Two Hard Knocks for You

"Red, is that Senkaku Byakuya? Were we classmates? How strange—I don't remember him at all."

"Senkaku Byakuya's grades at the Ninja Academy were only a little better than the dead-last student's. How could someone like that have caught Miss Hyuga's eye?"

"Stop teasing me. I'm just from the Hyuga Branch Family. I'm hardly some young lady."

The barbecue restaurant wasn't very busy, and the voices of Yuhi Kurenai and the others drifted faintly into Izumi Orange's ears.

"Does Byakuya know about the Hyuga Clan?"

"I've heard a little."

Izumi Orange lowered her voice. "The Hyuga are divided into the Main Family and the Branch Family. If you're born into the Hyuga Main Family, that's one thing. But if you become a member of the Branch Family, your fate is like Mū-rootless duckweed."

"What do you mean by Mū-rootless duckweed?"

"Your life is entirely in the hands of the Main Family. It's as if someone else has stolen your 'roots.' Doesn't that make you Mū-rootless duckweed?"

Izumi Orange pointed to her forehead. "The Main Family places the Caged Bird Seal on members of the Hyuga Branch Family. They can do whatever they want with them, leaving them little more than puppets."

Byakuya feigned ignorance. "Teacher, what does the Caged Bird Seal do?"

"I've heard it was developed by the Hyuga to protect the Byakugan. The Main Family can use the seal to destroy the Branch Family's brain nerves and Byakugan. Whether that's true, I don't know."

Izumi Orange leaned closer to him and whispered conspiratorially, "The Uchiha Clan in the village also has the Sharingan, but I've never heard that they developed some kind of seal for it. Compared with them, the Hyuga Clan seems so petty. No wonder they've always been overshadowed by the Uchiha."

Byakuya only asked questions and offered no answers.

"Byakuya, you don't seem very close to Yuhi Kurenai."

The meat was ready. He picked up the serving chopsticks and selected some glistening, sizzling pieces, placing them on Izumi Orange's plate.

"Thanks."

"We're not close. Teacher Izumi Orange, you know how I've always been invisible at the Ninja Academy. Why would Yuhi Kurenai pay attention to me?"

"Ow, that's hot!"

"Take it slow. Why don't you have some oolong tea first? It tastes better than the tea we had last time."

"Let me try. Mm, you're right, it's delicious. And you're right about Red. Her talent for genjutsu is exceptional. She was the academy's star student, and her father, Yuhi Shinku, is a Konoha shinobi with the rank of Jonin."

"Teacher, how many Jonin are there in the village?"

"How would we know? But every Jonin is a backbone of the village. Byakuya, you should keep working hard and strive to become Lord Senkaku Byakuya, Jonin."

"Don't joke. With my abilities, surviving the war would already be a stroke of luck."

"Oh? Is that so?" Izumi Orange chewed her grilled meat and asked with a casual, beaming smile, "Byakuya, you've been gone for several days. I doubt you were sick. Something else must have happened, right? Don't forget, I'm also Principal Hiroya's confidante."

He countered, "If that's the case, why ask me?"

She looked around. Apart from Yuhi Kurenai glancing over now and then, no one was paying attention to them. Then she lowered her voice. "How does it feel?"

"What?"

"How does it feel to carry out missions for the Root Organization? Byakuya, you don't have to be wary of me. I may be the only one who can save you from this misery. I know Vice Principal Hiroya tricked you into joining Root. You poor thing."

He had expected them to keep circling around each other for a while longer, but she'd opened up so quickly.

The last time they'd had barbecue, Byakuya had sensed that Izumi Orange had something to say but was holding back.

He quickly considered who she might work for...

"The Ninja Academy's principal is the Third Hokage, not Hiroya, who thinks he's been unfairly denied his rightful place. I was the one who reported to Lord Hokage that Root had tried to recruit him. Lord Hokage ordered me to monitor Hiroya's actions at the academy."

