Naruto: I, Shikotsumyaku, Byakugan Princess

Chapter 85 Sunflower
rainy night.

The crescent moon was completely covered by dark clouds, and no light could see through it.

The torrential rain lost its momentum, and the fine raindrops pattered on the treetops and leaves, making a rustling sound.

Under the huge, scarred banyan tree.

Two teenagers with the same goal sat on the ground, one in black and the other in white, with two wide cloths draped over their thighs.

The ashen gray and the milky white stared at each other.

An umbrella was placed between the two, blocking the rain that kept falling from above.

Neji, seeing the unusual eye roll from Hairi, could hardly hide his excitement.

He had already heard about his background from Hui Li.

The bloodline of the Hyuga sinners, who did not want to be branded like a caged bird, was left to wander outside. To avoid being hunted down by the Hyuga main family, he pretended to be blind by covering his eyes with a black cloth every day.

As long as the caged bird system remains in place, she will forever be an enemy of the main family.

Just like myself.

However, unlike before, having already been cursed with the Caged Bird Seal, he had lost the means to fight against the main family, while Hui Li still possessed the ability to resist them.

She was not only their own hope, but also the hope of everyone in the divided family.

If the Hyuga clan were to learn of Hairi's existence, both the main family and the branch family would go mad.

"What do you want to do?"

Neji trembled with excitement, even his words seemed to be uttered with trembling.

The long-cherished wish of separating the family for thousands of years finally saw hope. Neji could not suppress the fervor in his heart. Like a bird that had been trapped in a cage for a long time and looked up at the sky, he finally saw a clear crack in the lock.

That joy was beyond words.

In his eyes, the fact that the genius girl was not subjected to the "cage bird" mentality was already a blessing from heaven.

Fate finally extended a helping hand to him.

Hui Li stared directly at the hot-blooded Neji and slowly said, "Gather information, secret techniques, and historical data about the Hyuga main family for me, and develop the available talents within the branch family."

Once my body is fully developed, I will take down the Hyuga clan and abolish the main family and that damned Caged Bird Seito.

Before I fully mature, you are not allowed to reveal my information to anyone.

"Those who split up like me..."

Don't be naive.

Hui Li narrowed her eyes and warned, "If I die or am caged, the opportunity that we've waited a thousand years for will be wasted."

"Don't worry, I'd rather die than reveal it."

Neji gritted his teeth and nodded firmly.

If something goes wrong because of him and it affects Hairi's plans, then Hyuga Neji would be the greatest war criminal in the branch family's history of a thousand years.

Even in death, when she went to the underworld, she couldn't face her father who had committed suicide.

He is now more afraid than Hui Li of her being caged.

"If I remember correctly, Hinata Hyuga should be in your class. She has already awakened her Sharingan, so you must be careful. You can disguise yourself and fool others, but you can't fool the Byakugan's keen perception."

Neji said worriedly, he was already anxious for Hairi.

A smile appeared on Hui Li's face.

Only then could she truly ascertain Neji's willingness to submit.

"I have already resolved her problem in advance."

"solved?"

Neji blinked.

He could sense the dangerous aura emanating from Hui Li, and he was also aware of Hui Li's great reputation.

Having just entered the Ninja Academy, he beat the Jonin Kazama Koshi so badly that he was hospitalized. Although they were not in the same grade, Neji had still heard of the formidable reputation of this top genius of the Ninja Academy.

She didn't... kill Hinata, did she?

A terrible thought flashed through Neji's mind.

Hinata isn't from a branch family. If she's killed, the entire Hyuga clan will come out, and Hairi's identity will be impossible to hide, shattering any hope of breaking the Caged Bird Seal.

Although we've only met once.

But at this moment, Hui Li's position in Neji's heart is more than a hundred times more important than that of the eldest daughter of the main family who had been with him since childhood.

"Actually, it's not completely solved."

I have something on her that she can't tell anyone.

Is it a safe bet?

Neji moved his face closer, looked up at Hairi, and his expression was as if he were an underground contact doing some kind of illegal business.

"It's not a safe bet, so I need your help." "What should I do?"

