Hiashi's Calculations

Leaf Village's mornings always carried a false sense of tranquility.

Hyuga Xiao stood at the edge of the Branch House residential area, looking at the towering walls of the Main House estate in the distance. The morning mist had yet to disperse, its grayish-white haze winding around the eaves like some ominous portent. He carried two bags of freshly bought vegetables in his hands—one of the daily chores Branch House members had to complete, and also his best disguise.

"Xiao, you're out so early today?"

Old Hizou from the teahouse passed by the alley entrance, pushing a wooden cart piled with freshly delivered charcoal. The old man kept his voice low, though his eyes flicked toward the Main House estate.

"Good morning, Grandpa Hizou." Xiao smiled gently and handed him a bag of vegetables. "Thank you for telling me that information yesterday. This is a token of my gratitude."

Hizou accepted the vegetables and lightly tapped the bag three times with his fingers—an agreed-upon signal in the Branch House intelligence network, meaning there was new information.

"Speaking of which, when I was delivering charcoal earlier, I heard the Main House servants talking." Hizou sorted through the cart as he spoke in a casual tone. "The afternoon after tomorrow, Lord Hiashi will take Lady Hinata to the Hokage Tower. Supposedly, he's going to show the Third Hokage the growth of the Main House heir."

Xiao's fingers tightened slightly.

"Is that so? That's certainly a major event." His voice remained calm. "For the Main House heir to receive personal guidance from the Hokage is an honor for the clan."

"Yes, an honor." There was a trace of barely perceptible mockery in Hizou's tone. "But I heard only two guards were assigned, both Elite Ninja from the Branch House. Tell me, for such an important occasion, why wouldn't the Main House guard unit accompany them?"

Xiao's heart lurched.

Two Branch House Elite Ninja.

The afternoon after tomorrow.

The Hokage Tower.

All the clues linked together at that moment, like an intricately woven net. At its center was that timid yet kind Main House young lady.

"Perhaps Lord Hiashi trusts the Branch House." Xiao spoke softly and nodded to Hizou. "I should head back. There's still work to do at home."

As he turned and left, his expression remained gentle, but a layer of ice had already formed in the depths of his eyes.

The Branch House residences were pitifully crude.

A six-tatami room, a single mat, and a battered wardrobe—that was everything Hyuga Xiao possessed in Leaf Village. He shut the door, leaned against it, and slowly slid down to sit on the floor, closing his eyes.

He began reviewing all the information in his mind.

First, Hidden Cloud spies had already infiltrated the village and planned to abduct Hinata in three days—he had overheard that in the Forest of Death.

Second, Hiashi had deliberately transferred six Branch House Elite Ninja toward Hidden Cloud territory without arranging for their families—Hizou had revealed that before.

Third, news had now spread that Hiashi would take Hinata to the Hokage Tower the afternoon after tomorrow, with only two Branch House guards.

It was far too deliberate.

Xiao opened his eyes. His pupils gave off a faint white glow in the dim room. He raised a hand and lightly traced lines over the tatami, outlining the entire incident.

If he were Hiashi, what would he do?

If a Main House head discovered that Hidden Cloud spies might harm his daughter, his first reaction should have been to strengthen the guards and keep Hinata under tight protection. But Hiashi had not done that. Instead, he had transferred away the elite forces and deliberately released word that he would bring only two guards.

This was not protection at all.

This was fishing.

"Using your own daughter as bait..." Xiao murmured, a cold curve appearing on his lips. "Hiashi, you're even more ruthless than I imagined."

He rose and walked to the room's only window. Outside lay the run-down streets of the Branch House district. Several Branch House children were chasing one another, their foreheads bearing the same Caged Bird Seal as his.

Those children laughed with innocent abandon, completely unaware that the Main House had long since written their fates into the ledger of life and death.

Xiao pressed his fingertips against the window frame. Splinters pierced his skin, bringing a faint sting.

He remembered his "chance encounter" with Hinata yesterday evening.

The girl had kept her head lowered, twisting the corner of her clothes between her fingers. Her voice had been as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "Father said... he's taking me to meet Grandpa Hokage the day after tomorrow. I-I'm a little scared."

"Why are you afraid?" he had asked then.

"Because..." Hinata had raised her head, her eyes slightly red. "Father said... it's a test. If I don't perform well in front of Grandpa Hokage, it'll prove that I'm unworthy of being the Main House heir."

Looking back, it had not been a test at all.

