Chapter 410: The Origins of the Caged Bird Seal
Naruto nodded in satisfaction, returning to that gentle tone of a big brother next door: "Good boy. Alright, pack up your things, walk slowly, stay quiet, and don't play around in the hallway. Don't disturb the other classes that are still in session, understood?"
"Un-der-stood—"
The children responded in a neat, unified whisper, then began to nimbly and as quietly as possible pack away their writing tools and observation notes.
Shino watched this scene from the side, the corners of his mouth curving upward behind his sunglasses.
This guy Naruto still has such a way with children.
He quickly gathered his teaching supplies and that mission scroll, nodding to Naruto: "Then I'll go prepare and set off immediately."
"Yeah, be careful on the road." Naruto patted Shino on the shoulder, giving him the encouragement of a comrade.
Soon, the children lined up and tiptoed out of the classroom, unable to hide their excitement. As they passed Naruto, they couldn't help but cast admiring and curious glances his way.
Leaving the classroom, Shino looked at the whirlpool mark on his shoulder and decided not to change his clothes after all.
You are always so reliable, Naruto.
Naruto also opened his hand, looking at the insect Shino had slipped into his palm when he handed over the mission scroll.
Shino is indeed as dependable as ever!
Relying on years of experience together, Naruto and Shino instantly understood each other's thoughts.
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"You mean, this coffin... is for me?"
Hiashi's gaze was like lightning, staring straight at Naruto as if trying to dig out his true intentions from those seemingly clear blue eyes.
Could it be that he hadn't appeared open-minded enough?
"Yes, Uncle Hiashi."
Hiashi's heart sank almost instantly. His facial expression management nearly failed; his brow furrowed imperceptibly as his sharp gaze swept over the coffin and then back to Naruto's face.
Is this brat in such a hurry!
He even began to suspect if his own existence had become an eyesore.
"The Fourth Raikage is inside."
As soon as the words fell.
The Fourth Raikage?
All the tense lines on Hyuga Hiashi's face shifted at a visible rate, like ice melting under the sun.
First, there was extreme astonishment, as if he hadn't heard clearly or couldn't believe what he had just heard.
Immediately, the astonishment was violently washed away by a stronger, more primal emotion.
It was a hatred and pain buried deep in his heart for years, almost integrated into his blood and marrow, which now ignited like dry wood hit by a spark.
That name, along with the Kumogakure it was tied to, the diplomatic mission, the conspiracy, the coercion, and the resolute back of his brother Hizashi going to his death... countless broken and tragic images roared like a bursting flood, smashing through the dam of reason.
He was very satisfied with this gift.
This was a bloody, direct "gift."
A "gift" that brought one of the perpetrators from back then before him in such a humiliating, almost sacrificial manner.
Hiashi felt his heart beating heavily and powerfully in his chest; the speed of his blood flow seemed to quicken.
A long-lost excitement, mixed with the pleasure of a great revenge, surged through his limbs like an electric current.
The Clan Chief's dignity he originally wanted to maintain was now replaced by a more intense emotion.
He could even feel his Byakugan, inherited from an ancient Bloodline, throbbing with heat.
He wanted to do something.
He wanted to do a lot.
For instance, to immediately open this damned coffin and see for himself just how pathetic that once-arrogant 'Kage' looked now.
For instance, to use the Gentle Fist to shatter the opponent's Chakra pathways inch by inch in the most precise and painful way, just like the humiliation and harm the other party had inflicted on the Hyuga Clan years ago.
Right now, he felt a poetic surge of fury, wishing he could desecrate the corpse on the spot.
Yes, this ancient and cruel concept surfaced clearly in his mind.
It wasn't out of simple barbarism, but as a consolation, using the enemy's remains to pay tribute to the young life of his brother Hizashi, who had been forced to wither away.
Hiashi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
When he opened his eyes again, the intense emotions churning in the depths of those pure white eyes had been forcibly suppressed, transformed into a near-physical coldness.
"I see. I accept this generous gift."
He wished he could open the coffin and beat the Raikage right then and there.
A pity Neji was away on a mission.
Seeing Hiashi like this, Naruto also began to ask about the Otsutsuki on the moon.
Over in Kumogakure, Naruto's Clone was currently ready to suppress any riots at a moment's notice. The public administrators were Dodai and Yugito, who was controlled by the Yachihoko of light. He had to hurry with the next step of the plan while he had the chance.
Hearing Naruto mention the Otsutsuki on the moon, Hiashi was first startled, then sighed.
Even his two daughters didn't know about this matter; it seemed Naruto's intelligence network was truly formidable.
"According to the Family's internal records, our ancestors seem to be related to the legendary Six Paths Sage. Among our ancestor's children, one branch remained outside, and one branch became us. I only knew they were guarding a mysterious existence; I never imagined they were on the moon. It truly is incredible."
Speaking to this point, Hiashi's tone became even lower: "And the 'Caged Bird Seal' was not developed by our Hyuga Clan ourselves. It is a secret technique passed down from that branch outside."
Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly: "The Caged Bird Seal was passed down from the branch on the moon?"
"Yes."
Hiashi nodded, a trace of gloom flashing in his pure white eyes. "According to the records, many years ago, a tragic struggle broke out within that branch of the clan on the moon. The specific reason is unknown, but the result was... the 'Branch House' rebelled and nearly slaughtered the 'Main House' to the last person.
The last dying head of the Main House, in despair and resentment, used a secret method to pass down the ultimate binding seal to our branch in the Ninja World. He had developed it to prevent rebellion after sensing the sparks of resistance in the Branch House, but hadn't had the time to use it.
For many years after that, we received no more information from the Main House abroad."
Hiashi's voice carried the weight of historical dust: "Perhaps that head of the Family hoped we would take it as a warning and take precautions in advance.
Regardless, it came to the Hyuga Clan like that and gradually evolved into what we now know as the 'Caged Bird Seal,' used to prevent the Byakugan Bloodline from leaking out while simultaneously binding the Branch House."
So that's how it is, Naruto thought to himself.
The connection between the Hyuga Clan and the descendants on the moon was closer and more tragic than imagined. Even the "Caged Bird Seal" that had plagued the Hyuga for centuries had its roots in that fratricidal tragedy on the moon. The Karma of history was entangled in such a cruel way.
"Then," Naruto asked the most critical question, "do you know the path to the moon? Or rather, does the Hyuga Clan have a method left to contact the moon?"
Hearing this, Hiashi showed clear shame and helplessness as he shook his head: "This... I truly do not know."
"The ancient texts recording those secrets are vast in number, and only the Clan Chief and the pre-designated heir can access them.
To be honest, in the years since I became Clan Chief, I've been busy with Family affairs, Village politics, the war back then, and the subsequent reconstruction... I haven't been able to finish reading all those ancient books even now, let alone sorting out a clear method for going to the moon from them."
Naruto's brow quirked: "Many? How many?"
In his mind, core secrets of this level should be recorded in extremely rare and precious texts, perhaps only one or two volumes, or at most three to five.
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