"It's inconvenient for me to get close to the Hyuga clan's territory. You will keep an eye on Hinata Hyuga in the clan and report any unusual behavior to me."

"clear."

Neji got into character very quickly.

He readily agreed to Hui Li's instructions without the slightest hesitation.

The purpose is achieved.

Hui Li glanced at the dark sky, picked up the black cloth from her lap, covered her eyes as usual, and was about to get up and leave.

"Wait a moment……"

Neji suddenly spoke up, calling out to Hairi, who was picking up the umbrella.

"What else?"

As she was about to leave with the umbrella pole slung over her shoulder, Hui Li heard Neji calling her and turned around in confusion.

"Aren't you going to ask me about information concerning Hyuga?"

Neji, acting as a spy for the first time, was exceptionally skilled.

Hui Li smoothed a strand of hair from her forehead.

She really didn't have anything she wanted to ask.

Firstly, as a member of a branch family, Neji likely had very limited access to intelligence and information.

Secondly, the secret techniques related to Baguazhang can all be obtained from Hinata, so Neji probably can't offer much help in this regard.

The so-called intelligence gathering is just a pretext. As long as Neji doesn't reveal her information, the purpose of this trip will be achieved.

But since Neji is being so proactive, there's no harm in listening.

"Tell me about it!"

Hui Li raised her chin, indicating that the spy Neji could speak.

Neji carefully looked at Hairi's face and slowly said, "A few days ago, a pair of branch family brothers went missing unexpectedly."

Hui Li held the umbrella, remaining calm and composed.

After observing for a while and seeing that Hui Li did not react, Neji continued:

"The clan's Grand Elder said he would investigate to the end, but it's said that all the people he sent out have returned to the clan. It's possible that... this matter will not be investigated any further."

Hui Li remained calm in the face of Neji's slightly probing words.

She had already given him the cold shoulder. Any normal person would immediately associate the disappearance of a member of the separated family with her.

"Just say what you want to say in one breath, there's no need to hesitate."

Neji saw that Hairi was only a little impatient but did not argue, and he already knew what was going on.

"I've heard my father mention Aunt Hyuga Tenkui before."

It is said that she had a chance to escape when she was ambushed on the battlefield of Mist Hidden in the Sky. However, the enemy's main target was her, and in order to save as many people as possible, she left the hope of survival to the branch family guards who were protecting her.

He decided to lure the enemy away alone and destroy his own eye before falling into enemy hands.

Neji recalled the story his father, Hyuga Hizashi, had told him, his eyes filled with longing.

Gray Glass remained silent.

Standing in the rain, I listened quietly.

Hinata Tenkui didn't know the specific reason why she was arrested, and no one had ever mentioned the story to her.

No wonder Qing only has one white eye.

It must have been destroyed by Hinata Tenkumi herself during the battle.

"The branch family guards who escaped from the battlefield brought news of Hyuga Tenmei's death. Because they abandoned the main family, resulting in the loss of the Byakugan bloodline limit, these branch family guards were subjected to terrible punishment by the main family."

"For the first time in a thousand years, the bloodline of the white-eyed person has been lost."

Her actions caused a huge uproar in the Hyuga clan. Some people thought she was incredibly foolish to lose her Byakugan for the sake of a few branch family guards, and that she was a sinner against the Hyuga clan.

Some people believe she was a hero who covered the retreat of her people, and although she made mistakes, they were understandable.

"The main family and the branch family are arguing more and more fiercely, and some people have even started to fight over it."

Finally, the head elder of the main family, Hyuga Kei, intervened and, as Hyuga Tenkui's father, made a judgment on the matter—”

Neji's voice was deep and his expression solemn, as if he were unconsciously imitating his father's voice and smile at that time:
"Hyuga Tenmei caused the loss of the Byakugan bloodline limit, a crime that is unforgivable!"

She is stripped of her main family status and name, expelled from the Hyuga clan as a 'sinner,' and forbidden from entering the Konoha Memorial Hall as a hero!

Rumble!
Thunder rumbled, and the rain gradually subsided.

(End of this chapter)