Plans Change

The Hyuga Clan Grounds.

Servants hurried through the corridors in their wooden sandals, the paper lanterns in their hands lighting up one by one.

Today was the third birthday of the Hyuga Main Family heir.

It was also the day the other branch-family children would have the Caged Bird seal branded on them.

In the middle of the courtyard, three-year-old Hinata Hyuga was surrounded by maids, who were putting the finishing touches on her outfit. She wore a pale pink kimono embroidered with the Hyuga Clan crest. The evening glow gave her porcelain-white cheeks a faint blush.

A maid knelt on one knee and tied a pale purple sash around her waist.

"Miss, breathe in."

Hinata obediently sucked in her little belly. The movement made her lift her head slightly, and in that instant, she thought she saw something flicker at the far end of the courtyard.

Under the corridor beyond her line of sight, two boys were hiding in the shadows of a pillar, looking awfully suspicious.

"Neji, that's your little sister, right?" Hyuga Kiyonari lowered his voice, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Told you she was adorable."

Neji Hyuga's gaze flickered, but quickly settled again. Then he turned aside, affecting indifference as he said, "We should head back. We don't want to keep Father waiting."

Still... the setting sun made it impossible to hide the corners of his tightly pursed lips.

Hyuga Kiyonari could swear on his life that ever since he'd met Neji a year ago, this was the first time he'd seen the corners of Neji's mouth curl up so much!

"Pfft! Hahaha..."

In the end, he couldn't hold it in. Hadn't he gone to all that trouble to sneak Neji over the wall just to see this?

Just as Hyuga Kiyonari was about to tease him, Neji, who knew him all too well, ran off first. In the blink of an eye, Kiyonari was the only one left in the courtyard.

He raised a hand to touch the bandage tied around his forehead, gazed in the direction Neji had disappeared, and ambled after him.

"The Caged Bird, huh..."

My name is Hyuga Kiyonari. I'm three years old, live alone in a studio apartment in the northeastern part of the Hyuga Clan Grounds, and I'm single.

I don't have a system, and I'm not especially talented. My bloodline is a little better than an ordinary person's, at best.

My parents are both dead. The village didn't give much in the way of compensation, and I suspect someone skimmed off some of it. Still, the Hyuga Clan is reasonably generous, and they give orphaned branch-family children a monthly allowance, so I've let the compensation issue slide.

Of course, I'm only telling you all this to make one thing clear: I don't have any grand ambitions.

I don't want to become Hokage, and I don't want to compete with anyone. That's my attitude toward life in this world, and I know this is what makes me happy.

In short, I'm checking out!

So what if my talent is average?

Most Hyuga Clan shinobi are scouts anyway. Even if I end up on the battlefield, I can always avoid the dangerous ones as long as I'm careful. I'll pick the weakest opponents, take the safest missions, and apply for a mission outside the village before Pain attacks Konoha.

So what if I get the Caged Bird seal?

After graduation, I can just avoid the Main Family, keep a low profile, and make myself as invisible as possible. If all else fails, I'll apply to become a Guardian Ninja for the daimyo's estate. After all, we're all just doing our best to survive.

Hyuga Kiyonari suddenly stopped and slapped his forehead. "Almost forgot. I still need to get Hinata a birthday present."

The Main Family might not care about his gift, but as a branch-family member, he still had to show that he meant well.

Konoha's shopping district was as lively as ever. Hyuga Kiyonari stopped in front of a ninja tools shop, squinting at the exquisite tools displayed in the window. Their gleaming blades sparkled in the light, but the numbers on the price tags made his eye twitch.

"Tsk..."

He clicked his tongue and decisively turned toward the stationery shop next door. As he pushed open the door, a clear chime rang out. The little shop was neatly arranged, with all sorts of stationery lined up in order from cheapest to most expensive.

As the saying goes, when you're buying a gift, go for the worst value for money.

Hyuga Kiyonari followed the labels on the top shelf and soon found the perfect target: a notebook priced at three hundred ryo.

Three hundred ryo got you the most expensive notebook in the shop, with a gold-embossed cover, a delicate paper scent, and pages so thin they were practically see-through. It was obviously high-end. But if you went for a planner or stationery instead, three hundred ryo would only get you a basic model without even a pretty pattern.

At the counter, he picked up a standard blue gift box at random—the kind that would disappear into the pile of presents at a glance.

The shopkeeper smiled as she named the price. "That'll be three hundred and eighty ryo."

Hyuga Kiyonari counted out three bills from his wallet, silently calculating: he'd saved twenty ryo from his budget, which meant he could add a fried egg to his Ichiraku Ramen later.

Just then, the shopkeeper casually handed him a red bean bun. "You should bring your business to big sis when you're older, little one."

Hyuga Kiyonari knew just what to say. "When I start school, I'll definitely bring my classmates here."

As he walked out of the shop, he suddenly remembered something and hurried back to borrow a pen from the shopkeeper. He scrawled on the notebook's title page:

"Happy birthday, Miss Hinata!

—Hyuga Kiyonari"

"Perfect! I saved money on a card, too!"

He put the notebook and the red bean bun in the gift box, tied it with a bow, and he was done!

Hyuga Kiyonari clapped his hands in satisfaction and headed for the Hyuga Clan Grounds.

Only after the lively banquet began to wind down did Hinata Hyuga finally manage to slip away from everyone's gaze. She hid in the shadow at the corner of a covered walkway and eagerly loosened her sash.

"Phew..."

Hinata Hyuga let out a soft breath, her cheeks faintly flushed.

Suddenly, a quiet "grrr~" came from her stomach. Hinata hurriedly covered it and looked around to make sure no one had heard.

In the hall, Father was still talking with a few elders from the clan, and the guests were gathered in little groups. If she went back for food now, she'd definitely be found... At the thought, Hinata's eyes suddenly lit up.

Right, the presents! Everyone had brought so many. Maybe one of them had something tasty!

She tiptoed into the side room where the presents were kept, sneaking along like a little cat. The mountain of gift boxes looked like treasure chests glittering in the light.

Hinata Hyuga carefully began searching through them. Most of the boxes held exquisite kimonos, jewelry, or ninja tools.

After opening so many, she'd noticed a pattern: the more luxurious a gift box looked on the outside, the less likely it was to contain food.

Hinata Hyuga blinked her pure white eyes and scanned the pile of gifts. She immediately spotted a simple, pale blue gift box on the floor nearby.

She trotted over and picked it up. The moment she opened it, a rich red bean aroma wafted out. Inside was a red bean bun wrapped in waxed paper, with a black notebook tucked underneath.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Hyuga Clan Grounds, inside a cramped studio apartment,

Hyuga Kiyonari was sprawled across his bed, arms and legs splayed. Just as he was drifting off to sleep, a completely emotionless mechanical voice rang out in his mind.

[Beep! Suitable actor detected. Grand Director System activating...]

"Huh?!"

Hyuga Kiyonari sprang upright, all traces of sleep gone, and his eyes widened. "Wait! Plans have changed!"