Caged Bird

"It seems the Hyuga Clan has finally produced another decent genius, and one from our Main House at that."

Hyuga Ryusuke, who had watched the match between Soji and Hizashi from the entrance the entire time, looked deeply moved.

"That brat. I certainly don't remember teaching him that the Hyuga Clan fights like this. Who knows where he learned those dirty tricks?"

Hyuga Kumokawa, who had also watched the entire thing, wore a very unpleasant expression.

At first, seeing Soji suppress Hizashi, Hyuga Kumokawa had silently nodded to himself. But as the fight went on, something felt increasingly wrong. Watching Soji's methods later on was like watching street thugs brawl.

Hyuga Kumokawa had nearly stepped in to stop them, but Clan Head Hyuga Ryusuke beside him had held him back.

"Elder Kumokawa, you can't put it that way. I think Soji is quite good. Rather than being bound by the Hyuga Clan's rigid rules, he can bring out greater strength."

Clan Head Hyuga Ryusuke happened to hold the opposite opinion from Hyuga Kumokawa. As Clan Head, he prioritized the best possible result above all else and cared far less about the process.

"What if his opponent were a female ninja from the village who was also his companion?"

"Ah, well... I suppose Elder Kumokawa has a point. I hope Elder Kumokawa will make Soji restrain himself a little in the future."

Hearing his Clan Head's answer, Hyuga Kumokawa could not help rolling his eyes, though they were already white eyes...

Hyuga Ryusuke had also considered what would happen if Soji trained with female ninja from the village or even went on missions with them in the future. If he used such moves, the Hyuga Clan would surely draw criticism from countless people in the village.

The Hyuga Clan already possessed the Byakugan, meaning many people had no secrets before those eyes. If their techniques were this underhanded as well, then even if it was mud in their pants, people would still call it shit!

Hyuga Ryusuke felt this had to be stopped in advance!

Afterward, the two tacitly skipped over the subject.

"Clan Head, I actually think Second Young Master Hizashi's talent and strength are also remarkable. He is no weaker than the Young Clan Head."

Hyuga Kumokawa said this with great certainty.

At the same time, to show respect for the Clan Head, he still addressed Hizashi Hyuga as the Second Young Master. Although Hizashi had already been placed in the Branch House, he was still the Clan Head's child.

Respect went both ways. The Clan Head had always treated him with great respect, so whether it was called returning a favor or not, even as an elder, Hyuga Kumokawa respected the Clan Head in turn.

"The Hyuga Clan's rules are as they are. Even as Clan Head, I cannot change them. I can only sacrifice Hizashi."

Hyuga Kumokawa could clearly see the helplessness on his Clan Head's face.

Even knowing the Hyuga Clan's rules were unreasonable, they still had to be obeyed. That was the ancient, conservative, even rotten Hyuga Clan.

"Hehe, Second Young Master held back quite a lot, didn't he? From beginning to end, he only used the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist. He did not even use the Three Body Technique."

Perhaps to change the subject after seeing Hyuga Ryusuke's low mood, Hyuga Kumokawa turned to ask about Hizashi Hyuga instead.

"If one needs to use the Three Body Technique just to teach the younger members of the clan Gentle Fist techniques, that would be truly disappointing."

Hyuga Ryusuke's words undoubtedly confirmed Hyuga Kumokawa's assessment.

"Come, let's go see those little ones."

With that, Hyuga Ryusuke took the lead and walked toward Soji and the others, while Hyuga Kumokawa followed half a step behind.

"Father, Third Elder."

"Clan Head, Third Elder."

"Clan Head, Grandpa."

Three people, three different forms of address. They then all bowed.

Clan Head Hyuga Ryusuke merely nodded, accepting their greetings.

"Young Clan Head, Second Young Master, no need to stand on ceremony. And you, brat—I'll deal with you properly once we get home." Hyuga Kumokawa first greeted the Clan Head's two sons with a smile, then glared fiercely at Soji.

"Uh."

Hyuga Soji had inexplicably received a warning from his grandfather without even knowing what he had done wrong.

"Hizashi, you remember what I warned you about before, don't you?"

While Soji was wondering why Hyuga Kumokawa had warned him, he heard Clan Head Hyuga Ryusuke say this to Hizashi Hyuga.

Hearing those words, Hizashi Hyuga shuddered all over. Only then did he remember the grave taboo he had committed just now!

As a member of the Branch House, he absolutely could not do anything that offended the Main House. Yet during their training match, he had defeated Soji.

At its mildest, it was merely children fooling around. At its most serious, it was Hizashi Hyuga of the Branch House committing a grave offense of disrespect against Hyuga Soji of the Main House!

He had not expected that, after his brother's words had stirred his fighting spirit, Soji's strength far beyond that of children his age would make his blood boil and cause him to violate that taboo!

At this moment, Hizashi remembered when he had first received the Caged Bird Seal. Still unable to adjust to the difference in status, he had once fought his brother over a toy as a member of the Branch House—and won.

Because many Main House members had witnessed it, they considered it an offense by the Branch House against the Main House. Hizashi experienced for the first time the pain brought by the activation of the Caged Bird Seal.

It was a headache so agonizing that it felt as though his soul were splitting apart. After that activation of the Caged Bird Curse Mark, Hizashi had been so young that he lay in bed for an entire week.

At the time, Hizashi had not understood why he deserved such punishment, until he experienced that feeling again later.

