Chapter 19

On weekends, when the ninja school was on collective leave, Ayane stayed in the Hyuga clan’s territory, not going anywhere.

In the Hyuga clan, the living areas of the branch family and the main family were separated.

The members of the main family rarely associated with the branch family. To the main family, the branch family only needed to diligently complete the tasks assigned to them.

Ayane was a talented individual among the current generation of the Hyuga branch family. Not only the branch family, but the main family also had high hopes for her future.

Whether as a guardian for the main family or as an excellent vessel for bearing offspring for the Hyuga clan, her fate seemed to be decided from the beginning.

"Ayane, the main family has sent someone. They hope you will become a maid to take care of young Master Hiashi’s daily life. This is a great honor for someone from the branch family."

Seeing her mother’s proud smile at having such an outstanding daughter, Ayane was momentarily stunned but obediently nodded.

However, would the main family use a word like 'hope,' which implies a request?

It was more like a threat and an order.

After all, as a member of the branch family, she had no right to negotiate with the main family.

When she had witnessed several branch family members who resisted the main family and were tormented by the Caged Bird Seal, she had already decided how to face the main family.

"Young Master Hiashi is an excellent ninja. At fourteen, he is already a renowned chunin in the village. Everyone says he can become a jounin before he turns twenty."

Ayane knelt on the cushion, her long black hair draped over her shoulders. Her pale white eyes showed no excitement or joy, only quietly listening to her mother’s incessant chatter.

Her mother was a rather traditional woman, submissive and compliant.

Perhaps because she had seen too much, the dissatisfaction she once had with the main family had, over the course of more than thirty years, turned into reverence and humility.

The branch family had no right to resist the main family.

The branch family was born to dedicate everything to the main family—love, life, and dignity.

Everything the branch family had was granted by the main family.

Such traditional thoughts, ingrained over many years, had turned her mother into a tool that obeyed the main family’s orders.

So Ayane never engaged in meaningless arguments with her mother.

Habits can be a terrifying thing.

"Ayane, don’t resent the main family. They are thinking about the future of the Hyuga clan. Our Byakugan has always been coveted by outsiders. The Caged Bird Seal is not a curse; it is to protect the Byakugan from falling into the hands of outsiders. One day, the other members of the branch family will understand this."

"I know, Mother."

Ayane did not dislike her mother, even though she had become a tool for the main family.

However, Ayane could not agree that the Caged Bird Seal was not a curse.

Perhaps it had a reason to protect the Byakugan, but should the branch family ninjas who were killed by the Caged Bird Seal be silently and without dignity killed by their own people?

What was their fault?

Why did the village not intervene?

Ayane did not believe that the Hokage and other high-ranking officials were unaware of this.

Such acts of harming comrades should be punished with imprisonment.

As White Stone once said, this village is twisted and boring, and we are just a part of this twisted and boring village, the most humble part. Ayane remembered the words White Stone had once said to her, feeling the helplessness and cruelty of this twisted reality even more deeply.

Therefore, every time the Hokage personally presided over the opening ceremony, promoting the Will of Fire, Ayane felt out of place and estranged from the village, feeling fear and unfamiliarity.

The blood flowing through her veins now was the blood that refused to submit to such a fate.

She wanted to become a bird flying freely in the sky.

Not a bird with broken wings, confined in a cage by the main family.

One day, she would break free from the cage that bound her and fly into the sky.

◎

Hiashi Hyuga.

This name was still very prominent in the Hyuga clan.

He was the young master of the Hyuga main family, a renowned genius chunin in Konoha at a young age.

In this village, he was destined to become a great figure admired by many.

Ayane never thought she would become a maid for this person, and especially for someone from the main family she despised the most.

But considering that the main family’s guards were always chosen from the branch family, it seemed reasonable.

"Hiashi-sama, I am Ayane Hyuga, and I will be your maid starting today."

Sitting on the veranda, the handsome young man with long black hair and pure white eyes looked at the pond in the courtyard.

After hearing the voice beside him, he slowly turned his head and glanced at the pure girl with the same white eyes.

Her eyes showed no emotion, but they were not completely lifeless. She had a gentle smile on her face, tinged with a hint of sadness.

"Do you hate the main family?"

Hiashi asked.

Ayane was slightly taken aback, not expecting him to ask such a question.

"Hate."

Lying would only invite suspicion. Sometimes being honest could make the other person relax.

At least it wouldn’t be so hypocritical.

Hiashi nodded and muttered to himself:

"I hate it too. Because of these rules, Hizashi hasn’t smiled at me for many years, only showing coldness and hostility. Hizashi is my favorite younger brother. We used to play together, tease each other, and fight over snacks, ignoring our status..."

"Is that so? Hiashi-sama is a kind person."

Ayane smiled.

"I am not kind, nor can I be. Three years ago, I deliberately lost a match to Hizashi, hoping the main family would look at him differently. But when I returned, my father used the Caged Bird Seal to make Hizashi scream in pain on the ground... My father told me that as the heir of the main family, I must always remind the branch family of their place, not to overstep their bounds and show disrespect to the main family."

Hiashi looked at the clear blue sky and sighed regretfully.

Ayane was silent after hearing this.

"Since then, I finally understood what rules mean. In the Hyuga clan, with its strict rules, Hizashi... no, everything about the branch family is arranged by the main family. They cannot resist, they have no freedom."

Hiashi stood up from the veranda and looked at Ayane again:

"So, it’s understandable that you hate me, hate the main family. But remember, don’t show me any hostility or killing intent, because I am the main family, your master."

A caged bird that glares at its owner and displeases the owner will face a merciless death.

This was the meaning behind his words.

So, the so-called request for her to become a maid was, from the beginning, a coercive act.

"I understand. I will be mindful of my boundaries, Hiashi-sama."

Seeing Ayane’s understanding, Hiashi nodded in satisfaction.

Hiashi walked back into the house and brought out a birdcage with a white bird inside.

Ayane’s face turned slightly unnatural when she saw this.

Hiashi didn’t pay attention to Ayane’s unnatural expression and murmured softly:

"Do you know? I have never changed this birdcage, but the birds inside have been replaced seven times. This is the eighth bird, bought for you today."

"What about the previous ones..."

"They were killed the moment they tried to fly away."

"Why did Hiashi-sama do that?"

"Before you, I had seven maids, all of whom were executed by my father for various reasons."

Hiashi hung the birdcage outside.

"I hope you won’t meet the same fate..."

This sentence seemed to be directed at the bird, but also at Ayane.