It was psychological conditioning Hiashi had given his daughter—making her think it was merely an ordinary meeting, making her lower her guard, making her the perfect bait.

"What a wonderful father." Xiao let out a cold laugh.

The children outside had run off, and silence returned to the street. Xiao turned back to the center of the room, sat cross-legged, and began circulating his chakra.

Byakugan, activate.

His field of vision expanded instantly, and a complete three-hundred-and-sixty-degree image flooded his mind. He "saw" the Branch House auntie next door cooking, the Leaf Village Chunin patrolling at the end of the street, and the servants bustling about within the Main House estate farther away.

But his attention was focused on the flow of chakra.

The chakra of Branch House members was generally weaker, as though something suppressed it. The chakra of Main House members was much brighter, especially that in the main residence where Hiashi was. Its intensity nearly pierced through his Byakugan vision.

The Caged Bird Seal.

This Curse Mark not only controlled the life and death of the Branch House, but also gradually weakened the limits of their chakra. The class order maintained by the Hyuga Clan for countless centuries rested upon this cruel physiological oppression.

Xiao deactivated his Byakugan and took a deep breath.

The system panel unfolded before his eyes.

[Current Mission: Prevent the Hidden Cloud Envoy Delegation from abducting Hinata Hyuga (Time Remaining: 5 days)]

[Mission Reward: Byakugan Purity +10%, Caged Bird Seal Removal 5%, Destiny Points ×500]

[Warning: The probability of the plot point "Hinata Kidnapping Incident" has risen to 87%, and a key variable has appeared—Hiashi Hyuga's involvement]

[System Analysis: Hiashi Hyuga intends to use this incident to achieve three objectives: 1. Capture the Hidden Cloud spies and earn merit before the Third Hokage; 2. Take the opportunity to eliminate "restless" Branch House members; 3. Consolidate the Main House's absolute control over the Branch House]

[Recommendation: Turn his scheme against him and set your own trap within Hiashi's trap]

Xiao stared at the final line, his pupils narrowing slightly.

Turn his scheme against him.

He needed more detailed intelligence.

That afternoon, Hyuga Xiao appeared at Konoha Hospital once more.

A fresh bandage was wrapped around his forehead, and he limped slightly as he walked—an extension of yesterday's "training injury." After Branch House members were injured, they usually received only the most basic treatment. That was a rule set by the Main House to prevent the Branch House from consuming too many medical resources.

But it also provided Xiao with perfect cover.

"Xiao, you're here to have your dressing changed again?" The medical ninja in charge was a young woman in her twenties. Sympathy colored her voice. "Your Branch House training is far too harsh."

"It's for the clan." Xiao lowered his head, his voice gentle. "The only thing I can do for the clan is train hard."

The medical ninja sighed and unwrapped the bandage around his forehead. When she saw the blue Caged Bird Seal, her movements paused, and a trace of pity flashed through her eyes.

"Actually..." She lowered her voice. "After you left yesterday, a Special Elite Ninja came to ask about injured Branch House members. I asked who he was, and he said he had been sent by the Main House to count their numbers."

Xiao's heart jolted.

"A Special Elite Ninja? What did he look like?"

"He wore a mask, so I couldn't see his face. But his voice was very cold, like..." The medical ninja hesitated. "Like someone from Root."

Root.

Shimura Danzō's personal force.

Countless possibilities flashed through Xiao's mind. Why was Danzō concerned with injured Branch House members? Had Hiashi reported something to him, or had Danzō caught wind of something himself?

"Thank you for telling me." Xiao spoke softly as he rewrapped his bandage. "But please don't tell anyone else about this. I don't want to bring you trouble."

The medical ninja nodded, watching him leave with a complicated look in her eyes.

When he left the hospital, the afternoon sunlight was painfully bright. Xiao narrowed his eyes and walked slowly down the street, though his mind was racing at full speed.

Root had intervened.

That meant this matter had already exceeded the scope of the Hyuga Clan's internal struggle. That old fox Danzō would never let go of any chance to seize benefits. If he learned of the Hidden Cloud spies and Hiashi's plan, he would definitely insert himself into the affair and muddy the waters even further.

And muddy waters were precisely what Xiao needed.

He stopped at a street corner and pretended to tie his shoe while sweeping the surroundings from the corner of his eye.

Two Chunin were buying dumplings at a nearby stall, three Genin hurried past, and an ANBU wearing an animal mask crouched on a rooftop—it was an ordinary surveillance post, not one aimed at him.

