Neji limped back home.
His eyes felt as if they were filled with sulphur, burning painfully, but at least he could see now.
He locked the door, removed his torn pants, cleaned the bloodstains from his body, and put on loose clothes to cover his wounds. Then he looked at himself in the mirror, slowly turning to check if everything was hidden well. Only after confirming did he finally sigh in relief.
His gaze shifted to the now-normal blue curse mark on his forehead, and Neji couldn't help but clench his fists.
His nails dug into his palms.
"Make your brother bring that technique to the clan's secret vault! Otherwise, tomorrow, you'll continue to suffer."
Hyuga Ryo's warning before leaving pierced Neji's heart like a needle, echoing through his body with every heartbeat.
That's my brother's technique. I will never teach it to you…
However, the memory of the Cursed Seal of the Caged Bird being activated, and the pain that came with it, made Neji feel helpless. The excruciating sensation still lingered faintly between his eyebrows.
This was the second time Neji had experienced that feeling. The first time was four years ago, at the moment of his father Hizashi's forced suicide. Upon learning the truth, he had wanted to confront Hiashi, the clan head, but before he could see him, the elders of the main family had made him understand the "price of defying elders."
They couldn't resist the power of the Cursed Seal of the Caged Bird.
His father was like this, his brother was like this, and so was he.
It was like this before, and it was still like this now.
In the foreseeable future, it would remain the same.
Their descendants would also bear this branded mark of slavery. If they resisted, they would be like Neji just now, collapsing under the activation of the curse mark like a servant, at the mercy of Hyuga Ryo's mockery, with no chance to resist…
Knock, knock, knock!
There was a knock on the door. It should have been his brother Neiki returning.
His fists gradually relaxed, and Neji's anger and hatred turned into a helpless sigh. While bandaging the wounds on his palms, he looked at himself in the mirror again, forced a smile, and then opened the door.
The door opened, but it wasn't his brother Neiki. It was a white-haired ANBU.
"Has Hyuga Neiki returned?" the ANBU asked, glancing inside.
Isn't my brother on a mission with the ANBU? How can you not know if he has returned?
Neji suppressed his doubts and replied, "Not yet. He's been coming back very late recently."
"What is your relationship with Neiki?"
"I am Neji, Neiki's younger brother."
"Do you know Hyuga Tokuma?"
"No."
"What about Hyuga Tsukune?"
"She's a branch family sister who lives at the bakery up front," Neji replied. He also knew Tsukune liked his brother Neiki. As Neiki's younger brother, he often received bread from her.
"When was the last time you saw Hyuga Tsukune?"
The last time I saw her…?
Neji hesitated, recalling the earlier questions and feeling as if he were being interrogated as a suspect.
"Did something happen to my brother?" he asked cautiously.
"It's just a routine investigation, don't worry," the ANBU said casually, though his eyes behind the mask stayed fixed on Neji. "If you believe your brother has done nothing wrong, then the more accurate your answers, the sooner he'll be cleared."
Neji didn't notice the ANBU's severe expression and quickly promised to cooperate with the investigation.
"So, when did you last see Hyuga Tsukune?"
"About two days ago at noon… What happened to Sister Tsukune?" Neji replied. He noticed the ANBU's writing hand suddenly freeze for a moment.
"You said you saw her when?" The ANBU's breath quickened.
This made Neji unsure of himself. He hesitated before honestly saying, "Two days ago, in the eastern forest, I saw her planting trees…"
"Wait—what was she doing there?" the ANBU asked urgently.
"Planting… fruit trees, I guess. After all, that forest is part of the Hyuga clan's public land…" Neji said, not understanding what was strange about it.
The ANBU was silent for a long time.
Hyuga Tsukune's body had been found in the eastern forest, and the autopsy report confirmed she had been killed a week ago by a mysterious assassin who had decapitated her there. How could she have been planting trees there two days ago?!
Is this kid lying?
Or who did he see two days ago?
The ANBU mentioned a few more names, and Neji answered truthfully, showing no apparent abnormality.
He nodded slightly and then posed a crucial question:
"Do you know what your brother has been busy with lately?"
"I don't know," Neji shook his head.
"Let me rephrase: do you think your brother has been acting strange lately?"
Strange? Neji thought for a long time before slowly speaking:
"A few days ago, his eyes seemed to be injured. His vision deteriorated significantly. He stayed at the main Hyuga house for treatment and only officially rejoined the ANBU yesterday. I don't know if that counts as strange…"
Neji was telling the truth but added a small twist to his answer. Because Neiki's Byakugan was injured, his abilities must have been significantly diminished. How could Neiki possibly do anything illegal in such a state?
You've misunderstood!
The ANBU silently recorded Neji's answers. Except for the discrepancy regarding Hyuga Tsukune, the rest needed to be cross-checked back at ANBU headquarters.
"Thank you for your cooperation, I—"
"What are you doing?"
A voice suddenly interrupted. The ANBU felt a shadow fall over him, his heart racing. One hand reached for his waist pouch as he instinctively turned to face the young man now blocking his path.
"Captain Neiki, I'm Takizawa Sanmei, assigned by the Hokage to investigate the disappearance of Hyuga Tokuma and others."
Neiki was young, but Sanmei knew very well how dangerous he was. This was one of the Twin Prodigies of Konoha, able to rival Uchiha Itachi and soon to be recognised as a Jonin-level genius.
Sanmei understood the gap between them. Although he was older by a few years, he couldn't survive a single move against Itachi, and facing Neiki would likely yield the same result.
Neiki was silent, but his cold, icy gaze exerted immense pressure on Sanmei. The ANBU quietly gripped the kunai in his waist pouch.
"So, have you finished your investigation?" Neiki's sudden words broke the brief standoff.
Sanmei breathed a sigh of relief and quickly nodded.
"Yes, the investigation is complete."
"Don't bother seeing me out." Neiki stepped aside.
Sanmei swiftly left the unsettling house.
"Why do those eyes seem different from other Byakugan…"
Sanmei muttered to himself. Neiki's eyes seemed to have a layer of grey mist over them, making them hard to read—unlike those of a normal injured person.
"Eastern forest…" he murmured.
No matter what, the investigation had a breakthrough. If Neji's words were true, there must have been other witnesses who had seen Hyuga Tsukune "planting trees" three days after her death.
Attaching the gathered information to a pigeon's leg and watching it fly toward the Hokage Building, Sanmei decided to check the eastern forest near where Hyuga Tsukune's body had been found.
While the Hyuga clan might not care about the lives of branch family members like Tokuma, the ANBU couldn't ignore their comrades.
A trip to the eastern forest would reveal everything—whether someone else was being deceitful or Neji was lying.
PS :
Twin Prodigies of Konoha – Title given by the Third Hokage to Neiki (Hyuga) and Uchiha Itachi, who share the same generation and advanced rapidly through Ninja Academy and the Chunin Exams.
Sarutobi Hiruzen – Third Hokage, political leader of Konoha, creator of the "Twin Prodigies of Konoha" title.
Shimura Danzo – Hokage's advisor; co-architect of policies limiting major clan influence.