The lanterns in the main hall of the Hyūga clan burned low, casting long shadows across the polished wooden walls. The air was heavy, thick with the scent of incense and the austere weight of generations that had never changed.
Outside, crouched behind a partition, Akihiro's eyes were wide, Byakugan active just enough to see what was happening beyond the walls. His heart raced, but curiosity outweighed fear.
Inside, three elders spoke in grave tones. Patriarch Hiashi was present as well, standing rigid as a spear.
"The boy Akihiro is old enough," one of the elders said, voice rough and unyielding. "The sealing ceremony must be scheduled. We cannot allow the branch family to grow unchecked."
The words fell like hammers on Akihiro's mind.
"Damn… so that's it. They've already decided."
Another elder added,
"The power of the Byakugan must be preserved. Branch members are only shields. If they die, let them die; if they live, let them serve. It has always been this way."
Akihiro nearly spat blood in anger. Shields, huh? Let them die, let them serve… you speak pretty words, but if I could, I'd shove that staff where the sun doesn't shine.
Hiashi remained silent for a few seconds before saying,
"Akihiro is… problematic. His application of the Gentle Fist is disastrous. Precisely because of that, the seal must be performed as soon as possible."
It felt like a dagger twisting in his chest.
"So that's what I am to them. A failure with an expiration date. Stamp on the forehead, and voilà—another obedient puppy on a leash."
He drew a deep breath, closing his Byakugan and pressing his forehead against the cold wall. For a moment, despair threatened to overwhelm him.
But then, as always, his mind twisted the situation into something else.
"Alright, think positive, Akihiro. If I buy time, I can escape before the ritual. Better yet—I can train Senjutsu and get strong enough to smash this stupid ritual to pieces."
A crooked smile formed.
"And in the end, I'll be free, powerful, and with adult Hinata by my side. I can even picture the elders' faces: 'Oh, look, he didn't just break destiny—he also claimed the patriarch's daughter.' Now that's an isekai alternate ending."
The thought almost made him laugh aloud, but he restrained himself, biting his fist.
Inside, the conversation continued, cold and emotionless.
"The ceremony will be scheduled after the Academy graduation," one elder said. "Thus, the cage will close before he has any… misguided ideas."
"Too late, grandpa. Misguided ideas? I have plenty of those."
He moved away silently, his heart hammering against his ribs. Every step away from the hall felt like fleeing an execution already announced.
Once he reached the gardens, he finally let out the breath he had been holding. Moonlight spilled over him, cold and silent.
Akihiro clenched his fists.
"I will not accept this. Not if I have to flee Konoha. Not if I have to face my own clan. I will not live caged."
The wind rustled through the trees, carrying that same strange whisper he was beginning to recognize as natural energy.
"So this is it. Time is running, and the ritual has a date. Either I find my way out… or I become a leashed dog. And honestly… I'd rather die trying."
He looked up at the sky, the moon reflected in his pale eyes. Deep down, he allowed himself one last bit of ironic thought:
"At least if I die, it will be trying to be the protagonist. Better than being an extra in Neji's story."
A soft sound caught his attention. A familiar presence approached quietly, hesitant footsteps barely audible over the night breeze.
Akihiro turned slightly, and there she was—Hinata, carrying a neatly wrapped bento box. Her cheeks were faintly pink in the moonlight, and her eyes avoided his as she gently placed the box beside him on the stone bench.
"I… I made this for you," she murmured, voice barely above a whisper.
Akihiro's lips curved into a small, amused smile.
"Thanks, Hinata… really."
She didn't move, standing awkwardly beside him, hands clasped tightly, as if preparing herself to disappear at any moment.
He opened the box, the aroma of rice and cooked vegetables filling the cool night air. He took a bite, and for a moment, the world's weight seemed to lift slightly.
Hinata finally lifted her eyes, just enough to glance at him. Her lips quivered as if she had words to say, but no sound came. She simply watched him eat, shy and silent, and he felt a strange warmth blossom in his chest.
"You… you don't have to say anything," Akihiro said softly, looking at her. "I get it. Just… being here is enough."
Her blush deepened, and she nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. They stayed like that for a while—quiet, peaceful, and just close enough that the world's troubles seemed a little farther away.
For a fleeting moment, Akihiro allowed himself to imagine a future where he could protect her not only from the clan, but from all the harshness the world could throw at them.
And in that moonlit silence, between bites and quiet breaths, he felt a spark of hope—the first flicker of warmth in a life that had so often been ruled by fear and fate.