That happened when he and his brother had just started at the Ninja Academy. One day after school, the two brothers sparred for the first time before all the Main House members.

As a member of the Branch House and the younger brother, Hizashi narrowly defeated his elder brother Hiashi. Hizashi had thought his father and the clan would praise him.

Instead, it became another experience like falling into hell, and Hizashi spent another week in bed.

From then on, Hizashi understood that he could never surpass the Main House in anything. Whether fighting over toys or competing in a match, whenever he faced the Main House, he had to lose!

But now, he had defeated a member of the Main House again!

Hizashi's face had turned pale, and his whole body was trembling. He had not reacted like this even after the training match, showing just how terrified he was inside.

Soji, meanwhile, looked utterly confused by Hizashi's condition. He had no idea what had made Hizashi look as though he had suddenly fallen seriously ill.

"Hizashi knows his mistake. I beg the Clan Head to punish me."

As soon as Clan Head Hyuga Ryusuke finished speaking, Hizashi dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground.

"Then I shall recite the Caged Bird Curse Mark's incantation." Clan Head Hyuga Ryusuke spoke slowly.

"Father, no! Hizashi did not do it on purpose. I was the one who forced him to fight with all his strength. If you must punish someone, punish me. I have no complaints."

Seeing that his father was about to activate the Caged Bird to punish Hizashi, Hiashi, who had been silently worrying at the side, could no longer sit still. He immediately knelt beside Hizashi and pleaded with his father.

Hizashi had tightly pursed his lips and prepared himself to accept the punishment. Seeing his brother kneel to plead for him, he could not help raising his head to look at him.

Gratitude filled Hizashi's eyes. Then he said to Hyuga Ryusuke, "Clan Head, this was entirely my own decision. It has nothing to do with my bro... with the Young Clan Head. I will accept any punishment."

"Clan Head, that's not how it was. Actually..."

"Stop talking, bro... Thank you."

Hiashi was so agitated that he no longer called him Father, instead addressing him directly as Clan Head. But before he could finish, Hizashi interrupted him.

"That's not how it was, that's not how it was, that's not..." Hiashi could only kneel helplessly on the ground and repeat those words.

Hizashi closed his eyes as though resigned to his fate. His brother had already helped him so much; he could not drag him into this as well.

In truth, Hizashi had always known that when they fought over toys after he first received the Caged Bird Seal at the age of three, the brothers had merely been playing around. His brother had deliberately used the scuffle as an excuse to let him have the toy. But neither of them had expected it to bring punishment from the clan's Main House upon Hizashi.

Hizashi had spent a week in bed, while Hiashi had gone nowhere during that time. He had stayed by Hizashi's side for the entire week, until Hizashi recovered.

The year they entered the Ninja Academy at age six, Hiashi, as a member of the Main House, received everyone's attention in the clan, while Hizashi was ignored.

Therefore, during Hiashi and Hizashi's first spar, Hiashi had deliberately held back so his younger brother Hizashi could defeat him and receive the clan's attention as well. He had never expected it would hurt Hizashi again.

Before the brothers understood the difference between the Main House and the Branch House, one had wanted to hold back so his younger brother could earn everyone's recognition, while the other worked hard in hopes of receiving the same attention as his elder brother.

While Hiashi and Hizashi were both kneeling on the ground, Soji still had no idea what was happening.

He hurriedly asked his grandfather Hyuga Kumokawa beside him what was going on.

With a sigh, Hyuga Kumokawa told Soji every detail of why Hizashi was going to be punished.

After hearing the reason, Soji was dumbfounded!

What kind of bullshit Main House rule was this!

In a match, they actually forced others not to win? What kind of logic was that?

What was the point of competing, then? Was this the Naruto World's version of fixed matches?

"Clan Head, I believe this is unfair."

Before Hyuga Ryusuke could recite the incantation to activate the Caged Bird, Hyuga Soji hurriedly spoke up to interrupt him.

"Oh? How is it unfair? The rules our Hyuga Clan has followed for generations cannot simply be dismissed because you say they are unfair. Or do you believe our Hyuga Clan's ancestors and forebears were all wrong?"

After Soji interrupted the incantation he had been about to recite, Hyuga Ryusuke did not immediately continue. Instead, he looked into Soji's eyes and asked those questions.

What a heavy accusation to throw at him. Of course, five-year-old Hyuga Soji was not stupid enough to say that the Hyuga Clan's ancestors had been wrong.

No matter how much he criticized his ancestors in his heart or believed this was wrong, he had no right to say so while he lacked power.

Seeing Soji choked speechless by a single sentence, Hyuga Ryusuke's gaze became unreadable.

As Soji racked his brains for a way to save Hizashi, he failed to notice the exchange of glances between Hyuga Ryusuke and Hyuga Kumokawa.

And while Soji furrowed his brow in thought, he also failed to notice that Hyuga Ryusuke seemed to be waiting for him, not immediately reciting the incantation that would activate the Caged Bird.

Though Soji noticed none of this, the two brothers kneeling on the ground both found it strange.

Hizashi Hyuga especially could not understand why his punishment had not arrived after so long.

But there was nothing he could do except continue kneeling silently with his brother. It was not up to him when the punishment came.

No matter how the expressions of the other four shifted, Soji continued thinking of a solution.

Suddenly, Soji's eyes lit up as though he had thought of something.

Since he could not refute the Hyuga Clan's rules, then he would pull the rug out from under them!