Hinata's Visit

It was late at night.

Only the dim glow of emergency lights remained in the corridors of Konoha Hospital, while the footsteps of the night-shift nurses gradually faded into the distance. Hyuga Xiao lay on the hospital bed with his eyes closed, his breathing so steady that he seemed genuinely asleep.

But he was not asleep.

Hiashi Hyuga's oppressive scrutiny from earlier that day was like a thorn lodged deep in his mind. When the Main House head's Byakugan had swept over his body, he had felt as if he had been thoroughly seen through—no, he had not been seen through. Even the Byakugan could not detect any abnormalities in the body the system had repaired.

A faint curve formed at Xiao's lips in the darkness.

The Caged Bird Seal had been lifted by 0.1%. It sounded insignificant, but it was like the first crack in a dam. More importantly, after the purity of his Byakugan rose to 6%, he had truly "seen" this world for the first time.

Not with his eyes, but with the perception awakening deep within his bloodline.

The ward door was gently pushed open a crack.

Xiao did not open his eyes, but his Byakugan vision had already pierced through his eyelids, clearly "seeing" the small figure at the door—Hinata Hyuga. She wore light-blue pajamas with an oversized haori draped over them, clutching something wrapped in cloth to her chest. Standing on tiptoe, she peeked around like a startled little rabbit.

"Xiao... Xiao?"

Hinata's voice was so soft it was nearly inaudible.

Only then did Xiao slowly open his eyes, showing just the right amount of surprise. "Young Lady? Why are you here so late...?"

"I-I snuck over." Hinata hurried into the room and softly shut the door behind her, moving with a practiced ease that suggested this was not her first time doing something like this. She placed the cloth bundle on the bedside table and untied it. Inside were several rice balls still warm to the touch. They were lopsided, but clearly made with care.

"I made them myself... They might not taste very good." Hinata lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes between her fingers. "Father wouldn't let me visit you in the hospital. He said it was normal for Branch House members to get hurt and there was no need for a special visit. But... but I had to thank you."

Her voice suddenly became firm on those last words.

Xiao propped himself up, and the movement tugged at the wound in his chest. His brow furrowed briefly before relaxing. Hinata immediately reached out to support him, then seemed to realize something and quickly withdrew her hand, her ears turning red.

"I'm honored to eat rice balls made by the Young Lady herself." Xiao picked one up and took a bite.

The rice was a little hard, and there was too much pickled plum. It was so salty it tasted bitter.

But he chewed slowly and earnestly, then gave her a gentle smile. "They're delicious."

Hinata's eyes lit up. The joy of receiving approval eased the tension from her body. She sat in the chair beside the bed, placing both hands on her knees, her posture as upright as a student attending class.

"Uncle Tokuma said you were badly hurt... that you almost..." Hinata's voice dropped again. "It was all because you were protecting me."

"That was my duty." Xiao set down the rice ball, his tone calm. "The Branch House is supposed to protect the Main House."

"No!"

Hinata suddenly raised her voice, startling even herself. She hurriedly covered her mouth and looked around. After confirming that no one had heard, she spoke again, softly but urgently. "Father said it was part of the plan. They deliberately let the Hidden Cloud people try to capture me, then replaced me with a fake... But, but Xiao, you didn't know about the plan. You really risked your life to protect me."

She lifted her head, her pale eyes shimmering with tears. "You, Uncle Tokuma, and all those Branch House members... none of you knew about the plan, did you?"

Xiao did not answer immediately.

He quietly looked at Hinata, at this six-year-old Main House young lady who should have been innocent and carefree. Hiashi Hyuga had protected her well—or rather, imprisoned her well. He had kept her kind, kept her weak, and kept her completely ignorant of the clan's darkness.

But now, a crack had appeared.

"Young Lady." Xiao's voice was soft, as though he were sharing a secret. "In the eyes of the Main House elders, the lives of the Branch House are worthless. If the plan succeeded, the credit went to the Main House. If it failed, it did not matter if a few Branch House members died. We were merely... tools."

Hinata's lips began to tremble.

"That night, you were locked in a room deep within the estate, weren't you?" Xiao continued, his tone calm as if he were stating a fact. "Lord Hiashi told you it was to protect you. But in truth, he used you as the perfect bait—because only the real Main House young lady could convince the Hidden Cloud that they had captured the right person."

"But... but Father said..."

"He said it was for the clan, for the Leaf Village." Xiao smiled, though there was something in that smile Hinata could not understand. "Young Lady, do you believe him? Gambling with the life of a six-year-old child, using unaware Branch House shinobi as sacrificial pawns—is that truly 'for the clan'?"

Hinata could not speak.

She remembered that night, when she had been locked in an unfamiliar room. Fighting and screams had echoed outside. She had curled up in a corner in terror until Xiao had rushed in covered in blood and shielded her behind him.

She remembered the vicious wound in Xiao's chest when he collapsed to the ground.

