Chapter 64: Caged Bird—Neji

"Teacher, what are you talking about? Ino was originally...", Hinata was already very satisfied with Uchiha Kage's act of standing up for her just now.

Of course, even now, even seeing Uchiha Kage being hugged by Ino, she was more than content.

"Really useless."

'Despite creating so many opportunities for Hinata, in the end, it is that blonde girl who got the fruit.'

Yūhi Kurenai couldn't help but feel inexplicably angry.

Especially after seeing Ino deliberately rubbing her small purse against Uchiha Kage's arm.

She even had the impulse to forcefully separate the two.

'No, it can't be, do I really have those kinds of feelings for my student...'

'No, no way!'

She would be laughed at by Anko, and if this student, who never took her seriously, found out, he would definitely become even more overbearing towards her as his teacher.

"Asuma, let's go out for a walk, leave the students here," She couldn't let Uchiha Kage get too complacent, Yūhi Kurenai decided to calm herself down first, otherwise, she was worried she might really couldn't help but compete with that little girl Ino.

"And... Kage, I'll consider you passed for Hinata, and Shino, you remember to teach the ninjutsu properly, got it," But before leaving, Yūhi Kurenai still found a way to separate Ino.

"Kurenai...", Hearing Yūhi Kurenai's words, Asuma quickly straightened up.

'Great, it turns out it was all Ino's wild guess.'

'As if a teacher could possibly fall for a student.'

And just then, a ninja dressed in ANBU attire suddenly appeared in front of everyone, or rather, in front of Uchiha Kage.

"Uchiha Kage, the Hokage wants you to come to the Hokage's office immediately."

"Understood."

Gently breaking free from Ino's cute little embrace, Uchiha Kage nodded at the newcomer.

Then he threw a ninjutsu scroll to Shino, who had been ignored in the back.

"This ninjutsu I got from a Kirigakure ninja, it should be very suitable for your Aburame clan, but since it's not obtained through proper channels, you better not show it to others."

"Mm! Thank you, Kage...", Shino curiously took the ninjutsu scroll thrown by Uchiha Kage and soon showed a surprised expression.

"This ninjutsu?"

It was actually Kirigakure's signature Hiding in Mist Technique.

Indeed, if he could master this ninjutsu that allows him to hide in the mist, his survival rate in battles with enemies would greatly increase.

Receiving such a generous gift out of the blue, Shino, who had always been overlooked, couldn't help but feel deeply moved.

'So, Kage had never really overlooked me.'

'Don't worry, Kage, I will definitely be the best third wheel in Team 8, shining as bright as I can, and never cause you any trouble.'

'In future missions, I will never complain again.'

"The Hokage's summoning?", Seeing Uchiha Kage leave with the ANBU ninja, Yūhi Kurenai couldn't help but frown.

"Asuma, let's go to the Hokage building too," Although she couldn't help this genius student in ninjutsu and strength anymore, Yūhi Kurenai still wanted to take care of him more as a teacher.

Uchiha... and the Hokage, she felt something unusual was going to happen.

Unable to leave Uchiha Kage alone, Yūhi Kurenai decided to go to the Hokage building herself.

"Huh?"

'It's just a summoning by the old man, although it's indeed uncommon for a genin to be summoned.'

'But it shouldn't be something to worry about, right?'

'The old man couldn't possibly harm a genin...'

"There are only him and Sasuke left of the Uchiha in the village, I'm worried he might be in trouble."

"Got it."

'The Uchiha incident back then was indeed strange, but it shouldn't be blamed on the old man, right?'

'But...'

Asuma had never thought about this issue before, but seeing the serious expression on Yūhi Kurenai's face, he couldn't help but hesitate.

'Wait, considering the old man's personality, maybe he really had something to do with the Uchiha clan incident back then?'

'Damn it, what was supposed to be a nice date with Kurenai is interrupted by the old man.'

'If the old man really had something to do with what happened back then, I'll definitely give him a piece of my mind.'

———

Hyūga Neji's disgraceful defeat quickly spread back to the Hyūga clan.

