Naruto: The Caged Bird Cannot Confine Me - Feng Hou Qi Men

Being aware of an illusion and breaking free from an illusion are two completely different concepts.

"Ah ah ah ah ah!!"

The sharp blades relentlessly pierced his body, and the incredibly real pain caused Sasuke to let out a heart-wrenching scream.

The second update will be a little later; I've been too busy today.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 89 A Caged Bird Cannot Be Without a New Curse Seal, Wings of Freedom!

The three days and three nights in the illusion are but a second in reality.

Sasuke, freed from the genjutsu, knelt helplessly on the ground, his pupils unfocused, and it would be difficult for him to regain consciousness for a while.

Looking at Erzhuzi's appearance, Feng Qi shook his head and sighed softly.

"Is this why you sent this guy here, Kakashi...?"

He ultimately held back, failing to completely destroy Erzhuzi's spirit and will through illusion.

The reason for doing this, besides the change in his mindset after absorbing the Byakugan's power, was also to repay the favor that Kakashi did for not relentlessly pursuing him the night he defected from Konoha.

—Feng Qi knew that human relationships were a very troublesome thing, so in the high-quality replica of Tsukuyomi, he added a special little gadget for Uchiha Sasuke.

That was power, and also taboo.

With that matter settled, Feng Qi ignored Sasuke, whose mouth was uncontrollably drooling, and slowly left the Hyuga clan's territory.

Just minutes after he left, a figure dressed in white arrived at the scene.

"Damn it! Am I too late?!"

Covered in wounds, Neji slammed his fist heavily against the stone wall of the forbidden area that had been opened, his Byakugan eyes filled with deep resentment and regret.

If I could have defeated my opponent faster, I wouldn't have missed out on Feng Qi Ge!

He hated his own weakness.

"No, that's not right. Maybe Feng Qi hasn't left Konoha yet!"

As if suddenly remembering something, Neji became agitated, ignoring the gathered branch family members, and vanished in a blur.

-

In the residential area of ​​the Hyuga branch family, in a certain mansion, in a familiar courtyard.

"Not bad, Neji. He's taken good care of the plants and trees, and they're all growing very well."

With a blade of grass dangling from his mouth and his eyes slightly narrowed, Feng Qi lay back on a recliner in his own backyard, legs crossed, quietly enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.

The air was filled with a familiar, faint floral fragrance, and even the crisp, familiar chirping of birds echoed in my ears.

—New migratory birds have come to build their nests in the tree in the courtyard.

"Judging by the time, we should be arriving soon."

Feng Qi spat out the grass root in his mouth, got up and stretched.

That's right, the reason he's still staying in Konoha is to meet Neji.

The clan's territory was a rather unsettling place.

boom!

Just as Feng Qi sat up, the courtyard gate was violently pushed open.

Neji leaned against the door frame, panting heavily. Despite being exhausted, he still managed to lift his head and look at the courtyard.

Bai's eyes narrowed sharply, and sure enough, the Feng Qi Ge she had been longing for was sitting there!

"Yo, I've been waiting for you for a long time, Neji."

Feng Qi smiled and raised his hand in greeting.

"Brother Feng Qi..."

Looking at that incredibly familiar, cheerful smiling face, all sorts of memories from the past flooded my mind.

Even Neji couldn't contain his excitement; his eyes welled up with tears, and he ran over with unsteady steps.

Although he had never seen Feng Qige, who was labeled a "traitorous ninja," since the upheaval in the main family, he had heard a lot about the latter's deeds.

Setting up a stall to exorcise spirits in the Land of Birds, battling the legendary Sannin Tsunade, hiding in the Land of Demons, and more...

He even asked Teacher Kai to take on a mission to the Land of Demons.

Unfortunately, they came up empty-handed. Not only did they not encounter Feng Qi, but they were also harassed by the savage priestess of the Land of Demons, who harbored inexplicable hostility towards the ninjas of Konoha!

(At that time, Feng Qi was merging with the power of the demons.)

"You've grown quite a bit in just a few months, Neji. You've even mastered the Eight Trigrams Hand technique."

Compared to Neji's excitement and emotion, Feng Qi appeared much more indifferent.

His words startled Neji: "Feng Qi, were you there during the Chunin Exams?"

Apart from his battle with Hinata during the Chunin Exams, he hasn't used the Tai Chi Hand technique in front of outsiders recently!

"Haha, I suddenly got the urge, so I went up and played around with Uchiha Sasuke for a bit."

"So that mysterious bronze armor was actually you in disguise, Brother Feng Qi?!"

