Inside Konoha's Ninja Academy.
The classroom was bathed in the morning spring sunlight. Tiny dust motes floated in the air, mingling with the scent of ink from books and the unique vitality of the young boys and girls.
Naruto was noisily chasing after Kiba and Choji between the desks, causing Akamaru to bark excitedly.
Sakura and Ino sat together, talking in low voices, occasionally letting out light laughter.
It seemed that with Sasuke's temporary 'departure', the slight rift caused by their rivalry had dissipated, and they had returned to being close friends.
When Menma and Hinata walked into the classroom one after the other, Menma still had his usual lazy, disinterested expression, yawning as he headed straight for his seat.
Hinata seemed somewhat absent-minded, a trace of barely perceptible worry on her pale little face as she quietly sat down next to Menma.
The crisp class bell rang. Iruka, carrying a stack of textbooks, was about to enter the classroom.
Just then, a figure everyone least expected appeared at the classroom door.
It was Sasuke!
He was still wearing his dark blue high-collared short-sleeved shirt with the Uchiha Clan's fan emblem on the back, but his face held an unnatural mix of awkwardness and forced aloofness.
Under the surprised, curious, and puzzled gazes of his classmates, he practically steeled himself, quickly walked down the aisle, and plopped down into the previously empty seat at the very back of the classroom.
He immediately clasped his hands in front of him, adopting a 'keep away' cool guy pose.
"Eh?! Sasuke?!" Naruto was the first to shout, running over to Sasuke's side with his usual bluntness, his face full of disbelief. "Why are you back at school? Didn't you say you already grad-"
"Shut up, dead-last!" Sasuke snapped his head around, glaring fiercely at Naruto. Even the whites of his dark eyes seemed tinged with red. "If you don't know how to talk, then don't! No one thinks you're mute!"
Naruto, startled by Sasuke's sudden ferocity, shrunk back, muttering, "Fine, fine, I won't say anything... no need to be so mean..."
He slunk back to his seat but couldn't resist frequently glancing back at Sasuke with curiosity.
By then, Iruka had stepped onto the podium. His gaze lingered on Sasuke for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, but he didn't ask any questions. He just cleared his throat lightly to quiet the classroom.
"Alright, students, let's begin class," Iruka's voice was as gentle as ever. "Today, we'll continue explaining Chakra Extraction and basic application. This is the foundation of all Ninjutsu and is very important..."
For Sasuke, who had long since mastered Chakra Extraction and even awakened his Sharingan, these basic lessons felt exceptionally dull and childish.
He forced himself to listen for a while, his gaze involuntarily wandering around the classroom.
Then he remembered his 'infiltration' mission.
Hesitating for a moment, he pulled out a palm-sized, ordinary-looking notebook and a pen from his pouch.
He took a deep breath and began observing his classmates with a target-assessment gaze, trying to take notes:
[Uzumaki Naruto: Impulsive, blunt, extremely poor concentration. Terrible Chakra Control, numerous failed Clone Technique attempts. However, physical stamina seems abnormally high. Simple interpersonal relationships, aside from occasional interaction with Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, etc., often alone. Threat Level: Very Low. Note: Observe for possible hidden traits?]
[Nara Shikamaru: Appears lazy, shows little interest in class content, often stares at sky or naps. However, excels in theoretical exams, quick-thinking. Witnessed instantly solving complex board game. Suspected proficiency in strategic analysis. Danger Level: Low, but note potential variables from intellect.]
[Akimichi Choji: Good-natured, spends most time eating snacks, physique... substantial. Average class performance, but clan's secret technique unknown. Emotionally stable, easily satisfied. Threat Level: Low.]
His pen moved quickly, recording initial observations of Kiba's impulsive and competitive nature, Sakura's excellent theoretical grades and precise Chakra Control, Ino's outgoing personality and skill in communication, noting her clan technique seemed mental-based, and so on.
