Naruto: Wood-Wood Fruit

"The Caged Bird… has really been released?"

As time slowly passed, the intricate, dense Caged Bird curse seal was gradually unraveled as Kiyoshi tore apart a section, breaking it down bit by bit.

Neji felt as though some unseen shackle had suddenly been released, vanishing entirely. 

Instantly, a mysterious sense of relief washed over him. 

And with his Byakugan activated, he could now clearly "see" the once subtle blind spot that used to hinder his vision. 

Now, he possessed a true 360-degree, completely unobstructed view. An immense wave of excitement surged within him.

"All right, let's leave it at this." 

Within the mental realm, Kiyoshi looked at the thrilled Neji and said with a smile, "The remaining traces of the curse seal are just superficial runes now—they can no longer control you."

"If I completely erased it, the Hyuga Clan's Main House might detect it, which would be quite troublesome for you at this point."

"Even if Hiashi intervenes, they can't use the seal to control you anymore."

"This… is enough."

Neji trembled, overcome with an indescribable mix of joy and excitement. He was not one to be ungrateful. 

He knew that his current strength was far from being enough to challenge the stubborn Main House. 

If they discovered that his Caged Bird Seal had been undone, while they wouldn't dare to trouble Kiyoshi, they would certainly not let him go easily. 

At the very least, they might force him to have the Caged Bird Seal reinstated. As things stood, this outcome was indeed the best solution.

With tears brimming in his eyes, Neji knelt down without hesitation, bowing his head deeply. 

"Thank you, Kiyoshi. Truly… I can't thank you enough."

From this moment on, he was no longer a caged bird, he was free. 

The freedom to have control over his life, the freedom to no longer have his life and death dictated by others, filled him with a deep and unprecedented sense of relief. 

His heart overflowed with gratitude toward Kiyoshi.

"Hey, hey, this doesn't suit you." Kiyoshi sighed, seeing Neji bowing before him. "Don't get all dramatic, get up already."

"No, I must."

Kiyoshi helped Neji to his feet, but Neji couldn't stop himself from bowing again. His eyes were red, and tears rolled down his cheeks as he choked, "I truly cannot repay this debt of gratitude."

To Kiyoshi, this may have been a simple favor, but for Neji, it was a turning point that changed his destiny. 

This debt could not be repaid, save by dedicating his life to returning the kindness in any way he could.

"All right, as you wish." 

Kiyoshi understood how deeply Neji was affected. He shrugged, "Now, let me borrow your body for a moment—I want to experience the Byakugan firsthand."

"Please, as long as you need."

….

A moment later—

Neji, who had been sitting in meditation, rose to his feet. His pale white eyes were sharp and intense, with veins protruding around his eyes. 

The 360-degree black-and-white view was strange and awe-inspiring.

"I remember… that the materials Danzo sent included a Hyuga body." 

Kiyoshi mused to himself. He wondered if it might be interesting to try out the Byakugan if he combined it with the Sharingan. 

With Neji's body under his control, Kiyoshi recalled the sequence of strikes Neji had used in his Eight Trigrams: Sixteen Palms Jutsu. 

Standing by the edge of the forest and facing a line of practice posts, he took a firm stance as if he had practiced the technique countless times before.

Swish…. swish…

His movements were swift and fluid. With chakra focused in his palms, he struck out in a flurry, each strike leaving an afterimage.

Boom! Boom!

"Eight Palms. Sixteen Palms… Thirty-Two Palms… Sixty-Four Palms."

"One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Palms."

Boom! Boom!

In the mental realm, Neji stared in shock at the broken posts. He could clearly sense that Kiyoshi's chakra was no stronger than his own, yet the power of each strike was at least double. 

And somehow, Kiyoshi had effortlessly performed the entire One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Palms Jutsu. It was simply unbelievable.

"This body limits it to just One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Palms."

The small figure stood confidently among the shattered posts, unaffected. 

He murmured, "But I remember that the Hyuga Clan has a technique that emits chakra from the acupoints as a defensive barrier."

"With the Byakugan, I can indeed clearly see each acupoint in the body."

"What?"

In the mental space, Neji exclaimed in disbelief, "Could it be."

In response to his question, Kiyoshi, in Neji's body, spun rapidly. 

Chakra burst forth from each of his acupoints, and he spun like a top, creating a visible hemisphere of chakra around him. It was like a larger, semi-spherical Rasengan.

Boom! Boom!

In a flash, the ground was torn up, leaving a massive, cratered mess. A large pit marred the area—an overwhelming sight.

"This. This is the secret technique passed down through the generations of the Hyuga Clan…. Palm Rotation?" Neji was stunned, his eyes wide as he looked at the devastated surroundings.

"Don't be surprised," Kiyoshi explained. "I'm a medical ninja, so my chakra control is naturally more precise. Plus, using your body essentially gives me control of the Byakugan."

Neji could only stare. Now he understood what a true genius was. 

He recalled how he was often praised as a genius and took pride in defeating Lee. Yet now, his face reddened with embarrassment.

"Actually, the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist has a lot of room for improvement," Kiyoshi continued. "If you combined it with chakra nature transformation, its power would increase significantly."

"Although Gentle Fist can disrupt internal organs through precise strikes, it struggles against foes with special defenses or those who've undergone physical enhancements. In those cases, it lacks the impact of the Strong Fist style."

"Chakra nature transformation?"

Neji was startled by this suggestion.

"Watch closely."

Kiyoshi, still in control of Neji's body, checked his chakra nature. "Your chakra attributes are Water, Fire, and Earth."

"For offense, Fire would be most effective. and for defense, Water or Earth."

"Palm Rotation!"

Once again, Kiyoshi spun, channeling a surge of fiery chakra. 

This time, the semi-spherical chakra shield that formed began to glow with a fierce red hue, looking like a massive fireball radiating waves of heat. 

The ten-meter radius surrounding him was left as a smoldering, lifeless pit, charred and filled with scattered embers and smoke—a truly shocking sight.

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