I, Uchiha: Split Konoha

Chapter 86 The Caged Bird: Another Seal Added?

in the snow.

Hinata Hyuga was mocked by three older children, and her innocent eyes filled with tears, which eventually flowed uncontrollably.

A small figure crouched in the snow, while three older children, clearly of ninja academy age, mocked him. Perhaps it was their ignorant and fearless jealousy that made them so.

Just then, a figure appeared, calmly looking at the three children. The three kids were startled. In their eyes, the headband and ninja sword represented ninjas. Under their natural fear, the three kids immediately showed panic.

"Kids, didn't your parents teach you not to bully children younger than yourself, especially a girl?"

It was Uchiha Yoru who appeared, speaking calmly to the three kids, but his eyes were fixed on the thin child who had just jumped off the swing in the distance. It seemed that the child was about to walk over here, but froze when he saw Yoru's figure.

At that moment, Hinata Hyuga was shedding tears of grievance when a gentle hand stroked her head. When she looked up, she saw a figure with distinct features.

"The Hyuga family."

At this moment, Uchiha Yoru narrowed his eyes as he watched this scene. He seemed to have intercepted the Crown Princess, and then looked at the thin figure in the distance.

"Brother Ye." With a whoosh, Uchiha Shisui appeared behind him instantly. He spoke to his older brother with a solemn expression, but his eyes were fixed on the child in the distance.

Shisui knew the child's identity, but precisely because he did, the Uchiha clan had to avoid him and absolutely could not make contact with him, otherwise they would be taken advantage of by those with ulterior motives.

But the child's thin body and frail clothes were quite ironic.

Turning around calmly, Uchiha Yoru took Hinata Hyuga's hand and left. Before leaving, he glanced at the thin figure in the distance, but secretly pondered, "Jinchūriki!"

Uchiha Shisui secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this, as he was afraid of causing any misunderstandings, since contact between the clan and Jinchuriki could easily lead to trouble.

Despite feeling relieved, Uchiha Shisui's feelings were unusually complicated at this moment, because he could clearly see the Jinchuriki's thin appearance with his keen observation skills as a ninja.

"Shisui, you should get a new outfit next time. Don't tarnish the reputation of the police department. Don't go to this store again."

Under Shisui's astonished gaze, Uchiha Yoru calmly tossed a gold voucher out of his pocket, as if to say, "We're a wealthy family, how could we go to such a small shop?"

Under the snow and wind, the coupon landed on the head of a thin child in the distance.

At this moment, Naruto Uzumaki looked at the coupon that had landed on his forehead, instinctively took it off, and looked at the two figures in the distance. Just as he was about to wave or call out something, a voice suddenly came from afar, as if the other party disliked the coupon.

Naruto Uzumaki immediately felt downcast, but then he saw the coupon in his hand. The front had a big "Grand Opening" sign, and the back could be redeemed for a set of winter children's clothing, with limited availability.

On the thin, clearly visible veins on the palm, the palm lines appeared somewhat rough, but suddenly a drop of water fell onto the palm holding the coupon.

The moment Naruto raised his head, his eyes were filled with tears, but a big, innocent smile appeared on his face.

The hidden agents frowned upon seeing this, but breathed a sigh of relief once they realized there was no problem.

Uchiha Shisui, however, wore a helpless smile and said to Uchiha Yoru, "Brother Yoru, that's mine."

Despite this, his heart was filled with warmth. His elder brother Ye's calm demeanor seemed to be doing heartless things, yet he was doing heartwarming things.

At this moment, he was filled with complex emotions. Not only did the Third Hokage's brilliance seem less intense, but it also filled him with suspicion.

The two walked calmly toward the Uchiha clan's territory. When they passed the Hyuga clan's grounds, Hinata stood at the clan's gate and bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you."

Despite feeling a little shy, Hinata Hyuga bowed at a ninety-degree angle to show the proper etiquette befitting a member of a prominent family, adhering to the etiquette expected of someone from such a wealthy clan.

After passing the Hyuga clan, Uchiha Shisui shook his head and sighed, "Brother Night, that child from earlier!"

Uchiha Yoru sneered disdainfully, "Ugly political tactics. After all, this is a Jinchuriki, not an ordinary ninja. A more prudent approach of persuasion is needed, considering this is the Will of Fire."

Beneath the blatant disdain, Shisui frowned as if he had thought of something, and his expression immediately turned extremely ugly.

"Brother Ye, could it be...!"

