Naruto: With Favorabiltity System

Chapter 371: Resolving the Caged Bird Seal

"I originally thought I could crack the Caged Bird Seal by the end of last year, but I didn't expect it to involve the soul."

Haneda fully descended to the ground, looking at Hizashi with a sigh.

This sudden visit, accompanied by that sigh, caused Hizashi's heart to sink.

Could it be that even Hokage-sama had no solution to the Caged Bird Seal?

If that were true, the words he had just told the branch family would become a laughingstock!

Not to mention, the Hokage's reputation within the Hyūga clan would suffer a significant blow.

As Hizashi's mind raced and the gathered branch members began to look dejected, Haneda continued:

"I've already cracked the Caged Bird Seal. No—more accurately, I've found a clever way to unlock it."

"Hizashi, gather everyone and follow me. There are things that shouldn't be seen by outsiders."

Haneda's words instantly reignited hope among the branch family members.

Fireworks of joy seemed to erupt in their hearts.

The Hokage had not broken his promise. The day they had dreamed of—the day they would be free—had finally arrived!

Some wanted to shout and celebrate immediately, to share this moment with their loved ones.

But seeing Haneda leading the way with Hizashi following in silence, the crowd suppressed their excitement and quietly trailed behind.

Haneda led them into the branch family's main hall—a spacious venue typically used for clan meetings.

As the last person entered, a breeze blew past, and the doors shut on their own.

"Hokage-sama, how should we cooperate?" Hizashi asked respectfully.

"No need. Just be prepared to temporarily forget what happens next," Haneda replied.

He waved his hand, activating the Yang Seal.

A third eye opened on his forehead, radiating dazzling brilliance.

Moments later, a green chakra flowed outward, filling the room.

It was the chakra of the Tenseigan—a power intimately connected to the Byakugan, yet far superior in essence.

"This is...?" Hizashi muttered, sensing the chakra.

The energy felt uncannily similar to the Byakugan's chakra but carried a quality that was distinctly different—stronger, purer.

As the Tenseigan chakra enveloped him, Hizashi's Byakugan tingled slightly, as if it were evolving.

No, not just evolving—something far more profound.

For a fleeting moment, Hizashi felt as though he were transcending his mortal body, as if his soul were being freed.

He instinctively turned to Haneda, who stood calmly amidst the green glow.

Looking around, Hizashi realized that everyone else was also experiencing the same phenomenon.

Their souls seemed to be floating away from their bodies, slipping free of their physical forms.

What exactly was the Hokage doing?

Hizashi didn't know. But one thing was certain: Haneda meant no harm.

Before his very eyes, the green mark that had bound them all—the hateful, oppressive Caged Bird Seal—began to fade.

Yes, the Caged Bird Seal was disappearing!

Clink—

A crisp sound echoed throughout the hall as the seals shattered one by one.

Haneda smiled faintly. Just as he had anticipated, even without fully mastering the Tenseigan, its power was enough to dissolve the Caged Bird Seal!

The Tenseigan, as the ultimate evolution of the Byakugan, was fundamentally superior to any technique derived from the Byakugan.

Through the Tenseigan's inherent power, Haneda facilitated the evolution of Hizashi and the others' Byakugan, enabling them to break the seal's constraints naturally.

Then, using his Shinra Bansho technique, he reclaimed the Tenseigan chakra he had temporarily infused into them, completing the process seamlessly.

This was the simplest method Haneda could devise.

A more refined approach would require deeper mastery of the Tenseigan, but this solution sufficed for now.

Of course, the Tenseigan itself wasn't entirely cooperative.

Even drawing out a mere fraction—barely one percent—of its essence had triggered intense resistance.

A surge of power radiated from his forehead, as though the Tenseigan were protesting.

"Alright, alright, I'll give it back," Haneda muttered, using Shinra Bansho to withdraw the infused chakra.

In an instant, the branch family members' nascent Tenseigan reverted to their original Byakugan.

But the oppressive green marks—the Caged Bird Seals—had completely vanished, leaving no trace behind.

It was as if the seals had never existed.

Sealing the Tenseigan back with the Yang Seal, Haneda noticed some people pulling out mirrors to check their foreheads.

Seeing the mirrors, others crowded around to share in the joy, laughing and celebrating wildly.

Haneda shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips.

He let them have their moment.

Several minutes later, the doors of the hall reopened. Hizashi led the branch members outside, but midway down the path, he suddenly stopped.

"Does anyone remember what just happened?" Hizashi asked.

Someone instinctively replied, "Didn't Hokage-sama bring us in to lift the Caged Bird Seal? Then he told us to bring others with the seal next."

"And the process?" Hizashi pressed.

A heavy silence fell over the group. No one could recall the specifics of what had transpired.

One by one, they began rummaging through their pouches. Someone produced a small mirror, and upon seeing their unmarked forehead, they shouted in excitement:

"The seal is gone!"

At that moment, everyone understood.

There was no need to question what had occurred.

As shinobi, they understood the importance of secrecy.

The seals were gone. The freedom they had yearned for was now theirs.

Why pursue the how or why?

If Hokage-sama had wanted them to know, he wouldn't have erased their memories of the process.

For now, they could simply revel in the joy of liberation.

...

Back inside the hall, Haneda sat quietly, watching the remaining branch members react with unrestrained glee.

The erasure of their memories had been his doing.

For now, the Tenseigan had to remain his ultimate trump card—a secret weapon hidden until fully mastered.

To ensure secrecy, Haneda hadn't simply used genjutsu to erase their memories.

He had also left a protective measure within their Byakugan, inspired by Danzo's cursed seal and the Uchiha clan's transfer seal.

Should anyone attempt to extract their memories by force, a golden bolt of lightning would obliterate both the intruder and the information.

It was both a safeguard and a shield.

Under Hizashi's guidance, the remaining branch family members entered the hall one by one to have their seals removed.

Toward the end, a familiar figure stepped forward—Hyūga Neji.

Behind him, timidly following, was Hinata.

"Ho-Hokage-sama..." Hinata stammered, her cheeks flushed bright red as she greeted him shyly.

Steam seemed to rise from her face as she fidgeted nervously, looking like a child meeting her future father-in-law.

"What's going on with her? I'm not Naruto," Haneda thought, suppressing the urge to laugh.

"Is she imagining me as her father already?"

Haneda sighed inwardly.