrageous number on the black market, yet they remain scarce and unavailable. Even the most powerful protagonist among the bounty hunters is envious. However, even Kakuzu, who is obsessed with money, would not choose to target a member of the Hyuga clan.

The main reason is that it's impossible to get one. Even if you kill a ninja from the Hyuga clan, you can't get even half a Byakugan. This is because of the system of the branch family and the main family, and because of the Caged Bird Technique. The main family can destroy the branch family's Byakugan at any time, and the main family's ninjas generally stay in Konoha unless absolutely necessary.

This means that if you want to use the Byakugan, you have to face the entire Hidden Leaf Village. Even if Kakuzu is very confident in his own strength, he doesn't think he can rush into the Hidden Leaf Village to snatch someone.

The people of Kumogakure understood this principle, of course, but they were too eager for the Byakugan. In order to obtain these eyes that could change the course of the battlefield, the leader of the delegation did not hesitate to defy the pressure of peace talks between the two countries and sneak into the Hyuga camp at night to kidnap Hinata, but was ultimately killed on the spot by Hyuga Hiashi.

After the incident escalated, the Cloud Village delegation insisted that the Hyuga clan had premeditated the murder and demanded that Konoha hand over the killer to give them an explanation, or they would not hesitate to go to war. This was clearly extortion; what they wanted was not revenge, but rather to force Hyuga Hiashi to his death and seize the secret of the Byakugan.

The Hidden Cloud Village needs the Byakugan, the Hidden Cloud Village wants the Byakugan, the Byakugan is destined for them!

They're betting that Konoha won't dare to turn against them, that Konoha won't dare to start a war.

However, it's obvious that they won their gamble; Konoha is now an easy target.

Terrible cowardice!

Deep within the Hyuga clan's compound, in the council hall, only two people sat before the table. One was a highly respected elder of the Hyuga clan, and the other was Hyuga Hizashi, the younger brother of Hyuga Hiashi and a member of the branch family. Though described as a conversation, from the moment they entered, only the elder had spoken. Hizashi, from the moment he sat down until now, had maintained an impeccably straight back, his face expressionless, like a stone statue.

The elder tapped his fingertips on the table, his deep voice echoing in the empty council hall: "The intentions of those people from Kumogakure are written all over their faces. They keep saying they want to avenge their dead leader, but in reality, they're after the Byakugan in his eyes. They want to uncover the secrets of the Byakugan."

He paused here, raised his eyes to look at the unmoving Hizashi across from him, and his tone suddenly became more serious: "You should understand this. Our Hyuga has existed for a hundred years, and we absolutely cannot let outsiders touch the secret of the Byakugan, let alone let anything happen to the main family. So we absolutely cannot let them succeed."

After listening, Risa remained silent, his fingers resting on his knees without moving an inch.

Now that things have come to this point, how can anyone not understand? Kumogakure wants a murderer, a prominent figure from the Hyuga clan, to pay with his life. Hiashi, the current head of the main family and a pillar of the Hyuga clan, cannot die. If he cannot die, then who will take responsibility?

Then this dead man can only come from the branch family, and can only come from his younger brother, Hiashi.

The council hall fell silent instantly, save for the crackling of the candle flames. The elder, seeing the stubbornness of the steward, was seething with anger.

How dare someone who has just split up the family ignore my words?

But things were urgent, and he couldn't afford to lash out. He could only take a deep breath, suppress his anger, and bluntly drop all pretense, staring directly into Hizashi's eyes: "I won't beat around the bush. The village is under a lot of pressure too. The Third Hokage doesn't want to go to war with Kumogakure, so he has to meet their demands. Hiashi is from the main branch of the clan and can't be touched. The clan has discussed it, and only if you go out and take the blame can the Hyuga clan and Konoha's peace be preserved. So I ask you, Hyuga Hizashi, are you willing to die for the Hyuga clan, for your own brother?"

Would he be willing? How could he possibly be willing? He's not even thirty yet, and his son Neji is just four years old, waiting for him to come home and tell him stories. He's perfectly fine, why would he want to die?

