Chapter 182: The Rebellious Caged Bird

Haruto Hyuga crouched down, scooped up some dirt, and brought it close to his nose. The sensitive neurons in his nasal cavity and the texture and temperature at his fingertips revealed a wealth of information that even his Byakugan couldn't detect.

The Byakugan, one of the Three Great Dōjutsu, had exceptional range and x-ray vision, but it wasn't without its limits.

In recent times, other villages had started developing traps and countermeasures specifically designed to neutralize the Byakugan. Over-reliance on this kekkei genkai would eventually lead to trouble.

A simple truth, yet few in the Hyuga clan seemed to grasp it.

Though the Hyuga clan had become somewhat stagnant, their millennia of glory had turned into an ingrained pride, making it difficult for those immersed in past achievements to recognize potential dangers and shortcomings.

However, Haruto Hyuga, the current "Hidden Elder" of the clan, was one of the few who remained vigilant.

He had mastered the Byakugan and Gentle Fist, but he hadn't neglected other skills. His training never wavered, and even when bored, he would practice the basic shinobi techniques, including the Three Substitution Techniques.

It was because of this diligence that he could shadow Yuto Hyuga, maintaining an appropriate distance while transmitting his route to the branch family death squads trailing far behind.

When the head of the clan, Hiashi Hyuga, determined that there was a traitor among them, a secret internal investigation began. Given Yuto's sensitive status and formidable strength, the task of monitoring him naturally fell to Haruto.

Since becoming head of the Anbu, Yuto rarely left the village. This mission was one of the few opportunities to follow him.

However, Haruto's covert pursuit came to an abrupt halt at the edge of a towering cliff.

The grass blades were crushed, leaving a clear outline, indicating someone had been lying there not long ago. But atop the cliff, there were only footprints leading upward.

"Strange," Haruto muttered, after a careful search led to a puzzling conclusion. "He's disappeared… as if he suddenly flew away."

Fly?

Haruto paused, struck by a sudden realization.

—The Moon God possesses the rare ability to fly within the shinobi world!

'So, it's all your doing, Yuto Hyuga…'

Haruto made his decision. Without delay, he turned to leave. He needed to inform Hiashi and unite the Hyuga clan to challenge the village leadership. Even if Yuto held the second-highest position in Konoha, he couldn't be more important than the "stable bloodline of the kekkei genkai clan."

Unfortunately, despite his quick thinking, Haruto was still a step too slow.

As the Hidden Elder turned around, Yuto descended from above.

He was dressed in Anbu attire, a short sword strapped to his back, wearing a mask, and holding a black cloth.

Five corpses were strung along the black cloth like lifeless leeches.

—The branch family death squads that had followed Yuto were all dead.

Yuto tossed the bodies to the ground, smiling at Haruto. "Impressive. How come I've never seen you in the clan grounds? And you used the Transformation Technique… Are you the so-called 'Hidden Elder'?"

Sweat beaded on Haruto's palms, his attention fixed solely on the figure before him, not on the five corpses. The Byakugan activated instantly, and he saw the face behind the mask.

On the pale forehead, there was only a purple diamond-shaped mark.

Yuto inhaled sharply. "You really removed the Caged Bird Seal…"

"Only temporarily," Yuto replied, removing his Anbu mask. "It's time-limited. About thirty seconds left? Hmm, villains die from talking too much, so let's start by taking you down…"

Before he could finish, Yuto's will caused the gravity around them to intensify, like four massive serpents binding Haruto's limbs, yanking him forward.

"Revolving Heaven!" Haruto muttered, as chakra surged forth, forming a rapidly rotating defensive barrier.

It was a remarkable feat. For an ordinary Hyuga clan member, the first step of Revolving Heaven was to spin oneself. But for Haruto to perform it while bound indicated a deep understanding of the technique.

