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"Now is not the time for you to speak up," he scolded, his reprimands like a relentless storm.

Hinata instinctively took a step back. She was afraid of them. But... people shouldn\'t be the kind who retreat just because of fear.

"If the Caged Bird is meant to protect the Byakugan," she began, forcing herself to stand her ground, her voice trembling but still strong, "then why does only the branch family have it, and not the main family?"

She was sure that if Naruto were here, he would think the same and say it just as boldly.

Hiashi Hyūga\'s face darkened as he gestured sternly. "Hinata, come here. Stop this nonsense."

"Hinata Hyūga, what are you saying?" someone shouted, standing up and pointing angrily at her. "Know your place! You are part of the main family. You should know which side you\'re on!"

Hinata shook her head, her voice firm. "I know exactly where I stand!"

She didn\'t waver as she continued, "If it\'s really about protecting the Byakugan, then why... why can the main family use the curse mark to punish and enslave the branch family?"

To the outside world, she was the eldest daughter of the Hyūga main family, the future heir to the clan. But what had that identity really brought her? Was she truly an heir?

She had always known her father was not satisfied with her. The ninjas in the main family weren\'t satisfied with her either.

By comparison, her younger sister, more talented and confident, was the one they all considered the better choice. Hinata didn\'t envy her sister, but she also refused to accept the fate of being branded with the Caged Bird curse mark.

Besides, Naruto-kun would never approve of such a "slave-like" contract. For herself and for Naruto, she could never support the Caged Bird.

"Hiashi, you\'ve raised quite a daughter," one of the elders grumbled bitterly.

"We should make a decision about the heir now," another elder suggested, noting how a member of the main family was speaking up on behalf of the branch family.

"Hinata, it seems I\'ve been too lenient with you," Hiashi said sternly, his expression heavy. "The Hyūga clan is not a place without rules..."

Neji interrupted him, "The Hyūga clan needs new rules."

"What are you trying to do?" the elder who had stood up earlier pointed at Neji. "We\'ve already agreed to make you part of the main family. What more do you want?"

Neji glanced at Hinata out of the corner of his eye. Earlier, he had been caught up in the complexities of the Caged Bird, nearly overlooking other critical aspects. Fortunately, Hinata had spoken up. Without her, they might have deceived him.

She was genuinely willing to support him. Was it because of Naruto-sama\'s influence?

"You are the people I despise the most," Neji said calmly, his gaze sweeping over the aged faces before resting on Hiashi. "I will never join your ranks."

"Just like Hinata said earlier, if it\'s really about protecting the Byakugan, then... don\'t separate the main and branch families. Just put the curse mark on everyone."

The elders glared at him.

"Ridiculous!" an elder shook his head, trembling with rage. "The separation of the main and branch families has been tradition since ancient times..."

"But from the beginning, it\'s been an unfair system," Neji interrupted with a cold smile. "Don\'t talk to me about ancient traditions. When there\'s a better way, but you refuse to take it, it\'s only because you can\'t bear to lose that small feeling of superiority as members of the main family."

An elder suddenly lunged forward. "Utter nonsense. Even if you are under the protection of that man... the dignity of the Hyūga clan is not something you can trample on."

He struck with his palm, chakra surging powerfully. But perhaps in his youth, he had been an excellent ninja, but now, weakened by age, the only thing left in him was that sense of superiority as a member of the main family, a feeling Neji had just dismissed as pointless.

Neji reached out, grabbed the elder\'s arm, and pulled.

In the first exchange, the outcome was already decided. Neji grabbed the elder by the throat and slammed him hard onto the ground.

"Daring to strike an elder?" someone shouted in shock. "Do you still have any respect for the Hyūga clan?"

Accusations and curses followed, but the elder didn\'t even stand up, sitting where he was like a lord giving orders. "Hiashi, Kō, quickly, subdue this criminal."

Neji remained calm. "The Hyūga clan... since the moment Naruto-sama broke the Caged Bird, my life has belonged to him. For the rest of my life... I will only follow his orders."

Hiashi moved in a flash, launching an attack. Standing at the doorway, Kō Hyūga rushed in without hesitation, chakra gathering as he headed straight for Neji.

But—

Before he could get close, a figure flashed by and blocked his way.

"Hinata-sama?" Kō Hyūga hesitated, pulling his hand back.

The elders were furious. "Hinata, are you going to stand on Neji\'s side?"

"I do not agree with your views," Hinata said firmly, assuming the Gentle Fist stance. "The Hyūga clan needs to change. And I... I also need to change."

