Chapter 46 C46
Kana knew very well that with the village's current manpower, they would definitely send someone to chase after Sasuke once they discovered he was gone, and she, as an "idle" Jonin, was the best candidate. So, taking advantage of Tsunade's words that she should rest first, she ran away to the other world of summoning beasts to hide away in peace and quiet.
But for ordinary people like them, knowing when to advance and when to retreat is the way to survive.
If you're too idle and keep testing the limits of tolerance, your boss's soft heart won't work anymore.
So Kana returned in the afternoon.
A lot can happen in half a day.
The only saving grace was that no one died.
After defeating Kidomaru, Neji still had the strength to help Kiba deal with Sakon and Ukon. Most of his previous opponents were not enough to make him use his full strength. It wasn't until he faced the Sound Ninja that everyone had a more direct understanding of his reputation as a genius.
Kana visited Choji Akimichi at the hospital, but he was still unconscious, so she brought the bento box back for dinner. She sat cross-legged at the low table, glanced at it, and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why that expression?"
Neji gripped his headband tightly; the metal plate exuded a chilling aura, almost cutting his palm.
"A caged bird..." He heard his own voice trembling, "Wouldn't that cause a blind spot in the whites of its eyes?"
Kidomaru clearly knows something about the Hyuga clan, and the source of his information is easy to guess—Orochimaru, the current leader of Otogakure and a rogue ninja from Konoha. Given his status in the village back then, it's not surprising that he knows about this kind of trivial matter concerning the Hyuga clan.
However, Neji recalled his battle with Kidomaru.
Neji didn't expect this at first, but after Kidomaru shot kunai and chakra arrows from 360 degrees several times without success, he still did the same thing—as if he was very sure that he should have a blind spot.
“I’ve tried it with them.” He sparred with several members of the clan’s branch families and finally determined the location: “The second vertebra of the sternum on the back…”
He slowly approached Kana, knelt beside her, and forced a smile. "Shouldn't I have had that too?"
The chirping of cicadas outside, along with the clear sound of the wind blowing through the eaves of the corridor, all faded away in an instant.
The barrier was now complete, and Kana lowered her hands from the hand seals.
The family was reluctant to discuss this potentially fatal flaw when they separated from their spouses. Everyone had a dog chain nailed to the same spot on their sternum, as if it were a humiliating tattoo, and no one wanted to mention it.
Therefore, Neji always believed that the Caged Bird Seal was merely a means used by the main family to control the life and death of the branch families.
"Close your eyes."
Neji felt something cover his face, and after a while, he felt someone gently rubbing his forehead with their fingers through a soft fabric.
"Open your eyes." Kana pushed the cork back in, the small, transparent bottle already more than half empty. "Go wash your face."
Neji stood in front of the mirror, his face covered in water. A drop of cool water ran down his wet temples, across his clean, white forehead, and landed heavily on his lower eyelashes.
There was a knock on the bathroom door, which was not closed.
He blinked, and the water droplet hit the ground, leaving a tear stain.
He almost stumbled as he lunged at Kana, reaching out to touch her forehead, but pulled his hand back just before it touched her, asking cautiously, "And what about you?"
Kana thought he would be curious about how he did it, but to her surprise, this was the first thing he paid attention to. She subconsciously reached up and touched her head. "It's too much trouble to redraw it, so I won't remove it."
There was no response for a long time.
Neji kept his head down, not saying a word, his shoulders trembling slightly.
She belatedly realized what was happening, her brows furrowing slightly. "Aren't you happy?"
Because she kept the truth from him all along?
But if it gets discovered, it will be really troublesome. However, even a white lie is still a lie. Kana knew she was in the wrong. "I'm sorry, I was going to tell you after you've grown a bit more." At least she had to wait until he had enough strength to protect her. If she had to use "betraying the village if she couldn't fight back" as a backup plan, the strength of an ordinary Jonin was not enough.
"Is it because of me?" The voice was like a handful of sand mixed in, hoarse and rough, each word rubbing against the throat, yet the dampness in the voice could be clearly heard, as if the voice itself was also shedding tears.
If she hadn't been caged from the beginning, with her strength, she could have challenged the main family or left this place—if it weren't for him being such a burden.
He recalled what the Third Elder had once said: that having a burden would not only be of no benefit to your cultivation, but would also distract you.
Neji once thought that what trapped her was the damned cursed seal of the main family, the corrupt and stubborn injustice of the Hyuga clan, and the indifference of Konoha. In the end, it was himself who trapped her.
"It's me..." He tried to keep his voice steady, but it trembled like a taut string, emitting a dangerous buzzing sound as if it was about to snap. "It's me who has dragged you down..."
Kana raised her hand and delivered a head-slashing blow.
This package has always been exclusively for Sasuke. Neji has made things very easy for her these past few years, so much so that she hasn't yet experienced her ruthless iron fist.
I'm completely dazed right now.
Hilarious! Lu Qu even slandered her, saying she spoils children and that she hits people really hard.
"That was my own choice." Kana reached for her handkerchief, but found nothing. She then remembered that the handkerchief had been stained with paint solvent, so she haphazardly smeared it on the child's face with her hand, not lightly, and Neji's eyes turned red.
She really didn't know how to comfort people or soothe children. She sighed and said, "Why don't you come find me after you've finished crying?"
As she turned around, someone grabbed the hem of her clothes.
Neji looked at her intently, the stinging red at the corner of his eye strangely mingling with his quickly composed expression, like a letter soaked in tears yet forcibly sealed away. "What should I do?"
