Chapter 53: Neji
The Forest of Death.
Eastern outskirts, a clearing.
Rain fell in a fine mist, dense as fog.
Hyūga Neji shook the dampness from his clothes and tossed his bag under a tree for shelter. Alone, he walked toward a scarred, battered trunk.
His palm faced upward, fingers taut.
Beneath the white cloth tied around his forehead, his Byakugan shimmered with fury so intense it felt tangible.
"At least it wasn't the main family."
Those were the exact words spoken by Hyūga Mirai—the three-year-old son of the Hyūga clan's elder, Hyūga Kage.
"Who taught you to say that?"
"Everyone says it."
A child's innocent voice, devoid of malice, simply stating a cold, unchangeable truth.
It was despair.
The rain soaked through his headband.
The icy droplets did nothing to dull the searing pain of the Caged Bird Seal. Just as the cloth could never hide his "inferior" status.
A roar of rage burned in his chest.
Chakra surged violently into his palm.
"DIE!!!"
His glowing hand slammed into the tree. Concentrated chakra erupted from his tenketsu points.
BAM!
A dull thud echoed from within the trunk.
Another crack split the already battered wood.
Not enough.
Byakugan— Activate!
Veins bulged around his eyes as chakra flooded his body.
Gentle Fist Art: Sixty-Four Palms of the Hakkeshō!
His shoulders tensed.
Killing intent transformed into a storm of palm strikes, each blow landing faster than the falling rain.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Bark splintered. Leaves scattered.
Chakra flared through the mist, blasting apart wood and water with every strike.
Sixteen—thirty-two—forty-seven—
SLAP!
His palm hit the trunk again—but this time, the chakra dispersed weakly, producing a hollow, unfocused sound.
The leaves stopped falling.
The tree stood unmoved.
"Hah… hah…"
Neji's palms burned red. His arms trembled. His chest heaved.
Forty-seven again.
Sixteen strikes were the bare minimum to qualify as proficient. Thirty-two was the limit for most branch family members. Only those deemed worthy by the main family were even taught the full sixty-four.
And legend had it that Hyūga Hiashi, the clan head, could unleash one hundred twenty-eight palms in a single barrage—enough to reduce a taijutsu specialist to pulp.
I'm still far behind.
Gritting his teeth, he clenched his fists to steady the shaking.
He widened his stance, assuming the Gentle Fist's opening form once more. The tree before him—its yellow core exposed from relentless training—was proof of his effort.
Why do I push myself like this?
To break the Caged Bird Seal?
No matter how strong he became, the seal would never vanish. Every branch family member knew that. The stronger they grew, the more useful they became—as tools for the main family.
Some rebelled by refusing to train. He'd seen it himself—a former prodigy, broken by the seal, reduced to mediocrity. That same boy would even mock others for training.
(Of course, that boy's fate had been… gruesome.)
A genius who could've been a jonin without effort, writhing on the training grounds, screaming as the Caged Bird's curse tore through his skull.
His father's sacrifice. The prodigy's begging.
Those were the nightmares that haunted him.
Blue chakra flared around his hands again.
His swollen tenketsu stung—a small pain, but one that dulled the agony in his heart. Even if freedom was an illusion, he wouldn't stop.
How strong do I have to be to break the seal?
He didn't know.
But he did know this: If he stayed weak, there'd be no hope at all.
The Neji of his childhood still dreamed of freedom. He wasn't yet the "genius trapped by fate."
Again.
His eyes hardened. The glowing palms of the Hakkeshō struck the tree once more.
BAM! BAM!
The rhythmic pounding resumed.
Deep in the forest…
A man stood under an umbrella, his pupils glowing faintly.
Through his vision:
A black-haired boy in soaked white robes, unleashing his fury on a tree. Chakra still flowed, but his muscles were pushed to their limit.
Good.
Hakurai watched, impressed by Neji's flawless technique.
Forty-seven palms at this age? Far better than that talentless fool who can't even memorize the diagrams.
(Yes, he meant Hinata.)
While she struggled to recall a dozen stances, Neji was already combat-ready. No wonder Hiashi was disappointed. Even Hakurai had to lower his opinion of her after seeing this.
Perfect.
This kind of talent… was worth recruiting.
Neji's rage was obvious.
Hakurai smirked. This'll be easy.
Emotions were the hardest thing to control—and the easiest for others to exploit.
He didn't know why Neji was angry.
But it had to be about the branch family. The main family. The Caged Bird.
And Hakurai?
He was the only non-main-family member to ever escape the seal.
If Neji wanted freedom, he had no choice but to cooperate.
Once Hakurai collected the full Hakkeshō scrolls, he'd need a sparring partner. Neji would do nicely.
With his Byakugan and Kekkei Genkai, Hakurai learned quickly.
He'd always considered himself a genius.
Until he hit a wall with Wind Release training. That was when he realized how much of his "talent" was just cheating.
The Hyūga's Gentle Fist couldn't be faked.
This was his chance to test his real skill—against the strongest prodigy of Konoha's next generation.
BAM! CRACK!
Wood chips flew.
"Hah… hah…"
Neji braced himself against the tree, drenched in sweat and rain, his hair clinging to his face.
Rustle…
The wind carried the sound of snapping twigs.
CRUNCH.
Something heavy moved through the undergrowth—like a bear.
Neji froze.
His head snapped toward the noise.
A figure emerged, holding a blue umbrella.
Then—
The umbrella dropped.
Yet the rain avoided the man, as if afraid to touch him.
Not a single drop landed on him as he stepped forward.
Neji instinctively retreated.
The man's aura was dangerous—so oppressive it made Neji's chakra writhe.
A smile curled on the stranger's lips. His eyes were calm, yet unsettlingly hollow.
"Hyūga Neji. Let's talk."
"About the Hyūga. The branch family. The main family. The Caged Bird Seal."
"And your Sixty-Four Palms."
(＾▽＾)