Izumi Orange seemed to have read his thoughts and began explaining her true identity. "Hiroya once tried to recruit Yuhi Kurenai, but she refused. Her father is a Konoha Jonin, so Hiroya didn't dare pressure her and had to give up."

"What kind of organization is Root?" He didn't rush to reveal his own thoughts, preferring to see what cards Izumi Orange had to play.

"Root was founded and is led by Shimura Danzō. It's a secret organization that handles matters that can't be done in the open."

From that alone, Byakuya knew she was still hiding her real identity. How would an ordinary academy teacher know about all this?

So much for being candid. She was only being candid to a point.

"I see. No wonder Principal Hiroya had to recruit people in secret. That fits the organization's covert style. But... Teacher Izumi Orange, what exactly are you trying to tell me? I really don't understand."

"I'll be blunt. I want you to tell me about the missions you carry out from now on."

Byakuya waited a little longer, but even after Izumi Orange spoke again, she still hadn't mentioned what he'd get in return.

Wasn't she trying to get something for nothing? She wanted to freeload off him and take credit for his achievements. Where in the world did she think she'd find such a good deal?

He immediately began to dislike Izumi Orange.

Yuhi Kurenai, who was eating with her friends nearby, stood up and waved. "Teacher Izumi Orange, Byakuya, we're done eating. Enjoy your meal. See you next time."

"Goodbye."

"Take care, Yuhi Kurenai."

After they left, Izumi Orange said, "For Konoha, for the Will of Fire, Byakuya, you should make your choice."

Well, well. She'd gone straight to emotional blackmail.

He shook his head. "Teacher Izumi Orange, I won't tell anyone what you said today. I'm suddenly feeling unwell. Please excuse me."

Byakuya bowed and took his leave. No matter how she tried to stop him, he paid the bill and left the barbecue restaurant.

Yuhi Kurenai and the others hadn't gone far. They were chatting excitedly about their hopes for the future.

They'd been speaking loudly enough that Byakuya had heard them in the restaurant. They were talking about how a Special Jōnin or Jonin would lead their team, teach them to fight, and help them grow stronger.

"Byakuya, wait."

He turned around. Izumi Orange had followed him out of the restaurant.

Yuhi Kurenai looked at them curiously as Izumi Orange led Byakuya to a quiet corner. "I hope you'll think it over. I've heard that because we're at war, the village intends to promote a large number of Genin who distinguish themselves to Chunin. You work in the Ninja Academy's warehouse, Byakuya. You don't have any solid achievements under your belt. But if you do as I say, you could become a Konoha Chunin too."

Byakuya didn't reject her outright. He nodded. "Give me some time."

"You should know that Chunin and Genin are treated completely differently."

"Mm. Goodbye, Teacher Izumi Orange."

"Goodbye, Byakuya."

To get home, he would have had to pass by Yuhi Kurenai and the others, so Byakuya took a side street and made a detour.

He opened the door.

No one had been home for several days, and a thin layer of dust had settled over everything.

After cleaning the whole place from top to bottom, he took a satisfying hot shower, collapsed onto his bed, and let out a breath of pent-up air.

The Hyuga Branch Family had the Caged Bird Seal carved into them by the Main Family. Weren't bottom-tier shinobi like him in the same boat?

The only difference was that the Caged Bird was clearly etched on the forehead, while invisible ropes bound the lower-ranked shinobi.

That was just how the Shinobi World worked. Being weak was a crime.

"Give me a little more time. Once I've earned enough Heaven Rewards Diligence, if you try treating me like a piece of merchandise to pass around again, I'll knock you upside the head twice."

As for becoming a Chunin, he put the thought out of his mind.

Being a Genin was good enough. Laying low at the Ninja Academy was good enough too.

Morning.

He opened the Fate Grid Panel.

The mission refreshed.

[Heaven Rewards Diligence, Perseverance Leads to Success

Time limit: 1 day: Swing your sword (0/20000)

Reward: Sword Mastery Talent Boost]