He recalled his childhood. His elder brother, as the heir to the main family, lived in a spacious courtyard from a young age, receiving guidance from the best teachers and the most comprehensive training in the family's ninjutsu. He, as a member of the branch family, could only rely on his own hard work and struggle, rising before dawn to practice Gentle Fist and practicing on wooden dummy until his fingers went numb at night, finally achieving his current strength. Why? Because he was born a member of the branch family.

Does being a family mean you have to die for the head family?

The resentment and anger surged in his chest, almost bursting out of his throat. But he couldn't shout, he couldn't curse, he couldn't even show the slightest dissatisfaction on his face. His silent protest just now was the limit of what he could do. If he dared to utter a word in rebuttal, that would be overstepping his bounds, and what awaited him would be something more painful than death.

Because those who branch out are born to be the shield of the main family, born to protect the main family. Your wealth belongs to the main family, your power belongs to the main family, your eyes belong to the main family, and even your life belongs to the main family. In critical moments, you will naturally die for the main family.

Because the other party wasn't asking for my opinion at all, but rather informing me.

Because he has a child, Hyuga Neji, who has been branded as a caged bird by the main family and is now part of the branch family, this is Hizashi's biggest weakness.

If he dares to utter a single word of dissent, the main family has plenty of ways to deal with Neji. At that point, not only will he not die, but he will also die a painful death from the cursed seal. He can die, but he cannot let his young son die with him.

For Neji's sake, he had to agree, and he had to agree willingly, and he also had to persuade his brother to agree.

This feeling of powerlessness and frustration made him feel cold from head to toe.

This is outrageous! It's so unfair!

Rizashi's mind was screaming wildly, but his face remained calm, except that his fingers, gripping his trouser leg, were slightly white.

After an unknown amount of time, Hizashi opened his mouth, his voice as calm as a stagnant pool, devoid of any emotion: "I do."

The moment the words left his mouth, he himself couldn't tell whether he was speaking to the elders or to himself.

Hearing Hizashi's affirmative answer, the elder's tense face immediately relaxed. He nodded to Hizashi, a satisfied smile spreading across his deeply lined face. The smile carried a sense of relief, but also a hint of matter-of-factness: "Good, good. It is our blessing to have a disciple like you in the Hyuga clan. Rest assured, the clan will take good care of your son, Neji."

The candlelight continued to flicker, casting Riji's long shadow on the wall, like a bird trapped in a cage, unable to even spread its wings.

If an external force were to tear the cage apart at this moment, the bird would be able to spread its wings and fly into the vast sky.

The external force that Hizashi experiences is Nagato.

That lord promised me he would help me! A fierce flame flickered in Hizashi's white eyes, unwavering in its resolve.

For himself! And for his child! He will give everything to the other!

After persuading Hizashi, the elder straightened his hunched back and led Hizashi toward the main house of the Hyuga family to find Hyuga Hiashi.

"I'm the one who made the mistake. When the Cloud Village came to kidnap Hinata, I accidentally killed the messenger. Why should Hizashi take the blame for me?" he said.

She is innocent!

As expected, Hiashi objected, shouting that he was the one who made the mistake, so why should he sacrifice his innocent younger brother? The elders of the Hyuga clan persuaded him with various reasons, such as the secret of the Byakugan must not be revealed and that everything should be for the greater good. With Hizashi adding various comments from the side, he frowned and struggled for half an incense stick's time before finally relenting with red eyes, pretending to be extremely reluctant, and "reluctantly" accepted the result.

Hizashi stood below with his eyes downcast, watching his older brother's heartbroken expression of "not wanting his younger brother to die," listening to his brother's repeated promises that he would raise Neji as his own son, personally teach Neji Gentle Fist, and pass on all of Hyuga's skills to him in a hypocritical manner. Hizashi felt a wave of nausea wash over him, feeling so disgusted that he was about to vomit, and all he could think was amusement.

They've overdone it and are putting on too much of a show.

