Hyuga Clan Compound.
Servants hurried through the covered corridor, their wooden clogs clattering, as the paper lanterns in their hands lit up one after another.
Today was the third birthday of the Hyuga Main Family heir.
It was also the day when the other Branch Family children would have the Caged Bird Seal inscribed upon them.
In the center of the courtyard, three-year-old Hyuga Hinata was surrounded by maidservants who were making the final adjustments to her attire. She wore a light pink kimono, the hem embroidered with the Hyuga Clan crest, and her porcelain-white cheeks were slightly flushed by the glow of the setting sun.
A maidservant knelt on one knee, tying a pale purple sash around her waist.
"Young Miss, breathe in."
Hinata obediently sucked in her small stomach. This action caused her to unconsciously lift her head slightly, and in that instant, she vaguely saw something flash past at the far end of the courtyard.
Meanwhile, under the courtyard corridor, just out of her sight, two boys were hiding in the shadow of a pillar, looking completely like they were sneaking around.
"Neji, that's your sister, right?" Hyuga Kiyoshinari whispered, a hint of teasing in his eyes. "Didn't I tell you she was cute?"
Hyuga Neji's gaze flickered slightly, but quickly returned to calm. He then turned away, feigning indifference, and said in a tone suggesting it was none of his business: "Let's go back quickly. Don't let Father wait too long."
However... the setting sun illuminated his tightly pursed lips, making them impossible to hide.
Hyuga Kiyoshinari could swear to the heavens that since meeting Neji a year ago, this was the first time he had seen Neji's lips curve so noticeably!
"Pfft! Hahaha..."
In the end, he couldn't hold it in. Wasn't going to all the trouble of dragging Neji over to peek over the wall precisely to see this scene?
Just as Hyuga Kiyoshinari was about to tease him, Neji, who knew his nature well, ran off first. In the blink of an eye, Kiyoshinari was the only one left outside the courtyard.
He raised a hand to touch the cloth strip tied around his forehead, then looked in the direction Neji had disappeared, and slowly followed him.
"The Caged Bird Seal, huh..."
My name is Hyuga Kiyoshinari, I am 3 years old, and I live alone in a single room in the northeastern part of the Hyuga Clan Compound. I am single.
I do not have a System, nor do I have outstanding talent; my bloodline can only be described as slightly better than an average person's.
My parents are both deceased. The pension issued by the Village was not much, and I suspect it was skimmed by certain people. Fortunately, the Hyuga Clan is relatively generous, providing monthly stipends to Branch Family orphans as a routine, so I'll tolerate the issue with the pension.
Of course, I only mention this to let you know that I am not a person with grand aspirations.
I neither want to become the Hokage nor do I want to compete fiercely; this is my attitude toward life in this world, and I clearly understand that this is my happiness.
In short, I'm going to slack off!
If my talent is average, then so be it.
Anyway, most Ninja of the Hyuga Clan are scouts. Even on the battlefield, as long as I'm careful, I can always avoid dangerous entities. I'll choose the weakest opponents, take the safest missions, and apply for an out-of-Village mission before Pain attacks Konoha.
If it's the Caged Bird Seal, then so be it.
At worst, after graduation, I'll avoid the Main Family, try hard to minimize my presence, and live as an invisible person. If that fails, I can apply to be transferred to serve as a Guardian Ninja for the Daimyo's estate. After all, we are all striving to live.
Hyuga Kiyoshinari suddenly stopped and slapped his forehead: "I almost forgot, I still need to prepare a birthday gift for Hinata."
Although the Main Family might not necessarily look at his gift, as a Branch Family member, he needed to show either sincerity or the proper attitude.
The Konoha commercial street was still bustling. Hyuga Kiyoshinari stopped in front of a Ninja tool shop, squinting at the exquisite Ninja tools displayed in the window. The silver blades sparkled under the light, but the numbers on the price tags next to them made his eye twitch.
"Tsk..."
He clicked his tongue and decisively turned toward the stationery store next door. Pushing the door created a crisp chime from the wind chime. Although the shop was small, it was neatly organized, with various stationery items arranged tidily from lowest to highest price.
As the saying goes, when giving a gift, you should choose the item with the worst cost-performance ratio.
Hyuga Kiyoshinari walked toward the back, staring at the labels on the top shelf, and quickly found a suitable target: a notebook priced at three hundred Ryo.
Three hundred Ryo could buy the most expensive notebook here, with a gold-stamped cover, elegant paper fragrance, and an ultra-thin profile —clearly a high-end item. However, if he were buying a planner or letter paper, three hundred Ryo would only afford a standard model without even a nice pattern.
Walking up to the counter, he casually picked a common blue gift box, the kind that would instantly get lost in a pile of gifts.
The proprietress smiled and quoted the price: "Three hundred and eighty Ryo in total."
Hyuga Kiyoshinari counted out three banknotes from his wallet, calculating inwardly: twenty Ryo saved from the budget. He could add a fried egg to his meal at Ichiraku Ramen later.
Just then, the proprietress casually picked up a red bean cake and handed it to him: "Little one, please take good care of my business in the future."
Hyuga Kiyoshinari replied shrewdly: "When I start school, I'll definitely introduce my classmates."
As he walked out the door, he suddenly remembered something, ran back, borrowed a pen from the proprietress, and wrote in bold, flowing script on the notebook's flyleaf:
"Happy Birthday, Young Miss Hinata
—Hyuga Kiyoshinari"
"Perfect! Saved the money for a greeting card too!"
He placed the notebook and the red bean cake into the gift box, tied a ribbon, and the job was done!
Hyuga Kiyoshinari clapped his hands in satisfaction and headed toward the Hyuga Clan Compound.
It wasn't until the lively banquet gradually dispersed that Hyuga Hinata was finally able to quietly slip away from everyone's gaze, hiding in the shadows of a corner of the covered bridge, eagerly loosening her sash.
"Phew..."
Hyuga Hinata softly let out a breath, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Suddenly, a faint "rumble~" came from her stomach. Hinata hurriedly covered her abdomen, looking around to make sure no one had heard.
In the main hall, her father was still talking with several clan elders, and the guests were gathered in small groups. If she went back now to get food, she would definitely be discovered... Thinking of this, Hinata's eyes suddenly lit up.
That's right, the gifts! Everyone sent so many presents; maybe there's something delicious!
She tiptoed, sneaking quietly like a kitten into the side hall where the gifts were stored. The mountain of gift boxes looked like sparkling treasure chests under the light.
Hyuga Hinata cautiously began searching. Most of the gift boxes contained exquisite kimonos, jewelry, or Ninja tools.
After opening several, she noticed a pattern—the more luxurious the gift box looked on the outside, the less likely it was to contain food.
Hyuga Hinata blinked her pure white eyes, her gaze sweeping over the pile of gifts, and immediately noticed a plain light blue gift box on the ground not far away.
She jogged over and picked up the gift box. As soon as she opened it, a strong scent of red bean wafted out. Inside was a red bean cake wrapped in oil paper, and underneath it was a black notebook.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Hyuga Clan Compound, in a cramped single room.
Hyuga Kiyoshinari was sprawled out on the bed in a starfish position, and just as he was drifting into a hazy sleep, an emotionless mechanical voice sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Detecting suitable actor online, Great Director System activating...]
"Huh?!"
Hyuga Kiyoshinari suddenly shot up, his eyes wide, all traces of sleep vanished: "Wait a minute! The plan has changed!"