Chapter 1: Plans Change
The Hyuga clan compound.
Servants hurried through the corridors, their footsteps echoing softly against polished wood as they lit paper lanterns one by one, casting warm pools of light across the estate.
Today marked the third birthday of the Hyuga main family's heir.
It was also the day the other branch family children would receive the Caged Bird seal.
In the central courtyard, three-year-old Hyuga Hinata stood surrounded by attendants making final adjustments to her appearance. She wore a pale pink kimono embroidered with the Hyuga clan symbol, her porcelain cheeks flushed faintly in the evening light.
An attendant knelt before her, securing a lavender obi around her waist.
"Young miss, breathe in."
Hinata obediently sucked in her small stomach. The movement made her lift her chin slightly, and in that instant, she thought she glimpsed something flash past at the far end of the courtyard.
Just beyond her line of sight, beneath the covered walkway, two boys crouched in the shadow of a wooden pillar, looking thoroughly suspicious.
"Neji, that's your little sister, right?" Hyuga Kiyonari kept his voice low, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Told you she was cute."
Neji's gaze flickered briefly before returning to its usual calm. He turned aside with studied indifference, adopting a tone of complete disinterest. "We should head back. Don't want to keep Father waiting."
And yet... the sunset illuminated the corners of his mouth, betraying the slightest upward curve he couldn't quite suppress.
Hyuga Kiyonari could swear on his life that in the year since they'd met, this was the first time he'd ever seen Neji's lips curve that obviously.
"Pfft! Hahaha..."
He couldn't hold it in anymore. After all, wasn't getting Neji to spy over the courtyard wall specifically to witness this exact moment?
Just as Kiyonari prepared to tease him, Neji—who knew him far too well—bolted before he could get a word out. In seconds, Kiyonari found himself alone in the courtyard.
He raised a hand to touch the cloth band tied around his forehead, watching where Neji had disappeared, then leisurely followed after.
"Caged Bird, huh..."
My name is Hyuga Kiyonari. I'm three years old and live in a single-room apartment in the northeast section of the Hyuga compound. Single, obviously.
I don't have a system. I don't have exceptional talent. My bloodline is only slightly better than average, at best.
My parents are dead. The village's survivor stipend isn't much—I suspect certain people have been skimming off the top. Fortunately, the Hyuga clan is generous enough to provide monthly living expenses to orphaned branch family children, so I've let the whole stipend issue slide.
Of course, I'm only mentioning all this to make one thing clear: I have no grand ambitions whatsoever.
I don't want to become Hokage. I don't want to compete for glory. That's my philosophy for living in this world, and honestly? I'm perfectly happy with it.
In short: I'm taking it easy.
Average talent? Fine by me.
Most Hyuga shinobi end up as scouts anyway. Even if I make it to the battlefield, as long as I'm careful, I can avoid the truly dangerous situations. Pick the weakest opponents, take the safest missions, and when Pain attacks Konoha, apply for an out-of-village assignment ahead of time.
Caged Bird seal? Whatever.
After graduation, I'll just avoid the main family, minimize my presence, become invisible. If that doesn't work, I'll request a transfer to guard the Daimyo's palace. After all, we're all just trying to survive.
Kiyonari suddenly stopped and slapped his forehead. "Almost forgot—I still need to get Hinata a birthday present."
The main family probably wouldn't even look at his gift, but as a branch family member, he needed to show either thoughtfulness or proper attitude. One of the two, minimum.
Konoha's commercial district bustled with its usual evening energy. Kiyonari paused outside a ninja tools shop, squinting at the display of elegant weapons gleaming under the lights. The polished blades caught the lamplight beautifully, but the price tags next to them made his eye twitch.
"Tch..."
He clicked his tongue and decisively turned toward the stationery shop next door. The door chime rang cheerfully as he entered. The shop was small but meticulously organized, with various items arranged from lowest to highest price.
As the saying goes: when gift-giving, choose the item with the worst price-to-value ratio.
Kiyonari's eyes tracked the top shelf labels as he walked deeper into the store, quickly locating his target—a notebook priced at three hundred ryo.
Three hundred ryo bought the most expensive notebook in the shop: gold-embossed cover, elegant paper with a subtle fragrance, impressively thin profile. Clearly high-end. But that same three hundred ryo would only get you a basic journal or plain stationery—not even a decorative pattern.
At the counter, he grabbed a generic blue gift box—the kind that would immediately disappear into a pile of presents.
The shop owner smiled warmly. "That'll be three hundred and eighty ryo total."
Kiyonari counted out three bills from his wallet, mentally calculating: saved twenty ryo from the budget, enough to add an egg to his ramen at Ichiraku later.
Just then, the shop owner handed him a red bean cake. "Here you go, sweetie. Make sure to tell your friends about my shop, okay?"
Kiyonari responded with perfect customer service instinct: "Once I start at the Academy, I'll definitely bring my classmates by."
As he left, he suddenly remembered something and ducked back inside to borrow a pen from the shop owner. On the notebook's inside cover, he scrawled:
"Happy Birthday, Lady Hinata
—Hyuga Kiyonari"
"Perfect! Saved money on a card too!"
He tucked the notebook and red bean cake into the gift box, tied it with a ribbon, and called it done.
Kiyonari brushed off his hands with satisfaction and headed back toward the Hyuga compound.
By the time the lively banquet finally wound down, Hyuga Hinata managed to slip away from the crowd's attention, retreating into the shadows of a covered corridor corner where she immediately loosened her obi.
"Phew..."
She exhaled softly, her cheeks still faintly pink.
Suddenly, a quiet "gurgle" emanated from her stomach. Hinata quickly pressed her hands over it, glancing around to make sure no one had heard.
In the main hall, Father was still conversing with several clan elders, and guests clustered in small groups. If she went back for food now, she'd definitely be noticed... At that thought, Hinata's eyes suddenly brightened.
Right—the presents! Everyone had given so many gifts. Maybe there'd be something to eat!
She tiptoed like a small cat into the side room where gifts were stored, the mountain of colorful boxes gleaming like treasure chests in the lamplight.
Hinata carefully began her search. Most boxes contained exquisite kimonos, jewelry, or ninja tools.
After opening several, she noticed a pattern—the more luxurious a box looked on the outside, the less likely it contained anything edible.
Hinata blinked her pale eyes, scanning the pile until she spotted a plain light-blue gift box sitting on the floor nearby.
She hurried over and picked it up. The moment she opened it, the rich aroma of red bean paste wafted out. Inside lay a red bean cake wrapped in oil paper, with a black notebook underneath.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Hyuga compound, in a cramped single-room apartment...
Hyuga Kiyonari lay sprawled on his bed in a spread-eagle position, teetering on the edge of sleep when a cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Suitable actor detected online. Grand Director System activating...]
"Huh?!"
Kiyonari bolted upright, sleep vanishing instantly as his eyes flew wide open. "Wait! Plans change!"