Caged Bird Seal

Three days after the banquet, the setting sun painted the blue-tiled eaves of the Hyuga Clan Grounds a dusky gold.

Hyuga Xiao knelt beneath the eaves at the corner of the courtyard, wiping the wooden floor inch by inch with a rag. Sweat slid down his temples and dripped onto the polished boards, only to be quickly absorbed by the cloth. This was the seventh chore assigned to him today—cleaning the eastern corridor of the Main House residence.

Soft footsteps sounded from not far away.

Xiao did not pause, but the corner of his eye had already caught that small figure.

Hinata Hyuga, dressed in a light purple kimono, was carefully making her way down the corridor. Her head was lowered, her hands folded before her, and her steps were so light they were nearly silent. At this hour every day, she went to the training ground in the rear courtyard—Xiao had observed this for three days.

"Lady Hinata."

When Hinata passed him, Xiao stopped what he was doing and respectfully lowered his head.

Hinata paused and replied in a soft, timid voice, "Xiao... are you still cleaning?"

"Yes, this is my final task for today." Xiao looked up with a gentle smile. "Are you going to the training ground, Lady Hinata?"

"Mm..." Hinata nodded. Her gaze fell on the forehead protector over Xiao's brow before quickly shifting away. "Father said the foundations of the Gentle Fist need to be reinforced every day."

"You are truly diligent, Lady Hinata." As he spoke, Xiao picked up the rag again. "Then I will not disturb you."

He continued wiping the floor, neither hurried nor slow.

Hinata hesitated, as though she wanted to say something, but in the end she merely pressed her lips together and continued onward.

Listening to her footsteps fade away, Xiao's lips curled into the faintest smile.

The time was about right.

He stood, placed the rag into the bucket, then turned and walked toward the other side of the corridor—the path leading to the rear courtyard of the Main House residence, and the only route Hinata could take to the training ground. But instead of heading straight there, he stopped at an open space near a corner of the corridor.

The view here was broad, and the training ground could be clearly seen from that direction.

Xiao took a deep breath and assumed the opening stance of the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist.

His movements were slow, every technique broken down with extreme care. His palms traced arcs through the air, his feet stepped out a particular rhythm on the ground, and chakra flowed slowly through the meridians within his body—this was the opening stance of the Hyuga Clan's most basic Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms, something every Branch House child had to learn by the age of five.

But Xiao practiced with exceptional seriousness.

The afterglow of the setting sun fell across him, stretching his shadow long. Sweat soaked his bangs again, with several strands clinging to the edge of his forehead protector. His breathing was steady and deep, and every palm strike carried the sound of splitting air—faint, yet especially clear in the quiet evening.

Five minutes later, he heard the footsteps he had anticipated.

Hinata stood at the bend in the corridor, her pale eyes watching him curiously.

Xiao did not turn around and continued practicing. His movements began to accelerate, the wind from his palms sharpening, while his footwork became swifter and swifter. The first eight forms of the Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms flowed smoothly through his hands. Though they were only fundamentals, the precision of his control had already faintly surpassed that of ordinary Branch House children.

"Um..."

Hinata spoke quietly, then immediately closed her mouth again.

Only then did Xiao "notice" her presence. He hurriedly withdrew his stance, turned around, and bowed respectfully. "Lady Hinata, have you not gone to the training ground yet?"

"I... I saw you practicing." Hinata's voice was barely louder than a mosquito's buzz. "Your Gentle Fist seems a little different from what the instructor taught us..."

Xiao's heart stirred.

Though this girl was timid by nature, her powers of observation were quite sharp.

"It is merely my personal understanding." Xiao spoke humbly. "The Branch House has limited training time, so I often ponder how to achieve the same results with less chakra. Please forgive my clumsy display, Lady Hinata."

"No, that is not it." Hinata hurriedly waved her hands. "I think... it is very impressive."

As she said this, her cheeks reddened slightly. Clearly, she was unaccustomed to expressing her thoughts so directly.

Xiao smiled and assumed the opening stance again. "If you do not mind, Lady Hinata, I can demonstrate my understanding. Of course, it surely cannot compare to the orthodox inheritance of the Main House—"

"I want to see."

Hinata suddenly spoke.

Xiao looked at her.

