Upon returning to the Hyuga clan grounds, Hyuga Aotsuki was immediately stopped.
"Is there something you need?"
Within the Hyuga clan, she always pretended to be a meek and unassuming presence.
She even maintained a disguise for her appearance.
She knew all too well that being too attractive as a branch family member was not a good thing.
Despite the Hyuga clan's good reputation in the village, internally, it was as dark as could be, far darker than the village's higher-ups.
"Lord Tokimitsu wants to see you!"
The Hyuga ninja who spoke had an expressionless face, with a hint of arrogance, as if his status was different.
But just a glance at his covered forehead revealed that he was merely a branch family member.
He was just aligned with the main family.
Some branch family members who aligned with the main family held a superior attitude towards other branch family members, sometimes even more detestable than the main family.
Perhaps this is what they call 'convert zeal.'
"Yes!"
Hyuga Aotsuki obediently followed the person.
While walking, there was a slight awkwardness in her right leg, making it obvious that her right leg was a prosthetic, not flesh and blood.
The excuse for the prosthetic was easy to find.
While on missions outside, using a cane was impractical, so having a prosthetic was entirely reasonable.
This was why no one suspected her right leg had healed.
Everyone thought it was a prosthetic.
Life is a play, and it all depends on acting!
Under Hyuga Aotsuki's masterful disguise, no one could see her true strength.
If she were to suddenly strike, she was confident she could severely damage or even destroy the entire Hyuga clan.
She was just unsure how resistant the Tenseigan in its second awakening phase was to the Caged Bird Seal.
She couldn't just randomly test it on a main family member.
If the Tenseigan was exposed, it would implicate Takashi, making him an enemy of the Hyuga clan, or even a village traitor.
This was the last thing she wanted to see, which is why she was so careful with her disguise.
Soon, under the person's guidance, she arrived at an elegant and imposing main house.
In the Hyuga clan grounds, only the 'main family' could reside in such places, with branch family members serving as guards and servants.
The Will of Fire!
It couldn't illuminate the darkness within the ninja clans.
A hint of mockery flashed in Hyuga Aotsuki's eyes, but she quickly concealed it, maintaining her delicate and timid appearance.
Once inside the room alone, she knelt down.
"Do you know why you've been summoned?"
An elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in a pure black kimono, knelt in front of a low table, brewing tea as he spoke.
For an ordinary Hyuga branch family member, encountering such a scene would make them feel inferior.
Especially since the person was from the Hyuga main family, ensuring they would be trembling with fear.
"Lord Tokimitsu, I don't know what I have done to warrant your summons!"
Hyuga Aotsuki's tone carried a hint of timidity.
In terms of acting, even award-winning actresses couldn't compare to her.
She had no choice; her life was a movie with no retakes. Before meeting Takashi, if she hadn't learned to disguise herself, she wouldn't have survived.
"Have we been too lenient with your branch family, making you forget the clan's rules, failing to report all information about Uchiha Takashi to the clan?"
Hyuga Tokimitsu emphasized his words.
Yes, this was the task given to her by the Hyuga clan.
Since joining Team 404, the Hyuga clan had tasked her with gathering information on Takashi.
Although Hyuga Aotsuki did send back information regularly, it was all meaningless.
The clan was not satisfied with this and intended to reprimand her.
Sage Mode!
A ticket to becoming a Kage-level powerhouse was too tempting for the Hyuga clan, which lacked high-level combat power.
It was no wonder they would try to take advantage of it. After all, even if they failed, they would only lose a branch family member, a risk worth taking.
"I'm sorry, Lord Tokimitsu, I will work harder to gather information!"
Hyuga Aotsuki 'fearfully' bowed her head, perfectly portraying a branch family member afraid of main family punishment.
"This time, you must be taught a lesson, to understand that any order from the main family must not be neglected by the branch family!"
Hyuga Tokimitsu formed a hand seal to activate the Caged Bird Seal.
Opportunity!
A hint of joy flashed in Hyuga Aotsuki's eyes as she bowed.
This was why she hadn't submitted any meaningful information before.
