Last night's autumn rain left the courtyard covered in fallen leaves. An old tree swayed in the wind, appearing desolate and forlorn.
Steam rose from the teacups on the low table.
The room was silent, everyone seemingly waiting for something.
A servant hurried in through the door, bowing deeply to the young man sitting at the head of the table and whispering, "Lord Hiashi, he's here."
Everyone seated on both sides of the room turned to look towards the doorway, where a figure now stood.
The young man had distinct features and a cold, unapproachable demeanor.
Although a member of the Hyuga clan, his eyes were unusually black. His smooth forehead lacked the customary forehead protector or cloth band worn by most present, leaving it bare.
Various gazes scrutinized him, each revealing surprise.
This meeting, specifically convened for the young man, had previously been filled with endless disputes and conflicting opinions.
Now, after seeing him, everyone fell silent.
A bird that had escaped from the cage.
The unattainable dream of all branch family members.
"Lord Hiashi," Shinjiji Hyuga walked to the center of the meeting hall, bowing to Hiashi Hyuga at the head of the table, then to the clan elders seated in two rows on either side.
As a prominent clan in Konoha, the Hyuga clan had numerous cumbersome rules and strict hierarchical distinctions between the main and branch families, leaving no room for casualness.
A gentle and dignified woman sat kneeling on Hiashi's left.
Observing Shinji entering without a forehead protector, she glanced at the fervent gazes hidden by the clan elders and frowned slightly.
The Cage Bird Seal of the branch family members was branded on their foreheads, rarely shown, and usually covered with forehead protectors or cloth bands.
Only the main family members would expose their foreheads directly.
"How is your recovery?" Hiashi asked, his expression indifferent.
"The doctor said I'm fine."
Hiashi nodded slightly and said, "The battlefield is fraught with danger. Your impromptu eye transplant was likely a desperate measure. It's understandable."
He paused, his pearly white eyes fixed on the young man before him.
"We won't blame that girl. Your survival is what matters most to the clan."
Shinji lowered his head, his voice calm, "Thank you, Lord Hiashi."
"Your current condition makes it unsuitable for you to return to the front lines. Stay in the village for a while. Once the clan finds a compatible Byakugan among our reserves, we can perform another transplant for you."
As the first person to survive the full activation of the Cage Bird Seal, he was facing this current situation.
He had unexpectedly arrived in this Naruto world, his soul replacing this deceased Hyuga branch family ninja on the battlefield.
When Konoha ninjas discovered him among the dead, he was already blind. A battlefield medic had temporarily replaced his eyes with someone else's.
The cause of his blindness was the self-activation of the Cage Bird Seal in his body at the moment of death, destroying his eyes.
After being brought back to Konoha as an injured ninja, the incident shocked the entire Hyuga clan.
Hiashi Hyuga had to rush back from the battlefield, as this concerned the unwavering status of the Hyuga main family, leaving him with no room for negligence.
The clan had thoroughly examined Shinji several times, but the conclusion remained the same.
He had suffered fatal injuries but received timely treatment at the front lines.
The Cage Bird Seal had indeed activated and disappeared. His destroyed eyes remained, and the transplanted eyes were just ordinary ones.
Everything seemed normal, or rather, the only abnormality was that Shinji was still alive.
The Cage Bird Seal should have destroyed the neural pathways leading to his brain, leaveling him utterly and irriversably dead.
Yet here he was.
Had the Cage Bird Seal malfunctioned, or had something gone wrong? How else could Shinji, this anomaly, exist?
The clan members present in the hall with him in the room had changing expressions. Hiashi knew the reason for their varying expression and knew their thoughts.
The divide and discord were deeply rooted, beyond his power to change alone.
Of course, he didn't need to change anything.
He was the beneficiary.
What Hiashi Hyuga needed to do was maintain the status quo, for the benefit of his own descendants, his own clan.
A pair of branch family Byakugan was nothing more than a tool. If they were destroyed, so be it. But he wouldn't allow the existence of a rogue element beyond the main family's control!
The meeting was adjourned.
As people left, they frequently glanced back at Shinji, their eyes lingering on his forehead.
Despite knowing it was impossible, they all yearned to experience the feeling of freedom from that shackle.
"Shinji."
As Shinji Hyuga was about to leave, a voice suddenly called out to him.
He turned to see the beautiful woman who had been seated on Hiashi Hyuga's left earlier, gracefully approaching him.
Calling her a mature woman might be a stretch, as she was only around 20. However, her mature and refined makeup, coupled with her elegant white kimono, gave her a dignified air, making her seem older.
Hizashi Hyuga's wife, Hyuga Ayano. In all likelihood, the future mother of Hyuga.
"Lady Ayano."
Hyuga Ayano smiled gently. "No need to be so formal. You can call me Sister Ayano, just like you address Ayari. Ayari has been worried about you."
Ayari was her younger sister.
Shinji Hyuga, in his original life, often played with Ayari as a child.
However, the sisters' fates were vastly different. Ayano was the future clan head's wife, which was determined long ago.
Shinji Hyuga's gaze inadvertently swept across her smooth forehead.
The word "fate" permeated every aspect of the Hyuga clan.
Shinji Hyuga simply said, "I apologize for worrying Sister Ayari."
Hyuga Ayano's eyes quietly studied Shinji's face.
Indeed.
After experiencing a life-or-death ordeal, a person's demeanor could change so drastically, as if they were a different person altogether.
"In any case, it's good that you're alright now. Ayari went to see you, didn't she?"
"Yes."
"The clan is truly concerned about you. It must be difficult getting used to not having the Byakugan," Ayano said with a gentle tone, like a caring older sister.
Shinji Hyuga could see the shadow of the elder Hyugas in her.
"It doesn't affect my daily life," he replied.
"That's good. The clan has many Byakugan in reserve. We'll find a replacement for you soon, so don't worry." As she spoke, Ayano took out a white cloth band and offered it to Shinji.
"You should still be mindful when moving around the clan. Avoid causing any misunderstandings among the clan members."
Shinji looked at the cloth band she offered, his eyes flickering slightly.
Ayano was also observing his reaction.
"I apologize, Lady Ayano. I was inconsiderate. I'll be more careful in the future!" Shinji accepted the cloth band with both hands, lowering his head.
Ayano's expression softened. "Don't blame yourself. After all, no one wants to see something like this happen. Lord Hokage also knows about your situation and has inquired about you with Hiashi. He's very concerned."
Her gaze shifted, her words filled with gentle concern.
She even reached out and gently patted Shinji's shoulder in comfort. Close up, he could smell a faint fragrance from her.
"Just rest and recover in the village for now."
Ayano left, and gradually, the people in front of the meeting hall dispersed.
The courtyard was deserted, leaving him standing there alone.
Whoosh—
The wind suddenly picked up, cold against his face.
Did they expect him to become a caged bird again...?
These ordinary eyes had seen further than they thought.