Seeing that Shisui seemed to have figured something out, Uchiha Yoru sighed softly, "Shisui, no matter how unfortunate that child is, the inheritance left by his parents is enough to ensure a comfortable life. Also, ostensibly it's for protection, but now there are rumors circulating in the village. Do you think any Jonin who doesn't know about Jinchuriki? And what about the surname Uzumaki?"

The disguise was torn off, and at that moment, Zhishui's face darkened. The child's parents were those two adults!

"Shisui, just like other ninja villages and the black market learn from the Inuzuka clan how to train ninja dogs, captures wild ninja dogs, first beats them into submission, then starves them until they are on the verge of death, and then their master appears with a bright and hopeful spirit."

"If it is a cub, then it will be left to die and suffer from the cold. When the owner appears, he will give it warmth. He will come over from time to time. In a few months, the animal's instinct will make it attached to the person who gave it warmth. From then on, the ninja dog will be loyal to its owner."

Beneath his calm tone lay a cruel truth, comparing the Jinchūriki to ninja dogs, which made Uchiha Shisui's expression grow increasingly grim.

"Brother Ye, that child's father is... is he? Is he?!"

He was already well aware of the village's ugliness, but that child was from the Hokage's lineage! And it hadn't been long! This was only the third year of the Nine-Tails' Night, but all told, it had only been a little over a year, and the child had been treated like this! (The Nine-Tails' Night began on October 10th, the second year, and now, just after the New Year, it's considered three years old.)

At this moment, Shisui couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. The village was so corrupt, and the Fourth Hokage's child was being treated like this. You have to remember that he was the Fourth Hokage.

If they can treat even the Fourth Hokage's child like this, then what wouldn't the darkness of the village dare to do?

In the Uchiha clan's territory, the heavy snowfall of the new year did not bring much joy to the Uchiha. Rather, compared to the villagers who had begun to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the village, the Uchiha clan was isolated on the outskirts of the village and was met with suspicion.

When he returned to his house, someone had been waiting for him for a long time.

Snowflakes were falling outside, while inside, the steaming aroma of tea filled the air.

"Hizashi-senpai."

Hyuga Hizashi came to visit him, and at this moment, the other party's calm face seemed to have made up his mind. He, who usually paid great attention to etiquette, was impolite this time.

He immediately and respectfully got out of the taxi, his head pressed against the floor, and said in a deep, respectful voice, "Yoru-kun, please help me with the matter of the Caged Bird!"

Seeing Hyuga Hizashi's determined expression, Uchiha Yoru smiled. He knew that Hizashi must have encountered something, or perhaps his son Neji had been marked with the stigmata.

Hizashi may be loyal to the Hyuga clan, but no father would willingly watch his child become a slave and be controlled by others for the rest of his life.

"Hishashi-senpai, you're too kind. Actually, it's all for Orochimaru-sensei."

At this moment, Uchiha Yoru was speaking with the intention of gaining political resources for his teacher. Hyuga Hizashi raised his head and slowly removed the headband on his head, revealing the green Caged Bird Seal that represented the main family's control over the branch family.

"As long as Lord Orochimaru can remove the Caged Bird Seal from the branch family, the Hyuga branch family is willing to stand behind Orochimaru."

At this moment, Hyuga Hizashi's firm voice echoed, indicating that this was no longer an ordinary political investment. The so-called political investment was merely my way of showing goodwill, but not a complete gamble.

Such all-in bets are rarely made by wealthy and powerful families, because failure could lead to utter ruin. The way wealthy and powerful families survive is to invest in different areas separately. Although they may not get the biggest share of the profits, they also avoid plunging their family into ruin.

"Senior Hizashi, please wait a moment. I need to check your caged bird and make a record."

At this moment, Hyuga Hizashi slowly closed his eyes, revealing the seal mark on his forehead that their branch family considered a disgrace. Uchiha Yoru, on the other hand, solemnly began to observe the seal and make notes.

Despite the Uchiha clan's investment in Orochimaru, which led to their isolation, other clans and powerful families that had pledged allegiance to the Uchiha kept their distance, as the suspicion surrounding the Nine-Tails could not be cleared.

Therefore, it is difficult for the Uchiha to gain true allies within the village, but the Hyuga branch family is currently a very good ally, as long as the Caged Bird Seal is dealt with.

However, the Uchiha clan can no longer protect the Hyuga branch family, but things would be different if Orochimaru were added to the mix.

"Hizashi-senpai, do you know what happened after the family split up and you regained your freedom?"