Hiashi turned his head, speaking harshly. "Kō, deal with her. This disobedient daughter—I\'ll personally discipline her once this matter is over."

Reluctantly, Kō agreed.

A battle between taijutsu users wasn\'t as flashy as one involving ninjutsu, but as top-tier taijutsu fighters, each move they made was powerful, shaking the ground, destroying buildings, and sending dust and sand flying everywhere.

Outside the Hyūga estate, Tenten frowned, instinctively reaching for the scroll at her waist. "Have they started fighting?"

Her worst fears had come true. Should she go inside and help Neji?

A blonde figure suddenly flashed before her eyes. That immediately resolved her indecision. Bending low, she dashed toward the Hyūga estate.

As the most prominent family in Konoha, every action of the Hyūga clan was monitored by the Anbu. The sounds of the fight were quickly detected.

At the Hokage building, the Anbu reported back.

"Neji Hyūga seems to have broken the Caged Bird," Kakashi said, frowning, his features scrunched up. "And is now fighting with the clan head Hiashi?"

"How could this have happened?"

It made no sense for such a fight to break out suddenly. They had only been tasked with supporting the Sand Village and capturing the rogue ninja Mukade. How did things escalate like this? They hadn\'t even reported back, and suddenly, there was this huge mess. And how should this be handled? An internal conflict within the Hyūga clan.

"Hokage-sama, why haven\'t you dispatched the Anbu yet?" Koharu Utatane asked, entering the room with a stern expression.

Kakashi looked up. "Why should the Anbu be dispatched?"

"To assist the Hyūga clan, of course," Koharu replied without hesitation. "The breaking of the Caged Bird is not just a disaster for the Hyūga clan, but also for Konoha."

Kakashi remained silent, recalling the scene from the Chūnin Exams when Neji questioned Hinata and Konoha.

"This is an internal matter for the Hyūga clan," he said, shaking his head.

"This is not just an internal matter," Koharu scoffed. "Kakashi, have you considered what might happen if the Byakugan is broken, and the branch family loses the restraint of the Caged Bird? What will they do? The main family will be destroyed. Killing fellow villagers is a grave crime! Are we going to hold them accountable? And if we do... how many branch family members would still be willing to stay in Konoha? And if we don\'t... how much of the village\'s authority will remain?"

Kakashi broke into a cold sweat. "I understand."

He waved his hand.

The Anbu was deployed, and moments later, Kakashi personally led the team to the Hyūga estate.

Inside the courtyard, the battle continued.

Neji and Hiashi Hyūga were fighting. Both were masters of the Gentle Fist and knew each other\'s fighting style well. The battle was evenly matched. In comparison, Hinata\'s performance was surprising. She was still a Chūnin, but she managed to hold her ground against the Jōnin Kō Hyūga. With the addition of Tenten, who specialized in ninja tools and hidden weapons, the three of them managed to hold their own against the onslaught of the Hyūga clan.

"Restrain Neji, Hinata, and Tenten," Kakashi observed the battlefield and quickly assessed the situation, giving his orders. "Don\'t harm them. Prepare the sealing team."

The Anbu responded, the strike team dashing forward, ready to break into the Hyūga estate.

But with a loud "clang," the fastest member of the team was abruptly stopped mid-air, as if he had crashed into an invisible, transparent wall. He cried out in pain as he fell to the ground. The few Anbu who had followed close behind experienced the same thing, crashing into an invisible barrier and falling.

Kakashi\'s eyes widened in shock. What was going on? They couldn\'t get in?

The slower team quickly halted, and one member cautiously approached the barrier, reaching out to touch it. His hand pressed against what felt like an invisible wall, and it was compressed and distorted.

"There\'s a barrier," he reported, confirming what was already clear to everyone. "It\'s a barrier. But... this doesn\'t seem to be a Hyūga clan technique."

The sealing team stepped forward, trying to sense the barrier with their chakra, but their chakra, like their physical bodies, was repelled and bounced back.

"The person who set up this barrier is highly skilled. It will be difficult to break it quickly," one of the sealing team members said, looking troubled. If they couldn\'t even sense it, how could they break it?

Kakashi frowned. Konoha\'s sealing team was among the best in the Five Great Nations. If even they were struggling...

He suddenly thought of something, raising his head and activating his Sharingan, scanning the area. Could it be him? But in the vision of his Sharingan, he couldn\'t see the chakra he was searching for. Wasn\'t it him?

"Is Kakashi-sensei looking for me?" a voice suddenly whispered right by his ear.