There had been an autumn rain last night. Leaves were scattered across the courtyard, and an old tree swayed in the wind, its branches adding to the sense of bleakness and desolation.
On the low table, a teacup sent up thin curls of steam. The room was silent, everyone seeming to wait for something.
A servant hurried to the doorway, bowed, and whispered to the young man seated at the head."Master Hyuga Hiashi, he's here."
The people sitting along both sides of the room turned to look toward the door—where a figure already stood.
The young man's expression was impassive, his demeanor cold and detached. Though clearly a member of the Hyuga clan, his eyes were unusually black. His smooth forehead bore no forehead protector or silk band like most of those present; it was left bare, as if deliberately casual.
Many eyes studied him, their expressions tinged with strangeness.
This meeting had been convened especially for this young man. Earlier, everyone had been arguing and holding firm to their own opinions—but now, upon seeing him, the room fell silent.
A broken bird…The unattainable dream of every branch family member.
"Hyuga Shin."
Hyuga Shin stepped to the center of the meeting hall, bowing to greet the clan head, Hyuga Hiashi, before offering formal salutes to each of the elders seated in two rows to either side.
As one of Konoha's wealthiest and most tradition-bound clans, the Hyuga family maintained countless rules and customs. Its internal division between the main and branch families was strictly enforced; no one acted freely.
Kneeling to Hiashi's left was a gentle, dignified beauty. Seeing Hyuga Shin enter without a forehead protector, she noticed the eager glances some elders cast toward him and frowned faintly.
For members of the branch family, the Caged Bird curse seal was etched into the forehead and never shown lightly. It was always hidden under a forehead protector or silk band, revealed only to members of the main house.
"How is your recovery?" Hiashi asked calmly.
"The doctor said I'm fine," Hyuga Shin replied.
Hiashi gave a small nod. "There are many dangers on the battlefield. It's understandable that you had to make a desperate choice in the moment."
His pale eyes lingered on Shin."We won't blame that girl either. Your survival is what matters most to the clan."
Shin lowered his gaze. "Thank you, Master Hiashi."
"In your current state, it's not suitable for you to return to the front lines. Remain in the village for now. When the clan selects a suitable pair of Byakugan from the remaining stock, we'll transplant them for you."
He was the first person ever to survive the Caged Bird curse seal after it had been fully activated—a fact that rattled the entire clan.
Hyuga Shin had not been born here. By accident, he had come to the Naruto world, his soul taking over the body of a Hyuga branch ninja who had died in battle.
When Konoha's forces recovered him from the field, he had already been blind. A field medic had temporarily transplanted another person's eyes into him. The cause of his blindness was grim: as death approached, this body had triggered its own curse seal, destroying its Byakugan.
Brought back to Konoha as a wounded man, Shin's survival stunned the Hyuga clan so greatly that Hiashi had rushed home from the battlefield to see for himself.
The clan had examined Shin's body repeatedly, but each time the conclusion was the same. He had suffered fatal injuries but had been treated in time. The Caged Bird seal had indeed been activated and erased, his original eyes destroyed and replaced with ordinary ones…
Everything appeared consistent—except for one fact: Hyuga Shin was alive. The curse seal should have destroyed his brain.
Had the Caged Bird seal expired? Or had something gone wrong? Otherwise, how could there be such an anomaly?
Seeing the shifting expressions and conflicted thoughts of the gathered clansmen, Hiashi understood. The divisions and resentments between main and branch families were deeply rooted—impossible for him alone to change.
Not that he intended to change anything.He was the beneficiary.
For Hiashi, the path forward was clear: maintain the status quo and safeguard the privileges of his own bloodline.
A pair of Byakugan from the branch family was nothing to him—it would be destroyed if not used—but he would never allow a free, uncontrolled branch member to exist.
The meeting adjourned.
As everyone filed out, their gazes lingered on Hyuga Shin, many eyes drifting to his bare forehead. They all wondered what it would feel like to live unshackled, even though they knew it was impossible.
"Shin."
Just as he was about to leave, a voice called softly.
He turned to see the beautiful woman seated beside Hiashi rise and approach him. She appeared to be in her twenties, her features framed by elegant makeup, her white kimono enhancing her gentle dignity.
This was Hyuga Ayano—Hiashi's fiancée, and the future mother of Hinata.
"Lady Ayano," Shin greeted.
She smiled warmly. "No need to be so formal. You can call me Sister Ayari, or simply Sister. Ayari has been worried about you."
Ayari was her younger sister. In the past, Hyuga Shin had followed Ayari around as a child. But fate had set the sisters on very different paths—Ayano's marriage to the future clan head had been decided long ago.
Shin's eyes flickered briefly to her smooth, unmarked forehead.The word "fate" hung over the entire Hyuga clan.
"Thank you for your concern, Sister Ayari," Shin replied.
Ayano studied his face quietly. Surviving a brush with death could transform a person—and he seemed almost like someone entirely new.
"Anyway, I'm glad you're safe now. Hasn't Ayari visited you too?"
"Yes."
"The clan does care about you. It just feels strange, seeing you without the Byakugan." Her tone was gentle, almost sisterly.
Shin could see traces of Hinata's future appearance in her.
"My daily life is fine," he said.
"That's good. The clan has plenty of Byakugan in reserve. You'll have yours replaced soon, so don't worry."
Ayano then drew out a white ribbon, holding it out to him."In the future, you should be more careful when walking in the compound—so as not to cause misunderstandings among the clansmen."
Shin's eyes flickered as he accepted it.Ayano studied his reaction closely.
"I'm sorry, Lady Ayano. I didn't think carefully. I'll be mindful in the future." He bowed his head.
"It's not your fault," she said softly. "No one wanted this to happen. Even the Hokage knows your situation—Hiashi asked about you often. We all care about you."
Her words were tender, almost comforting. She reached out to rest a hand lightly on his shoulder, the faint scent of her perfume drifting toward him.
"Just focus on resting in the village for now."
Ayano turned and left. Gradually, the last few people in the meeting hall departed as well.
The courtyard grew empty.Shin stood alone.
Whoosh—A sudden gust swept through, carrying a chill.
Did they truly mean to put him back in a cage?
The eyes of ordinary men could never see far enough.