After Hinata Hyuga woke up, a Branch Family maid took her straight to one of the Branch Family residences.
The maid looked at Hinata coldly and began explaining the rules she needed to follow in the Branch Family, without caring whether Hinata was listening.
"You're no longer the Main Family's young miss, so stop acting like this. No one is going to pity you!" Natsu Hyuga said coldly.
"Natsu... I..." Hinata Hyuga seemed not to have grasped what had happened yet. She looked at Natsu Hyuga in bewilderment.
In her memories, Natsu Hyuga had always been a gentle person. Whenever she was injured during training, Natsu would come and tenderly care for her.
Natsu Hyuga looked at her indifferently. "You're a member of the Branch Family now, just like me. You're no longer that lofty Main Family Young Miss, Hinata!"
"Did you remember everything I just told you? Let me warn you: the Caged Bird Seal isn't easy to endure." Natsu Hyuga gave her an inscrutable smile.
"Natsu, I understand..." Hinata lowered her head and spoke softly.
"Hmph! Suit yourself." Natsu Hyuga pushed her aside and left.
For a moment, Hinata stood frozen in place, utterly at a loss.
Once Natsu Hyuga's figure had vanished completely, two trails of glistening tears spilled from the corners of her eyes.
After spending a long while in a daze, Hinata walked over to a mirror. Immediately, she saw the glaring blue-green mark on her forehead.
"So this is the Caged Bird Seal? It really is an ugly thing..." For some reason, Hinata thought of Naruto.
"Naruto-kun..." Hinata murmured, tears spilling from her eyes.
Now that she bore the Caged Bird Seal, she felt that an unbridgeable gulf lay between her and Naruto Uzumaki, and that she was drifting farther and farther away from