The Caged Bird
Konoha. The Hokage's office.
Fujimoto Tōma listened quietly as Neji and Kakashi delivered their full report on the mission.
Kakashi's side had gone smoothly. Ino had successfully used the Mind Transfer variant in combat, and that single move had secured enemy blueprints and a live Sky Ninja instructor. Her contribution was decisive. Tōma made a mental note to handle her rewards personally.
Then came Neji's report.
The flow of events hadn't surprised Tōma. Naruto, as expected, had trusted Shinnō too easily. Part of that was on Tōma. He hadn't warned Naruto in advance. Still, it confirmed something he'd learned the hard way.
Raw strength alone was never enough for solo missions.
A shinobi sent alone needed power and judgment. Calm thinking under pressure. By that standard, Kakashi was the gold standard. That was why Tsunade had trusted him with solo S-rank missions so often. Among the younger generation, only Neji and Sasuke truly fit that mold.
The rest had gaps. Too reckless. Too impulsive. Too narrow-minded.
Even Shino, capable as he was, had a personality that made teamwork… delicate.
Tōma rubbed his temples. Reliable manpower was always in short supply.
Neji's account of Hinata's performance caught his attention.
She had developed a technique of her own. Protection Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
Tōma remembered it. In the original timeline, she'd had something similar. But Neji added another detail. Hinata's technique wasn't just defensive. It cut muscle and disrupted chakra flow.
That detail changed everything.
Chakra scalpel.
Tōma immediately recalled the advice he'd given her before. He'd only suggested blending medical chakra control with Gentle Fist strikes. He hadn't expected her to integrate it into a full defensive rotation technique.
That wasn't refinement.
That was innovation.
Attack and defense fused into a single, terrifying close-range style.
Tōma smiled.
At her current level, Hinata had already surpassed her original self by a wide margin.
Naruto and Sasuke would've grown strong with or without guidance. Their paths were inevitable. Helping them brought no real sense of achievement.
But this?
This felt earned.
"Well done," Tōma said after Neji finished. "Your decisions were calm and decisive."
Neji inclined his head.
The revelation that Shinnō had used a modified Eight Gates technique had surprised Tōma. Not its power, but its cost. Shinnō hadn't died from opening it.
That was… worth studying.
If Guy and Lee could use the Eight Gates without facing guaranteed death, even at reduced output, it would still be invaluable.
"Neji," Tōma said, "you observed his method clearly, yes?"
"Yes."
"Good. Write everything down. Give it to Tsunade."
He paused, then added, "Not Guy."
Neji understood immediately.
Tsunade could analyze it properly. Guy would just burn himself out trying.
Neji nodded. "Understood."
Tōma glanced at Shikaku.
The message was silent and clear.
Shikaku left with Kakashi, closing the door behind them.
Only Tōma and Neji remained.
Neji straightened. "Hokage-sama… did you need me for something else?"
Tōma studied him for a moment.
"Yes," he said. "I want to ask you about the Caged Bird Seal."
Neji's breath caught.
"You're still looking for a way to remove it, aren't you?"
"…Of course," Neji answered without hesitation.
"Why?" Tōma asked calmly.
Neji's expression tightened.
"Do I need a reason to want freedom from a seal that controls my life and death?" he said quietly. "It also suppresses the Branch Family's Byakugan."
Tōma nodded. "If it were me, I wouldn't accept it either."
He leaned back slightly.
"Then let me ask you this. Do you want only your own seal removed… or every Branch Family member's?"
Neji hesitated.
"I want all of them freed," he said at last.
"And have you thought about what happens next?"
Silence.
After a long pause, Tōma spoke again.
"Let me walk you through it."
"At first, you'd be a hero. The Branch Family would praise you. Even dissent would be drowned out."
"But the moment the outside world learns the seals are gone… you remember why your father died, don't you?"
Neji's voice was low. "Kumo sought the Byakugan. My father took my uncle's place."
"And once the seal disappears," Tōma continued, "what do you think happens next? To Konoha? To Hyūga?"
He smiled faintly.
"You've seen Danzō's arm. Imagine someone like him, covered in Byakugan instead."
Neji said nothing.
"The Branch Family would start disappearing," Tōma said evenly. "At first quietly. Then frequently. And when it becomes unbearable, the hero becomes the criminal."
"To stay alive, everyone would be forced to remain inside the clan compound under constant guard."
Tōma met Neji's eyes.
"Is that freedom?"
Neji swallowed. "I… don't know."
"That's because the seal is a cage," Tōma said. "And a shield."
"Removing it for everyone makes things worse, not better."
Neji clenched his fists. "So there's no solution?"
"There are solutions," Tōma said. "Just not easy ones."
"First. Make the entire world stop coveting the Byakugan."
Neji stared at him.
"That's impossible."
"For you, yes," Tōma agreed. "Not for everyone."
"Second. Produce a Hyūga so overwhelmingly strong that no one dares touch the clan."
Neji fell silent again.
Then Tōma smiled. Not kindly.
"Third."
Neji looked up.
"You hate the seal because only the Branch Family bears it," Tōma said. "Because it's unfair."
Neji nodded slowly.
"So tell me," Tōma continued softly, "have you ever considered giving the Caged Bird Seal to the Main Family too?"
Neji froze.
The words echoed like a blade across his thoughts.
Fairness.
True, brutal fairness.
...
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