"Call me Madam."
"Yes, Madam."
A palm-sized mark appeared on the right side of Hyuga Natsu's fair face within seconds.
She and Hyuga Ginka were actually sisters by blood, but since her elder sister had been born more than a decade earlier, she was the noble member of the Main Family.
Natsu, on the other hand, had to bear the Caged Bird curse, which would remain with her until death.
"Are you trying to deliberately provoke a conflict between our clans? Get Hyuga Tetsu here at once!"
Hyuga Ginka's mature, womanly figure was concealed beneath her loose, classical robes. As she swung her hand to slap Natsu, the movement perfectly outlined her elegant curves.
"Yes, Madam."
Hyuga Natsu didn't dare say another word. She immediately hurried off to find Hyuga Tetsu.
Before long, Hyuga Tetsu was brought before Hyuga Ginka.
Hyuga Ginka harshly reprimanded him, then punished him with the Caged Bird.
Hyuga Tetsu writhed on the floor in pain, sweat soaking his entire body.
The Uchiha and Hyuga were both major clans in the Hidden Leaf Village.
The Uchiha were stronger than the Hyuga. The Hyuga hated to admit it, but the Uchiha's top fighters far surpassed those of the Hyuga Clan.
The Hyuga Clan's greatest advantage was that every member possessed the Byakugan, a Kekkei Genkai. The only difference was the purity of their eyes.
This gave the Hyuga Clan a large number of lower-level fighters, unlike the Uchiha, who had to rely on life circumstances to awaken their Kekkei Genkai.
"The Uchiha are an evil clan. We've survived this long by keeping our heads down and avoiding trouble."
Hyuga Ginka made no attempt to hide the disdain and malice in her eyes.
These members of the branch family were fools. They couldn't even understand such a simple principle.
If they looked down on the Uchiha or had a problem with them, they should keep it between themselves.
Why let anyone hear them? Did they really think the Uchiha Clan was an easy target?
The Uchiha were easily provoked and prone to extremes.
Hyuga Ginka was genuinely afraid that these idiots would cause trouble for the Hyuga Clan—and threaten her own position.
"We won't do it again, Madam."
Hyuga Natsu's forehead was almost pressed to the wooden floor, and her eyes were full of fear.
In the eyes of many members of the Main Family, the branch family had no rights.
Only the Main Family were the true inheritors of the Hyuga Clan, tasked with protecting and advancing it.
The branch family's duty was to protect the Hyuga Main Family.
Members of the branch family were branded with the Caged Bird Seal at the age of three. They were controlled by the Main Family and weren't even allowed to entertain the thought of resisting. Their lives rested in the hands of the Main Family.
Perhaps when the two families were first divided, the Main Family and branch family could still watch over each other.
But as time passed, their unequal treatment only widened the gap between them.
"Hyuga Tetsu, get out."
"Yes, Madam."
Hyuga Tetsu gritted his teeth as he stood, then took his leave.
He didn't dare resent Hyuga Ginka. He could only blame Uchiha Shimizu.
If Uchiha Shimizu had pretended not to hear, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have been punished by Lady Ginka, and he wouldn't have ruined the impression he'd made on Xia!
"Xia, go to Uchiha Shimizu's home in a few days and apologize in person. Remember to bring a gift."
"Yes, Madam."
Hyuga Natsu lowered her head, her eyes numb in a way that seemed almost sick. The smooth floor reflected the Caged Bird carved into her forehead.
It was so ugly, and so tragic.
Uchiha Settlement.
The Shimizu Household.
Shimizu placed pieces of meat on a plate for White Dove to eat.
Meanwhile, he looked at the translucent panel floating before him.
[Current attempts: 1. Would you like to begin Perfect Life Simulation?]
"Yes."
Shimizu spoke.
[Beep! Perfect Life Simulation in progress...] [Day 1: You went to Konoha Hospital to continue studying Medical Ninjutsu.] [Day 2: Uchiha Tekka came to spar with you. You defeated him with ease.] [Day 3: Uchiha Inabi came to spar with you. You defeated him with ease.] [Day 4: Uchiha Tekka and Uchiha Inabi decided to follow you.] ... [Day 270: Nonō gave you a test. Your theoretical knowledge was already quite solid.] [Day 271: You ran into Shisui's parents taking him out to enjoy the sunshine. You could see Shisui's big nose from far away and marveled that he'd been born with it.] [Day 272: The Ninja Academy held a competition. You placed eighth in the school. You'd deliberately held back, but you still caused a stir among the girls.] [Day 273: You became more popular at the Ninja Academy. You figured it was because you were growing into your looks and getting more handsome.] [Day 274: You refined chakra at home, and your chakra reserves grew.] [Day 275: White Dove had been eating a lot lately and was about to become a chubby little bird. You put her on a strict weight-loss plan.] [Day 276: You monitored White Dove's weight-loss plan. Her tiny head seemed to hold a grudge against you. When you woke up that night, you found White Dove lying in your bed. Luckily, you didn't have a habit of rolling over in your sleep, or you would have squashed her. Looking at the pile of feathers scattered across the blanket, you felt helpless.] ... [Day 820: You studied Fundamentals of Medicine at home.] [Day 821: Your skill with the Kunai improved.] [Day 822: You graduated from the Ninja Academy. This time, you showed off your strength. The Third thought you might work well on a team with Kakashi and that you could set the boy straight. You were assigned to Team Minato. Looking at Nohara Rin and Kakashi, you asked if you could switch teams.] ... [Day 838: You went on your first mission and encountered an enemy kunoichi. By chance, you got separated from Team Minato and thought your life was over. But the curvaceous kunoichi gave you an indescribable smile, and you immediately sensed that something was off.] [Day 839: It was a busy day.] [Day 840: It was a busy day.] [Day 841: It was a busy day.] [Day 842: You told the kunoichi you wanted to try training without using your eyes, just to change things up. You said you'd get a band to use as a blindfold. She believed you, and you took the chance to escape.] ... [Day 952: You realized you had somehow ended up at the border of the Land of Fire. You searched everywhere for a way back.] [Day 953: The kunoichi found you. Furious that you'd left without saying goodbye, she dragged you back as you looked on in despair.] ... [Day 1085: It was a busy day.] [Simulation complete. Calculating results...] [Choose one reward: Black Band, History of Warring States Sealing (allows you to simulate a past life), Fundamentals of Medical Science ×1]
"History of Warring States Sealing?"
Shimizu froze.
Before you continue