Pain.
From his eyes straight into his brain, as if someone were repeatedly stabbing needles into his eyeballs and brain—then shocking them with electricity on top of that.
In just an instant, it felt as though he'd been dragged into hell to be tortured.
This was not pain a human being was meant to endure.
No wonder most branch family members couldn't withstand it.
Pain was only one aspect of it—there was also an intense burning sensation, stabbing agony, a gritty, tearing feeling.
Countless dense negative sensations piled together, to the point that Hyuga Arin felt the world itself begin to twist and distort.
"Endorphin!!"
Hyuga Arin let out a low roar.
His brain automatically released massive amounts of numbing hormones, forcibly suppressing the pain.
He held on.
Barely, Hyuga Arin managed to lift one eye. Everything before him had become blurry; Hyuga Hiashi was nothing more than a black silhouette.
He kicked off the ground and closed the distance. The bronze war blade appeared in his hand, slicing through the air and stopping at Hiashi's neck.
"Gulp."
Hiashi stopped forming seals and swallowed hard.
Only then did Hyuga Arin feel a bit better. He kept one eye open, staring at Hiashi, his face filled with icy killing intent.
"Let's gamble."
He grinned at Hiashi.
"Will you destroy my brain and eyes first, or will I kill you first?"
He called it a gamble—
But Hyuga Arin knew perfectly well that Hiashi didn't dare to kill him.
The commotion here had already drawn the attention of the camp.
Hiashi would never bear the crime of murdering a fellow Konoha ninja.
Hyuga Arin had always been fearless because he knew he wouldn't die.
As a player, he simply couldn't bring himself to bow his head and submit.
Better to suffer with dignity than to live without dignity and without pain.
Players would never be slaves—unless it was a quest.
And he didn't even have a quest system—just a status panel.
Why should he listen to the main house?
A bunch of NPCs, trying to control him.
He'd kill them all sooner or later.
Hiashi didn't move.
He truly didn't dare to kill Hyuga Arin outright. Even if he technically held Hyuga Arin's life in his hands, he couldn't shoulder the consequences of killing a comrade.
He was afraid.
But even more than that, he was afraid Hyuga Arin would actually strike.
Compared to his own countless restraints, Hyuga Arin embodied pure, reckless freedom.
In Hiashi's mind, Hyuga Arin really might kill him.
Just as the two faced off—
A figure leapt out of the forest, fist raised, smashing down between them from above.
A pale fist slammed into the ground.
Boom!!
The earth shattered, dust exploding outward and obscuring the surroundings.
Within the dust cloud, both Hyuga Arin and Hiashi jumped back at the same time.
As the dust slowly settled—
Tsunade stood between them, her expression extremely ugly as she barked coldly,
"I don't care what grudges exist between the Hyuga main family and branch family. Right now, you are both my subordinates, and you will obey me!!"
One glance was enough for her to understand what had happened—and she knew Hiashi had initiated it.
Tsunade cast a frosty look at Hiashi.
"What you did today—I'll be reporting it to your father."
Attacking a companion in a key strategic area was an outright scandal for Konoha.
Hiashi's face was heavy.
He had only wanted to seize an opportunity to punish Hyuga Arin—but he never imagined Hyuga Arin would forcibly endure the pain of the Caged Bird Seal.
Hyuga Arin shot Hiashi a cold look and slowly drew a finger across his own throat.
Hiashi's life—
Hyuga Arin had his eye on it.
"Hyuga Arin!!" Tsunade shouted sharply at him.
"Don't keep provoking things. Even if you're my disciple, I won't indulge you."
"Understood, Tsunade-sensei," Hyuga Arin replied with a grin, as if nothing had happened.
But he understood perfectly—
Those words meant Tsunade was backing him.
Hiashi's expression didn't just grow heavy—it became downright awful.
Someone who could withstand the Caged Bird Seal and had Tsunade's support…
Hyuga Arin had completely slipped out of the Hyuga clan's control.
Hyuga Hizashi came running over from afar, one backpack in each hand.
Earlier, it had been Hiashi who noticed Hyuga Arin first and rushed ahead.
He had assumed Hyuga Arin would be punished—but looking at the situation now, Hyuga Arin seemed completely unharmed.
This wasn't something Hizashi could interfere in.
He stood beside Hiashi in silence.
Tsunade rubbed her temples with a headache.
"This squad doesn't need to continue anymore. Once the handover is complete, this team is disbanded!"
This damned team—whoever wanted to deal with it could do so.
She, Tsunade, was done.
"As punishment, the two of you are confined!!"
…
The prison built within the camp.
It was meant to hold enemy ninja and extract intelligence, but it had only just been completed—no enemy prisoners had been captured yet.
Unlike the Hyuga clan's dungeons, this place had ninja patrols at all times.
Tsunade grabbed one with each hand and signaled the guards to open the cells.
The chūnin in green flak jackets quickly unlocked two cell doors.
Tsunade threw both Hiashi and Hyuga Arin inside.
"Stay here and reflect properly!"
She spoke coldly.
Hyuga Arin plopped down on the ground, then quickly got up and walked to the cell door.
"Tsunade-sensei, if the team is disbanded… can I stay here?"
"Hm?" Tsunade stopped and turned to look at him.
The rift between Hyuga Arin and Hiashi was now irreparable.
If Hyuga Arin returned to Konoha, the Hyuga clan would definitely punish him severely.
This time, it wouldn't be something as mild as confinement.
She glanced sideways at the neighboring cell and said gravely,
"You should know—some things can't be avoided."
No matter how long Hyuga Arin stayed here, he would eventually have to face the Hyuga clan.
"Tsunade-sensei, one year is enough. Let me stay here for one year."
Hyuga Arin completely ignored Hiashi in the next cell, treating him as if he were dead.
One year was enough to resolve the Caged Bird Seal problem.
Rain Hidden Village ninja dropped items that could solve the Caged Bird Seal—but they could only be used after reaching level 18 and changing class.
One year was plenty of time.
Once he removed the Caged Bird Seal, even if he returned to Konoha, the Hyuga clan would have no way to deal with him.
Tsunade's eyes sharpened, killing intent leaking as she stared at Hyuga Arin.
"If you become a missing-nin, I'll personally kill you."
Still, the chance of Hyuga Arin becoming a missing-nin was very small.
The Caged Bird Seal could end his life at any moment.
"Don't worry, Tsunade-sensei," Hyuga Arin replied with a smile.
Before the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars, he had no intention of becoming a missing-nin.
If he wanted to safely participate in war and farm experience, he needed a big tree behind him.
And war—
Was the best time to grind experience.
"I hope so," Tsunade frowned slightly, then turned and left.
The chūnin who had opened the door made an innocent expression, as if to say none of this had anything to do with him.
He didn't even lock the door completely.
He was just a civilian ninja—he couldn't afford to offend the Hyuga clan.
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