"Bound by the Caged Bird Seal, we don't even have freedom—let alone the chance to become Kage-level shinobi who can surpass ordinary people?"
Riku's words cut deep into Hyuga Piao's heart like a blade. No matter how hard Piao tried to conceal it, the pain was unmistakable, the cruelty impossible to deny.
But then, as if clinging to a faint light, Hyuga Piao muttered stubbornly, "Riku, if our Branch Family could also produce Kage-level experts, then—"
"There's no 'if,' Piao," Riku interrupted coldly. "Don't be naïve. The Main Family would never allow such a monster—someone beyond their control—to exist within the Branch Family. Even if a genius appeared, they'd be crushed early on or turned into a disposable weapon. When the Main Family adults needed them, they'd be sent to die on the battlefield."
Riku's harsh words shattered the last fragile hope in Piao's heart.
Children born into the ninja world grow up fast. They're forced to mature early, their eyes open to the cruelty around them. Even when they appear naïve, their understanding runs deeper than ordinary children. And because of that, their ability to endure pain is stronger, too.
Although Riku's words hit hard, Hyuga Piao didn't collapse. But at that moment, the illusion he had of his family—the thin filter through which he had always seen them—finally broke apart completely.
The cracks had long existed: when his mother died, when his father was crippled, when he himself was branded with the Caged Bird Seal. Those moments had already split his world apart. But now, with Riku's truth piercing his heart, those cracks spread wildly until they consumed all color and warmth in his life.
Piao's eyes dimmed. A bitter smile crept onto his face as he looked at his childhood friend. He realized just how blind he had been all along.
He should have understood this long ago. Why had he refused to accept it?
Recalling the words his father once told him, Piao finally recognized the vast difference between himself and Riku.
Riku, meanwhile, wasn't aware of what Piao was thinking. He only hoped Piao would grow up faster, shed some of his useless emotions, and stop despairing so easily. After a moment's hesitation, Riku's tone softened.
"Piao," he said quietly, "do you know? The Caged Bird Seal isn't unbreakable. It's still a jutsu—and every jutsu has a counter. That's something we both know well."
Piao's eyes widened. "Riku, are you saying—?"
"Shh." Riku pressed a finger to his lips. "Don't say anything. When the time comes, I'll give you an answer. For now, we have to stay quiet and wait."
He covered Piao's mouth gently. Piao didn't recoil; instead, his heart pounded wildly with excitement.
He had always admired Riku, even idolized him. But he had never expected Riku to be this extraordinary—to speak of breaking the Caged Bird Seal, something their family had failed to accomplish for hundreds of years.
Could it be true? Could Riku have really found a way?
Piao stared at him, his breath growing uneven. He felt as though he were standing at the edge of something momentous.
Riku glanced out the door, ensuring no one was around, then pulled Piao inside his house and shut the door tightly.
"Piao," Riku said calmly, noticing the tremor in his friend's voice, "I know what you're about to ask. But first, breathe. Calm down."
He inhaled slowly and gestured for Piao to follow. "Inhale… exhale…"
Almost without realizing it, Piao mimicked him. After a few deep breaths, his racing heart began to settle.
Then he whispered, "Riku… have you really found it?"
Riku nodded solemnly. "Yes. I've lived under this cursed seal for six years, and I've finally found a way to break it."
"Really?!" Piao's voice trembled. He grabbed Riku's arm, his whole body shaking from excitement.
For those marked with the Caged Bird Seal, the idea of breaking it was the greatest dream—and the deepest torment. Every Branch Family member despised the seal, because it stripped them of their freedom and dignity. Their lives were no longer their own.
Even though Piao was young, and hadn't yet suffered as much as others, he could already feel the contempt of the Main Family—the way their eyes changed when they looked at him, the subtle disdain they couldn't hide.
He had always noticed it. He had just never dared to confront it.
What could he do? Even if the Main Family exploited and humiliated them, what right did a Branch Family child have to resist?
But now—Riku was offering hope. Real, tangible hope.
How could he not be thrilled?
Riku slowly brushed aside his hair, revealing the seal on his forehead—the mark he usually kept covered. Then he activated a jutsu, his hands forming deliberate seals.
"Sealing Jutsu: Evil Breaking."
A faint glow shimmered across Riku's forehead. Before Piao's eyes, the once-solid Caged Bird Seal began to fracture, faint cracks spreading across its surface.
Piao gasped. He understood immediately what that meant.
"Sealing Jutsu: Evil Breaking," Riku said firmly. "This is the technique that can dismantle the Caged Bird Seal. I've already mastered the basics, and in two more months, I'll be able to erase it completely."
He took a step forward, eyes bright with conviction. "Piao, do you want to be the next free bird?"
For a long moment, Piao could only stare at him, speechless.
Riku had not made this decision lightly. He had considered the consequences carefully. From Piao's earlier descriptions, he had deduced how the Main Family had responded after he attacked Hyuga Sōtai—it had been cautious, reactive, and strangely weak.
The realization surprised him at first, but the more he thought about it, the more sense it made.
The Hyuga Main Family wasn't as powerful as he had imagined. For all their thousand-year heritage, they were decaying from within.
When threatened, their first instinct was to summon every Branch Family member—including civilians who couldn't even fight. That wasn't the behavior of a mighty clan—it was a sign of fear.
They were afraid of losing control.
And if that was the case, Riku thought, why should he continue hiding in their shadow? Why shouldn't he act boldly?
In two months, once the seal was gone, he would be free. Truly free. And what could the Main Family do to him then?
Even if they discovered the truth, he could always defect.
Of course, that would be a last resort. Riku didn't actually want to leave Konoha. The village was still the safest and most advantageous place for him to grow stronger.
Beyond the village walls, the Third Great Ninja War was still raging. The world outside was chaos—villages burned, alliances crumbled, and wandering ninjas hunted for survival. Even with growing power, facing that world alone would be reckless.
Konoha was his best ground for development.
And besides, the Main Family still owed him a debt—a blood debt.
The deaths of his parents were their fault. Their arrogance and indifference had destroyed his family. Simply killing them would be far too merciful.
No, Riku had a different kind of vengeance in mind.
He wanted them to suffer.
He wanted the Main Family to feel what it was like to live under a seal of submission—to lose their freedom, their pride, and their name. He would make them the new Branch Family, bound and humbled. And the Branch Family they once oppressed? They would become the new masters.
That would be true justice.
To achieve it, the first step was to completely break the Caged Bird Seal—the curse that had shackled their bloodline for a millennium.
Hyuga Piao would be the first to be freed. But he would not be the last.
Piao's eyes glimmered with tears as he gazed at Riku. "Riku… if you can really do this… then everything will change."
Riku nodded, his expression calm but resolute. "Yes. Everything will change. The Branch Family will rise again."
He looked out the window, his gaze distant yet filled with fire. The setting sun washed the Hyuga compound in gold, but in his heart, the color of dusk was that of burning determination.
Soon, he thought. Just a little longer.
Two more months, and the chains that bound him would be gone forever.
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