After that day, Hakushi felt that his relationship with Ruri had become very strange.
On the surface, nothing seemed different from usual—they still passed notes in class, still trained together at night as always—but it was as if Ruri had returned to how she was when they first met: silent and cold, rarely speaking.
And so a few days went by.
On this day, Hakushi went to school as usual, but as the first class was about to start, he noticed that Ayane, who sat to his left, still hadn't arrived.
This struck Hakushi as very odd.
As a member of the Hyuga Branch Family, Ayane's status was certainly not as high as the Main Family's, but she always carried herself with the manners befitting a prestigious clan—skipping class or being late was unthinkable for her.
It wasn't until just before the end of the first period that footsteps sounded outside the door.
It was a girl with straight black hair down to her waist.
Ayane stood alone at the door, silent, biting her lip as if she would bite through it, enveloped by an air of sadness and despair.
Even stranger, there was a white ribbon tied around Ayane's forehead. It wasn't exactly ugly, but the sudden change felt abrupt and out of place.
Previously, Ayane would never have worn such an attention-grabbing accessory on her forehead.
Teacher Fujimura, the homeroom teacher, glanced at Ayane. He had been about to scold her, but when he sensed the deep despair and sadness radiating from her, he let out a soft sigh, as if he understood, and said blandly, "Come in. Next time, don't be late."
Ayane nodded and, under the strange and puzzled gazes of her classmates, went to her seat and sat down.
"G-Good morning, Hakushi."
Ayane did her best to greet Hakushi as usual, but her smile was forced, and tears streamed from her eyes as if they wouldn't stop.
Before Hakushi could respond, she buried her head in her arms on the desk, as though being seen like this was a shame—something to be mocked and despised.
And all of this really did happen—other students looked at her with odd eyes, whispered, pointed, as if they too knew something.
But those who didn't know what had happened were simply worried and curious about Ayane.
Hakushi was full of questions but wisely kept quiet.
Ruri glanced past Hakushi at Ayane, but said nothing either.
—Ruri, do you know what happened to Ayane?
Now that their relationship had deepened, he dropped the "classmate" suffix.
He wrote this question on a note and passed it to Ruri.
Since they were both from elite families, Ruri definitely knew something.
—What else could it be? Of course it's the Hyuga Clan's "fine" tradition.
The word "fine" was in quotation marks—Ruri's words were laced with sarcasm.
The Hyuga Clan's "fine" tradition?
Hakushi didn't know what that was, but Ayane's situation clearly had something to do with it.
What was it exactly?
Unable to make sense of it, Hakushi decided to give up.
At noon, Hakushi and Ruri ate their bento together.
"Hey, Ruri, what is that Hyuga Clan tradition you mentioned?"
Hakushi's curiosity got the better of him, and he asked.
Ruri was silent for a moment, then replied, "It's no secret among the Ninja Clans, and even most Chunin and Jonin in the village have heard of it. The Hyuga Clan has had a disturbing tradition since ancient times: the distinction between Main Family and Branch Family."
"Is there something wrong with this distinction?"
"The Branch Family must bear the duty and responsibility of protecting the Main Family."
"That sounds pretty normal."
Hakushi couldn't understand.
The low-ranked are supposed to protect the high-ranked; it may not be fair, but that's the structure of "society."
Society is inherently hierarchical and stratified.
So, in Hakushi's eyes, it was normal for the Hyuga Branch Family to protect the Main Family.
"If that's all it was, it wouldn't be anything rare. But to ensure the Branch Family is completely devoted to protecting the Main Family—and to prevent the Hyuga bloodline from spreading outside—they developed a method to control the Branch Family."
"Control?"
Hakushi was startled.
"That's right. Control, in the truest sense." Ruri cast Hakushi a solemn look. "For the Main Family's safety, the Branch Family must voluntarily accept a Curse Seal called the 'Caged Bird'. This means the Main Family holds the power of life and death over the Branch Family. If any member of the Branch Family harbors even a trace of rebellion, or fails in their duties, the Main Family can use the Curse Seal to instantly kill them."
"..."
"In other words, Ayane's life and death are now held in another's hands. If she ever feels discontent or hatred toward the Main Family, the Main Family member has the right to beat, abuse, or even kill her."
Hakushi realized something and said, "So the location of the Curse Seal is…"
"Exactly. The Curse Seal is etched right onto Ayane's forehead. That's why she's using a ribbon to cover it. No matter what lofty ideals or excuses they claim about protecting the Main Family, the Curse Seal is nothing more than a true mark of a 'slave.'"
Hakushi fell silent.
A voice in his head kept telling him that Konoha was a terrorist organization, and things like this were perfectly normal in such places.
He found it all repulsive, but also realized he was powerless to do anything about it.
This is the helplessness and compromise that reality demands.
For Ayane, bearing the mark of a "slave" on her forehead had to be far crueler than simply being killed.
Damn it, just what kind of terrifying era is this?
If things like this happened in some dark corner, Hakushi might barely accept it, but the Hyuga Clan's rule was public.
Keeping half their kin openly as "slaves", with no pretense at all—what did that say?
From here, Hakushi looked out at Konoha's Kage Rock, where the three Hokage were carved, monuments to their achievements.
Especially the First and Second Hokage brothers, praised as the ones who ended the Warring States era.
And after that?
The wars continued just as before.
Compared to the Warring States, nothing had changed—children were still sent to die on the battlefield.
Nothing seemed any different at all.
The only change was that the Ninja had gathered into larger villages, creating the one country, one village system.
Suddenly, Hakushi found the Kage Rock's existence deeply ironic.
The so-called "family," if this was all it meant, then the Hyuga Clan's traditions were never compatible with Konoha from the start.
Strictly speaking, Clans like that shouldn't even be allowed into Konoha Village, which is led by the "Will of Fire."
Their traditions are the very denial of the "Will of Fire."
If they cannot even cherish their own kin, how can anyone believe such a clan would ever truly care for the whole village?
Hakushi put a big question mark on this issue in his mind.
At last he just sighed, voicing nothing aloud.
Growing together with Ruri in these days, he'd almost forgotten that, to this village, he was an "outcast"—a "traitor" sooner or later.
But a peaceful life had nearly made him forget his "traitor" status, making him want to assimilate.
Thinking of this, cold sweat broke out on Hakushi's back.
Comfort breeds complacency, after all.
From the very start, he'd never felt the slightest sense of belonging to Konoha.
He was grateful that Konoha taught him the ways of the Ninja, but it was no more than gratitude for that education.