When his gaze fell on Hinata, his pen paused:
[Hyuga Hinata: The daughter of Hyuga Clan's Main Family's head. Introverted, shy, easily flustered/blushes. Average class performance. Solid Taijutsu foundation but lacks confidence. Close relationship with Menma. Threat Level: Low. Note: But monitor potential hidden intelligence value due to Main Family's status.]
Finally, his gaze landed on Menma in the front row, who was propping his chin with one hand, his head nodding as if about to fall asleep any second.
Sasuke's brow furrowed tightly, his pen halting.
'This guy...'
'Always looked half-asleep, yet his grades, both theoretical and practical, consistently topped my own.'
That effortless ease filled Sasuke with an inexplicable irritation and unwillingness.
He took a deep breath and wrote forcefully in the notebook:
[Menma: Strength far exceeds peers, typical genius. Lazy class demeanor, but tops all exams. Behavior patterns unpredictable. Special relationship with Hyuga Hinata. Danger Level: High. Requires focused observation. Note: I WILL surpass him!]
After writing that last line, he seemed to let out a sigh of relief, as if setting a new vow for himself. He then closed the notebook and continued enduring the agonizing 'infiltration' classes.
Iruka on the podium saw all the fidgeting below, especially Sasuke's obvious inattention and secret note-taking.
He sighed inwardly but could only pretend not to notice and continued earnestly explaining the Chakra Flow.
The school day finally ended.
The moment the dismissal bell rang, Sasuke practically launched himself from his seat.
Before other students could react, he executed a neat flip and leaped directly out of the classroom window. His figure vanished beyond the school wall after a few bounds, causing exclamations and discussions among the classmates.
"Wow! So cool, Sasuke-kun!" - Starry eyes from Sakura and Ino.
"What's his deal? In such a hurry?" - Kiba's grumble.
"What a drag..." - Shikamaru's complaint.
Menma rose slowly, looking thoughtfully in the direction Sasuke had disappeared.
He had naturally noticed Sasuke's constant fidgeting and note-taking during class.
'It seems the tracks of fate have indeed taken an interesting turn. The Third Hokage's move is quite intriguing,' Menma mused inwardly.
He left the school gates with Hinata, Naruto, and other friends like Choji and Kiba.
Another day of Academy Life was over.
Along the way, Naruto chattered incessantly, guessing what was up with Sasuke, while Hinata still seemed preoccupied.
As they reached a street corner, Hinata's demeanor suddenly changed!
She was no longer the girl who kept her head down and blushed easily. Instead, she stood straight, hands on her hips, her white eyes shining with sharpness and confidence, even a hint of wildness.
"Menma!" She called out, her voice clear and carrying a familiar, intimate tone. "Come with me! Need to talk!"
Naruto and the others were startled, staring at the suddenly 'transformed' Hinata.
Menma seemed accustomed to this. He waved at Naruto and the others. "You guys go ahead."
Then he followed Big Sis Hinata towards the banks of the Naka River.
By the quiet riverside, the water flowed softly, the setting sun casting their long shadows.
"What's up?" Menma asked, sensing that Big Sis's proactive appearance meant something important.
Big Sis Hinata turned, her face unusually serious. "The situation in the clan is getting worse and worse. Ever since Hizashi-ojii-san and the others left, the whole Hyuga Clan's compound feels like a powder keg about to explode."
"The old stubborn fools in the Main Family are scared stiff, trying to squeeze the Branch Family even harder. The Branch Family is full of hatred and fear, their resentment boiling over in private. If this continues, something big will happen sooner or later! I think... I can't just stand by and watch anymore. I have to do something!"
Menma raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What do you want to do?"
He had naturally considered what might happen to the Hyuga Clan after taking Hizashi and the others, even the possibility of a repeat of the Otsutsuki Main-Branch war on the moon.
After all, the Caged Bird Seal that had held for centuries now had an invisible crack. How many birds would want to break free?
