After that day, Shiraishi felt that his relationship with Ruri had become strange.
Although on the surface there was no difference from usual—he still passed notes in class and continued training in the evenings—Ruri seemed to have reverted to how she was when he first met her: silent, cold, and rarely speaking.
A few days passed like this.
Shiraishi went to school as usual that day, but just as the first class was about to start, he noticed that Ayane, who sat to his left, hadn't arrived.
Shiraishi found this very odd.
As a member of the Hyuga clan's branch family, Ayane, though not as high in status as the main family, maintained the decorum expected of a prominent family; she would never skip class or be late.
It wasn't until the first class was almost over that footsteps sounded outside the door.
It was a girl with long, straight black hair that reached her waist.
Ayane stood alone at the doorway, silent, biting her lip as if to break the skin, enveloped in an aura of sadness and despair.
Even stranger, Ayane had a white ribbon tied around her forehead, which didn't look bad, but it felt like a sudden and abrupt change.
Before this, Ayane would never wear such a showy ribbon accessory on her forehead.
Their homeroom teacher, Fujimura-sensei, glanced at Ayane, initially intending to scold her, but upon sensing the deep despair and sadness emanating from Ayane, he let out a soft sigh, as if he knew something, and said calmly, "Come in. Remember not to be late next time."
Ayane nodded and, under the bewildered and questioning gazes of her classmates, walked to her seat and sat down.
"G-Good morning, Shiraishi-kun."
Ayane tried to greet Shiraishi as usual, but her smile was forced, and tears streamed from her eyes as if they couldn't be stopped.
Then, without waiting for Shiraishi's reply, she buried her head on her desk, as if being seen in such a state was shameful, something to be mocked and despised.
And this indeed happened; the other students looked at her with strange eyes, whispering and pointing, seemingly also aware of something.
However, the students who didn't know the truth were merely curious and worried about Ayane.
Shiraishi was full of questions but wisely didn't ask.
Ruri, on the other hand, looked past Shiraishi, glanced at Ayane, and also remained silent.
—Ruri, do you know what happened to Ayane?
Due to their deepening relationship, the suffix 'classmate' was removed.
He handed Ruri a note with this question.
Being from a prominent family herself, Ruri surely knew something.
—What else could it be? Of course, it's the Hyuga clan's 'excellent' tradition.
The word 'excellent' was in quotation marks, clearly indicating Ruri's sarcasm.
The Hyuga clan's 'excellent' tradition?
Shiraishi didn't know what this was, but Ayane's current state must be related to this 'excellent' tradition of the Hyuga clan.
What could it be?
Unable to figure it out, Shiraishi gave up.
At noon, Shiraishi and Ruri ate their bentos together.
"Hey, Ruri, what's that Hyuga clan tradition you mentioned?"
Shiraishi, still unable to suppress his curiosity, asked the question.
Ruri was silent for a moment before replying, "This matter is no secret among ninja clans, and most chunin and jonin in the village are generally aware of it. The Hyuga clan has had a very difficult-to-accept tradition since ancient times. That is the distinction between the main family and the branch family."
"Is there a problem with the distinction between the main family and the branch family?"
"The branch family must bear the duty and obligation to protect the main family."
"That's normal, though."
Shiraishi couldn't understand.
The lower-status protecting the higher-status, while not entirely fair, was a stable 'social' structure.
Society was clearly divided by class and hierarchy.
Therefore, in Shiraishi's eyes, the Hyuga branch family protecting the Hyuga main family was a normal progression.
"If it were just that, it wouldn't be anything unusual. But to ensure the branch family wholeheartedly protects the main family, and to prevent the Hyuga clan's bloodline from spreading outside, a method to control the branch family was established."
"Control?"
Shiraishi was startled.
"Exactly, control, true control in every sense of the word." Ruri glanced at Shiraishi and said gravely, "For the safety of the main family, the branch family must voluntarily bear a cursed seal called the 'Caged Bird.' This means the main family holds absolute power over the branch family's life and death. If a branch family member harbors ill intentions or fails to fulfill their duties and obligations, the main family can use the cursed seal to instantly execute that branch family member."
"..."
"In other words, Ayane now... her life and death are controlled by an outsider. If Ayane ever develops dissatisfaction or murderous intent towards a main family member, the main family has the right to beat, scold, or even execute Ayane."
Shiraishi, realizing something, said, "Then, the location of the cursed seal must be on..."
"That's right, the cursed seal is placed on Ayane's forehead. This is also why Ayane is covering it with a cloth band. Whether for the greater good or for the nominal protection of the main family, even if they say it's the branch family's reason for existence, that cursed seal is a genuine 'slave' mark."
Shiraishi fell silent.
A voice kept telling him that Konoha was a terrorist organization, and such things were normal within a terrorist organization.
Though he was repulsed, Shiraishi found he could do nothing.
This was the helplessness and compromise of reality.
For Ayane, having the 'slave' mark etched on her forehead must be infinitely more cruel than being directly killed.
Seriously, what kind of terrifying era is this!
If such an incident occurred in a dark corner, Shiraishi might grudgingly accept it, but the Hyuga clan's rules were openly practiced.
Publicly treating half of their own clan members as 'slaves' to be kept, without any concealment—what did that signify?
From there, Shiraishi looked at Konoha's Hokage Rock, where the sculptures of Konoha's three Hokage were carved, symbolizing their great achievements.
Especially the First and Second Hokage brothers; they were known to the world as the ones who ended the Warring States period.
And after that?
The wars continued.
There was no difference from the Warring States period; children were still sent to the battlefield.
Everything seemed unchanged.
The only change was that ninjas evolved from clans into larger villages, establishing the One Country, One Village system.
Shiraishi suddenly felt that the existence of the Hokage Rock was full of irony.
If 'family' was only to this extent, then, from the very beginning, the Hyuga clan's traditions were incompatible with Konoha.
Such a ninja clan, by rights, should not have been allowed to join Konoha Village, which was guided by the 'Will of Fire.'
This clan's tradition was the best illustration of denying the 'Will of Fire.'
If they couldn't even cherish their own clan members, could one believe that such a family would harbor a protective belief for the entire village?
Shiraishi placed a huge question mark on this issue.
He finally sighed, saying nothing aloud.
Growing up with Ruri these days, he had almost forgotten that he was an 'anomaly' to this village, someone who would sooner or later become a 'traitor.'
But the peaceful life had made him almost forget his identity as a 'traitor,' and he couldn't help but want to integrate into this village.
Thinking of this, cold sweat broke out on Shiraishi's back.
Comfort makes people degenerate.
From the beginning, he had no sense of allegiance to Konoha.
He was very grateful to Konoha for teaching him ninja knowledge, but it was only gratitude for this instruction.