Chapter 2: Bloody Despair
Blood dripped to the floor with a permeating echo. The whole estate was quiet. A faint voice came from above, "Cur – Curse you little branch mutt. You… cough… shall reap what you sow for striking an elder, you shall perish just as your father did." The elder slipped off and fell to the ground coughing up blood and passed out. Neji also fell down due to chakra exhaustion. 2 main house incapacitated and one almost dead, how would he get out of this? Suddenly footsteps came from down the hall "Neji!" an elder screamed "What have you done!?" As his sight cleared, Neji was able to make out the image of… Master Hiashi. "It – It wasn't me" Neji scarcely could make up the words as he was trying to catch his breath. Sweat reigned from every pore in his body. There was no way he could explain in this state of exhaustion.
"Ninja Art: Curse Seal Activation" Master Hiashi activated the curse seal mark with a hand sign, burning pain enflamed inside Neji's head.
"Uuughh! Ahah! AAAHHHHHH!" Neji jilted in pain as what seemed like a dangerous mix of flames and glass shards tore away the flesh of his brain vessels from the inside out, the blood in his head felt like it turned to molten lava. Hiashi let the curse seal rebuke go on for 5 minutes straight, then he released it.
"Cu- Curse – CURSE YOU – YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"Neji shrieked at Hiashi like a wild animal, still suffering from the post curse seal activation effects.
"Mind your tone brat. I teach you sacred gentle fist techniques and this is how you repay me? By using my wisdom for folly? Clean yourself up and meet me in my dormitory. We have important business to discuss including your punishment for this great folly you have committed with the main house board of counsel." As Master Hiashi walked off Neji spat blood on his robe in defiance "How *cough* how long shall you remain a dog to the elders of the Main House!" Master Hiashi paused for a briefly, then turned and approached Neji subtly scowling under his breath "It is the will of the Elders, that your existence in this world is even substantiated…. you ungrateful little rat" The then delivered 4 kicks to Neji's abdomen area causing Neji to cough up more blood. "Do not defy my patience young one. My will has authority over yours" The elder proclaimed as the main house members secretly watched from afar sneakily grinning at the scene. "Servants! Place this brat under house arrest" Hiashi commanded as two Branch Hyuuga servants walked over to Neji's jittering body. They binded his hands together with rope and walked him back to his room taking his duffle bag with them. As they get to the sliding doors one cuts the rope off assists him to his pad. "We shall notify you when the trial begins, until then you are restricted from operating any Hyuuga Estate territory." The 2 Branch members stated as they walked out of the dorm. After they closed the sliding doors and locked it with an encrypted paper seal.
Neji struggled back to his feet, he limped over to his duffle bag and headed to the shower. He removed his outfit that reeked of the Main House blood. He put the setting on cold to numb the pain in his head. As water reigned down his long hair he glanced at his blood stained clothes laying off afar and suddenly remembered his dream earlier that morning. A wave of despair washed over him like an early morning wave. Was this truly the best of what fate had to offer him? Was it his destiny to live the life of a miserable branch dog and die pointless death? Would he suffer the same fate as his father? Neji shifted his focus to pain coming from his abdomen to avoid the mountains of doubt plaguing his conscience. He reflected on the Elder's words You shall reap what you sow for striking an elder, You shall suffer the same fate as your fathers have. Anger spiraled inside of him he didn't have to take this fate, instead he would fight against it. "I shall carve my own path, a new one away from the main branch customs." He thought internally as he punched a dent in the shower wall. Neji dried himself off and meditated for the rest of the morning until noon. At 12:00p.m. A knock came on his door, it opened and the 2 branch members came in "Sir, the Trial is ready."