Chapter 140 (Patreon)

Training Ground Eight, Konoha.

A figure raced through the forest, weaving between the trees at high speed. Upon closer inspection, a much smaller figure could be seen clinging to his back.

“Yujiro-san, I found him,” Hinata reported softly. “About a kilometer ahead and slightly to the left.”

“Got it.”

Yujiro smiled and immediately changed direction.

It wasn’t that he particularly wanted to carry Hinata. She simply couldn’t match his speed, and at their previous pace, finding both Kiba and Shino before noon would have been difficult.

That was why Yujiro had suggested carrying her.

Hinata hadn’t refused. She was well aware that speed wasn’t her strong point.

A few seconds later, they stopped behind a large tree.

Kiba stared at them with a bitter expression.

“Yujiro-sama, you two are cheating!”

“It only counts as cheating if I admit it.”

Yujiro flashed him a grin.

The next instant, he vanished with Hinata still on his back.

“It doesn’t count if he refuses to admit it...?”

Kiba stared blankly at Akamaru.

“Since when does it work like that?”

Elsewhere in the forest, Hinata was beginning to struggle. Even though Yujiro was carrying her, holding on while he moved at such speed was exhausting.

“Yujiro-san,” she whispered, “could we rest for a little while?”

Yujiro nodded and lowered her to the ground.

Hinata quietly breathed a sigh of relief before stretching her stiff arms and legs.

After resting for five minutes, Yujiro suddenly leaned down and swept her into his arms.

Hinata let out a startled cry.

“H-Huh?!”

“Hold on tight,” Yujiro said with an amused smile. “Don’t blame me if you fall.”

Hinata froze as she stared up at his face.

“Hinata.”

She continued staring at him in a daze.

“Stop looking at me and watch where we’re going.”

“R-Right!”

Half an hour later, Yujiro and Hinata found Shino concealed beneath the surface of a river.

With both Kiba and Shino caught, everyone returned to Training Ground Eight.

Yujiro checked the time before turning toward the three members of Team Eight.

“Not bad. All three of you performed well.”

Kiba immediately perked up, while Hinata smiled with quiet relief. Shino remained as composed as ever.

“Keep training,” Yujiro continued. “I’ll be stopping by without warning from time to time to see how much you’ve improved.”

“Yes!”

The three answered in unison.

Kurenai approached them from the edge of the training ground.

“That’s enough for today. It’s already lunchtime, so let’s get some yakiniku. My treat.”

Yujiro was about to respond when he noticed two figures racing toward them from the distance.

“Take Kiba and Shino ahead, Nee-san. It looks like I won’t be able to join you.”

Kurenai followed his gaze and recognized the approaching figures.

She sighed.

“All right.”

She then left with Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru, leaving only Yujiro and Hinata behind.

It wasn’t long before Hiashi and Hizashi arrived.

“Commander Yujiro,” Hizashi greeted him.

“What brings both of you here?” Yujiro asked with a smile.

“The situation has grown too serious for us to decide how to handle it on our own,” Hizashi explained with a heavy sigh. “We came to seek your counsel.”

“Let me guess.”

The corner of Yujiro’s mouth lifted slightly.

“This concerns the Branch Family.”

“What?!”

Hiashi and Hizashi both stared at him in surprise.

“More specifically, the recent disturbance caused by the Caged Bird Seal.”

Neither brother could conceal his shock.

“Let’s go,” Yujiro said casually. “The Hyūga clan is part of Konoha. If there’s trouble within the clan, I can hardly ignore it.”

In truth, Yujiro had already sensed the small uprising within the Hyūga compound several days earlier, despite being inside his own home at the time.

His perception had been refined to an almost absurd degree.

Any unusual chakra fluctuation within Konoha—or even in the surrounding region—could be detected by him almost instantly.

Besides, what else could cause such unrest within the Hyūga clan other than the Caged Bird Seal?

“Thank you, Commander!”

Hiashi and Hizashi hurriedly bowed.