Hinata seemed startled by her own boldness. Her fingers twisted at the hem of her clothes, but she still gathered her courage and repeated, "I want to see... may I?"

"Of course." Xiao nodded.

He began demonstrating again.

This time, he slowed down, breaking every movement apart in even greater detail. How the palm should exert force, how the footwork should coordinate, which acupoints needed a stronger circulation of chakra—he demonstrated while explaining in plain language.

Hinata watched with great focus. Her pale eyes followed Xiao's movements, and now and then, she unconsciously imitated one of his hand gestures.

Xiao's explanation lasted around ten minutes.

By the time it ended, the sun had sunk beneath the rooftops and the sky had begun to darken.

"That is roughly it." Xiao withdrew his stance and stood straight, wiping the sweat from his brow. "They are all merely clever shortcuts. It is enough if you simply take a look, Lady Hinata. There is no need to take them seriously."

But Hinata shook her head. "No... I think they are very useful. The instructor always says the Gentle Fist must strictly follow the established forms, but your method, Xiao... seems more flexible."

As she spoke, she took several steps forward, seemingly wanting to get closer.

Just then—

Hinata stepped on a loose board near the edge of the corridor.

"Ah!"

She cried out as her body lost balance and pitched forward.

Xiao's gaze sharpened in an instant.

He stepped forward, his right hand shooting out like lightning to firmly catch Hinata by the arm. His left hand instinctively supported her back—the movement brought them very close, close enough for Xiao to smell the faint scent of soapberry in Hinata's hair.

And the fingers of his right hand happened to press against Hinata's left wrist.

The moment their skin touched—

[Ding!]

[A mechanical voice rang coldly in Xiao's mind.]

[Bodily contact with a fated individual, "Hinata Hyuga," detected.]

[Contact nature: protective contact. Goodwill assessment: moderate.]

[Destiny Points +10.]

[Byakugan bloodline purity increased: 1%.]

[Caged Bird Seal removal progress: 0.0001%.]

A stream of information flooded his mind, but Xiao's entire attention was fixed on the strange sensation in his forehead at that very moment.

It was as if... something had loosened ever so slightly.

Though it was only a trace, so faint it could almost be ignored, the feeling of restraint had indeed diminished—even if only by one ten-thousandth. It was enough to make Xiao's heart pound wildly.

The system was real.

This path could work.

"L-Lady Hinata, are you all right?" Xiao swiftly reined in his emotions. After releasing her, he stepped back and lowered his head. "My apologies. I was disrespectful."

Hinata steadied herself, her cheeks red enough to bleed. "No, it is not that... I was the one who was careless. Thank you, Xiao."

She spoke softly, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the wrist Xiao had just held.

His warmth still lingered there.

"Some of the corridor boards have loosened. I will report it to the steward tomorrow and ask someone to repair them." Xiao spoke respectfully. "It is getting late. Are you still going to the training ground, Lady Hinata?"

Hinata looked at the darkening sky and shook her head. "Today... never mind. Father said training at night can easily injure the meridians."

As she spoke, she glanced at Xiao again, as though she wanted to say something. In the end, however, she merely whispered, "I am going back," then turned and left along the corridor.

Xiao stood where he was, watching her back disappear around the corner.

Then he slowly raised his right hand and looked at his fingers.

The sensation of touching Hinata's wrist still lingered—her smooth skin, her warm body temperature, and... that indescribable "something" which had poured into his body in that instant.

Those were Destiny Points?

And the sensation of his bloodline purity improving...

Xiao closed his eyes and focused on sensing his own eyes.

They truly were different.

Though the change was incredibly slight, his Byakugan, which had previously only been able to make out the veins in leaves a dozen meters away, now seemed a little clearer. The flow of chakra through the meridians around his eyes had also become slightly smoother.

More importantly—

Xiao raised a hand and touched the forehead protector over his brow.

The Caged Bird Seal was still there. That ever-present sense of restraint and threat of death remained. But in that instant just now, he had indeed felt the seal "loosen."

Though it was only 0.0001%, it was a beginning.

It proved that there truly was light at the end of this road.

"Heh..."

Xiao laughed softly.

The sound was faint, almost inaudible in the darkening courtyard. Yet what it contained was so heavy that it could freeze the air itself.