The four serpents of gravity were blown away. Haruto, unwilling to engage in direct combat, stomped the ground, sending himself flying backward, creating a thirty-meter gap between him and Yuto in an instant.

"Impressive," Yuto praised again with a light laugh.

Boom!

A golden light descended from above, like a spear thrown by a deity, piercing through Haruto's abdomen in one strike.

The cliff crumbled under the impact, sending thousands of tons of rock flying, dust blotting out the sun.

By combining "Revolving Heaven" with "Ryuun Steel," Yuto had recently devised a technique that allowed for more versatile angles of attack with his ocular powers.

As the dust settled, Yuto exited his masked mode.

Using his Byakugan to locate his target, he used Chakra Enhanced Strength to move the boulders. After more than ten minutes of effort, he uncovered the severely injured Haruto.

Haruto's abdomen had been pierced by "Ryuun," leaving him critically wounded, unable to gather chakra, and causing his Transformation Technique to cancel automatically.

Yuto made a soft sound of surprise, frowning as he examined the mysterious Hidden Elder.

The man appeared to be in his forties, with a simple and plain face that wasn't particularly remarkable. However, unexpectedly, the ugly Caged Bird Seal was etched onto his forehead.

—The "Hidden Elder" Haruto Hyuga was also from the branch family!

"What's the matter?" Haruto wheezed through blood-covered lips. "I thought nothing could surprise you."

Yuto gave a soft laugh, sitting on a nearby rock. "In the Hyuga clan, there are many legends about the Hidden Elder: a master of all secrets, inheritor of the Gentle Fist techniques, solving all the clan head's problems… It should be a role for the main family, shouldn't it?" He paused, then continued, "But you're clearly from the branch family, because I've seen you in the clan… You're Naoto's father, right?"

"I didn't think someone as famous as the Hand of the Hokage would remember a small fry like me."

"Naoto and I have had our disagreements… but don't worry, it won't be long before I send him to reunite with you." Yuto retorted.

"Do as you please. He was just a child I had to avoid attracting attention after I became the Hidden Elder."

Haruto smiled nonchalantly, then added, "Save your effort. Let me tell you a secret…"

"The Hidden Elders have almost always been from the branch family!"

"Because for a hidden safeguard, the most important quality is loyalty."

"Not status, but loyalty!"

Yuto fell silent.

When a master handed the whip to a slave, that slave would develop a twisted emotion—a deep-seated defense of the "slave system."

People are inherently self-serving. After gaining power, to be selfless, to think solely from the perspective of the main family, to disregard even one's own wife and children… Such extreme loyalty could indeed be considered a form of illness.

The Caged Bird Seal was both the cage that confined the Hyuga and the fertile soil for twisted, unhealthy loyalty.

Yuto stood up abruptly, drawing the short sword from his back and pressing it against Haruto's neck. "You look so confident. Let me guess, before setting out, you must have told Hiashi Hyuga that if you didn't return on time, it would confirm my status as a traitor, right?"

The Hidden Elder smiled without answering. To him, his goal was already achieved; death or survival would both lead to a satisfactory outcome.

"Naive," Yuto scoffed, saying no more as he pressed the blade into the elder's skin.

"Yuto Hyuga, one day, you'll realize you were wrong," the Hidden Elder said, blood gushing into his windpipe, making his voice garbled. "The thousand-year history of the Byakugan is one of great power and glory. With your talent, you should be like me, willing to shed your last drop of blood for the clan. Does it matter if you're from the main family or the branch family? For the Hyuga, sacrifice is…"

Slash!

Yuto made a swift motion, severing the Hidden Elder's head.

Hyuga, the main family, the branch family, sacrifice, dignity, freedom…

These were all questions that the transmigrator had pondered.

He had countless times risen in the dead of night, taken out a mirror, and gently traced the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead in the dim room.

In the end, the transmigrator remained resolute in his determination and killing intent.

—"I am not happy."

At the end of the day, those few words sufficed.

(End of Chapter)