Chapter 112: Want To Understand The Meaning Of Freedom?
Late at night, the Hokage Building was brightly lit.
The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi changed into a battle suit, the armor gleaming with cold metal luster under the candlelight.
After Hiashi Hyuga handed over the forewarning letter, Shikaku Nara led the careful analysis of the contents inside the ‘forewarning letter’.
Shikaku Nara’s fingertip traced the dark pattern on the parchment, his brow furrowing deeper, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane whispering their speculations, Inoichi Yamanaka closing his eyes to sense the chakra fluctuation remaining in the handwriting.
Meanwhile, Choza Akimichi’s burly figure always blocked the window, like a silent city wall.
【When the pendulum kisses the twelfth mark】
【Moonlight will pity the door without locks】
【In the sigh of the caged bird】
【I will take away Hamura’s gift】
【—Shura】
“I have already ordered Anbu to lead the first squad to provide support, but to avoid interfering with the Hyuga Clan’s Byakugan detection, they are only on alert at the periphery of the Hyuga Clan Territory.” Hiruzen Sarutobi fastened the armor on his wrist and made the following arrangements.
“The Konoha Military Police Force is responsible for patrolling and guarding the village outskirts, Anbu second squad for patrolling and guarding inside the village, Inoichi Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi, Shikaku Nara, lead the jonin squad and main forces, ready to support the Hyuga Clan Territory at any time.”
Since it was unknown exactly how the enemy would infiltrate, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not deploy all forces when assigning patrol and guard tasks.
Instead, he had the Uchiha Clan handle the village outskirts, Anbu handle inside the village, and gathered most of the jonin and special jonin combat power around the Hokage Building on standby.
At the same time, to guard against Shura feinting in one direction to strike in another, Hiruzen Sarutobi also ordered the other ninja clans to strengthen their own guards, and to immediately launch a signal flare upon discovering Shura’s traces!
“Has the content of this forewarning letter been analyzed?” After organizing his battle gear, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s gaze sharpened like a hawk as he looked toward Shikaku Nara.
Shikaku Nara spread out the forewarning letter and said, “Hokage-sama, according to the jonin squad and council’s speculation.”
“This first sentence ‘When the pendulum kisses the twelfth mark’ likely refers to the twelve hours, the twelfth hour being the hour of the rat, that is, 23:00-1:”
“The second sentence ‘Moonlight will pity the door without locks’ has two current interpretations: one is moonlight illumination, the second is the gate of the Hyuga Clan Territory.”
“As for the third sentence…”
At this point, Shikaku Nara looked toward Hiashi Hyuga.
For outsiders, the caged bird is the Hyuga Clan’s inherited secret, so they naturally needed to consider their feelings, thus Shikaku Nara stopped there.
“The caged bird generally refers to the entire Hyuga Clan.” Hiashi Hyuga said in a deep voice.
Homura Mitokado continued the topic, asking, “Then, what does the last sentence ‘I will take away Hamura’s gift’ mean?”
Hamura was clearly a person’s name, but everyone present, whether Hiruzen Sarutobi or advisors like Homura Mitokado, or even Shikaku Nara the jonin squad leader, had never heard this name.
He had heard of Hagoromo, that was a ninja clan once opposed to the Senju Clan.
Later, because the employer felt the Hagoromo Clan failed to complete the commission, they switched to the Uchiha Clan, and for a time, Senju Clan ninjas even had to face off against both the Hagoromo Clan and Uchiha Clan in missions.
But now the Hagoromo Clan had declined.
“As for the name Hamura, in the clan records I consulted, I only found fragments; it seems to be an ancestor of our Hyuga Clan.” Hiashi Hyuga did not lie.
After a thousand years, Otsutsuki Hamura’s descendants split into multiple families, and Hamura’s main family was on the moon, so the descendants living in the ninja world were like neglected branch family members.
Thus, the Hyuga Clan and Kaguya Clan had scant records of Otsutsuki Hamura.
“But the opponent actually knows this name…” Koharu Utatane pushed her glasses frame, her expression grave.
From this single forewarning letter alone, it could be inferred that Shura had deep knowledge of the Hyuga Clan, and likely even had ties to it.
Homura Mitokado looked at Hiashi Hyuga sitting opposite: “So, what exactly is Hamura’s gift?”
No one had ever heard of the Hyuga Clan having any legendary ninja tools or the like.
The only thing that could be considered a treasure was that pair of Byakugan.
Hiashi Hyuga naturally understood this, which was why he had gathered all the main family clan members for protection.
——————
Hyuga Clan Territory.
Branch family courtyard, because many branch family chunin and above ninjas had been transferred to the main family courtyard to protect main family personnel, or formed teams for patrol tasks around the clan territory, the branch family courtyard had far fewer people.
Five-year-old Neji Hyuga tossed and turned, unable to sleep, always feeling like something was about to happen.
He sat up from the bed, glanced at the bright moon outside the window, and remembered his father’s instructions.
‘Tonight, don’t go anywhere.’ That was what his father had told him before being called away by the main family elders.
The young Neji didn’t know what had happened in the clan, but it must be very serious.
Just like last year when Miss Hinata was kidnapped, and mysterious ninjas attacked the Hyuga Clan Territory.
The night wind blew in from the window, bringing a slight chill.
Neji Hyuga suddenly noticed that on the window, at some unknown time, a figure was sitting.
The black robe fluttered in the wind, the fox mask on the face gleaming coldly under the moonlight.
“Shura!” Neji stood up from the bed, his small face full of vigilance.
As the child of the branch family head, the future heir to the branch family head, Neji had naturally heard about last year’s attack incident.
His own father was severely injured by Shura!
“Keen perception.” Menma sat on the windowsill, tilting his head slightly, looking at the caged bird curse mark on Neji’s forehead.
The genius of the Hyuga Branch Family.
“Byakugan! Open!” The five-year-old Neji had already awakened his eyes and undergone clan training, knowing some basic Gentle Fist taijutsu.
But just as Neji opened his Byakugan and prepared to call for help, he was surprised to find that in the Byakugan’s field of view, he couldn’t see the person on the windowsill at all!
“Gone?” Neji closed his Byakugan again.
But he saw the person still leaning on the windowsill, maintaining the same posture watching him.
“How is that possible!” Neji was shocked, having never encountered such a situation since awakening his eyes.
The person before him was instead invisible in the Byakugan’s field of view?!
For the first time, the clan’s instilled concept of the Byakugan’s abilities came into doubt.
“The taste of the caged bird… isn’t pleasant, is it.” Menma jumped down from the windowsill and slowly walked toward Neji.
The little Neji, seeing the aura emanating from the other, was already trembling all over in fear, not daring to move, cold sweat breaking out all over his body.
Menma placed his right hand on Neji’s forehead.
“Secret Technique: Caged Seal!” A violent, dark chakra entered Neji’s brain, covering the caged bird on his forehead and temporarily sealing it.
Feeling the slight stimulation on his forehead, Neji’s Byakugan unleashed a 360-degree field of view.
After being marked with the caged bird at three years old, Neji felt freedom once again! This feeling of long drought meeting sweet rain made him tremble with excitement all over.
Menma nodded in satisfaction.
Although Neji was still young, it didn’t hinder Menma from starting to carve this pawn now.
“Do you understand the meaning of freedom? Do you want to truly live?”
Leaving these words, Menma vanished from Neji’s room.