Three days ago, he had still been a Branch House puppet who could be erased at the whim of the Main House.

Now, he had grasped his first straw.

"Lady Hinata..." Xiao murmured, his pale eyes glinting coldly in the twilight. "Forgive me. But if I want to live, this is the only way."

He turned, picked up the bucket and rag, and prepared to leave.

Just then—

"What were you doing just now?"

A cold voice came from the other end of the corridor.

Xiao's body tensed instantly.

He slowly turned around and saw the man standing in the shadows.

Hiashi Hyuga.

The head of the Main House, Hinata's father, and the man who could decide whether Xiao lived or died.

Hiashi wore a dark blue kimono, his hands clasped behind his back, his expression blank. His pale eyes stared at Xiao, his gaze scraping over Xiao's body like a blade.

Xiao lowered his head and bowed respectfully. "Lord Hiashi. I was cleaning the corridor just now when I happened to encounter Lady Hinata and exchanged a few words with her."

"By chance?" Hiashi's voice held no inflection. "What I saw was you catching Hinata."

"Lady Hinata nearly fell, and in my urgency—"

"Members of the Branch House should not have physical contact with the young lady of the Main House." Hiashi cut him off. "That is the rule."

Xiao's nails dug into his palms.

But when he raised his head, his face still bore that gentle, respectful expression. "It was my oversight. Please punish me as you see fit, Lord Hiashi."

Hiashi stared at him for several seconds.

To Xiao, those seconds stretched as long as a century. He could feel Hiashi's gaze lingering on the forehead protector over his brow, and he could feel that lofty scrutiny—as if Hiashi were examining a tool, one that could be discarded at any time.

"Do not let it happen again." Hiashi finally said. "Go back and rest. Starting tomorrow, you will assist at the warehouse on the western side of the clan grounds. The work there is more suitable for you."

The western warehouse.

It was the most remote place in the Hyuga Clan Grounds. Usually, only a few elderly Branch House members guarded it. Being sent there meant Xiao would be completely removed from the core area of the Main House residence, and it also meant... it would be much harder for him to come into contact with Hinata.

This was both a warning and an isolation.

"Yes." Xiao lowered his head, his voice steady. "Thank you, Lord Hiashi."

Hiashi did not look at him again and turned away.

Xiao remained where he was until Hiashi's footsteps had completely faded before slowly straightening up.

Twilight had completely shrouded the courtyard. Lanterns in the distance lit up one after another, casting dim yellow halos across the bluestone path.

Xiao picked up the bucket and walked along the corridor toward the side courtyard where the Branch House children lived.

His steps were steady, and his expression was calm.

But something was settling in those pale eyes.

The western warehouse?

It did not matter.

The system's mission was to "establish trust with Hinata within seven days," and this was only the third day. Hiashi wanted to isolate him, but an eight-year-old girl would always find a way to sneak out—especially when she had become curious about someone.

Xiao recalled the look in Hinata's eyes when she watched him practice the Gentle Fist.

That curiosity, that focus...

"The seed of trust has already been planted," Xiao murmured. "Next, all I need to do is water it and wait for it to sprout."

He reached the entrance to the Branch House side courtyard and returned the bucket and rag to the storage room.

When he returned to his cramped room, less than six tatami mats in size, Xiao shut the door and slowly slid down against it.

He raised his hand and looked at his fingers once more.

Then he closed his eyes and began carefully sensing the changes in the Curse Mark on his forehead.

0.0001%.

Progress so insignificant it could be ignored.

Yet a genuine, icy smile curved Xiao's lips.

"Lord Hiashi..." he said quietly. "You had better kill me directly now. Otherwise, one day, you will regret only transferring me to the warehouse today."

Outside the window, the last trace of daylight vanished.

Night fell.

And within Xiao's mind, the system interface silently unfolded:

[Current mission: Establish initial trust with Hinata Hyuga. Remaining time: 4 days.]

[Mission reward: Byakugan purity +5%, Caged Bird Seal removal 0.1%.]

[Failure penalty: Bloodline purity permanently decreases by 10%.]

Xiao opened his eyes.

In the darkness, his pale eyes shone like two cold stars.

Four days.

That was enough.