Uchiha Yoru's voice echoed in his ears. At this moment, Hyuga Hizashi's heart was filled with complex emotions. How could he not know?

The branch family, like a caged bird, is nothing more than a prisoner whose life is controlled by the main family. Once the cage is released, the branch family will face a complete break with the main family.

More importantly, there are the resources! Konoha's resources have long been divided up by the various powerful clans. Although even the Hokage has no right to interfere in the division of the family, these resources still belong to the Hyuga clan, and the main family represents the Hyuga clan. Therefore, all these resources are in the hands of the main family.

"The Hyuga branch family is willing to serve Lord Orochimaru."

At this moment, Hyuga Hizashi had no choice but to gamble. As the head of the branch family, although it was only in name, countless people in the branch family had resigned themselves to their fate. He knew that once there was real hope, the resentment of the branch family would definitely erupt.

Upon hearing the answer he wanted, Uchiha Yoru smiled and shook his head, saying, "The Caged Bird is indeed wondrous; it's truly troublesome."

"From a young age, you were marked with the Caged Bird Seal. As you learned chakra, the seal grew along with the chakra, and the seal has become one with you."

"The Caged Bird Seal is essentially a sealing technique. It attaches to the brain tissue and pupillary nerves. Once the seal is slightly activated, the brain will feel like it's about to split open. Similarly, if a ninja dies, although the brain won't die immediately, the consciousness will be aware of their death. At that point, the seal will be fully activated, instantly destroying the ninja's brain and the Byakugan connected to it."

Having followed Orochimaru for so long, he had learned a lot about sealing techniques, as well as medical ninjutsu. Combining these, he quickly and thoroughly understood the Caged Bird technique.

After the inspection, Hyuga Hizashi calmly tied his headband, while Uchiha Yoru smiled and nodded, saying, "As expected, Orochimaru-sensei's guess was correct. The Caged Bird Seal can be considered another direction of sealing techniques, also known as the Cursed Seal. Moreover, the branch family members who have had the Cursed Seal engraved since childhood have completely merged with you as their chakra has grown."

"The Caged Bird Seal is already integrated with your brain and the whites of your eyes. Releasing the Caged Bird Seal means eliminating your eyes and brain tissue. Therefore, this seal cannot be broken. At least for now, there is no way to break this seal."

Uchiha Yoru slowly recounted the situation of the Caged Bird Seal. Hyuga Hizashi listened and calmly nodded slightly. It wasn't that the branch family hadn't thought of a way to solve the Caged Bird Seal; in fact, every generation had someone from the branch family secretly researching and trying to unravel it, but there had never been a successful case.

He came with only a sliver of hope. It would be understandable if others couldn't do it, but Orochimaru is the most outstanding person, whose talent far surpasses that of the Third Hokage. If Orochimaru can't do it, then perhaps only the Second Hokage, who has researched countless forbidden techniques, has that kind of talent.

"but!"

Suddenly, a single sentence from Uchiha Yoru rekindled Hyuga Hizashi's hope. For Neji's sake, he was willing to take this step. Thinking of his child, he said hoarsely, "Please tell me, Yoru-kun."

Uchiha Yoru smiled and nodded, saying, "The research needed to break the Caged Bird technique cannot be completed in a year or two, but Orochimaru once said that any ninjutsu, even forbidden techniques, carries risks. Similarly, there is never a perfect technique, and the existence of a technique naturally has a solution."

"Although the method to free the caged bird has been around for a long time, there is another method that may be feasible."

"What method!" Hyuga Hizashi's usually stern face finally broke down. This time, he seemed to have grasped at the last straw, staring nervously at the other person.

If he could truly free the bird from its cage, then his son Neji would never have to follow in his footsteps again.

Uchiha Yoru nodded with a confident smile and said, "Orochimaru-sensei said that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's seal was originally a forbidden technique, and then a 'Four Symbols Seal' was added to reinforce the seal."

"Similarly, although the Caged Bird Seal is a cursed seal, it is still within the scope of sealing techniques. What if we add a perfect sealing technique outside the Caged Bird Seal? In this way, unless the ninja himself dies, the seal of the Caged Bird Seal will not be able to be controlled by anyone. It will no longer be a restraint, but a seal to protect itself."

With Uchiha Yoru's confident smile and explanation, Hyuga Hizashi's expression immediately turned excited.

Good news! The editor has announced that we've entered the revival round. We'll continue our competition against Sanjiang next week. Please stay tuned for more reading on Monday and Tuesday.

(End of this chapter)