With the Chunin Exams just around the corner, everyone was making their preparations at full speed.
Sasuke chose to sign away his freedom to Konome in exchange for the precious Thunder Swords and a method to push his Sharingan to the next stage. Naruto, meanwhile, was recommended by Hiruzen and entrusted with Kazama Kyo's still-incomplete Thunder-Breaking Spear.
At the same time, the others were also training in earnest.
At the Hyuga estate.
Within a Japanese courtyard decorated with artificial hills and flowing water, sharp cries and the sounds of clashing limbs rang out without end.
Two figures darted back and forth at high speed, feet stepping across the Eight Trigrams, palms shining with blue chakra. Every collision produced a heavy series of dull impacts, like rain pelting loquats.
The two exchanged offense and defense, advance and retreat. Blue arcs cut through the air, and paired with their butterfly-like movements, the scene was dazzling to behold.
Hyuga Hiashi stood with his hands behind his back beside Hyuga Neji, his brows drawn tight as he watched his two daughters spar in the courtyard.
As the future heir of the main family, Hinata's talent truly disappointed him.
She was five years older than Hanabi, yet their combat ability was nearly the same. If anything, Hanabi was slightly better.
Even without activating his Byakugan to observe in detail, he could still hear the irregular rhythm of Hinata's breathing. Her stamina and chakra were nearly spent. Her defeat at Hanabi's hands was only a matter of time.
She clearly held the advantage in both chakra reserves and age, but because her Gentle Fist technique was crude, her power loose, her style rough, and her footwork chaotic, she had run out of strength first.
Really...
Hiashi shook his head so faintly it was almost imperceptible. He did not even know what to say anymore.
How could someone with such mediocre talent inherit the position of head of the main family?
"Who do you think is more suited to inherit the main family, Hinata or Hanabi?"
Hiashi suddenly turned to look at Neji.
"Either one."
Neji did not even spare him a proper glance. He truly could not be bothered to respond to the probing of the main family's head.
As a lowly branch family member, what right did he have to comment on the succession of the main house?
Besides, whether it was Hinata or Hanabi, what difference did it make to him, a bird trapped in a cage? At most, it would just mean a different master.
Only Konome could give him the sky and freedom he wanted.
Thinking of those cold ash-gray eyes, Neji's lips curved into a gentle smile. He could hardly wait to show those eyes to the Hyuga main family.
What kind of expression would Hiashi wear then?
The thought filled him with anticipation.
Unable to get any meaningful answer, Hiashi looked at Neji's cold gaze and felt a tangle of emotions in his chest.
The conflict between the main and branch families was as sharp as ever. Everyone knew it. Hizashi had died in his and Hinata's place. It was only natural for Neji to harbor hatred.
If the boy acted too friendly instead, Hiashi would have been even more wary.
He sighed quietly to himself.
His younger brother's death was equally hard for him to accept. The rigid structure of the main and branch families made it impossible for him to bear the thought of placing the Caged Bird seal on either Hanabi or Hinata with his own hands.
He had even once entertained the idea of abolishing the Caged Bird system altogether.
Of course, it had been only a thought.
Though he was the head of the main family, that did not mean the main family was his personal dictatorship.
If the Caged Bird system were abolished and everyone became part of the main family, how would the clan's resources be divided? Who would take care of the chores like guarding the estate, serving as sparring partners, and cleaning?
The main family members had long been used to being served and protected by the branch family. If they were suddenly reduced to ordinary clan members, could they accept that gap?
With their interests heavily damaged, those main family members would certainly rebel.
Especially the Great Elder. He had expelled his dead daughter from the main family and even from the Hyuga clan itself, all so that his younger son could logically become the eldest and enter the main family.
If someone told him now that the division between main and branch families was being abolished, that everything he had done was meaningless, Hiashi could not even imagine how violently the Great Elder would react.
Moreover, the branch family had been enslaved for a thousand years. Their anger and hatred were buried deep in their bones. Once the Caged Bird seals were removed, who could guarantee civil war would not erupt?
And how would the Byakugan be protected then?
With so many issues layered on top of one another, Hiashi simply did not dare to rashly alter the clan's rules.
As things stood, maintaining the current system at least kept this twisted balance intact. But if he pushed too hard, the Hyuga ship might sink altogether.
The only thing he could do was protect his daughters as best he could.
Thankfully, Hinata's talent was poor enough that he could use that as an excuse to delay placing the Caged Bird seal on Hanabi. Once that cursed mark was applied, there would be no turning back.