“I will find you a teacher.” The idea, which started as a seed, has now gradually unfolded into a clear leaf. “You will go out with him to cultivate for a period of time.”
“I can learn from you.” The hand gripping the hem of her clothes tightened. “I’ll just learn from you, why…”
“Neji, you’re not a seven or eight-year-old child anymore.” Kana’s tone was calm, yet undeniably firm as she pulled the hem of her dress back. “This is a better choice for you. I also have my own things to do.”
Neji's hand was still suspended in mid-air, maintaining the posture of clenching something.
"Okay. I'll listen to you." He lowered his empty hand; he was still too weak to grasp anything.
When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with determination. "I will become stronger."
Having always been protected, I also want to become someone who can protect you.
Naruto wanted to become stronger to become Hokage and gain recognition from others; Sasuke wanted to become stronger to take revenge himself; but my goal has never changed.
Kana's suggestion to find Neji a teacher was not a spur-of-the-moment decision.
To be honest, Kana has always suspected that Tobirama Senju was some kind of big shot who traveled to this world from somewhere. Putting aside those forbidden techniques built on the steel-like foundation of mathematics, physics, and chemistry, he actually created a compulsory education system in a ninja world where the average level of education is prenatal education.
However, this mechanism also has its drawbacks. Perhaps they weren't noticed at the beginning, but the cracks that have persisted to this day cannot have gone unnoticed, yet no one seems to want to change them.
——Learn Valve.
A variant of inheritance similar to bloodline.
To give a simple example: Kakashi, who is somewhat famous in the five great cities, was a student of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Minato's teacher was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and before that, the Second Hokage.
This continent is home to many powerful figures, including Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and even those who secretly participate in politics like Mitomon, Danzo, and Utatane. Looking further back, the current Third Tsuchikage and Fourth Raikage all have renowned teachers.
When she first made a name for herself in the ninja world, many of her opponents asked her the same question: Who is your teacher?
When the lineage of ninjas mainly relies on the personal instruction and resource allocation of teachers, it is inevitable that the upward mobility channels for ordinary people will be blocked by powerful clans and factions.
People like Kana are the real oddities.
Kana saw things very clearly, but she had no intention of reforming the education system. This kind of troublesome matter should be handled by the Hokage, who has a sense of responsibility and lofty ideals; it's none of her business.
However, the fastest way to advance from an ordinary ninja to the Kage level is to find a sufficiently strong teacher.
She set her sights on Jiraiya.
The expected rejection.
The reason given is that "there's no fun in nurturing someone who's already a genius."
"Okay, I understand."
Jiraiya was somewhat surprised that he had given up so easily.
To be honest, neither Hyuga Kana nor Hyuga Neji were Jiraiya's type. He personally preferred those who were rough around the edges but meticulous, with a touch of natural whimsy and intuitiveness, and they got along better with him. If Orochimaru hadn't left back then, he probably would have been more to Jiraiya's liking.
But after all, it was the old man who owed her.
"Well, I thought you were teaching him quite well, so why did you suddenly want to talk to me?"
Do you know who my teacher is?
"What?"
"Lady Tsunade asked me who I learned medical ninjutsu from." Kana's tone was calm, as if stating a fact. "When I was a child, my adoptive mother was often in the hospital because of her poor health. I went to the hospital a lot and learned it myself."
"As for physical skills, my adoptive father taught me a little when I was a child—but he died a few years later."
"Swordsmanship was taught to me by a soft-hearted fool who took pity on me—and he died later too."
"Ninjutsu is learned by sparring with others—that person is long gone."
"After I graduated and before I joined the Anbu, I spent a year on genin missions. My mentor was named Akiyama," Kana smiled slightly. "Do you know him, Jiraiya-sama?"
“You probably haven’t heard of him.” It hardly takes any thought; for people at the top like them, the names of ordinary people are hard to remember. “He was originally from the Konoha Sealing Team, so I learned barrier techniques from him.”
Jiraiya's expression slowly turned serious. He knew what she was expressing; it wasn't even an accusation, nor was it resentment.
"I just don't want Neji to end up like me."
Only by cheating, deceiving, and using any means necessary can one stand on the same starting line as others; only by betting on others' momentary leniency can one gain the right to negotiate.
“I respect your decision. After all, these things can’t be forced.” Kana stood up. “I still need to give Lady Tsunade an answer, so I’ll take my leave now.”
A strange premonition struck Jiraiya, and he asked, "What answer?"
"Lady Tsunade wants me to be her acting department head. I'm going to refuse her."
Jiraiya frowned.
Kana sighed and looked at him with a "let them eat cake" look. "Does Jiraiya-sama know how many missions the Anbu carry out in a month? How long do they have to stay outside? If I want to teach Neji, I can't join the Anbu."
Jiraiya's eyes sharpened. "Are you threatening me?" Tsunade, newly appointed, urgently needs to consolidate power. If she's willing to take sides at this crucial time, things will be much easier. Since he's already left this mess to her, he can't just leave her without helping at all.
Kana shook her head.
Why do these people always think the worst of others? She's being very sincere.
"This is my sincerity."
"Well then, I'll be going now. I wish you and Naruto a successful training."
step,
Two steps,
Three steps.
"etc."
Kana turned around.
"Have the child pack his things, we'll leave the day after tomorrow."
“He’s different from me, he’s a good kid.” Unlike her, who is a selfish person who doesn’t care about things that don’t concern him, Neji, even after knowing that he wasn’t branded as a caged bird, would still feel pain and anger over the fate of the divided family, and even want to do something to change it.
Kana's smile finally had a hint of genuine emotion. "You'll like him."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