Although Hyuga Hizashi was nominally Hyuga Hiashi's younger brother, the bond between these brothers, though born of the same blood, had long since faded. Over the years, they had lived separately in the main and branch families, rarely seeing each other more than a few times a year, and even sitting at the same table to eat was a rare occurrence. They could count the number of times they had spoken on their fingers.

If you really think that Hijikata has any genuine feelings for his younger brother, who would believe that?

When Hizashi's wife passed away, all the collateral relatives of the clan came to pay their respects, but Hiashi, as his older brother, didn't even show his face once... At that time, he was busy celebrating Hinata's full moon, and had no time to care about the fate of the branch family.

Now you want to talk to him about brotherhood and family? Where is this family? In the Land of Lightning or the Land of Water? Anyway, Hizashi has been searching for so many years and hasn't even found a trace of it.

He even believed that even after he died for Neji, the other party might not treat him well; some material support would be the best they could offer. As for what he said in front of the elders—that he would personally teach Neji Gentle Fist? That was just empty talk for others to hear; how could it possibly count?

Unless, of course, Hitachi's own children are truly beyond help, and he suddenly has a change of heart, then there is only a tiny, very small possibility that this might happen.

"Clan head, elders... Also, please tell Neji that I was not killed to protect the main clan, but to protect my brother and the village."

Hizashi, having said this, took out a sealed scroll from his robes, dipped his fingertip in ink, and carefully wrote his name at the end, recording his words verbatim on the scroll, revealing the truth about his death. This transparent attitude deeply pleased Hyuga Hiashi and the clan elders standing opposite him. One elder thought to himself: For so many years, the saying "dying for the main family after the branch family" has become a weakness when put into writing. Hizashi's words are more dignified, fulfilling the village's demands while leaving room for the clan. With this scroll remaining in the main family, Neji, when he grows up, won't be able to stir up any trouble for revenge. Perhaps, because of his father's "righteousness," he will even be more loyal to the clan.

"Hijiri... he's truly a good member of the clan who has branched out."

He looked up at Hizashi and felt a pang of regret. If he didn't have to choose between Hizashi and himself to sacrifice, he would have been reluctant to let the other die in his place. There weren't many young people in the entire Hyuga branch family who were as clear-headed as him.

"It's almost time... So, is there anything else you'd like to say, Nisshi?"

As soon as the elder finished speaking, the side hall fell silent again, the meaning of which was crystal clear: it was time to set off.

Rizashi gently shook his head, his fingertips resting on the scroll beside the table, his tone calm: "What needed to be said has been said, and what needed to be done has been done. I've been prepared for a long time. There's just... one thing I'd like to ask the clan to grant."

"We're all going to die anyway, so feel free to ask for anything. As long as the clan can do it, we'll definitely grant your request," the elder said generously.

Richa paused, his Adam's apple bobbing, before finally speaking: "I wish that my own brother would send me off with his own hands. To die at the hands of a stranger is far worse than to die at the hands of my own family. I beg the elders to grant my request."

This makes perfect sense; they are twin brothers, and it's perfectly reasonable for the older brother to see them off on their final journey. The elder turned to look at Hiashi Hyuga and nodded slightly: "Promise him; this is his last wish."

Hiashi Hyuga nodded without saying a word. Seeing this, the elder tactfully straightened his kimono and turned to walk towards the door: "The rest of the time is up to you two brothers. I won't disturb you any longer."

Then the elder spoke and stepped out of the room. With a soft click from the hinges, the heavy wooden door was slowly closed.

Outside the room, a dozen or so Hyuga clan ninjas remained quietly on guard. If there was any unusual movement inside, they would immediately rush in to control the situation and then kill Hyuga Hizashi.

Even though Hyuga Hizashi had said all that, the main family members were still wary of him. After all, this concerned the Byakugan and the very foundation of the Hyuga clan, so they had to take all necessary precautions.

Hyuga Hizashi must die today too!

The room fell silent instantly, leaving only the two brothers, twins whose fates had been marked by disparity since birth.

The two women, separated by a wooden table, gazed at each other silently.

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