Yujiro then accompanied the two brothers back to the Hyūga compound.

He rarely visited the Hyūga estate because he had never had much reason to do so.

After passing through several courtyards and rows of residences, they finally reached the central estate belonging to the Main Family.

Once inside, Hiashi recounted everything that had happened within the clan over the past several days.

“Commander, how do you believe we should handle this?”

A trace of hope appeared in Hiashi’s eyes.

“The Caged Bird Seal is what created the rift between your Main and Branch Families, isn’t it?” Yujiro asked.

He gave them a simple answer.

“Then remove it.”

Hiashi’s expression immediately turned troubled.

“It isn’t that simple, Commander. The Caged Bird Seal cannot be undone while its bearer is alive. It remains until death.”

“Who told you that?” Yujiro asked with a faint smile.

Hiashi hesitated.

“That knowledge has been passed down through the clan for generations.”

“And that is exactly the problem.”

Yujiro looked directly at him.

“The Hyūga clan has endured since the Warring States Period. You’ve survived countless battles and wars, yet across all those generations, no one within the clan ever seriously attempted to remove the Caged Bird Seal.”

“Instead, the clan continued placing it on one generation after another.”

Yujiro’s expression remained calm.

“If nothing changes, the Hyūga clan won’t survive another hundred years.”

His words were blunt and undeniably harsh.

Hiashi could only smile bitterly. He had no response.

“Remove your forehead protector,” Yujiro said as he approached Hizashi.

Hizashi was briefly taken aback, but he obeyed and removed it.

The mark of the Caged Bird Seal was clearly visible upon his forehead.

Yujiro studied it closely.

Once he focused his refined perception upon the seal, every strand of chakra forming its structure became clear to him.

In an instant, he found a way to unravel it.

“Caged Bird Seal: Release!”

Yujiro’s hands moved through several unfamiliar hand seals.

A green glow appeared around his fingers before settling over Hizashi’s forehead.

What happened next left Hiashi staring in disbelief.

The Caged Bird Seal on Hizashi’s forehead slowly began to fade.

A few moments later, it vanished completely.

At the same time, Hizashi felt the restraint that had imprisoned him for most of his life disappear from within his body.

Joy and disbelief flooded his face.

“Brother! I... The seal...!”

Hizashi hurried over to Hiashi.

“It’s gone!” Hiashi exclaimed. “The Caged Bird Seal is gone!”

He immediately formed the hand seal used to activate the curse.

Nothing happened.

Hizashi felt no pain whatsoever.

The two brothers turned toward Yujiro, unable to hide their elation.

“I’ve found the method to remove it,” Yujiro said with a smile. “I’ll record the technique in a scroll later.”

His expression then grew more serious.

“However, we cannot remove every seal indiscriminately. The members of the Branch Family will need to be evaluated for a time first. You understand what I mean.”

“Yes! I understand perfectly!”

Hiashi nodded without hesitation, though inwardly, he was still shaken by what he had witnessed.

With a technique capable of removing the Caged Bird Seal, managing the Branch Family would become far easier.

Once every member of the Branch Family had proven their loyalty to the Main Family, Hiashi intended to abolish the division between the two sides entirely.

Until that day arrived, however, he could use the promise of having the seal removed to keep the Branch Family under control.

The way Hiashi looked at Yujiro immediately changed.

To the Hyūga clan, Yujiro was nothing less than a savior.

“Hinata!” Hiashi suddenly called out. “Where is Hinata? Have someone prepare a proper feast for lunch!”

Hinata, who had been sitting quietly beside Yujiro the entire time, hurriedly rose to her feet.

“Yes, Father! I’ll have someone prepare it immediately!”

Although Hinata was still young, she knew about the long-standing rift between the Main and Branch Families.

After seeing Yujiro resolve the enormous problem that had troubled her father and the entire clan, the feelings she already held for him grew even stronger.

Without even realizing it, Yujiro had gained yet another devoted admirer.

Yujiro could only sigh helplessly.

“I really didn’t do that much. It barely took any effort.”