Chapter 1: Change of Plans
The Hyuga Compound.
Servants hurried through the winding corridors, the wooden geta sandals clattering softly against the floorboards as paper lanterns were lit one by one.
Today was the third birthday of the Hyuga Main House's heiress.
It was also the day the children of the Branch House would have the Caged Bird Cursed Seal carved onto their foreheads.
In the center of the courtyard, three-year-old Hyuga Hinata was surrounded by maids, adjusting the final details of her attire. She wore a pale pink kimono with the Hyuga Clan crest embroidered on the hem. Her cheeks, resembling fine white porcelain, were tinted a soft red by the evening glow.
A maid knelt on one knee, tying a lavender sash around her waist.
"Hinata-sama, please breathe in."
Hinata obediently sucked in her small tummy. The movement caused her to tilt her head up slightly, and in that fleeting moment, she thought she saw something flash past the far end of the courtyard.
Just beyond her line of sight, beneath the corridor of the courtyard, two boys were hiding in the shadows of a pillar, looking incredibly suspicious.
"Neji, that's your little sister, right?" Hyuga Kiyonari lowered his voice, his eyes dancing with teasing amusement. "Didn't I tell you she was cute?"
Hyuga Neji's gaze flickered slightly, but he quickly composed himself. He turned his body away, feigning cold indifference, and spoke in a tone that suggested it was none of his business. "Let's go back. We shouldn't keep Father waiting too long."
However... the setting sun betrayed him, illuminating the corner of his mouth, which was tightly pressed to suppress a smile.
Hyuga Kiyonari could swear to the heavens: in the year he had known Neji, this was the first time he had seen the boy's lips curve up so obviously!
"Pfft! Hahaha..."
He couldn't hold it back. Hadn't he spent all that effort boosting Neji up the wall just to witness this exact moment?
Just as Kiyonari prepared to tease him a bit more, Neji—knowing his friend's nature all too well—bolted. In the blink of an eye, Kiyonari was left standing alone outside the courtyard.
He raised a hand to touch the cloth bandages wrapped around his forehead, gazed in the direction Neji had vanished, and slowly followed after him.
"The Caged Bird, huh..."
My name is Hyuga Kiyonari. I am three years old. I live in a single-room apartment in the northeast sector of the Hyuga grounds. Single.
I have no System. I have no outstanding talent. My bloodline is only marginally better than an average person's.
Both my parents are dead. The pension provided by the village wasn't much—I suspect someone skimmed a bit off the top. Fortunately, the Hyuga Clan is relatively generous and provides a monthly allowance to the orphans of the Branch House, so I decided to let the pension issue slide.
Of course, I'm telling you this just to make one thing clear: I don't have any grand ambitions.
I don't want to become Hokage, nor do I want to compete for glory. This is my attitude toward life in this world, and I know very well that this is where my happiness lies.
In short, I'm just going to coast through life!
If my talent is average, then let it be average.
Most Hyuga ninja end up as scouts anyway. Even on the battlefield, as long as I'm cautious, I can avoid the dangerous entities. I'll pick the weakest opponents, accept the safest missions, and when Pain eventually attacks Konoha, I'll apply for an out-of-village mission ahead of time.
If it's the Caged Bird, so be it.
At worst, after graduation, I'll just avoid the Main House, lower my presence, and live like a ghost. If that doesn't work, I'll apply for a transfer to become a Guardian Shinobi for the Feudal Lord. After all, we are all just trying our best to survive.
Hyuga Kiyonari suddenly stopped in his tracks and slapped his forehead. "I almost forgot. I still need to get a birthday present for Hinata."
Although the Main House might not even look at his gift, as a member of the Branch House, the gesture and attitude were mandatory.
The Konoha shopping district was as bustling as ever. Kiyonari stopped in front of a ninja tool shop, squinting at the exquisite weapons displayed in the window. The silver blades gleamed under the lights, but the numbers on the price tags made his eyes twitch.
"Tsk..."
He clicked his tongue and decisively turned toward the stationery store next door. A crisp wind chime announced his entry. The shop was small but organized, with various supplies arranged neatly by price.
As the saying goes: when giving a gift, buy the item with the lowest cost-performance ratio.
Kiyonari scanned the labels on the top shelf and walked inward, quickly finding his target: a notebook priced at 300 Ryo.
For 300 Ryo, you could buy the most expensive notebook in the store—gold-stamped cover, elegant paper scent, and ultra-thin thickness. It screamed 'luxury item.' However, if he spent that same 300 Ryo on a planner or letter set, he'd only get a standard version without even a nice pattern.
Walking to the counter, he grabbed a generic blue gift box—the kind that would instantly vanish once thrown into a pile of other gifts.
The landlady smiled as she gave the total: "That will be 380 Ryo."
Kiyonari counted out three bills from his wallet, calculating internally: I saved 20 Ryo. I can add a fried egg to my Ichiraku Ramen later.
Just then, the landlady grabbed a red bean cake and handed it to him. "Here you go, little one. Make sure to support big sister's business in the future, okay?"
Kiyonari responded smoothly, "When I start the Academy, I'll definitely introduce my classmates to your shop."
As he walked out, he suddenly remembered something. He ran back inside, borrowed a pen from the landlady, and wrote with a flourish on the title page of the notebook:
Happy Birthday, Hinata-sama.
— Hyuga Kiyonari
"Perfect! Saved money on a greeting card, too!"
He packed the notebook and the red bean cake into the gift box, tied it with a ribbon, and the mission was complete!
Kiyonari clapped his hands in satisfaction and headed back toward the Hyuga Compound.
It wasn't until the lively banquet began to disperse that Hyuga Hinata finally managed to slip away from everyone's gaze. She hid in the shadows around the corner of a corridor and impatiently loosened her sash.
"Phew..."
Hinata exhaled softly, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Suddenly, a quiet Guu~ sounded from her stomach. Hinata frantically covered her belly, looking around to ensure no one had heard.
In the main hall, Father was still talking with the clan elders, and the guests were gathered in small groups. If she went back to get food now, she would definitely be spotted...
Thinking of this, Hinata's eyes suddenly lit up.
That's right, the presents! Everyone brought so many gifts, maybe there's something tasty inside!
She stood on her tiptoes and, moving as softly as a kitten, sneaked into the side hall where the gifts were stored. The mountain of gift boxes looked like glittering treasure chests under the lights.
Hinata began to rummage through them carefully. Most of the boxes contained exquisite kimonos, jewelry, or ninja tools.
After opening a few, she discovered a pattern: the more luxurious the box looked on the outside, the less likely it was to contain food.
Hinata blinked her pure white eyes, scanning the pile, and immediately noticed a plain, light blue box sitting on the floor nearby.
She trotted over, hugged the box, and the moment she opened it, the rich aroma of red bean paste wafted out. Inside lay a red bean cake wrapped in oil paper, weighing down a black notebook beneath it.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Hyuga grounds, in a cramped single-room apartment.
Hyuga Kiyonari was sprawled out on his bed in the shape of a starfish. Just as he was groggily drifting off to sleep, a cold, emotionless mechanical voice rang out in his mind.
[Ding! Suitable actor detected coming online. Great Director System activating...]
"Hmm?!"
Kiyonari bolted upright, his sleepiness vanishing instantly as his eyes went wide.
"Wait! The plan has changed!"