“What a tangled mess…” Sakura secretly glanced at Neji’s mother, who was still immersed in shock and hadn’t fully recovered.
For some reason, Sakura suddenly felt as though faint green light was emanating from the tips of her hair.
Come to think of it, with Hiashi and Hizashi looking so much alike… does this count as Alabama?
“Although I’ve already witnessed it once with my own eyes, seeing it again is still unbelievable!” The Third Hokage exhaled a ring of smoke, trying to calm the shock in his heart.
Reversing life and death… Even the First Hokage, who had been known as the God of Shinobi, had never displayed such terrifying power.
“Grandpa Third, could you put out that cigarette?
There’s someone here who just came back from the dead, and he’s still seriously injured!” Sakura covered her nose in disgust.
She had disliked the smell of smoke in her previous life, and the Third Hokage’s pipe was even more pungent than modern cigarettes.
“All right.
Grandpa forgot.” The Third Hokage awkwardly put away his pipe.
“Neji, Masako…” After learning what had happened from his elder brother, Hizashi immediately embraced his wife, Masako, and Neji.
Having died once, he treasured his family even more deeply.
“Hizashi, your Caged Bird Seal…” Hiashi suddenly cried out.
He hadn’t noticed it earlier.
It was only when Hizashi had just embraced Neji that Hiashi suddenly realized something was different.
Hizashi’s forehead was completely bare.
The Caged Bird Seal Seal that had originally been used to control members of the branch family had disappeared.
“What?” Hizashi initially didn’t understand.
But when he noticed Hiashi staring intently at his forehead, he finally realized what his brother meant.
He instinctively activated his Byakugan.
Then he, too, cried out in shock.
The Caged Bird Seal Seal was a sealing technique used by the Hyūga main family to control the branch family.
Besides allowing the main family to control the lives and deaths of branch-family members at will, the Caged Bird Seal Seal also restricted the abilities of their Byakugan.
A branch-family member could never achieve the same full 360-degree field of vision as a member of the main family, nor could they see as far.
But after activating his Byakugan just now, Hizashi discovered that his visual range had increased considerably.
The blind spot in his vision had also disappeared.
That meant only one thing.
His Caged Bird Seal Seal was gone.
“The Caged Bird Seal Seal is such a twisted thing that it should never have existed in the first place!” Sakura spoke with undisguised contempt.
“A bunch of brainless idiots came up with this thing to harm their own people, and then claimed it was to prevent the branch family’s Byakugan from falling into enemy hands?” “If you’re afraid of someone stealing your Byakugan, then work harder and become stronger!” “Your clan inherited the Byakugan from the same lineage as the Sage of Six Paths, and you’ve actually managed to turn it into this?” “If your ancestor could see what you’ve done from the Pure Land, he’d probably climb out of his grave in the middle of the night just to beat the hell out of you unfilial descendants!” Sakura suddenly stopped.
The ancestor of the Hyūga clan, Hamura Ōtsutsuki, had indeed died, but his soul had not completely disappeared.
He had preserved part of his power and remained in a spiritual state, waiting for Hinata—the Byakugan Princess—to arrive and inherit it, so that she could ultimately stop his wayward descendant, Toneri Ōtsutsuki.
His state couldn’t be compared to that of the Sage of Six Paths, but the fact remained that his spirit really did exist.
Thinking about this, Sakura silently lit several incense sticks for the Hyūga clan.
Your ancestor really is watching you.
“Um… there’s something I’d like to ask Miss Haruno Sakura to help with, if that’s possible.” There was a conflicted expression on Hizashi’s face.
His gaze remained fixed on Neji’s forehead, his eyes filled with bitterness.
“I know what you want to ask, Uncle Hizashi.
It’s no trouble at all.” Sakura snapped her fingers with her left hand.
A flash of red light passed through the room.
“For you, removing the Caged Bird Seal Seal is practically impossible.” “But for me…” “I am Reality.” “Mm… My head… doesn’t hurt anymore…” Neji still had no idea what had happened.
He only knew that the dull pain in his head, which had lingered ever since the Caged Bird Seal Seal had been placed on him, had suddenly disappeared.
“Honey…” Masako stared in shock.
Then tears of joy began streaming down her face.
She had also seen the smooth, unmarked forehead of Hizashi and understood exactly what it meant.
After hearing Hizashi ask Sakura for help, she had naturally been filled with hope.
And when the oppressive sensation originating from the Caged Bird Seal Seal disappeared from her body as well, the joy overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t stop herself from crying.
No one wanted their freedom and life or death to be controlled by someone else.
As the saying went: Life is precious, love is more precious still; but for freedom, both may be cast aside.
“Don’t tell anyone that your Caged Bird Seal Seals have been removed.” Hiashi looked at the happiness on his younger brother’s family’s faces.
Something stirred within him.
The determination in his eyes became absolute.
“Wait until the right opportunity comes before revealing it.” “Big Brother, what are you planning?!” Hizashi frowned.
The expression on Hiashi’s face made his heart skip a beat.
“The Hyūga clan’s ancient system has existed for long enough.” Hiashi’s voice was solemn.
“It is time for it to change.” The joy Hizashi had shown moments ago had deeply affected him.
There were so many branch-family members throughout the Hyūga clan.
Every single one of them was trapped beneath this tragic system.
“But, Big Brother… with our strength…” Hizashi also wanted to abolish the Caged Bird Seal system.
But there was no way to do it easily.
Every member of the branch family bore the Caged Bird Seal Seal.
Once it was implanted, their lives were literally in the hands of the main family.
They had no means of resisting.
And although Hiashi was the clan head, there was still the Council of Elders above him, with all those old fossils constantly pressuring him.
“Hiashi, if you need this old man’s help, don’t hesitate to ask.” The Third Hokage smiled.
“This old man still has a little strength left to lend.” He wholeheartedly supported the Hyūga clan abolishing the branch-family system.
The Caged Bird Seal Seal had stifled countless talented shinobi and, indirectly, dragged down Konoha’s overall strength.
“Exactly.
Uncle Hiashi, if you need my help, just say so.” Sakura also spoke up.
“Something as inhumane as the Caged Bird Seal Seal shouldn’t exist.” “These should have been brothers who loved and supported each other.
Instead, a rotten system turned them into something resembling enemies.” “It’s better to get rid of something like that.” “When you’re ready, just come and tell me.” “I’ll help you remove the Caged Bird Seal Seals.” “Thank you, Third Hokage-sama, Miss Haruno Sakura.” Hiashi bowed deeply.
Hizashi also bowed solemnly.
Above all, he was grateful to Sakura.
She had given the Hyūga clan the most important first step toward reform.
“If Uncle Hizashi really wants to thank me, then let Neji come work at my shop for a while.” Sakura’s attention immediately shifted toward Neji.
“He can help out and meet some new friends while he’s at it!” She had already set her sights on Neji.
He was one of the characters from her previous life whose fate she had found particularly regrettable.
And with that long, straight black hair of his… He wouldn’t even need a wig if she ever wanted to dress him up as a girl.
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