Naruto: I, who didn't want to be hacked to pieces, saved the ninja world.

The immersive experience was so seamless that he was momentarily taken aback, feeling as if it were something unreal.

He had longed countless times to break free of these shackles and see the world beyond the cage.

But when this shackle was finally removed, the feeling that arose in my heart was one of emptiness and bewilderment.

It's like the emptiness that comes after everything is satisfied.

All the helplessness, regret, perseverance, and self-consolation I've experienced over the years in pursuit of this goal, along with the grievances after countless disappointments, surge up at this moment.

He was almost ready to give up on this goal.

But he suddenly achieved it himself...

For some reason, his usually indifferent personality was now such that he wanted to laugh but didn't know how, and wanted to cry but didn't know how.

In short, my mind is a mess.

"Alright, Neji, go back and adjust well. Train hard; Konoha will need you a lot in the future."

Seeing that he hadn't come to his senses for a long time, looking like Fan Jin who had just passed the imperial examination, Bai Yun Qingye couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder.

To avoid any situation where someone goes insane.

However, it turned out that he had worried too much.

Having been completely suppressed by Hinata since childhood, Neji is quite adept at handling pressure.

"I understand, thank you, Hokage-sama..."

After regaining his senses, Neji suppressed all his emotions for the time being, feeling neither sad nor happy. He then bowed deeply to Shirokumo Aoba in thanks before leaving the platform.

"Ah."

Not only him, but the other branch family Jonin also had complex emotions on their faces after releasing the Caged Bird.

It was a feeling of joy mixed with a sense of unreality.

This requires a gradual process of adaptation.

After removing the caged bird from the foreheads of this group and informing everyone of the situation, the gathering, in which almost all members of the branch family participated, was about to come to an end.

The caged birds of the remaining people will be untied in batches later in the queue.

Although the gathering was short, the impact it had on the Hyuga clan was truly profound.

The abolition of a tradition that had lasted for nearly a thousand years has left many feeling somewhat regretful.

Neji, naturally, followed the flow of people and left without saying a word. During this time, quite a few people wanted to ask him how he felt after untying the caged bird.

But he ignored them all, as if he couldn't hear anything from the outside world.

Even now, he still feels somewhat lost.

It wasn't until he got home and saw his father's memorial tablet that he finally came to his senses.

A crisp sound seemed to reach my ears.

That was the sound of the cage opening.

As the corners of his mouth curved into a smile, tears silently slid down his cheeks...

He needs to find a new goal now.

-

The Hyuga clan's gathering ended, and Shirokumo Aoba prepared to leave.

"Hinata, you should arrange for this group of people to learn how to break the Caged Bird Jutsu. They are all elite Jonin, so they should be able to master it quickly. Besides, there will be no distinction between the main family and the branch family in the future, so you can take it slowly."

"Well, I know."

Hinata nodded as well.

"Then I'll head back to the Hokage Building first."

Baiyun Qingye smiled, then leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I'll come find you again tonight. Oh, and remember not to let Hanabi cause any trouble tonight."

"Um……"

Hinata's delicate face, which had been full of seriousness, was suddenly flushed with a light blush.

Last night, Hanabi suddenly said she wanted to sleep with her in the middle of the night and barged in without even knocking.

Keep in mind that she had just finished talking with Aoba at that time.

His mind was still a complete blank, and he couldn't react at all to his sister's sudden breaking down the door.

Fortunately, Aoba reacted quickly and used her eye technique to freeze Hanabi, which gave her time to tidy up and clean up.

After Hanabi resumed her actions, Aoba had already left. Apart from Hinata's face still being a little red, all the evidence had disappeared.

Hinata initially thought that Hanabi simply wanted to sleep with her.

After all, Hanabi had come to her quite a few times before for various reasons.

But once the girl regained her mobility, she immediately rolled her eyes, looking around and touching things, clearly searching for something.

Hinata understood perfectly well; this girl had already guessed it and was waiting for her chance at the door.

It was all thanks to Aoba's quick reaction; otherwise, her dignity as the older sister would have been shattered in front of her younger sister.

In order to maintain her authority as the older sister, she immediately made Hanabi feel the love from her older sister that she hadn't felt in a long time.

Last night, in the latter half of the night, Hanabi pouted sadly and fell asleep next to Hinata...

Chapter 829 The abacus beads hit my face.

Hinata was well aware of her sister's feelings.

She didn't object to anything, after all, there were already so many people in the family, one more Huahuo wouldn't make a difference.

Therefore, she turned a blind eye to many of Hanabi's overstepping lines in her affectionate behavior.

But it's definitely not acceptable for Hanabi to come and bother her so late at night.

Aoba spoils Hanabi too much, so she has to give her a little punishment.

Seeing Hinata's slightly pouting lips and adorable expression, Shirokumo Aoba knew it was inappropriate to be too affectionate in public.

He simply raised his hand and pinched her cheek.

"Then I'll be going now."

"Ah."

Hinata nodded obediently again.

Shirokumo Aoba then ruffled Hinata's soft hair next to her.

"And Xia too, see you next time."

It can be considered a way of building a relationship.

After all, although it's a bit outrageous, the other party is indeed a future member of the extended family.

"Yes, goodbye, Lord Aoba."

Hinata Natsu blushed slightly at Shirokumo Aoba's intimate actions.

This was the first time the other person had ever made such an intimate gesture.

Ok……

It doesn't seem like it's the first time.

When they were doing research together, because they were studying caged birds, Shirokumo Aoba often put her hand on Shirokumo Aoba's head.

So now she feels both shy around men and, more importantly, she feels that this action is a bit like that towards a child.

Just like how Shirakumo and Aoba often treat fireworks.

She is clearly older than him.

However, she didn't dislike it; in fact, she even subtly rubbed against it.

Because Hinata was right next to them.

This young lady is surprisingly prone to jealousy.

Last night, Ms. Hanabi's pleas for mercy were heard for a long time.

Even Hinata Natsu was a little apprehensive today.

Therefore, they are not too willing to make any major moves.

Bai Yunqingye naturally noticed her little action, pinched her burning ear again, took a step back, and then disappeared in front of the two of them.

As Shirokumo Aoba left, Hinata looked at Hyuga Natsumi.

Hinata Natsumi felt a chill run down her spine.

"Lady Hinata, is there anything I can do for you?"

"?"

Hinata blinked; she just wanted to explain the upcoming arrangements.

But why does it seem like the other person is afraid of her today?

-

The matter concerning the Hyuga clan was merely a minor episode for Shirakumo Aoba.

After all, it was just an internal matter for the Hyuga clan, and it wasn't a big deal for the other ninja villages.

However, Baiyun Qingye has many more important things to deal with right now.

As time went by, day by day.

The four great ninja villages had already amassed their strength, and a ninja force composed entirely of elite troops was silently heading towards the daimyo's residence in each of the major countries overnight.

This was a war with almost no suspense.

It couldn't even be called a war; it was more like a surprise attack.

The guards of the Daimyo's mansion were as fragile as paper in front of top-tier ninjas.