"Hinata's strength is plain to see. This Chunin Exam is not ordinary. I want you to protect her for me, and of course, protect yourself as well."
Thinking of his younger brother, Hiashi added the extra instruction. In his heart, Neji was still closer to him than the rest of the branch family.
"Yes."
Still expressionless, Neji looked at the childish spar in front of him and felt his face grow colder.
If he could not remove the Caged Bird seal, then even if he someday became a ninja comparable to the Hokage, he would still never escape his chains. If necessary, he would even have to throw away his life protecting this weak, timid young mistress.
How unfair fate was.
Fortunately, he had already learned from Konome that there was another path.
The bitter resentment in Neji's eyes melted into calm. No matter how heavy the birdcage, it could no longer imprison his heart.
While the two spoke, the balance in the courtyard suddenly shifted.
The sounds of flesh striking flesh came in rapid succession.
Hanabi, dressed in a pure black training outfit, her hair loose and her aura slightly gloomy, moved with her hands like butterflies in flight. Every strike of her Eight Trigrams Palm was clean and precise. Each swing carried fierce force and imposing momentum.
By contrast, Hinata, though her Gentle Fist form remained proper and orthodox, had clearly slowed, and was now completely on the defensive.
Bang.
Another clash of palms.
Hinata blocked hastily, only to be frozen for an instant by the impact.
Hanabi's eyes lit up. Seizing the fleeting opening, she stepped forward half a pace, body bent like a drawn bow, and thrust her fingers toward Hinata's face.
Basic Gentle Fist: Piercing Hand.
Whoosh.
The four glowing blue fingertips rushed forward. Hinata's veins bulged at the corners of her eyes, sweat plastering her dark blue hair to her forehead. She was already exhausted, and had no strength left to defend. She could only tilt her head aside and barely evade the attack.
Blue chakra tore past the strands of hair beside Hinata's ear. Hanabi's shoulder muscles twitched, and the piercing hand instantly transformed into a downward chop.
Basic Gentle Fist: Splitting Strike.
Thud.
The chakra-filled base of Hanabi's palm struck Hinata's left shoulder like a hammer. Chakra surged into her tenketsu in an instant. Hinata let out a muffled groan and tried to counter, but her right arm no longer felt like her own. She could not lift it at all.
In a contest of Eight Trigrams Palm, losing one arm meant the fight was over.
"Big Sister, are you alright?"
Hanabi lowered her stance and helped the trembling Hinata steady herself, asking in a small voice.
Sweat covered Hinata's brow, yet her eyes remained as gentle as ever toward the sister who had just injured her.
"I..."
"Pathetic."
A cold rebuke cut through the sisters' exchange. Hinata immediately shrank at the sound.
The match over, Hiashi had already walked into the courtyard with Neji. The disappointment and disdain in his eyes made something heavy lodge in Hinata's chest.
"You cannot even beat Hanabi, who is five years younger than you. You might as well not attend the Chunin Exams at all. Better that than embarrass the family and lose your life."
Hinata bit her lip and lowered her head, her body trembling like a frightened rabbit.
A moment later, tears began to drip from the tip of her nose.
The sight of Hinata's weak, shrinking posture only irritated Hiashi further. The head of the main family did not have to be a master of combat, nor did they need overwhelming talent, but they absolutely could not be someone who wilted like a victim at the slightest pressure.
How could such a personality bear the burden of the Hyuga clan?
"What a disappointment."
After throwing Hinata one final look, Hiashi turned and walked out of the courtyard with Hanabi.
"Hanabi, you did well, but do not grow arrogant. You should continue learning from Neji."
Their voices gradually faded into indistinct noise outside.
"Did you ever find the handkerchief you lost?"
Neji looked at Hinata's shrinking figure and felt only disgust. If he could not remove the Caged Bird seal, then even if he became a ninja on the level of the Hokage in the future, he would still never be free. In the end, he would still have to protect this weak eldest daughter of the main house.
What a cruel fate.
Thinking of Konome's plan, Neji's eyes darkened.
The matter of the stolen handkerchief had originally just been a pretext. By using it as an excuse, he had quietly pressured Hinata into helping him search for the secret notes and scrolls within the main family estate. What he truly wanted was a way to break the Caged Bird seal.
"Not... not yet."
Hinata shook her head. Tears dripped down one after another, darkening the earth beneath her.
"Still not found? How long do you plan to search?"
Tears continued to fall. Hinata kept her head lowered, shoulders shaking.
Neji's Byakugan locked onto her like a wolf staring down a white rabbit.
