Becomes a Rebel Ninja After Annihilating the Hyuga Clan

Chapter 2

Neji limped back home.

His eyes felt filled with sulfur, burning painfully, but at least he could see now.

He locked the door, removed his torn pants, cleaned the bloodstains from his body, and put on loose clothes to cover his wounds. He then looked at himself in the mirror, turning around to check if everything was hidden well, and finally, he sighed in relief.

His gaze shifted to the now-normal blue curse mark on his forehead, and Neji couldn’t help but clench his fists.

His nails dug into his flesh.

"Make your brother bring that technique to the family’s secret vault! Otherwise, tomorrow, you’ll continue to suffer."

Hyuga Ryo's warning before leaving pierced Neji's heart like a needle, echoing throughout his body with every heartbeat.

That's my brother's technique. I will never teach it to you…

However, the thought of the pain from the curse mark's activation made Neji feel helpless. The excruciating pain was still faintly lingering between his eyebrows.

This was the second time Neji experienced this feeling. The first time was four years ago, at the moment of his father Hizashi’s forced suicide. Upon learning the truth, he wanted to confront Hiashi, the clan leader, but before he could see him, the elders of the leading family made him understand the "price of defying elders."

They couldn’t resist the power of the Caged Bird.

His father was like this, his brother was like this, and so was he.

It was like this before, and it’s still like this now.

In the foreseeable future, it will remain the same.

Their descendants will also bear this branded mark of slavery. If they resist, they will be like Neji just now, collapsing under the curse mark's activation like a servant, at the mercy of Hyuga Ryo's mockery, with no chance of resistance…

"Knock, knock, knock!"

There was a knock on the door. It should be his brother Neiki returning.

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His fists gradually relaxed, and Neji’s anger and hatred turned into a helpless sigh. While bandaging the wounds on his palms, he looked at himself in the mirror again, forcing a smile before opening the door.

The door opened, but it wasn't his brother Neiki. It was an ANBU with white hair.

"Has Hyuga Neiki returned?" The ANBU glanced inside.

Isn't my brother on a mission with the ANBU? How can you not know if he has returned?

Neji suppressed his doubts but replied, "Not yet, he’s been coming back very late recently."

"What is your relationship with Neiki?"

"I am Neji, Neiki’s younger brother."

"Do you know Hyuga Tokuma?"

"No."

"What about Hyuga Tsukune?"

"She is a branch family sister who lives in the bakery up front," Neji replied. He also knew Tsukune liked his brother Neiki. As Neiki's brother, he often received bread from her.

"When was the last time you saw Hyuga Tsukune?"

The last time I saw her…?

Neji hesitated, recalling the earlier questions, feeling like he was being interrogated as a suspect.

"Did something happen to my brother?" he asked cautiously.

"It's just a routine investigation, don’t worry," the ANBU said casually, though his eyes behind the mask stayed fixed on Neji. "If you believe your brother has done nothing wrong, the more accurate your answers, the sooner he will be cleared."

Neji didn’t notice the ANBU's severe expression and quickly promised to cooperate with the investigation.

"So, when did you last see Hyuga Tsukune?"

"About two days ago at noon… What happened to Sister Tsukune?" Neji replied, noticing the ANBU's writing hand froze for a moment.

"You said you saw her when?" The ANBU’s breath quickened.

This made Neji unsure of himself. He hesitated before honestly saying, "Two days ago, in the eastern forest, I saw her planting trees…"

"Wait—what was she doing there?" the ANBU asked urgently.

"Planting… fruit trees, I guess. After all, that forest is part of the Hyuga clan’s public land…" Neji said, not understanding what was strange about it.

The ANBU was silent for a long time.

Hyuga Tsukune’s body was found in the eastern forest, and the autopsy report confirmed she was killed a week ago by a mysterious assassin who decapitated her in that forest. How could she have been planting trees there two days ago?!

Is this kid lying?

Or who did he see two days ago?

The ANBU mentioned a few more names, and Neji answered truthfully, showing no apparent abnormality.

He nodded slightly and then posed a crucial question:

"Do you know what your brother has been busy with lately?"

"I don't know," Neji shook his head.

"Let me rephrase, do you think your brother has been acting strange lately?"

Strange? Neji thought for a long time before slowly speaking:

"A few days ago, his eyes seemed to be injured, his vision deteriorated significantly. He stayed at the main Hyuga house for treatment and only officially rejoined yesterday. I don’t know if this counts as strange…"

Neji was telling the truth but added a small trick to this answer. Because Neiki's Byakugan was injured, his abilities must be significantly diminished. How could Neiki do anything illegal in such a state?

You have misunderstood!

The ANBU silently recorded Neji's answers except for the discrepancy regarding Hyuga Tsukune; the rest needed to be cross-checked at the ANBU headquarters.

"Thank you for your cooperation, I…"

"What are you doing?"

A voice suddenly interrupted. The ANBU felt a shadow cover him, his heart racing. One hand reached for his waist pouch as he naturally turned to face the young man now blocking his path.

"Captain Neiki, I’m Takizawa Sanmei, assigned by the Hokage to investigate the disappearance of Hyuga Tokuma and others."

Neiki was young, but Sanmei knew well how dangerous he was. This was one of the "Twin Prodigies of Konoha," able to rival Uchiha Itachi and soon to be named a Jonin-level genius!

Sanmei understood the gap between them. Although older by a few years, he couldn't survive a single move against Itachi, and facing Neiki would likely yield the same result.

Neiki was silent, but his cold, icy gaze pressured Sanmei immensely. He quietly gripped the kunai in his waist pouch.

"So, have you finished your investigation?" Neiki's sudden words broke the brief standoff.

Sanmei sighed in relief, quickly nodding:

"Yes, the investigation is complete."

"Don’t bother seeing me out." Neiki stepped aside.

Sanmei swiftly left the unsettling house.

"Why do those eyes seem different from other Byakugan…"

Sanmei muttered to himself, feeling Neiki's eyes had a layer of gray mist, making them hard to read, unlike those of an injured person.

"East forest…" he murmured.

No matter what, the investigation had a breakthrough. If Neji's words were actual, there must have been other witnesses who had seen Hyuga Tsukune "planting trees" three days after her death!

Attaching the gathered information to a pigeon’s leg and watching it fly toward the Hokage building, Sanmei decided to check the eastern forest near Hyuga Tsukune's body.

While the Hyuga clan might not care about the lives of branch family members like Tokuma, the ANBU couldn't ignore their comrades.

A trip to the eastern forest would reveal everything, whether someone was deceitful or Neji was lying.