Xiao stood and continued onward.

He needed to confirm one thing: would Hiashi truly take Hinata to the Hokage Tower the afternoon after tomorrow?

If that was false information, where was the real trap?

If it was true, what made Hiashi think two Branch House Elite Ninja could stop Hidden Cloud's elite spies?

There was only one answer: Hiashi had never intended to let Hinata leave the Main House estate.

The news about going to the Hokage Tower was bait released for the Hidden Cloud spies. The real Hinata would be hidden somewhere safe. Once the spies entered the trap, Hiashi would appear with the Main House elite and wipe them all out in one stroke.

And those two accompanying Branch House Elite Ninja?

They were merely part of the bait, expendable pieces that could be sacrificed at any time.

Xiao's steps slowed further and further.

He remembered what Hinata had said yesterday. "Xiao, the evening after tomorrow... can you watch over me from the shadows? As long as I know you're there, I won't be so scared."

That girl trusted him.

And he would use that trust to place his own piece upon Hiashi's board.

At dusk, Hyuga Xiao "happened" to encounter Hinata again.

This time, it was not at the training ground, but near the clan shrine behind the Main House estate. Hinata knelt on the stone steps before the shrine, her hands clasped as though praying for something. The setting sun stretched her shadow long and lonely across the bluestone pavement.

Xiao did not approach at once.

He hid within the shadow of a tree beside the shrine, activated his Byakugan, and confirmed that no other Main House members were nearby. Only two Branch House guards stood at a post fifty meters away, and neither was paying attention to this direction.

The timing was perfect.

He adjusted his breathing, suppressing his chakra fluctuations to the lowest level, then stepped out from the tree's shadow and deliberately made his footsteps heavier.

Hinata heard him and turned around. When she saw Xiao, her eyes brightened for a moment, but she quickly lowered her head again, nervously twisting her fingers together.

"X-Xiao... why are you here?"

"I came to bring offerings for the shrine." Xiao raised the basket in his hand—it really did contain fruit and pastries, one of the weekly duties required of Branch House members. "Is Lady Hinata praying?"

Hinata nodded, her voice barely audible. "I'm praying... that everything goes smoothly the day after tomorrow."

Xiao stopped beside her but did not sit down—Branch House members had no right to sit on equal footing with the Main House heir. That was the rule.

"Is Lady Hinata worried about the meeting the day after tomorrow?"

"Mm..." Hinata looked up, her eyes reddening again. "Father said this meeting concerns the clan's future. If I don't perform well, I might... I might bring shame upon the clan."

Xiao looked at the girl.

She was eleven, an age when she should have been carefree and innocent, yet the burden of the Main House had left her unable to breathe. Her eyes were full of fear and self-doubt, like glass that could shatter at any moment.

And her father was planning to throw her into a pack of wolves.

"Lady Hinata." Xiao's voice grew very soft, carrying deliberate gentleness. "Do you know? Sometimes, what adults say isn't entirely true."

Hinata froze.

"W-what do you mean?"

"I mean..." Xiao crouched down so that his gaze met Hinata's—this action had already overstepped the bounds of a Branch House member, but he bet Hinata would not care. "The meeting the day after tomorrow may not be as simple as you think."

He paused and observed Hinata's reaction.

The girl's eyes widened, and her lips trembled slightly. "Xiao... do you know something?"

"I know very little." Xiao shook his head and gave a bitter smile. "I'm only from the Branch House. I have no right to know the Main House's important matters. But Lady Hinata, when I went to change my dressing at the hospital yesterday, I heard some strange rumors."

"What rumors?"

"Some people say suspicious individuals have been appearing around Leaf Village recently." Xiao lowered his voice. "Some say they're Hidden Cloud spies."

Hinata's face instantly turned pale.

Hidden Cloud.

That term held special meaning for her. Several years ago, the Hidden Cloud Envoy Delegation had attempted to abduct her, triggering a diplomatic crisis between the Hyuga Clan and Hidden Cloud that had ultimately ended with the death of her uncle, Hizashi.

It was the deepest shadow of her childhood.

"W-why would there be Hidden Cloud spies now..." Hinata's voice trembled.

"I don't know." Xiao said, "But I'm worried that the meeting the day after tomorrow might become their target."

What he said was half true and half false.

The truth was that Hidden Cloud really did plan to abduct her. The lie was that Hiashi already knew and had set a trap.