She wanted to test the Caged Bird Seal but needed to control the intensity, so being 'punished' by the main family was the best way.
Through careful planning, she obtained this opportunity.
Who would have thought that this seemingly insignificant branch family girl, who had lost a leg, would dare to scheme against the main family, and succeed?
"Ah!" Hyuga Aotsuki clutched her head with both hands, screaming in agony, her face contorted in unbearable pain.
The scene of the branch family being disciplined by the main family was her nightmare.
This kind of pain pierced straight to the soul, a fate worse than death.
That's why the branch family would rather die than betray the main family.
For those who have experienced the Caged Bird Seal, even death seems lighter than the burden of the seal.
Having witnessed many reactions from the branch family, and having tasted this pain herself, Hyuga Aotsuki's performance was flawless.
However, inside, she was ecstatic.
It worked!
It really worked!
The Tenseigan during its second awakening phase made the pain bearable.
In other words, she could directly take down the main family member activating the Caged Bird Seal to stop further torment.
Of course, this only weakened the disciplinary level. If they fully activated the seal to kill her, she wasn't confident she could survive.
But it was enough.
At least she could confirm that what Takashi told her was accurate.
Hyuga Aotsuki appeared to be in excruciating pain, but in reality...
'Hahaha!'
She was roaring with laughter inside.
The path to escaping the fate of the Caged Bird had never been so clear.
Indeed, Takashi was her light, not some nonsense 'Will of Fire.'
After a while, Hyuga Tokimitsu stopped and said, "I hope there won't be a next time!"
He waved his hand, signaling the exhausted Hyuga Aotsuki to leave, as if he hadn't just used the Caged Bird Seal.
This was the main family! They held absolute power over life and death over the branch family, who lived worse than slaves.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be so few geniuses in the branch family.
Because a bird trapped in a cage can never spread its wings and fly.
"Yes, Lord Tokimitsu!"
Hyuga Aotsuki bowed her head and dragged her 'weary' body away.
The Hyuga branch family guards at the door turned a blind eye to this.
Such situations weren't uncommon; even killings weren't unheard of.
Step, step!
Walking with her head down along the polished wooden corridor that reflected her image, Hyuga Aotsuki almost broke into a smile.
At that moment, she felt like a bird that had seen hope of escaping its cage, even the pain that surfaced from time to time felt like happiness.
However, a young man stopped her.
He wore a plain kimono, exuding a gentle aura, with a pair of pure white eyes.
"I'll assign you to be my personal guard, so you won't need to go to the battlefield anymore!"
Upon meeting, he made a unilateral decision.
"...Yes, Lord Hizashi!"
Hyuga Aotsuki respectfully bowed her head in response.
As a branch family member, she had no right to refuse the main family's orders, even if they were well-intentioned.
Thus, Hyuga Aotsuki had to find a way to send a letter to Takashi.
She couldn't speak, but that didn't mean others couldn't.
Facing a Kage-level powerhouse, even the Hyuga clan couldn't easily defy his wishes.
Meanwhile, back at the Uchiha clan's territory, Takashi, busy in the underground lab, didn't immediately receive the letter.
He was extracting the 'Natural Energy' potion.
This was an extremely rare and precious potion in his possession.
Just looking at the materials was enough! The sacred tree!
Using such meticulously cultivated plants as raw materials, how could it not be rare?
A whole row! There were more than a dozen bottles in front of Takashi.
Among them, the bottle in his hand had a green liquid with a golden-red glow.
Yes, this time he only managed to extract a little over one bottle.
The complete bottle was the one in his hand, while the rest were extracted from leftover materials.
But don't underestimate these Natural Energy potions; their effects were not weaker than those he refined the second time.
The formula had been modified to release effects slowly, otherwise, it would have been a toxic potion.
The current sacred tree's effects far exceeded the initial ones, even the leftover materials had greatly enhanced effects.
Moreover, using Takashi's version from the start would cause the body to evaporate instantly from the heat of the blood.
Gradual progress was the way to go.
After finishing the Natural Energy potion, Takashi immediately began another experiment.
An experiment he specifically returned to Konoha to conduct.
(End of Chapter)