Chapter 7: The Hawk Strikes the Cage
This kind of terrifying speed was a devastating blow to the world of shinobi.
The support ninjas broke out in cold sweat, finally understanding why Asuma had fallen into silence.
"You all carry on. I need to report to Lord Hokage."
Asuma reached into his pocket for a cigarette, then suddenly remembered—this was the game world.
While the in-game shop did sell cigarettes, he couldn't bring himself to spend his points on them.
...
"A game world outside of the shinobi world?"
Sound Village, in a secret underground research facility.
Dim lights flickered across shelves lined with glass containers, holding samples extracted from special test subjects—Jūgo's blood and cells.
Orochimaru licked his lips. His golden, snake-like pupils gleamed with confusion and interest.
For a moment, he even wondered if Kabuto, the one who had delivered this message, had betrayed him.
Absurd.
Yet, the more absurd it seemed, the more Orochimaru felt an itch deep in his heart—he had to uncover the truth.
Unfortunately, Kabuto, now a player, was under heavy surveillance by Konoha's ANBU and couldn't make a move. Otherwise, Orochimaru would have already performed a thorough dissection.
"Lord Orochimaru."
A shinobi radiating cold chakra entered the lab.
Without turning his head, Orochimaru tossed him the paper included with Kabuto's intel and ordered, "Kidōmaru, go with Jirōbō and bring this person to me."
Kidōmaru carefully caught the note and saw it contained information about a noble from the Land of Fire.
"Eternal life… now that's something worth looking forward to."
A wicked smile curled at Orochimaru's lips.
He hadn't expected such a massive shift in the shinobi world. The plan to destroy Konoha would need to be accelerated.
...
Two days later.
Even the two support ninjas, who had the weakest sense for battle, had completed their class advancements.
"Neji and I both became Brawlers. Kabuto's a Stalker, and someone even became a Mage Apprentice. There are so many different classes in the Reincarnation Game… I wonder which one is the strongest."
Asuma grew more disturbed the more he talked.
The game's classes drew from knowledge of other worlds.
Whether Brawler, Stalker, or Mage Apprentice—they were all powered by unique systems of energy, completely separate from chakra, yet functioning in the same way.
Each class represented a different foreign world.
The more intel he gathered, the more he realized just how terrifying and mysterious this Reincarnation Game truly was.
Asuma let out a long sigh. "That's it for today. Everyone, get some rest."
Naruto was reluctant and wanted to keep going, but Asuma firmly shut him down.
In the game, their souls were active, but their real bodies remained in a dormant state. Staying in too long could lead to malnutrition.
Hyūga Neji logged out of the game.
Just as he was about to cook something to replenish his energy, he sensed that someone had been in his home. A letter lay on the table in his living room.
He opened the envelope and read the letter silently.
Then he stood and headed toward the central compound of the Hyūga Clan, arriving at a lavish courtyard.
"Neji, is that you? Come in."
A calm and gentle voice called from within.
Expressionless, Neji stepped inside and knelt respectfully, lifting his head slightly.
A man in a flowing white robe sat on a soft cushion, his black hair draped over his shoulders. His pure white eyes were serene, and his forehead was unmarked.
"Lord Patriarch."
Neji knelt low, eyes downcast.
The familiar face before him, so much like his father's, belonged to the current head of the Hyūga clan—Hyūga Hiashi.
Hiashi smiled kindly. "Tired lately?"
Though the S-rank mission issued by the Hokage was supposed to be top secret, rumors had started swirling around the village, enough to make the clan leader uneasy.
Neji shook his head. "Serving the village is a ninja's duty."
Hiashi frowned slightly but quickly composed himself. "The village is important, yes. But you're also a genius of the Hyūga clan. You must also serve the family."
"Yes."
Neji responded firmly.
Hiashi's gaze lingered on the young man before him. Guilt flashed in his eyes.
"Neji," he said slowly, "the village is the great tree, the Hyūga clan is the trunk, and you are one of its branches. Only when the trunk is strong can the branches grow tall. Do you understand?"
"I do."
Still, a short and emotionless answer.
Hiashi frowned again and drummed his fingers on the floor. Seeing Neji's silent and expressionless face, he quietly pulled his hand back.
He won't talk about the mission…
An S-rank mission, issued directly by the Hokage—this level of confidentiality only existed during the war era.
But this was a time of peace. No signs of troop buildups in any nation. That made the sudden S-rank mission especially unusual.
Still, seeing Neji refuse to say anything, Hiashi shook his head and said, "You may go. Just remember, the family will always be your support."
"Yes."
Neji exited the room quietly.
The Reincarnation Game was a top-secret mission assigned by the Hokage. As long as he kept his mouth shut, even the head of the main family couldn't push too hard.
If the main family discovered the existence of the game—especially that it could allow him to break free from the Caged Bird Seal—they would lock him up, keep him under tight surveillance.
That was something Neji could never accept.
He was even prepared to endure further punishment from the seal if necessary. But to his surprise, Hiashi had let him go so easily.
Was it guilt? Or pity?
A wave of anger surged within Neji. He clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms until blood dripped from between his fingers.
Back in his room, he now held a scroll.
He unrolled it and carefully read its contents all the way to the end.
Then he closed his eyes tightly, brought his fingers together, and channeled chakra into his eyes. The energy followed a complex pattern.
The next second—
It felt as if flames engulfed his eyeballs. Agonizing pain tore through his head as though his eyes had been tossed into a blazing furnace, burning everything in their path.
In just two seconds, Neji collapsed, unable to hold his stance. His hands clutched his eye sockets.
When he opened his eyes again—
His Byakugan was filled with blood-red lines, his vision blurred.
But the twisted, ferocious seal on his forehead had faded—just slightly.
The Caged Bird Seal was etched directly into the soul. Not even those resurrected by Edo Tensei could escape its curse.
Even Hyūga Tennin, the researcher who once studied the seal, never fully discovered a way to remove it.
To break the seal carried immense risk—it could even lead to blindness.
And a shinobi with a bloodline like the Byakugan, once blind, would be as good as useless.
But—
Neji clutched his face, enduring the soul-deep agony.
Since when? Since he was branded with the Caged Bird? Since the day his father died?
He had lived in bitterness, blaming everything on fate, resenting the main family, yet submitting like a dog that had accepted its lot in life.
Until the Reincarnation Game appeared.
As that mysterious figure had said—this was a game. And if you won, the prize was a chance to change your destiny.
Even if it meant enduring unbearable pain, even if it meant gouging out his eyes—
If it could break the chains of fate—
He would pay the price without hesitation.
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