Becomes a Rebel Ninja After Annihilating the Hyuga Clan
Chapter 1

Konoha Year 58, Ninja Academy

"The winner, Neji."

The teacher's whistle declared the match over. Ryo clutched his chest and fell to the ground, his eyes filled with anger and disbelief as he stared at Neji.

As a member of the Hyuga central family and two years older than Neji, Ryo had thought this would be a simple training match. Before the game, he even displayed the arrogance of the leading family, claiming he would give Neji some proper guidance, telling him to watch and learn. But to his shock, he lost to this branch family kid in front of everyone!!

He, Ryo, was the one who needed guidance?!

"Sorry, Ryo."

Neji extended a hand to help Ryo, but it was immediately slapped away.

"Save it! You’re just a mere branch family member… Where did you learn that technique you just used to defeat me?!"

"Why has no one in the main family ever taught it?"

Ryo had never seen such a technique before. It resembled the Hyuga family's Gentle Fist but was different. Instead of being soft on the outside and strong on the inside, it released chakra from the acupoints to form lion-like fangs—hard, fierce, and mighty. When their fists collided, Ryo felt like his hands would break.

He believed this was the only reason Neji could win.

Seeing Ryo angry and humiliated, showing none of the demeanour of a leading family elder brother, Neji dropped his friendly facade. Since his father's forced suicide, he harboured no goodwill towards any leading family member.

He calmly said, "That was Gentle Fist: Lion Fangs, a technique my brother Neiki taught me."

"Neiki? That Neiki, one of Konoha's Twin Prodigies, is your brother?" Ryo frowned.

The Twin Prodigies of Konoha referred to the two current geniuses of the village: Neiki from the Hyuga clan and Uchiha Itachi from the Uchiha clan.

Neiki and Itachi were born in the same year, graduated from the Ninja Academy in the same year, and even passed the Chunin Exam in the same year.

They were seen as the pride of their respective clans, representing the competition between the Hyuga and Uchiha clans' younger generations in Konoha.

They were each other's only rivals when they entered the Ninja Academy. While others were still struggling with clone techniques and worried about graduation, these two had already mastered advanced ninjutsu and graduated early, leaving their peers far behind.

Because of their exceptional talents and unique backgrounds, every match between them attracted significant attention and extra meaning.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, coined the term "Twin Prodigies of Konoha" after witnessing their brilliant performances in the Chunin Exam. Since then, the name has spread throughout Konoha.

"Yes." Neji lifted his head slightly, a hint of pride showing when talking about Neiki.

Neiki's rise might not be the Hyuga clan's pride, but it certainly was the pride of the Hyuga branch family! Neji's dream was to become an excellent ninja like his brother Neiki.

In his view, the more outstanding they were, the more it proved the failure of the Hyuga clan's caged bird system and showed that the central family, which had lost its sense of crisis, was the real caged bird unwilling to improve.

"So Neiki is actually from the Hyuga branch family…" The surrounding Ninja Academy teachers whispered, surprised.

Neiki, one of Konoha's Twin Prodigies, was well-known in Konoha. Due to his outstanding skills and excellent reputation, many assumed Neiki was from the Hyuga central family, believing he had received the family's resources and special attention as a new-generation leader.

Ryo's face turned ugly. Unlike outsiders, he knew Neiki's branch family background well. Therefore, he never felt proud of Neiki's achievements. Like all prominent family members, they felt…deeply humiliated!!

The glory of the Twin Prodigies of Konoha and the new generation leader of the Hyuga clan… these honours belonged to these lowly branch family members?

Even towards the one who first spread the term "Twin Prodigies of Konoha," the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen's prominent family members harboured malicious speculations.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo, the two old men in charge, had always been proponents of the "decentralization" policy, fearing that the interests of Konoha's large clans might affect the village's operations. From relocating the Uchiha clan to the village's outskirts to promoting more civilian ninjas to essential positions and limiting the clan members' apprenticeship with legendary Sannin and other key figures, Konoha's leadership had never wavered in their strategy to limit the clans' influence.

Similarly, the Hyuga central family saw Neiki's rise as another attempt by ambitious Konoha leaders to weaken the Hyuga clan.

Even the Hyuga clan leader, Hiashi, had expressed dissatisfaction with Sarutobi Hiruzen during internal clan meetings, feeling that naming Neiki as one of the "Twin Prodigies" was meddling in the Hyuga clan's internal affairs, deliberately sowing discord between the primary and branch families.

"So, this technique was created by Neiki?"

Seeing Neji nod, Ryo's ugly expression gradually returned to calm, and a slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Neji was puzzled.

The two made the seal of reconciliation.

"Next up is Lee vs. Tenten!"

…

After school, Neji was surrounded by a group of people on his way home and then taken to a secluded forest path.

"Ryo, what do you want?" Neji frowned at Ryo, whose five branch family attendants had already quietly blocked all his escape routes.

"What do I want? At the Ninja Academy, I lost because of your sudden attack. This time, I want to have a serious match with you." Ryo explained calmly.

"I see." Neji glanced at the five others nearby, clenching his fists.

These lackeys…

"You don't need them to make a move." Ryo smiled, waving them back. "Stand back a bit."

They left enough space for the two to fight.

"Come on." Ryo beckoned with his finger.

Neji was stunned and suddenly felt a bit of goodwill towards Ryo.

Although he brought people, he didn't use them to bully.

If it's just because he's unwilling to lose, that's nothing. Neji didn't think he would lose again.

Gentle Fist: Lion Fangs!

Chakra gathered into two ghostly blue fangs, and Neji assumed the stance. Then, like a hunting lion, he charged at Ryo!

Faced with the technique that had defeated him earlier, Ryo not only didn't show fear but also smirked. He raised his hand high and then brought it down sharply!

The next second.

"Ah!"

Neji suddenly screamed and fell to the ground.

A blue pattern glowed on his forehead. Even the headband couldn't cover it. It was the Caged Bird seal.

The pattern spread from his forehead to his cheeks, eyes, and finally to his entire brain. Neji's vision went dark, and his face twisted in agony. It felt like a steel knife was slicing through the flesh on his face inch by inch. The pain was unbearable, the itch excruciating, making him want to gouge out his own eyes!

The surrounding branch family members watched indifferently.

Ryo stepped on Neji's head, his smile as frivolous as if he were stepping on a rat.

"The Caged Bird is a curse mark passed down for thousands of years in the Hyuga clan. Not only can it automatically destroy the brain and eyes of the person bearing it upon their death, but it can also be activated by a secret command for punishment."

"Neji, listen up."

"I, Hyuga, am different from you, Hyuga."

"Don't think you can act arrogantly in front of me just because you have a brother who's one of the Twin Prodigies."

"For a ninja, the most important thing is where you were born!!"

"As long as I have the secret command, even your brother Neiki would have to kneel before me!!"