The rain fell softly over the Hyūga compound that morning, turning the stone paths slick and reflective. Servants rushed along the corridors, attempting to keep the floors dry before the main family awoke. Renji worked alongside them, wringing cloth after cloth until his fingers ached.
He preferred rain.
Rain muffled footsteps.
Rain blurred the world.
Rain helped hide the sound of quiet pain.
And today, there was much to hide.
His back still throbbed from yesterday's punishment, every movement tightening the bruised skin beneath his shirt. But Renji kept his breathing calm, careful. Servants who looked weak attracted attention. Attention attracted trouble.
He knelt beside a wooden beam, wiping the grooves where water had collected.
A pair of children ran past—branch members. They splashed deliberately near him, muddy water spraying over his freshly cleaned floor.
"Oops."
"Servant boy should be faster."
Renji bowed his head. "My apologies."
They laughed and continued running. He returned to wiping the floor with slow, steady movements.
He did not resent them.
He had learned that resentment only made the beatings hurt more.
Inside the main hall, a meeting was taking place.
Renji was not permitted to enter, but he could hear faint murmurs through the cracked sliding doors as he passed by with a bundle of towels.
"—his chakra reserves are unusual."
"—instinctive grasp of taijutsu."
"—dangerous."
He slowed his steps.
Another voice, colder, deeper.
"He cannot be allowed to develop further. The twins will soon reach the age of proper instruction. He must be secured before then."
The twins.
Lady Hinata.
And the newborn—Hanabi.
Renji's fingers tightened around the towels.
Secured.
He didn't know the full meaning of the word, but he remembered the looks last night. The disapproval. The fear.
A seal.
A mark.
Something meant to control.
The sliding door opened suddenly and Renji stepped back immediately, bowing low to avoid eye contact.
An elder exited, robes brushing the floor, eyes sharp as winter ice.
"You," the elder said.
Renji bowed deeper. "Yes, Elder."
"You will begin serving near Lady Hinata's quarters more frequently. Her protection requires closer supervision."
Renji's heart stilled.
Protection?
Or surveillance?
"Yes," he whispered.
The elder walked away. Only once the man's footsteps faded did Renji lift his head slightly.
Protection…
He wanted to believe it meant trust.
But he had lived in the Hyūga compound long enough to know better.
Later that day, he carried baskets toward the nursery wing—Hanabi's wing. The halls were quieter here, filled with the scent of incense and warm herbs. Soft voices murmured behind closed doors.
A newborn child, especially a future Hyūga heiress, was surrounded by care.
Renji paused outside the threshold.
He had never seen Lady Hanabi. He wasn't sure he was allowed to.
But as he passed by, a servant nurse stepped out, holding a bundle wrapped in pale cloth.
Tiny cries echoed through the hall.
Renji froze.
A small face peeked out—round cheeks, a delicate mouth, and pale lavender-white eyes still adjusting to the world.
Hanabi.
The child inhaled shakily, curious gaze shifting toward Renji's bowed figure.
For a moment, her crying paused.
Then her tiny hand lifted—reaching.
Renji felt something squeeze in his chest.
The nurse followed Hanabi's gaze and scowled instantly.
"Keep your distance," she snapped. "The heiress cannot be exposed to unnecessary sights."
Renji lowered himself fully to the floor, forehead touching the wood.
"My apologies."
Hanabi giggled.
The nurse stepped away quickly, disappearing down the hall.
Renji remained kneeling until he was sure they were gone.
He didn't understand why the newborn's soft gaze affected him so deeply.
Maybe because it was the first time anyone looked at him without disdain.
That evening, after chores ended, Hinata approached him quietly near the back gardens. She often sought him out when attendants weren't looking—her way of offering silent comfort.
"Um… Renji… are you… alright?" she whispered.
Her hands fidgeted nervously with her sleeve.
He bowed. "I am well, Lady Hinata."
"You… looked hurt. Yesterday. I… I'm sorry."
"It was my fault," he said, voice gentle. "I overstepped."
Hinata shook her head.
"No… It's not… it's not fair."
He stiffened.
Fair?
He didn't know that word applied to him.
Before he could answer, a sudden shout echoed across the yard.
"Lady Hinata!"
Her attendant rushed over and pulled her back.
"Your lessons begin shortly. You should not speak so casually with that boy."
Hinata tried to protest, but the attendant hurried her away.
Renji bowed until they were out of sight, forcing his heart to steady.
Hinata's kindness was soft.
Too soft.
The clan would crush it if they ever noticed how often she tried to speak to him.
But what Renji did not see was the attendant's expression as they walked away—
A look of irritation.
And calculation.
Enough for one more whisper in the elders' ears.
Night settled.
Renji returned to the storage yard, intending to practice again, but exhaustion weighed on him too heavily. His back throbbed with every movement. Kneeling beside a barrel, he hugged his knees to his chest, breathing quietly.
The air trembled.
A hand touched his shoulder.
He startled—turning quickly—
"Shh!"
Hinata.
She stood there in her night robes, clutching a small basket.
"You… didn't eat today," she whispered. "Um… I-I brought you rice. And sweet bean rolls."
Renji stared—wide-eyed, breath unsteady.
This… this could get her punished.
"Lady Hinata, you should not—"
"I wanted to."
Her voice trembled, but she held out the basket firmly.
Renji hesitated, then bowed his head—accepting it.
He couldn't look at her face. He wasn't allowed. But he felt the warmth of her small hands lingering as she let go of the basket.
"Good night… Renji."
She hurried away before anyone noticed.
Renji sat in the quiet darkness, staring at the gift he should not have received.
His chest felt tight.
Hope was dangerous.
Yet a small part of him welcomed it.
But in another hall, lit by a single candle, elders kneeled in a circle.
A scroll lay open between them.
A diagram of the Caged Bird Seal—
and beside it, a modified variant.
"This child grows too close to the heiress," one elder said.
"Too skilled," another murmured.
"Too dangerous," a third concluded.
The clan head, Hiashi Hyūga, remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Prepare the ritual."
The candle flickered.
The decision was sealed.
And Renji's brief, fragile days of freedom were already numbered.
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