He had already gone through the clan archives with her. With Hinata, the future head of the main family, helping him, he had even once managed to see the only scroll sealed at the very top of the shelves.
It was not the Caged Bird release method he had hoped for, but a taijutsu called Divine Sky Strike.
Or more accurately, Divine: Sky Strike.
A legendary taijutsu said to fuse yin and yang into the Eight Trigrams Palm, an ultimate art that only a god could unleash.
Back then, he had even wanted to copy the contents and bring them to Konome, but the actual cultivation method was hidden beneath another seal. Even Hinata did not know how to open it. Most likely, only the clan head was qualified to know.
So after consulting Konome, he had pushed Hinata, his inside source, to search Hiashi's quarters for both the method to break the Caged Bird seal and the release instructions for Divine Sky Strike.
And yet after all this time, they still had nothing.
It should not have been this difficult.
Hinata may have been weak, but her Byakugan was not weak. Simply finding one scroll in the family residence should not have taken this long.
"Keep looking. If that filthy thing isn't removed, it will become a huge problem."
Since he was standing within the main family courtyard, Neji could not press further. The burning seal on his forehead still tirelessly reminded him of his lowly status.
Only by finding the method to release the Caged Bird seal could he take action against the main family.
Otherwise, every branch family member branded with the seal would die. Either the seal itself would kill them, or they would be forced to attack Konome and die by her hand.
Both outcomes were unbearable.
Unwilling to look at Hinata's sobbing face any longer, Neji also turned to leave.
As the daughter of the main family head, she was born with that original sin, even if none of it had ever been her choice.
Drip.
Tears hit the ground, splashing mud.
Now the courtyard held only one frail figure.
Then the timid, rabbit-like Hinata slowly stopped trembling.
She raised her head a little. The veins around her Byakugan bulged savagely, and the weakness in her eyes slowly shifted into confusion and struggle.
Neji's pressure. Konome's coercion. Her father's disappointment. Hanabi. The Caged Bird.
Each of them weighed down on her shoulders like a mountain.
She could hardly breathe.
Rustle.
Her sleeve billowed with a gust of wind. The shoulder Hanabi had struck suddenly bulged, and chakra exploded out from the blocked tenketsu like arrows from a bow.
Hinata slowly moved her arm. The one that should have been sealed was already moving freely.
The timidity and weakness in her eyes cracked apart little by little.
So this was what Neji and Konome really wanted from her.
What they wanted was not a handkerchief at all, but the secrets of the Hyuga main family.
She had been used from the start.
And yet, why did she not feel angry?
Because they were the only ones who had ever treated her as if she could actually do something.
Even if it was only to use her.
Even if it was only because they needed her.
Compared to being ignored, belittled, and denied by her own father, this feeling... was strangely brighter.
"Divine Sky Strike..."
Hinata whispered the name she had once seen in the forbidden scroll.
The tears on her face had not yet dried.
But the hesitation in her expression was slowly hardening into resolve.
She was tired of being called weak.
Tired of disappointing everyone.
Tired of bowing her head.
If there really was a path in front of her, then even if it led into darkness, she wanted to try walking it herself.
In the distance, the voices of Hiashi and Hanabi had already disappeared completely.
The courtyard returned to silence.
Then Hinata slowly assumed the opening stance of the Eight Trigrams Palm.
Her feet planted apart. One palm forward, one palm back.
But unlike the usual soft and guarded Hyuga stance, her posture now resembled a beast baring its fangs.
A moment later.
Boom.
The air in the courtyard detonated.
A colossal palm strike blasted outward from her hand, invisible force roaring through the space ahead and smashing straight into the fake mountain and the flowing rock garden beyond.
The stones exploded into powder.
The stream burst apart, water spraying everywhere.
Even the earth split with a loud crack.
The quiet Hyuga estate courtyard had been torn apart by a single strike.
Hinata stood there, breathing hard. Her eyes widened in disbelief at the destruction she had caused.
This was not the Gentle Fist.
This was power.
True power.
Her trembling hand slowly clenched.
For the first time in her life, the path before her no longer looked like a dead end.
In another corner of Konoha, within a hidden training chamber underground, Konome slowly opened her eyes.
A faint smile curved her lips.
"Looks like she learned it."
One of the Byakugan-linked monitoring methods she had quietly left behind on Hinata's body had finally produced results.
Divine Sky Strike.
A main-family secret worthy of the Hyuga clan.
And now, the timid eldest daughter who had always hidden in the shadows had finally taken her first step onto the road between light and darkness.
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