Being a member of the Hyūga branch family, yet more talented than the genius of the main family.

This in itself was a crime.

Not to mention now losing to a peer from the Uchiha clan.

"Neji, where did you steal the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven from?", But what the clan elders were more concerned about was how a branch family member could master the secret technique that even the main family found difficult to learn.

"I taught myself," Neji coldly replied.

After being pulled away by Gai, he had gradually calmed down.

That guy called Uchiha Kage was indeed a strong enemy who didn't play by the rules, and without thorough preparation, he had no chance of winning.

"You're lying! Such a high-level secret technique, even the clan head personally teaching us... how could you possibly learn it by yourself?"

Seeing Neji's dismissive attitude, the Hyūga main family members became even more furious.

"You must have stolen the clan's secret scroll."

"Such a simple technique, only people like you who can't even master the Sixty-Four Palms would find it difficult."

"What did you say? Watch your attitude towards the main family, you branch family trash!"

"Since you can't understand, and insist that I stole it, then...", Looking at the aggressive main family members standing in front of him like enemies.

Neji couldn't help but clench his fists.

But remembering the "Caged Bird" seal on his forehead, and the fate arranged for him since birth, he relaxed again in a resigned manner.

"Just kill me. For you main family, killing a Caged Bird like me is just a matter of moving a finger, right?"

"Hmph, don't think we won't dare!", A hot-tempered main family Byakugan user immediately activated the Caged Bird seal.

"You... ah...", Soon, Neji was crouching on the ground, clutching his painful head.

The heart-wrenching pain was simply unbearable.

"Stop!", Noticing the commotion within the clan, the clan head, Hyūga Hiashi, quickly intervened to stop the situation.

"The Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven is a secret technique passed down orally in the main family, there is no secret scroll. Neji did indeed teach himself."

"If you're not going to kill me, then I'll leave now," Without any gratitude towards the clan head for defusing the situation, and with hatred towards all the main family members, Neji limped away from the main family grounds.

"Hmph, so what if he learned the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven, he still lost to the last survivor of the Uchiha clan."

"That's right, what a genius, still a loser!"

Watching Neji's retreating figure, the main family ninjas continued to mock.

"Neji...", Unable to change the current situation, Hyūga Hiashi could only close his eyes.

Moreover, Neji lost to that boy called Uchiha Kage, while his daughter Hinata had previously won against him once.

This might not be a bad thing for maintaining the main family's rule.

———

Lightning Style: Earth Flow!

After some hard training, Hinata finally managed to use the ninjutsu taught by Uchiha Kage.

"Too... too good...", The panting girl looked at the wooden post blackened by lightning, and with a satisfied smile, she hugged the ninjutsu scroll in her arms, showing a sweet smile.

'This is the first thing Kage-kun gave me, not only must I learn it, but I must also treasure it.'

"Hinata, you..."

However, just as Hinata was about to return to her room to find a good place to hide the ninjutsu scroll, a tall and familiar figure appeared in her small courtyard.

"Fa... father?"

Instinctively hiding the scroll behind her back, Hinata then faced her father.

"Practicing ninjutsu?"

With the Byakugan, Hyūga Hiashi clearly saw Hinata's little action behind her back.

"Yes..."

Knowing she couldn't hide it from her father, Hinata had no choice but to bring out the ninjutsu scroll from behind her back.

But her small hands clenched tightly, as if she didn't want anyone to take this scroll away.

"Lightning Style?"

Understanding his daughter's thoughts, Hyūga Hiashi instead looked at the wooden post nearby.

"Yes, it's a Lightning Style ninjutsu to restrain enemies."

"Taught by Yūhi Kurenai?"

"..."

Hinata didn't answer this question.

"What kind of person is that Uchiha boy?", Sighing, Hyūga Hiashi finally felt the reality that his daughter would one day marry.

"He's... a very gentle, very strong, and always... considers others."

Carefully putting the ninjutsu scroll back into her ninja tool pouch, Hinata, when mentioning Uchiha Kage, although a bit shy, her crystal-clear eyes were full of happy smiles.

═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═

patreon.com/ZenonTL

🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.