Three Years

Three years later.

Mm... My name was now Hyuga Ningxue. I was a transmigrator, brought here by an accident three years ago.

Based on what I had seen during these three years, I had probably transmigrated into the world of Naruto that my friend used to talk about, and had even become a member of the Hyuga Branch Family.

To be honest, in her previous life, she had not known much about Naruto. She only knew that the protagonist was the Fourth Hokage's son.

Danzo would become some kind of Kage in the future.

Orochimaru was a villain.

Akatsuki was a gang.

The Uchiha would be exterminated by that Masked Man and Itachi. The Masked Man was also the instigator of the Fourth Shinobi War. He seemed to be called Madara, and there was someone else too... who was it again?

Oh, right, there was also some evil alien.

In short, she had only known about that anime in her previous life and heard bits of the plot from her friend. She did not know the specifics.

Yet she had never imagined that after dying, she would come to a world where, without strength, she might not even live to see tomorrow's sun.

She had nothing much to say about transmigrating. In her previous life, she had been something of a shut-in. Her parents were often away and did not care much about her. Other than her friend, everyone else was merely a classmate to her.

Did she have anything to say about it? No. All she could do was settle where she had landed.

Perhaps due to transmigration, her memories of her previous life felt like an incredibly long movie, one she watched from a third-person perspective from beginning to end.

Even so, more than a decade of experience made her seem more mature than children her age.

This young body had not changed what lay at its core.

If someone asked how she felt after transmigrating...

The answer depended entirely on fate.

"Ningxue, get up and have breakfast." A gentle female voice sounded from outside the door.

Well, at least she was fairly satisfied with her current life.

"I'm coming."

Over the past three years, she had gradually adapted to her new identity, though she had also suffered discrimination because of her hair color. But she did not care about that.

Ningxue walked into the room next door and saw the simple breakfast on the table, along with her mother's gentle smile that could not conceal her exhaustion.

Her father, Hyuga Ning, was there as well, but his brows were tightly furrowed. There was none of the ease one should have in the morning; instead, he radiated a heavy anxiety.

"Ningxue, come here." Hyuga Ning's voice was somewhat hoarse.

Ningxue obediently walked over, keenly sensing that something was wrong.

Hyuga Ning took a deep breath. It seemed he had made up his mind before he finally spoke with difficulty.

"Today... you will come with me to the Main Branch. The elders... will hold a ceremony for you."

"A ceremony?" Ningxue raised her little face and asked with feigned innocence.

But her heart sank. A term she had deliberately forgotten, from her hazy memories, abruptly surfaced—Caged Bird!

Ningxue's mother suddenly turned her head away, her shoulders trembling slightly as she desperately tried to suppress her emotions.

Hyuga Ning could not bear to look into his daughter's eyes. He lowered his voice. "It is a... Cursed Seal that can protect you.

"From now on, you will officially be recognized as a member of the Hyuga Branch Family."

His words were pale and powerless, every syllable filled with helplessness and pain.

Ningxue fell silent.

She finally remembered. This was the curse that her friend had once angrily complained the Hyuga Branch Family could never escape—the Caged Bird! A Cursed Seal that controlled life and death, bound freedom forever, and turned all Branch Family members into servants of the Main Branch.

She clearly remembered that day, when her friend had cursed and ranted that the Hokage's son would still become Hokage, while the son of a sacrificial pawn would still be a sacrificial pawn. Damn Caged Bird.

How could a genius die so early?

Fragments of memories from her previous life pieced together a cruel truth.

She had not been lucky enough to become fate's favored child. Her transmigrated identity was not a new beginning, but a heavy shackle.

Seeing her parents' pained yet helpless expressions, a chilling coldness crawled up Ningxue's spine.

This world truly would not let her live easily.

At the age of three, fate's fangs had already silently pressed against her forehead.

After collecting herself for a moment, she immediately replied.

"Yes... Father."

She understood her father's helplessness. If anyone was to blame, it could only be the Caged Bird. Over the past three years, her parents had never wronged her. They treated her very well, allowing someone who had been practically an orphan in her previous life to feel familial affection once more.

You might ask, then why had they not simply refused to return to the clan in the first place?

Then let me ask you this: what would happen to someone with Byakugan blood, no backing, no clan, an ordinary mother, and a father who was only a Chunin? Really hard to guess, huh?

Hyuga Ning silently took Ningxue's little hand and led her toward the Main Branch's grander yet more oppressive residence. Ningxue's mother stood at the doorway, tears filling her eyes, but she did not dare step forward to stop them. This was a fate Branch Family members could not escape.

Along the way, Hyuga Ningxue saw many children her own age heading to the ancestral hall as well. She knew she had guessed correctly.

But during the journey, some children's first word upon seeing her was, "Monster." Ningxue did not care in the slightest.

Inside the Main Branch's ceremonial hall, candlelight flickered, illuminating the expressionless faces of several elders. The solemn atmosphere was suffocating.

The Grand Elder seated at the head held a strange scroll and ritual implement, his gaze falling upon the children below as though he were inspecting objects.

"Begin." The Grand Elder's voice carried not a trace of emotion.

Hyuga Ning released her hand and stepped aside, bowing his head deeply as his fists clenched within his sleeves.

Ningxue was the first—

"Hyuga Ningxue." A member of the Main Branch held a scroll and called out a name.

Upon hearing her name, Hyuga Ningxue could only helplessly step forward.

Ningxue was ordered to kneel in the center of the hall atop a rune formation. She lifted her head and clearly saw every subtle movement of the Grand Elder's fingers as he formed hand seals, as well as the frightening chakra fluctuations gathering on the ritual implement. A cold touch pressed against her forehead.

There was no unnecessary speech. The power of the Cursed Seal was activated instantly. A burning heat, accompanied by tearing agony, shot violently from her forehead, as though a red-hot branding iron had been pressed directly onto her soul!

Ningxue's small body trembled violently, but she clenched her lips shut and did not cry out. Only faint, muffled groans escaped through her teeth.

The memories of being an ordinary person in her previous life intertwined cruelly with the pain she was personally enduring, making her understand with utter clarity—this was not an anime. This was reality! This was pain she had to endure.

The excruciating pain gradually faded, leaving behind a distinct blue cross-shaped mark on her forehead with two hooks curving in opposite directions, along with an invisible sense of restraint that seemed capable of choking her at any moment.

"The ceremony is complete." The Grand Elder announced indifferently. "Hyuga Ningxue, from this day onward, you shall fulfill the responsibilities of the Branch Family and devote yourself to protecting the Main Branch.

Hyuga Ningxue did not respond. She was still in pain and had not recovered yet.

Seeing this, the Grand Elder understood. After taking Ningxue away, they brought in the next child.

But the children behind her were also seeing such a scene for the first time. Their little faces were pale with fright as they called for their fathers and mothers, crying things like, "I don't want this!" "Help!" and "Nooo!"

But the Main Branch did not care about that. So they continued calling names.

"Hyuga Que."

"Hyuga De."

The children who were called refused to go no matter what, but what could they do? Of course, they all went in upright and came out horizontal.

After receiving the Caged Bird mark, Ningxue fell asleep in her father's arms. It really had hurt that much.