……

The two brothers, who had been separated for a long time, chatted and laughed in the courtyard, reminiscing about the past, just like their usual routine.

“Brother Feng Qi, the curse mark on your forehead has been troubling me ever since…”

After finishing their casual conversation, Neji looked at Feng Qi's flawless forehead and finally asked the question that had been bothering him.

Feng Qi nodded slightly: "That's right, I've already untied the bird from the cage."

"This damn thing actually has a way to solve it!" Neji seemed somewhat incredulous.

After the dramatic changes in the main family and the rise in status of the branch family, he, like Feng Qi, constantly tried to free himself from the caged bird on his forehead.

As a result, he learned from some senior elders that there was no way to remove the caged bird spell!

This incredibly cruel truth nearly caused him to break down on the spot.

"Regarding the cursed seal."

Feng Qi looked up at Neji, who was filled with shock, and said, "Tell me, Neji, what are your plans after you successfully become the clan leader?"

From their casual conversation, he learned about Neji's dream of becoming the head of the Hyuga clan.

Upon hearing this, Neji lowered his head, clenched his fists, and fell into deep thought.

A few months ago, he would have answered without hesitation to completely destroy the caged bird.

However, now, after experiencing the dramatic changes in the main family and the reunification of the Hyuga family, his thinking has changed significantly.

In particular, Orochimaru's attack on Konoha allowed Neji to witness firsthand just how cruel a war driven by self-interest can be!

Despite their deep reluctance, they had to admit that the Caged Bird Seal was indeed a necessary means of protecting the Hyuga clan from harm.

The value of rolling one's eyes is so great that it involves countless chains of interests.

Without the constraints of caged birds, it's hard to imagine what kind of frenzied hunting and attacks our people would have faced in the future!

"A caged bird cannot be without," Neji said with difficulty.

Immediately following, as if to make his position clear, he hurriedly added, "But I will mark everyone, and there will be no more distinction between the main family and branch families!"

Feng Qi looked serious and asked a crucial question: "Then, who should hold the key to activate the curse seal?"

"let me……"

Neji was about to instinctively say, "Let me hold it all by myself," but then he suddenly froze, unable to speak for a long time.

Although he was confident and aware of the need to be fair and just, he knew all too well what it was like to be a caged bird, living under the shadow of fate all the time.

Even if he were to harden his heart and take full responsibility, there was no way to guarantee that a new "Hyuga main family" wouldn't emerge in the future.

Regardless of who holds the Caged Bird Seal, this historical question can never be avoided!

"It seems you've really grown up, Neji."

Feng Qi saw right through Neji's thoughts.

Seeing Neji's still dejected expression, Feng Qi patted him on the shoulder, his seriousness and earnestness vanishing instantly, replaced by a cheerful and relaxed smile.

"Hahaha! Don't worry, I've already paved the way for you."

Under Neji's bewildered gaze, Feng Qi pulled a scroll from his robes.

"This is an optimized version of the Caged Bird Seal. It retains the original triggering conditions, but it is no longer controlled by a particular caster. Instead, it can be activated by one's own will."

When Feng Qi reversed the deduction of the Bird in the Cage removal spell, he already knew the curse mark very well.

For him, who possessed the Feng Hou Qi Men technique, making slight modifications was just a matter of course.

After hearing Feng Qi's explanation of the new cursed seal, Neji was completely stunned. His whole body trembled slightly, his breathing became rapid, and his eyes were fixed on the scroll that was enough to change the fate of the Hyuga clan.

No one understood the importance of this scroll better than he, a genius who suffered greatly!

"Take it."

Feng Qi stuffed the scroll into Neji's hands, put his hands behind his back, and turned to look at the vast, boundless sky in the distance.

"An eagle soaring with outstretched wings should not be confined by a small iron cage, much less a domestic fowl to be slaughtered and exploited. Whether it is a branch family or the main family, what the Hyuga clan yearns for and pursues should be a vast and free sky."

"The name 'Caged Bird' is just too awful, so I named this new curse mark..."

"Wings of Freedom!"

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 90: The Great Battle Ends, Uchiha Itachi Appears in the Land of Fire

The Naruto world is like a giant deep-sea whirlpool. Whether you want to or not, whether you're on a big ship or a small ship, as long as you're in this ocean, you'll always be swept up by the torrent of time, unable to control your own destiny.

It's cruel to say, but before he can completely transcend this super vortex, even if Feng Qi doesn't have the ambition to dominate the ninja world, all sorts of troubles will come knocking on his door due to the entanglement of interests and power.