She remembered her father coming to the hospital. His first question had been, "Did the plan succeed?" His second had been, "What were the Branch House casualties?" From beginning to end, he had never once asked her, "Were you scared?"

"I..." Hinata's voice caught in her throat. "I don't know..."

"You don't need to know right now." Xiao's tone became gentle again. "But please remember what I said tonight: in this clan, not everyone bearing the title of the Main House deserves your respect; nor is everyone marked with the Caged Bird Seal willing to be a slave for the rest of their life."

Hinata nodded hard, and at last, her tears fell onto the back of her hand.

Xiao reached out and gently wiped away her tears. The gesture made Hinata freeze—in the Hyuga Clan, strict boundaries separated the Main House and Branch House. Branch House members were never allowed physical contact with the Main House, especially men with women.

But Xiao had done it, as naturally as if it were nothing.

"Young Lady, if anyone bullies you in the future, tell me." Xiao looked into her eyes and spoke each word clearly. "Whether they are from the Main House or from outside. As long as you need me, I'll be there."

[ Ding! Bond deepened, Destiny Points +50 ]

[ Current bond level with Hinata Hyuga: Trust (75/100) ]

The system's notification rang in his mind, but Xiao's attention remained entirely on Hinata. Through his enhanced Byakugan vision, he could clearly see the flow of chakra within her body—that bloodline should have been the purest of the Hyuga Main House, yet now it seemed bound by countless invisible chains.

More than a dozen crucial nodes in her chakra pathways were severely blocked.

Especially one of the Eight Gates near her heart, which was almost completely sealed. This was not an innate defect, but... an artificial seal. Xiao's pupils narrowed slightly. Hiashi Hyuga, you wouldn't even spare your own daughter?

Was it to control her? To ensure she could never surpass you?

"Xiao?" Hinata noticed that there was something strange in his gaze.

"It's nothing." Xiao withdrew his hand, his smile returning to normal. "I just think the Young Lady's chakra... seems a little obstructed. During training, do you often feel pressure in your chest, as though your chakra disperses halfway through gathering?"

Hinata's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"A guess." Xiao brushed it aside casually. "Maybe your training method doesn't suit you very well. If there's a chance later, I can practice with you—using some crude Branch House methods. They might help."

"Really?" Hinata's eyes brightened again, but quickly dimmed. "But Father said that the Main House and Branch House training techniques can't be mixed..."

"Then don't let him know." Xiao winked.

Hinata froze, then for the first time, she showed Xiao a genuine smile—not a polite, restrained smile, but one belonging to a six-year-old child, carrying a hint of mischief and secrecy.

"Mm!" She nodded forcefully.

After chatting for a little longer, Hinata glanced at the clock on the wall and hurriedly stood up. "I-I should go back, or the clan members on patrol will notice I'm not in my room..."

"I'll walk you to the door."

"No, no, Xiao, get some proper rest!" Hinata waved her hands. When she reached the door, she turned back and said seriously, "Tomorrow... I'll come again tomorrow. I'll make better rice balls!"

With that, she slipped out, her footsteps gradually fading down the corridor.

Xiao leaned against the headboard, and the gentle smile on his face slowly vanished, replaced by cold calculation.

Hinata's chakra seal—this was an opportunity.

If he could remove the shackles Hiashi Hyuga had personally planted in his daughter's body, how dependent would Hinata become on him? When the Main House young lady discovered that the one who could truly help her grow stronger and give her freedom was not her father, who constantly spoke of clan glory, but a Branch House member branded with the Caged Bird Seal...

Xiao closed his eyes, yet his Byakugan vision became even clearer.

He could "see" the figure hiding in the shadows at the end of the corridor outside the ward—Tokuma Hyuga. This Branch House jonin had been secretly protecting Hinata from the moment she entered the hospital, or rather, watching her.

Tokuma did not completely trust him.

That was normal. Having lived in the Hyuga Clan for more than thirty years and personally seen countless Branch House members rebel against the Main House only to die miserably, how could he easily place his bet on a twelve-year-old child?

But Tokuma had already taken the first step.

That night, he had acted according to Xiao's plan. He had saved Hinata and proved before every Branch House shinobi that the Main House's plans would sacrifice them—but they could fight for their own way to survive.

"Slowly." Xiao murmured to himself.

The Caged Bird Seal on his forehead faintly burned. It was proof that the Main House could take his life at any time. Yet at that moment, Xiao felt the power brought by his 6% Byakugan purity, the Destiny Points brought by his 75-point bond with Hinata, and Tokuma's hesitant footsteps outside the door that had not yet departed...

He could almost see it: the cage that had imprisoned the Hyuga Branch House for a thousand years was cracking apart, inch by inch.

And all he had to do was plant the seeds of flame within those cracks.

Outside the window, the lights of the Leaf Village gradually went out.

But once some things were ignited, they would never grow dark again.