The Bird in the Cage

Uchiha Ao did not dwell on this inexplicable sense of attraction. With a gentle smile on his face, he reached out and lightly patted Hinata's head.

He and Hinata had first met about half a year ago. It should have been the cliché script where Naruto played the hero saving the damsel, but by a stroke of fate, he had "intercepted" the role.

That day, heavy snow fell in thick, swirling flakes, as if the heavens had overturned a sack of cotton, instantly draping Konoha Village in a silver-white gown.

Uchiha Ao had seized the moment Sister Izumi was away from home to head out specifically to buy her favorite three-color dango.

He hadn't expected to run into Hinata being bullied by a group of brats on the way.

Seeing the scene, Uchiha Ao couldn't just stand by. How could such a cute girl be bullied by a few little runts? His sense of justice flared, and he rushed forward without a moment's hesitation.

Unlike Naruto at that time, he wasn't helpless and forced to take a beating for nothing.

Those brats were no match for him; in just a few moves, he had them crying for their parents and scurrying away in terror.

"Ding. Main quest issued: The bird in the cage also wishes to spread its wings and soar."

"Quest details: Help Hyuga Hinata gain her father's recognition so she can define her own life."

Hearing the system prompt out of the blue, Uchiha Ao froze, subconsciously turning to look at the shy, blushing Hinata before him.

Helping Hinata gain her father's recognition? Uchiha Ao had actually thought about this before, but the looming shadow of the Uchiha Clan's annihilation had weighed on his mind, leaving him no time to spare.

Now that the system had issued the quest, it was like being handed a pillow just as he was getting sleepy, providing him with a justified opportunity.

He quickly organized his thoughts. Hinata's father, Hiashi Hyuga, was a traditional and stern clan leader. In his heart, the clan's honor and rules were above all else, and Hinata's past performance seemed to fall short of his rigorous standards.

To change Hiashi Hyuga's perspective, he would have to approach it from multiple angles.

"Hinata, do you want your father to see a different side of you?" Uchiha Ao asked, looking at the girl who was keeping her head bowed.

Hinata bit her lip and hesitated. Although she didn't know how Ao-kun knew about this, she still nodded gently, her voice small: "I... I want to, but Father, he..."

"Don't worry, I'm here." Uchiha Ao patted Hinata's shoulder, giving her a firm look to put her at ease.

In the original story, Hyuga Hinata was known as the "Princess of the Byakugan." In a sense, her talent was definitely not low.

Besides, would an ordinary Hyuga girl be targeted by that guy Toneri?

Uchiha Ao had a bold guess from his past life: Hinata's mediocre performance was likely because she had never been fed properly and suffered from malnutrition.

However, that was just his own wild speculation with no solid proof.

The two chatted for a while longer until the shouts of a branch-house ninja from the Hyuga clan echoed in the distance; they had come to find Hinata.

Hinata looked at Uchiha Ao with reluctance and whispered, "Ao-kun, I have to go back." Uchiha Ao nodded with a smile, "Go on, Hinata. Remember what we talked about."

Once Hinata's figure disappeared around the corner of the street, Uchiha Ao turned to head back as well.

On the way, he stopped to buy a few skewers of three-color dango, thinking of bringing them back for Sister Izumi to try.

When he returned home, Sister Izumi hadn't come back yet. Uchiha Ao placed the dango on his desk and carefully arranged them in a bowl.

Afterward, he found a sheet of white paper, preparing to plan out how to complete the main quest.

In his view, Hinata's problem wasn't actually hard to solve; it mainly boiled down to two points:

First, Hinata's personality was too timid and shy. In front of her father, Hiashi Hyuga, she was so cowardly that she didn't even dare to voice her own thoughts or desires. Even if she had talent, her father couldn't see it.

Second, Hinata had an exceptionally large appetite. As a ninja, she needed to be well-fed to have the strength for training; without sufficient energy intake, her strength naturally couldn't improve.

Uchiha Ao was writing with total concentration when he suddenly felt movement behind him.

He turned around, and to his surprise, Sister Izumi was already standing behind him, craning her neck to peek at what he was writing.

Uchiha Ao jumped in fright, subconsciously covering the text with a scroll, then quickly picked up the bowl of dango and handed it over with a smile: "Sister Izumi, you're finally back. I bought these for you, try them."

Sister Izumi stared at her younger brother for a long moment before taking the dango. She took a bite, a look of satisfaction appearing on her face as she mumbled, "Mmm, still the same taste, delicious!"

Watching the cute way Sister Izumi ate the dango, Uchiha Ao couldn't help but reach out and pinch her cheek.

Sister Izumi was stunned by the sudden gesture, but she reacted instantly. Thinking her brother wanted to be affectionate, she stuffed the remaining dango into her mouth and promptly pressed her face against Ao's.

"Ugh... Sister Izumi, at least finish eating first." Uchiha Ao didn't resist, letting her lean against him. Feeling the warmth of her face and the dango crumbs on the corner of her mouth, he smiled with helpless indulgence.

Sister Izumi was too busy chewing to reply. After a long while, once she had finished the dango, she remained pressed against his face and said, "Little brother, Mom seems to have something to ask you."

Uchiha Ao froze upon hearing this. Auntie wants to see me? He didn't think too much about it, stood up, and headed in the direction Sister Izumi had pointed, wondering what she could possibly want.

Seeing her brother leave, Sister Izumi's gaze immediately fell on the scroll he had hastily covered.

Her intuition told her that her brother was definitely hiding something from her, and it was likely related to another girl.

Previously, a young girl from the clan had come to play with Ao, and the next day, Sister Izumi had "taught her a lesson," which led to her being severely lectured by Uchiha's mother.

Fortunately, Uchiha Ao had anticipated this, so he had written in the characters from his past life.

Uchiha Izumi carefully moved the scroll aside. What met her eyes was a series of square-shaped symbols, some of which she couldn't understand.

But this only piqued her curiosity further.

Early the next morning, Uchiha Izumi got up quietly. She first summoned a shadow clone to go to school in her place, then hid outside the room, her eyes fixed on her brother's every move.

After a long wait until noon, Uchiha Ao finished his meal and headed out.

Seeing her brother finally on the move, Sister Izumi immediately performed a jutsu and followed silently behind him.

Along the way, she used rooftops and trees as cover, keeping a safe distance from her brother at all times for fear of being discovered.

Uchiha Ao arrived at the abandoned training ground where he had arranged to meet Hyuga Hinata.

Sister Izumi hid far away behind a large tree, watching her younger brother meet up with Hinata.

Hinata was still her usual shy and timid self, greeting Uchiha Ao in a tiny voice.

"Well, look at you, little brother!" Uchiha Izumi gritted her teeth in frustration; she certainly recognized the girl across from him—the little princess of the Hyuga Clan, Hyuga Hinata.

She never imagined that her brother would be keeping such close company with Hinata behind her back.

Watching Uchiha Ao explain training methods to Hinata with a face full of smiles, Uchiha Izumi couldn't help but feel a twinge of heartache.