Chapter 1, The Bird Broken from its Cage.
Last night's autumn rain left the courtyard carpeted with fallen leaves. An old tree swayed in the wind, its air desolate and forlorn.
Steam rose from the teacups on the low table. The room was silent; everyone seemed to be waiting for something.
A servant hurried in through the door, bowing and whispering to the young man seated at the head of the table,
"Lord Hiashi, you've really come."
Everyone seated on either side of the room turned to look at the doorway, where a figure stood.
The boy's face was clear and bright, his demeanor aloof and cold. Though a member of the Hyuga Clan, his eyes were unusually black, and his forehead was bare, unlike most of the others who wore headbands or ribbons.
Various gazes swept over him, all with expressions of surprise.
This meeting, specially convened for this boy, which had previously been filled with heated debate and conflicting opinions, had now fallen silent after seeing him.
The bird broken from its cage…the unattainable wish of all the branch family members.
"Lord Hiashi."
Hyuga Shin walked to the center of the council hall, bowed to the head of the council, and then greeted the elders of the clan seated on either side.
As a powerful clan in Konoha, the Hyuga clan had numerous and redundant rules, with strict hierarchical distinctions between the main and branch families, and could not be followed casually.
A beautiful woman with a gentle and dignified demeanor knelt to Hyuga Shin's left. She frowned slightly as she looked at Hyuga Shin, who was not wearing a headband, and then glanced at the eager eyes of the elders.
The Caged Bird Seal of the branch family members was branded on their foreheads and was never easily shown. It was usually covered by a headband or ribbon, and only the main family members would reveal it.
"How is your recovery?" Hyuga Shin asked calmly.
"The doctor said I'm fine."
Hyuga Shin nodded slightly and said, "The battlefield is full of dangers, and your temporary eye transplant was probably a last resort, which is understandable."
He paused, his bright white eyes fixed on the boy before him.
"We won't blame that girl. Your survival is the most important thing for the clan."
Hyuga Shin lowered his gaze, his tone calm: "Thank you, Lord Hiashi."
"Your current condition isn't suitable for the front lines. Stay in the village for now. Once the clan finds a suitable Byakugan among the remaining ones, we can replace your eyes."
Only someone who survived the full activation of the Caged Bird Seal could face this situation.
He had unexpectedly arrived in the Naruto world, his soul replacing that of a Hyuga branch family ninja who had perished on the battlefield.
When Konoha ninjas found him among the dead, he was blind; battlefield medics temporarily replaced his eyes with someone else's.
The reason for his blindness was that this body had activated the Caged Bird Seal on its own before death, destroying his eyes.
After being brought back to Konoha as a wounded soldier, the entire Hyuga clan was alarmed. Hiashi Hyuga had to rush back to the village from the battlefield, as this concerned the stability of the Hyuga main clan's position, leaving him no room for negligence.
The clan had conducted several thorough medical examinations of Hyuga Shin, with the same conclusions each time.
He had suffered a fatal wound, but received timely treatment at the front lines. The Caged Bird Seal had indeed activated and disappeared, and his destroyed eyes remained; the replacement eyes were just ordinary human eyes…
everything seemed normal, or rather, the only problem was that Hyuga Shin was still alive. The Caged Bird Seal was supposed to destroy his brain nerves.
Had the Caged Bird Seal failed, or was something wrong? Otherwise, how could Hyuga Shin have become such a variable?
Looking at the changing expressions and conflicting thoughts of the clan members in the room, Hiashi Hyuga understood the situation.
The divisions and estrangement were deeply rooted, beyond his ability to change alone.
Of course, he didn't need to change anything.
He was the beneficiary.
What Hyuga Hiashi needed to do was to maintain it, ensuring the well-being of his descendants.
A pair of branch family members' disdainful eyes—if they fell into the hands of others and were destroyed, so be it—but an outcast not controlled by the main family would not be allowed to exist!
The meeting adjourned.
As everyone left, they frequently glanced at Hyuga Shin, their gazes lingering on his forehead for a long time.
Although they all knew it was impossible, they all wanted to experience what it would feel like to be free from those shackles.
"Shin."
Just as Hyuga Shin was about to leave, a voice suddenly called out, stopping him.
Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw the beautiful woman who had been to Hyuga Hiashi's left earlier, walking gracefully towards him.
Though called a woman, she was only a girl around 20 years old, but her mature and refined makeup, and her white kimono no, gave her a gentle and dignified air, making her appear more like a married woman.
Hyuga Ayano, Hyuga Hiashi's fiancée, and unsurprisingly, Hinata's future mother.
"Lady Ayano,"
Hyuga Ayano smiled gently, "No need to be so formal. You can just call me Ayano-neechan. Even Ayari has been worried about you.".
Ayari was her younger sister, and Hyuga Shin's original self used to follow Ayari around when they were little.
However, the two sisters' fates were completely different; she was the future clan leader's wife, a decision already made long ago.
Hyuga Shin's gaze inadvertently swept over her smooth forehead.
The entire Hyuga clan was filled with the word "destiny."
Hyuga Shin simply said, "I'm sorry to have worried Ayari-neechan."
Hyuga Ayano's eyes quietly studied Hyuga Shin's face. After experiencing a life-or-death ordeal, her temperament could change so much, as if she were a completely different person.
"Anyway, it's good that you're alright now. Ayari came to see you, didn't she?"
"Yes."
"The clan really cares about you. You must be feeling quite lost without the Byakugan, right?" Hyuga Ayano's tone was gentle, like a caring older sister. Hyuga
Shin could see Hinata's shadow in her as an adult.
"My daily life hasn't been affected much," he said.
"That's good. There are quite a few Byakugan left in the clan, and they'll replace your eyes soon, so you don't need to worry." Hyuga Ayano said, taking out a white silk ribbon and handing it to Hyuga Shin.
"You should be more careful when you're around the clan in the future, so as not to cause any misunderstandings among the clan members."
Hyuga Shin looked at the ribbon she handed him, his eyes flickering slightly.
Hyuga Ayano was also watching his reaction.
"I'm sorry, Ayano-sama, it was my oversight. I will definitely be more careful in the future!" Hyuga Shin took the ribbon with both hands and said with his head bowed.
Hyuga Ayano's beautiful face paused slightly, and she said softly, "It's not your fault. After all, no one wants to see something like this happen. The Hokage also knows about your situation and asked Hiashi about you. He's very concerned about you."
Her gaze shifted, and her words were full of gentle concern. After speaking, she reached out and gently patted Hyuga Shin's shoulder to comfort him. If you were close enough, you could smell a faint fragrance emanating from her.
"Just stay in the village for now."
Hyuga Ayano left, and gradually the people in front of the council hall dispersed.
The courtyard was deserted, leaving him standing there alone.
Suddenly,
a gust of wind picked up, a chill blowing in his face.
Why should he continue being a caged bird...?
The eyes of ordinary people might not necessarily be unable to see far enough.
(End of Chapter)