At this moment.
Hyuga Hizashi led a large group of Hyuga branch family members forward, all of them kneeling before Kairen.
They spoke in unison: "Please, Kairen-sama, remove the Caged Bird from us!"
An elder pointed at the Hyuga branch members, his eyes filled with disbelief: "You—"
These people have already cut off their queues—this is rebellion!
Hyuga Hiashi hurriedly covered that elder's mouth, telling him to stop. If he kept talking, things would explode.
Kairen released the hand covering Natsuka's eyes.
Natsuka's dazed eyes looked at the relatives kneeling before Kairen—among them were her parents, her older brother, and her older sister.
"Father, Mother, you?!"
Her parents didn't speak. The expressions on their faces were no longer the timid, shrinking ones of the past.
They hurriedly signaled to Natsuka with their eyes.
Natsuka understood instantly and was just about to kneel beneath Kairen.
Kairen quickly supported her, his Rinnegan gazing at Hyuga Hiashi's Byakugan.
"Hyuga Clan Head, now… can you give me your answer?"
"..."
Silence. A long, drawn-out silence.
This was a kind of wordless resistance. Hyuga Hiashi had no way to deal with Kairen and could only use this method to express the main family's unwillingness.
Kairen smiled slightly and lowered his head to ask Natsuka: "Little Natsuka, the fate of the Hyuga clan is being handed to you. Whether to remove the Caged Bird—do you want to decide?"
Kairen handed the choice to a child of the branch family, letting her decide whether the Caged Bird should continue to exist in this world.
At this moment, everyone's gaze focused on Natsuka.
The fate of the Hyuga clan being decided by a child—so absurd, yet it perfectly matched Moku Kairen's rash style.
Many people thought so in their hearts.
In this instant, the tension reached its peak.
Members of the main family kept signaling Natsuka with their eyes.
Especially a certain main-family young master whom Natsuka had always served—the vicious look in his eyes seemed like he wanted to devour her alive.
Natsuka was frightened by what she saw. Her body trembled nonstop; fear coursed through her entire being—obedience etched into her blood.
One of Kairen's hands rested on her shoulder, his gentle aura dispelling some of the gloom in her heart.
She looked up, and Kairen's warm smile was like a ray of sunlight, warming her heart.
He is so handsome!
"Listen to the voice in your heart! It will not deceive you!"
Natsuka clenched her fists, then turned her gaze toward the branch family members.
A trace of warm light lit up amid the desolation. All the branch members returned her gaze with smiles.
Those smiles were stubbornness in the face of despair, an unyielding refusal to submit to authority.
At this moment, it was as if the wishes of hundreds of years of the branch family were all concentrated on Hyuga Natsuka. She clenched her fists and shouted at the main family:
"I hate the Caged Bird! I hate you people of the main family!"
Her eyes, filled with longing, turned toward Kairen: "I hope the Caged Bird can be abolished!"
This system that had lasted for hundreds of years was decided within this childish voice.
The branch family members covered their faces and wept, tears glistening like hemp fibers.
The main family members were ashen-faced.
"System, exchange for the Caged Bird Seal Release Technique."
"Ding!"
"Understood. Exchange successful: Caged Bird Seal Release Technique!"
Kairen spent 1000 experience points to exchange for the Caged Bird Seal Release Technique.
A type of curse seal technique—its principles would make even Newton cry out that it was unscientific!
Kairen rubbed Natsuka's head: "Good child. Remember this day. From now on, the cage has been opened for you—spread your wings and soar freely!"
Kairen withdrew his hand, and everyone looked at the little girl.
Her smooth forehead no longer bore that green symbol. With just a rub of Kairen's hand, the Caged Bird had been removed.
Natsuka felt as if something was missing from her forehead, but she couldn't put it into words.
Her parents excitedly reminded her: "Natsuka, Natsuka, the Caged Bird on your forehead is gone!"
Natsuka hurriedly covered her forehead and touched it with her hand.
She wanted to quickly check whether that green mark was really gone.
Kushina walked over, lifted Natsuka up, and took out a small mirror from her clothes.
"Look! Your Caged Bird has been removed!"
Natsuka stared intently at herself in the mirror. The ugly mark on her forehead was gone. Overcome with joy, she burst into tears.
"Waaah… that's wonderful! I never have to listen to the main family's orders again!"
Kairen snapped his fingers. Thick chakra drifted through the surroundings, and with precise chakra control, all the branch family members present had their Caged Birds removed in an instant.
Hyuga Hizashi and his wife carefully touched each other's foreheads. Then, smiling through tears, they cried and laughed at the same time.
"Hizashi, this is wonderful. We're free."
"We never have to endure the torment of the Caged Bird again. The child in my belly won't have to bear our pain either."
Kairen's ears twitched slightly, and he turned his gaze.
Don't get the wrong idea—Kairen had no interest in a married person.
What he cared about was the baby in her womb.
In that instant, he directly switched his Rinnegan to the Byakugan, not even bothering to pretend.
Hyuga Hizashi's wife was pregnant—it was Neji, no mistake.
If it weren't Neji, then Hyuga Hizashi would have had a wasted daydream.
It was currently Konoha Year 50. Naruto would be born in Year 51, and Neji's birth time was roughly around now.
Kairen only took a single look before shifting his gaze away. He wasn't a priest—why be so concerned about a little boy?
If it were Hinata, that would be nice. Raise her for sixteen or seventeen years, fresh and lovely—even if it were to benefit someone, it couldn't be Naruto.
What a beast, everyone!
Kairen hurriedly dispelled the thought of going to prison.
A childish voice sounded beside his ear: "You have the Byakugan. You must be the person sent by heaven to save me!"
Kairen smiled and rubbed Natsuka's head: "That's right. I'm the person sent by heaven to save you. I know some kids at the orphanage—later I'll take you to play with them!"
Natsuka replied happily: "You are so nice!"
Kairen smiled. Kushina smiled along with him.
She said to Kairen: "Didn't expect you to be such a compassionate person."
Kairen retorted: "Who doesn't know that I have a saintly heart? The length I've reached is something you'll never be able to match."
Kushina snorted: "Shameless!"
Kairen smiled and rubbed Natsuka's head again.
Suddenly, without warning, he gave Kushina a quick grope, shouting in his heart how thrilling it was.
Kushina was just about to curse Kairen for acting like a hooligan, but seeing how many people were around, she swallowed her words.
Kairen smiled with a roguish air.
Minato isn't home, so who are you trying to act coy for, you little fox?
Looks like there's still one matchmaker missing between them—have a shadow clone arrange it.
...
In a corner of the Hyuga compound.
Two masked men watched silently.
The tall, white-haired one snorted: "With the Caged Bird removed, the Hyuga clan's days won't be easy anymore. At the very least, the main family and branch family will split."
Hashirama's gaze fell on those tear-filled faces: "I thought that as long as Konoha had peace, that would be a golden age."
"But that's not the case. There are still too many ancient systems of privilege pressing down on people."
"That child's smile after gaining freedom—I haven't seen one like it in many years. I remember the first time was when Madara and I were by a small river…"
Here we go again!
Tobirama wished he could stuff earplugs into his ears to block Hashirama's rambling.
I know you two had a great relationship, but you don't have to bring it up every now and then.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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