Hi Elites ! I couldn’t stay away for an extra week. I missed you too much & I’m itching to talk to you about this week’s topics.

Okay, let’s talk about the Hyuga clan. More specifically Hizashi & Neji Hyuga.  We witnessed their story in the first series, but I want to talk about them, because their story was the first element of Naruto that I connected to.

So, in episodes 60-63 of Naruto, we are introduced to the Hyuga clan: they possess a uniquely strong, very sought after Kekkei Genkai,  the Byakugan (an ocular jutsu that enables them to see chakra points). This clan has a head family and a branch family. Hizashi, Neji’s dad, and his twin brother Hiashi were both born into the head family, but since Hiashi was born first he got to inherit the birthrights of the head, while Hizashi moved down to the lesser branch.  In reality, when social classes are divided by ancestral rights & duties, this is called a caste system.

As members of the branch, Hizashi & his son Neji were predestined to protect the head family, especially against those after the unique limits of the Byakugan. People of this branch share a curse mark that symbolizes who they are as members of the clan, and their worth— which is of lesser value. A cursed seal technique is used to tattoo it on their forehead, and is only used by the head family. Neji mentions that the mark symbolizes a caged bird, and represents those bound within an inescapable destiny.  In real life, when a specialized mark is placed on someone permanently, this is called human branding. Branding was used during many cases of slavery throughout history—most recently American and European history—and as part of distinguishing lower castes in certain caste systems. It has its positive roots in history as well, but that isn’t the focus. In whichever case branding is used for, people subjected to it are bound by that symbol which represents their worth in society.

Seeing the story of Neji’s childhood gave us a look into the basics of how caste systems work. I had read about caste systems before, like the life of an Untouchable  which was to perform duties that higher castes will not do, which entailed anything dirty (cleaning latrines, taking care of dead bodies, etc.), but watching a lower caste perform their duties, being subjected to punishment, and speaking of the notion of being ‘free’ really deepened my understanding of it all.

The most touching part of the story for me was when Hizashi had chosen to die in the place of his brother; he chose to be the sacrificial demand that would evade war with another village. He, for once, wanted to make a decision for himself, which happened to be the fate of his life. By freeing himself from the curse, he became a free bird.

It makes me wonder how many real-life slaves and caste members had dared to chase freedom from their chains.

.COMPLEX