A higher level of Gentle Fist?
Neji looked at the scroll lying on the ground, hesitating slightly. He did not know if this might be a trap. If he opened it only to find a Paper Bomb inside, the joke would be on him. Consequently, he found a tree branch and cautiously pried the scroll open while remaining ready to retreat at a moment's notice.
Fortunately, the imagined trap did not appear. After waiting a short while, Neji finally picked up the scroll and began to read it seriously. As he read, his expression grew increasingly shocked because the contents truly detailed the inheritance of the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist. Furthermore, it was the high-level Gentle Fist that only the Hyuga Main House was qualified to access; Neji was certain of this fact.
How did that person get this scroll?
Little Neji's brow furrowed slightly. As far as he knew, these scrolls were strictly controlled by the Main House, and anyone outside of it could not possibly touch them unless...
Neji looked toward the spot where the mysterious figure had stood but did not dwell on the thought. With his current strength, what difference would it make even if he understood the situation? What he needed to do now was strive to increase his own power.
This left him with two choices. Should he hand this scroll over to the Clan Head, or hide it and cultivate in secret? If he hid it and the Main House discovered his secret training...
At that thought, the image of his father being forced to kneel before the Clan Head—his own uncle—in agonizing pain flashed through Neji's mind. Involuntarily, he clenched his fists tightly.
Why must the branch house be born inferior? Why is a branch house member destined to be one forever?
As these thoughts swirled, Neji's gaze gradually became resolute. After scanning his surroundings, he tucked the scroll into his pouch.
Watching this scene through the black beetles, the corner of Simu's mouth curled into a slight smile as he nodded.
The Caged Bird Curse Seal, huh...
Simu had heard of this curse seal. On the surface, it truly was an effective way to protect the Hyuga clansmen. Once the seal was placed, the power within would activate to destroy the eyes upon the host's death or an attempted extraction. Therefore, without cracking the seal, no outsider could obtain the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan. The only exception would be capturing a member of the Hyuga Main House who had not been branded.
Unfortunately, the number of Main House members was extremely small. They were essentially the high-level leadership of the Hyuga Clan and rarely left the Hidden Leaf Village for missions. It was difficult for other villages to even get close to them, let alone capture them.
From this perspective, the Main House branding the branch house with the Caged Bird was indeed a method of protection. After all, the value of a Kekkei Genkai with such superior insight and observation as the Byakugan was simply too high. If such precautions weren't taken, other villages would surely use any means necessary to seize them.
The problem, however, was that in addition to the self-destruction of the eyes, the Caged Bird could be manually activated by the Main House. This meant the Main House could use the seal to torture and control the branch house at any time. The scene Simu had witnessed in the laboratory earlier was proof of this.
Because of this, the branch house dared not defy the Main House's will. Any hint of disobedience would result in severe punishment. Each successive Clan Head of the Hyuga was taught from childhood never to be soft-hearted toward the branch house, or more people would be hurt in the future. Perhaps the original intent of the Caged Bird Curse Seal was to prevent the leak of the Byakugan and protect the lives of the branch house ninjas.
Yet, under the weight of absolute power, corruption had naturally been born.
"It truly is a twisted world..."
Simu sighed, but his expression immediately turned into a smile.
"Rest easy. Lord Jashin will purify all of you."
Over the next period of time, Simu repeatedly manipulated the black beetles to enter the Hyuga compound to collect samples. To avoid detection, he did not choose to kidnap Hyuga clansmen for research. Instead, he used the black beetles to gather fallen hair and skin cells. He even used a new type of mosquito he had developed to secretly steal their blood. Essentially, he did everything possible to collect samples without being noticed.
Gaining a large number of experimental subjects from the Hyuga Clan would likely require waiting for the right opportunity. Simu could sense that this opportunity would not be far off.
Aside from collecting samples, Simu frequently appeared at Neji Hyuga's home. Tonight, the dark silhouette composed of insects surfaced once more inside Neji's house.
"Today's lesson is the complete map of the human body's pressure points," the shadow reminded him calmly. "Little Neji, are you ready?"
Hearing this, Neji sat up straight, a look of determination in his small eyes. "Bring it on, Mr. Crow. I can endure it."Shutterstock
Although Mr. Crow's teaching method was somewhat peculiar, Neji's progress was undeniable. At the very least, his peers in the clan—and even children two or three years older—were no longer his match. Neji was subtly becoming the strongest of the Hyuga's new generation.
Upon hearing Neji's answer, the shadow before him collapsed into a swarm of insects. Then, Neji cooperatively opened his mouth. The cloud-like mass of black beetles instantly poured into his throat.
Mmph...
Even though it wasn't the first time, Neji still found the sensation uncomfortable. Fortunately, the discomfort lasted only a few seconds. The black beetles flowing into his body began to move along his meridians. They helped Neji expand the width of his meridians and simulated the flow of chakra, allowing him to quickly master how to circulate his energy.
Neji's job was to memorize Mr. Crow's words and the feedback from his own body. This was the sixth time such a lesson had taken place. From his initial resistance, Neji had gradually begun to accept it. While this cultivation method was somewhat disgusting, it was undeniably effective.
Two hours later, hundreds of black beetles flew out of Neji's mouth. Simu had successfully completed the night's teaching, having informed Neji of all the pressure points required to execute the Gentle Fist. Furthermore, he had used the beetles to simulate the chakra flow several times. Given Neji's talent and perseverance, he would likely master the fist technique within a few days of practice.
"Alright. You can practice slowly on your own now. Once you have mastered the Eight Trigrams Palms, I will come for you again."
With that, Simu vanished before Neji could even offer his thanks. He had a more important matter to attend to:
The analysis of all the Hyuga Clan's data was finally complete.