Hyuga Hoshimi let out a long sigh as he stared at the five-digit free experience points flashing on his panel. For a fleeting moment, he felt it wasn't nearly enough.
"Even with tens of thousands of free experience points, I still can't learn a Sealing Jutsu right now…" he muttered to himself, frustration tightening his chest.
As an ordinary Hyuga Branch Family member, access to advanced Sealing Jutsu was impossible. Not even the most basic Sealing Jutsu knowledge was within his reach. The Hyuga Main Family wasn't foolish—those who had personally imprisoned Branch Family members in the so-called "birdcage" would never hand over the key to their captives.
Even a faint glimmer of hope was forbidden. Anyone caught learning Sealing Jutsu risked the harshest punishment.
Hoshimi's parents had been among the unfortunate few who tried. For their child's sake, they had dared to pursue the forbidden path—and in front of three-year-old Hoshimi, they were brutally executed by a Hyuga Main Family elder who had activated the Caged Bird Seal.
The memory remained etched in Hoshimi's mind—their agonized wails, faces twisted in pain and regret, the silent plea in their eyes as they looked at him. From that moment, he knew he would never truly belong to the same clan as the Hyuga Main Family.
Did he hate them? Of course. But his previous life had taught him to suppress such emotions. Instead, he endured, finding purpose in the quiet hope of freedom. And along the way, he set a goal: to destroy the cursed Caged Bird Seal and shatter the Branch Family system.
But that goal remained distant. For now, the immediate problem was the cyan curse mark engraved on his forehead.
"Sealing Jutsu… I have to try. Even the lowest-level Sealing Jutsu could help me break through its limits and destroy the Caged Bird Seal. It's not hopeless," he thought, a glimmer of determination flickering in his eyes.
"And if it's just a low-level Sealing Jutsu… maybe I can get it tomorrow. Lord Orochimaru… please, don't disappoint me."
Before Hoshimi could dwell further, sudden footsteps interrupted his thoughts.
"Riku! Hurry! Hizashi-sama is back, and some injured clan members too!"
It was Hyuga Piao, Hoshimi's neighbor. Unlike Hoshimi, Piao's parents were still alive and, perhaps out of pity for the orphan, had taken care of Riku.
"I understand!" Hoshimi nodded, slightly surprised, but it made sense. The Third Great Ninja War was in its late stages, and Konoha faced enemies on multiple fronts. Relying on the legacies of the First and Second Hokage, Konoha had managed to endure.
As one of the clan's foundations, the Hyuga Clan naturally contributed. Almost all able-bodied Branch Family members—and a few Main Family members—had been sent to the battlefield.
Hyuga Piao's parents were among them. His excitement at hearing news of returning clan members wasn't just enthusiasm—it was hope. Perhaps for the first time in a long while, he might see his parents alive.
Without hesitation, Riku followed Hyuga Piao to the clan's main gate, where the returning members were gathering. The two children, only five or six years old, wove through the crowd, small and inconspicuous.
But Piao's determination was obvious. His gaze swept every returning member until, finally, his face lit up with joy. Ignoring the curious stares of those around him, he called out to a middle-aged man among the soldiers:
"Father! Father is back!"
The man turned at the familiar voice, recognizing his son immediately. He bore a strong resemblance to Piao—enough to draw a smile as he approached.
Riku watched silently as Piao's joy overflowed.
"They said my father, just a Chunin, couldn't survive the battlefield… but he did! Tomorrow, I'm definitely going to teach those guys a lesson!" Piao exclaimed, punching the air in determination.
Riku shook his head with a bitter smile. He knew who Piao was referring to—the Main Family children, unmarked by the Caged Bird Seal. Without extraordinary luck, a Branch Family member with only Chunin-level skill had no chance of surviving such battles.
Yet Hyuga Tetsu, Piao's father, had made it back. Luck—or perhaps destiny—had favored him, though not without cost.
As Tetsu approached, Riku noticed the empty sleeve where his right arm should have been. Piao's excitement shifted to concern almost immediately.
"Father… where is your right hand?" Piao asked, eyes wide with worry.
Tetsu placed his remaining hand on Piao's head, smiling gently. "My right hand was left on the battlefield, but it's alright. This way, I can always stay by your side."
There was no regret in his expression. Losing his dominant hand would cripple his Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, effectively ending his career as a ninja. For most, this was a tragic fate. For a Branch Family member, however, survival alone could be considered a blessing.
"Really? So you won't have to go to the battlefield anymore? That's great! And Mom? Is she…?" Piao's gaze darted through the crowd, desperate to find his mother.
Tetsu sighed, lying gently to soothe his son. "Your mother is still on the battlefield, fighting for the honor of the Hyuga Clan. When the war ends, she will return."
Riku noticed the sorrow flicker in Tetsu's eyes, quickly masked by a brave smile. Without Piao, the man might not have survived either.
Witnessing the scene, Riku felt a pang of sadness. The life of a ninja often meant a fate on the battlefield. Yet seeing Tetsu's unwavering presence reminded him of the resilience that sometimes emerged from tragedy.
"Ah, Riku is here too! Come, let's go home. Today, I'll cook something special for you," Tetsu said warmly, ruffling Piao's hair.
Riku silently nodded and followed the father and son, weaving through the returning warriors and the remnants of battle.
Walking home, the sounds of the war—distant shouts, the clang of swords, the groans of the wounded—faded behind them. Yet the memories of the fallen lingered in Riku's mind, a sobering reminder of the harsh world they lived in.
Hoshimi glanced at Riku as they walked, reflecting on his own path. He might be powerless now, but with his experience points and careful planning, the day would come when he could shatter the Caged Bird Seal. Freedom wasn't just a dream—it was a goal within reach, one painstaking step at a time.
Riku's presence reminded him of the small joys that still existed amidst chaos. Life had to go on. Even in the darkest times, bonds like these—the warmth of a returned father, the laughter of a child—were reasons to endure, to fight, and to rise above the oppression of the Main Family.
As they neared Hyuga Piao's home, Hoshimi's thoughts drifted back to Sealing Jutsu. The road ahead would be grueling, but he refused to give up. Every point of experience, every tiny effort, was another step toward dismantling the chains that bound him and the Branch Family.
Inside the home, the smell of freshly cooked food greeted them. Piao's father worked with a careful, steady rhythm, trying to preserve a sense of normalcy for the children. Hoshimi couldn't help but feel a spark of hope—small, fragile, but undeniable.
This was what survival, what life, meant. The battlefield claimed limbs, dreams, even lives, but it could not steal hope entirely. And as long as that flicker remained, Hoshimi knew he could continue grinding, learning, and plotting the eventual liberation of the Branch Family.
Tomorrow, he would seek the Sealing Jutsu again. Perhaps it would be a low-level technique, perhaps not immediately powerful, but it would be his first real step toward freedom. And someday, with enough experience and determination, the Caged Bird Seal would fall.
For now, he would watch over Riku and Piao, savoring these rare moments of peace, and silently vow: no matter how far the road stretched, no matter the trials ahead, he would endure. The Hyuga Branch Family deserved nothing less.
And as night settled over Konoha, the quiet home stood as a small fortress of warmth and hope amidst the ongoing chaos of war, a reminder that even in a world scarred by conflict, life—and the will to live—persisted.