"Caged Bird Cursed Seal?"
Hearing Hyuga Neji's anguished cries, his brow furrowed. This term flashed in his mind.
Is this the method of the Hyuga clan? How ridiculous.
With that thought, Genya stood up and walked outside.
In front of him stood a defiant thirteen-year-old boy, followed by three others of similar age. However, all of them bore the mark of the "Caged Bird Cursed Seal" on their foreheads!
Hyuga Neji was curled up on the ground, clutching his head, half-kneeling!
Due to the intense pain, his body continued to convulse. Fearing his mother might hear, he managed to stifle his cries after the initial outburst.
Seeing this, Genya's eyes turned cold.
The members of the Hyuga clan were this ruthless to their own kin; it was truly unpleasant.
His anger began to boil over.
Neji was at least his little brother now, but this guy dared to bully his little brother in front of him. That was a slap in his face.
"Stop!" He moved swiftly, standing face to face with Hyuga Hirohiko, their eyes locking.
Genya didn't attack first; he just stared coldly at Hyuga Hirohiko, his Chakra surging and ready to explode at any moment.
"Who does this kid think he is, getting involved in our Hyuga family matters? Does he want to die?" Hyuga Hirohiko sneered at Genya. But then he noticed the Dual Pupil in Genya's gaze.
"Dual Pupil? So, you're a monster from the Uchiha clan, even the powerful Kekkei Genkai clan like Uchiha produces such worthless trash. How laughable! If our clan produced a monster like you, we would have executed you long ago!"
"It seems only a worthless fool would associate with another fool!"
Hyuga Hirohiko, a proud member of the main branch of the Hyuga family, naturally looked down on Neji. He didn't take Genya, this Dual Pupil "monster," seriously either.
As he spoke, his hands continued forming seals, and Neji's suffering showed no signs of easing.
"Worthless? Haha, worthless?" Genya chuckled coldly, his gaze toward Hyuga Hirohiko growing sharper.
Before Hyuga Hirohiko could say anything else, Genya was already in front of him. He grabbed Hyuga Hirohiko's wrist and delivered a kick to his chest!
Thud!
Hyuga Hirohiko was sent flying, his chest caving in as he spat blood.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
He never expected Genya would dare to attack a member of the Hyuga clan.
"You say Neji is worthless? But do you realize that without the 'Caged Bird Cursed Seal', you wouldn't even measure up to a single toe of Neji!"
Genya said as he stepped closer to the injured Hyuga Hirohiko and kicked him. "Since you enjoy forming seals so much, let me break your fingers first!"
Crack!
A crisp sound of bones breaking echoed, followed by a horrific scream.
Ahh~~
Amidst the cries, cold sweat covered Hyuga Hirohiko's forehead as he gritted his teeth, glaring at Genya. "You and Neji both deserve to die! I am the grandson of the Grand Elder. If you dare to treat me this way, prepare for the Hyuga clan's revenge!"
Even so, he was still threatening.
"Alright. I also want to ask Hyuga Hiashi what he plans to do. His brother just died for him, and now his brother's wife and children are being bullied by the main branch!" Genya said, looking at Hyuga Hirohiko, emphasizing each word.
As expected!
Once Genya said this, Hyuga Hirohiko immediately fell silent.
If Hyuga Hiashi investigated, he would find out what Hyuga Hirohiko had done. If the clan leader learned of his actions, he might end up in a worse situation, even being expelled from the main branch.
Thinking of this made him tremble.
Genya then broke seven of Hyuga Hirohiko's fingers one by one. Seeing that Hyuga Hirohiko dared not speak, he kicked him away: "Get lost! From today on, Hyuga Neji is my friend. If he gets bullied in the family, don't blame me for taking action against you!"
"Uchiha Genya, I'll remember this!" Hyuga Hirohiko staggered to his feet with the help of several followers, a fierce glint flashing in his Byakugan: "This isn't over. Let's go!"
After leaving that harsh remark, he departed with the assistance of others.
"Thank you..." Hyuga Neji also stood up, gratitude evident on his weary face.
Perhaps due to the burden of the Caged Bird Cursed Seal, his spirit was somewhat low.
After returning to the house, they waited for a while until Yuya Toshi finally emerged, covered in sweat.
"Mr. Toshi, how is my mother?" Hyuga Neji rushed over, asking carefully.
"She's fine, but her soul is severely injured and needs proper care!" Yuya Toshi replied, looking at Neji with some helplessness.
The Caged Bird Cursed Seal was the sorrow of the Hyuga branch family. Every time it was activated, it caused harm to the soul, and the longer the mark was in place, the worse the effects on the soul became.
"Her soul?" Hyuga Neji murmured, nodding slightly.
Next, Yuya Toshi advised Neji on some precautions before leaving with Hanaya and Genya.
As they were leaving, Genya added, "Wake up early tomorrow morning and train with me. Your physique is too weak!"
The Hyuga clan excelled in Taijutsu, which should be started from a young age. Might Guy would be a great teacher!
Hyuga Neji nodded seriously.
"Mr. Toshi, can you remove the Caged Bird Cursed Seal from the foreheads of the Hyuga clan members?" After leaving the Hyuga clan grounds, Genya looked at Yuya Toshi with a serious expression and asked his question.
He promised to fulfill what he had said to Hyuga Neji.
"There's no way; this curse seal has already touched their souls. Forcing its removal could damage their souls and might even lead to their death!" Yuya Toshi said, his tone heavy.
Genya felt a bit helpless as well. "Is there really no other way?"
"Well, not entirely. I've seen information about curse seals in an ancient book..." Yuya Toshi's expression remained serious.
"That book mentioned that curse seals not only have the ability to suppress souls but also have seals that enhance abilities. If we modify the seal based on the idea of a caged bird, there might be a chance to remove its constraints."
However, he left out an important point: every curse seal has its unique properties. Modifying a curse seal is incredibly difficult, and even a slight mistake could result in the soul disappearing.
"Modify the curse seal?" Genya narrowed his eyes. He knew this method was a long shot, but at least it was a possibility to try in the future.
As the days passed, Konoha returned to its peaceful state.
However, danger lurked in another location.
At the border of the Land of Lightning.
A team of Cloud Shinobi gathered here, about thirty in total, each one a top jōnin of the Hidden Cloud.
"Agon, when will Lord Dodai arrive?" a burly middle-aged man asked, looking out at the border.
"He should be here soon!" Agon calculated the time and replied, "According to Lord Dodai's instructions, they are expected to arrive at the border of the Land of Lightning around midnight tonight!"
The burly man nodded, a fierce glint in his eyes. "All teams, stay hidden. This time, we'll make sure the Konoha ninjas come and don't return!"
As night fell, the moon hung bright and sparse in the sky.
****
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