Chapter 55: Hyuga Ameki  

A rainy night. 

The crescent moon had been completely swallowed by dark clouds, leaving no trace of light behind. 

The heavy downpour had weakened, leaving only scattered droplets pattering against the leaves, creating a soft rustling sound. 

Beneath a massive, battle-scarred banyan tree, two boys with a shared goal sat cross-legged on the ground. A black cloth lay across one's lap, while the other bore a white one. 

Ashen eyes met milky-white. 

An umbrella stood between them, shielding them from the occasional raindrops that slipped through the branches. 

Neji stared at Hikari's unnaturally pale Byakugan, unable to suppress the excitement surging within him. 

He had already heard her story—how she was descended from a Hyuga "criminal," forced to flee to avoid being branded with the Caged Bird Seal. To evade the Hyuga main family's pursuit, she had disguised herself as a blind girl, her eyes perpetually wrapped in black cloth. 

As long as the Caged Bird system existed, she would forever be an enemy of the main family. 

Just like him. 

But unlike him—already marked by the cursed seal, robbed of any chance to resist—Hikari still had the power to fight back. 

She wasn't just his hope. She was the hope of every branch family member. 

If the Hyuga clan discovered her existence, both the main and branch families would descend into chaos. 

"What… do you… plan to do?" 

Neji trembled, his words quivering with barely contained emotion. 

For the first time in centuries, the branch family's desperate wish seemed within reach. The feeling was indescribable—like a bird trapped in a cage, staring at the sky for years, only to finally spot a crack in the lock. 

This girl—unmarked, unbroken, a genius untouched by the Caged Bird—was nothing short of a miracle. 

Fate had finally extended him a lifeline. 

Hikari met Neji's burning gaze and spoke slowly: 

"Gather intelligence on the Hyuga main family—their secret techniques, historical records. Recruit capable members from the branch family. Once my body is fully developed, we'll storm the Hyuga compound, dismantle the main family, and erase that damned Caged Bird Seal." 

She narrowed her eyes in warning. "Until then, you will tell no one about me. If I die—or if they brand me—this chance, a thousand years in the making, will be wasted." 

Neji clenched his jaw. "I'd sooner die than betray you." 

If he became the reason her plan failed, he'd be the greatest traitor in the branch family's history. Even in death, he'd never be able to face his father. 

Right now, he feared the Caged Bird sealing Hikari more than she did. 

"Hikari… Hyuga Hinata is in your class, isn't she? She's awakened her Byakugan. You can fool others, but not the eyes of the Hyuga." 

Worry laced his voice. He was already thinking ten steps ahead for her. 

A faint smile touched Hikari's lips. 

Now she was certain—Neji was truly hers. 

"I've already handled her." 

"Handled…?" 

Neji blinked. 

He knew Hikari was dangerous. He'd heard the rumors—how she'd hospitalized a jōnin, Fūma Koshi, as a mere academy student. Even across different grades, her reputation as the top prodigy was legendary. 

But… had she killed Hinata? 

The thought sent a chill down his spine. 

Hinata wasn't branch family. If she died, the entire Hyuga clan would mobilize. Hikari's identity would be exposed, and their hope of breaking the seal would vanish. 

Though he'd only met Hikari once, she already meant a hundred times more to him than the main family's fragile heiress. 

"Not completely. But she has a weakness I control. She won't talk." 

"Are you sure?" 

Neji leaned in, his expression eerily similar to that of an underworld informant. 

"Not entirely. That's where you come in." 

"What do you need?" 

"I can't get close to the Hyuga compound. You'll monitor Hinata for me. Report any suspicious moves." 

"Understood." 

Neji adapted instantly. No hesitation, no questions—just absolute obedience. 

With her goal achieved, Hikari glanced at the darkened sky, picked up the black cloth on her lap, and tied it over her eyes as usual. She stood, ready to leave. 

"Wait—" 

Neji's voice stopped her just as she lifted the umbrella. 

"What else?" 

She turned, the umbrella resting on her shoulder. 

"Aren't you going to ask me about Hyuga intelligence?" 

For a first-time spy, Neji was oddly eager. 

Hikari brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. 

Truthfully, she didn't expect much. As a branch member, Neji's access to secrets was limited. Most techniques could be extracted from Hinata anyway. 

This "intelligence gathering" was just a pretext. As long as Neji kept her existence hidden, her goal was met. 

But since he was offering… 

"Go ahead." 

She tilted her chin, granting her new spy permission to speak. 

Neji studied her face carefully before continuing: 

"A few days ago… two branch family brothers went missing." 

Hikari didn't react. 

After a long pause, Neji added: 

"The main family's elder swore to investigate, but the search team was quietly recalled. It seems… the matter will be dropped." 

His words were a test. Anyone who knew about the missing branch members would immediately suspect Hikari—especially after seeing her Byakugan. 

But she remained unfazed. 

"If you have something to say, say it plainly." 

Neji took her lack of denial as confirmation. 

"I once heard my father speak of… Hyuga Ameki." 

Hikari's grip on the umbrella tightened slightly. 

"During an ambush in Kirigakure, she had a chance to retreat. But the enemy's target was her. To save the branch family guards protecting her, she chose to draw the enemy away alone—and destroyed her own Byakugan before capture." 

Neji's voice softened with memory. 

Hikari stood silently in the rain, listening. 

She had never known the details of Ameki's capture. No one had ever told her. 

So that's why Ao only has one Byakugan. 

She must have crushed the other herself. 

"The surviving guards brought back news of her death. But for abandoning a main family member and losing the Byakugan, they were… brutally punished." 

Neji's expression darkened, as if channeling his father's grief. 

"For the first time in a thousand years, the Byakugan was lost. Her actions split the clan. Some called her a fool—a traitor who sacrificed the clan's pride for a handful of branch members. Others saw her as a hero who died protecting her kin." 

"The fighting grew so fierce that the elder, Hyuga Kage—Ameki's own father—had to intervene. His judgment was final:" 

Neji's voice dropped to a whisper, heavy with grim authority: 

"'Hyuga Ameki's failure led to the loss of the Byakugan. Her crime is unforgivable. She is stripped of her main family status and name. Henceforth, she shall be known only as the Criminal, banished from the Hyuga clan—and her name shall never be engraved upon Konoha's Memorial Stone.'" 

A distant roll of thunder echoed as the rain began to fade.