But Hinata knew none of that. She was only a little girl, kept in the dark by her father and used as a chess piece without realizing it.

"Th-then what should I do?" Hinata grabbed Xiao's sleeve, her fingers turning white from the force. "Should I tell Father?"

"Lord Hiashi may already know." Xiao said softly. "But Lady Hinata, have you considered this? If Lord Hiashi knows there is danger, why would he still take you to the Hokage Tower? Why arrange only two guards?"

Hinata's pupils contracted.

That question was like a needle, piercing through her final illusion about her father.

She was not stupid. Her long-suppressed nature had merely left her afraid to doubt, afraid to think. But now Xiao had laid fragments of the truth before her, and she had no choice but to piece them together.

Her father had transferred away the elite guards.

Her father had deliberately released the news.

Her father had called it a test...

"Father..." Hinata's voice caught. "Is he using me?"

Xiao did not answer.

He merely watched the girl, watched the trust in her eyes shatter bit by bit, watched her move from fear toward another, deeper emotion—despair at betrayal by someone closest to her, and the coldness that grew after despair.

After a long while, Hinata released his sleeve and wiped away her tears.

Her expression had changed.

The weakness and timidity remained, but beneath them was something hard, like ice that had shattered and frozen again.

"Xiao." She raised her head and looked directly into his eyes. "Will you protect me the evening after tomorrow?"

"I will." Xiao said. "But Lady Hinata, you must promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"No matter what happens, no matter what you see, you must trust me." Xiao's voice was quiet, yet it carried an unquestionable force. "I'll keep you alive. I'll free you from all of this. But you must trust me, even if the entire world stands against you."

Hinata looked at him.

The last light of sunset fell across Xiao's face, gilding his gentle features with a layer of gold. But Hinata saw the shadows beneath that light, the coldness and resolve hidden deep within those Byakugan eyes.

This Branch House boy was unlike anyone she had ever known.

He did not revere the Main House. He did not fear fate. There was no servility in the way he looked at her, only an almost cruel honesty.

"I trust you." Hinata spoke softly, her voice carrying the determination of one who had burned her bridges. "The evening after tomorrow, I'll do as Father says. But Xiao... please, you have to be there."

"I will." Xiao rose and bowed slightly to her. "Then, Lady Hinata, I'll take my leave."

As he turned away, a faint curve lifted the corner of his lips.

[System Notification: Hinata Hyuga's Trust has increased to 45%]

[Status acquired: "Destiny Accomplice" (Hinata will unconditionally trust your judgment and cooperate with your actions at critical moments)]

[Warning: Hinata's emotional state is unstable and shows signs of turning dark. Please guide her carefully.]

Xiao closed the system panel and walked steadily out of the shrine area.

The sun had completely sunk below the horizon, and night began to shroud the Leaf Village. One by one, the lights of the Main House estate lit up, like the eyes of a giant beast opening.

Xiao walked down the dim streets, his figure gradually blending into the shadows.

His plan was already clear.

The evening after tomorrow, Hiashi would lay a trap for the Hidden Cloud, while the Hidden Cloud would lay a trap for Hinata.

And he would set a third trap between the two.

A trap that would send everyone—Hiashi, the Hidden Cloud, and Danzo—plunging into the abyss.

The Caged Bird Seal's curse mark faintly burned on his forehead, like an urging and a final warning.

Xiao raised his hand, his fingertips lightly brushing over the blue mark.

"Soon," he murmured. "Very soon."

The night completely swallowed his figure.

At the highest point of the Main House estate, Hiashi Hyuga stood before a window, overlooking the entire Leaf Village. His Byakugan was activated, his gaze sweeping over every street and every corner.

When his vision passed over the Branch House residential district, he paused for a moment.

That place was shrouded in darkness, with only scattered lights remaining, like dying candles about to go out.

Hiashi's face showed no expression.

The day after tomorrow.

Everything would end.

The Hidden Cloud's spies, the restless members of the Branch House, and that suspicious boy who was always pestering his daughter—all the eyesores would be cleaned up in one go.

He turned away from the window. The hem of his kimono brushed across the tatami, producing a faint rustling sound.

In the direction of the shrine, Hinata was still kneeling there, completely motionless.

Hiashi did not look at her.

A chess piece did not need excessive attention. It only needed to land in the right place at the right time.

That was the responsibility of the Main House.

That was the resolve of the clan head.

As night deepened, the Leaf Village sank into sleep.

And beneath this false tranquility, three different undercurrents quietly converged.