"I want to completely eradicate this damned Main and Branch Family System!" Big Sis declared resolutely, a determined light in her eyes. "This rotten rule that relies on the 'Caged Bird' to enslave our own clan and maintain the Main Family's laughable authority should have been tossed into the garbage heap of history long ago!"
Menma frowned. "A good idea, but difficult. Unless you can remove the 'Caged Bird' for all Branch Family's members. But you know, I won't waste my Ocular Power on Konoha's Hyuga Branch Family right now."
His tone was realistic, as the Land of Stars and Konoha were still hostile.
Big Sis Hinata, however, curled her lips into a confident, even somewhat arrogant smile. "Who said anything about removing the 'Caged Bird'? That's no fun. My idea is the opposite!"
"The opposite?" Menma was momentarily stunned, not understanding.
But quickly, a flash of insight hit him, and he grasped the key point!
Now, with the Hyuga Clan's Main Family having lost three elders in quick succession, and Hiashi himself injured, their strength and prestige were at an all-time low...
He looked up in surprise at the girl before him with her blazing, audacious eyes. "You don't mean you want to..."
"Exactly!" Big Sis Hinata took over, her smile widening. "If the Branch Family sees the 'Caged Bird' as a symbol of imprisonment and shame, then what if... the high and mighty Main Family also gets to taste what it's like to be branded with the 'Caged Bird'? If everyone has it, doesn't that mean no one has it? That's true 'equality'!"
The idea was earth-shattering, even treasonous!
But looking at the unyielding light in the girl's eyes, Menma suddenly felt that this might be the most crazy, yet potentially effective, drastic medicine to break the Hyuga Clan's centuries-old stalemate!
Hyuga Clan's Compound.
Since Branch Family's head, Hyuga Hizashi, led a portion of the clan's elite in defection, this ancient clan seemed shrouded in an intangible, suffocatingly heavy gloom.
The streets within the compound were sparsely populated. Even when Branch Family's members passed by, they kept their heads down, walked hurriedly, dared not show extra expression, and avoided eye contact with any Main Family's members.
Oppression, fear, suspicion, resentment...
All sorts of negative emotions seethed and fermented beneath the seemingly calm surface.
Privately, Branch Family's members cursed Hizashi's 'betrayal' for making their current situation worse, but deep down, in some corner, they couldn't help but feel a secret envy...
Envy that they had broken free of the cage, gaining unimaginable freedom.
'Why didn't they take me with them?'
In the study of the central Main Family's residence.
Hiashi sat alone before his desk, brow furrowed, his face etched with exhaustion and deep worry.
In just a few days, he seemed to have aged considerably.
His brother's betrayal, the Main Family's elders' deaths, his own injuries, and the clan's precarious state pressed down on him like mountains.
The myth of the Caged Bird's inviolability had been shattered by Hizashi's successful defection.
This undoubtedly shook the very foundation of the Main Family's authority.
Now, every Branch Family's member's gaze seemed to hold scrutiny, doubt, even a hint of restless ambition.
If he couldn't quickly find a way to stabilize the situation and ease tensions, the next upheaval might not just be defection, but a more violent, bloody internal conflict!
But what to do?
Tighter control?
It would only further inflame tensions.
Grant more rights?
The remaining Main Family's members would never agree.
Abolish the Caged Bird?
Sheer fantasy… it was the cornerstone of the Hyuga Clan's existence... or so it had been in the past.
Hiashi rubbed his aching temples. After days of agonizing, he still couldn't find a viable plan to navigate this crisis smoothly.
For the first time, he felt the weight and difficulty of the clan leader's position.
Just then-
Bam! A loud crash!
The study's heavy wooden door was kicked open violently!
It slammed against the wall with a tremendous noise, startling Hiashi from his thoughts.
He looked up, shocked and angry, to see his eldest daughter, Hinata, standing in the doorway!
But this Hinata had sharp eyes, a bold posture, and radiated a fearless aura… it was the 'second personality' that gave him so many headaches.
"Old man!" Hinata began with her disrespectful address, striding into the study and questioning him bluntly. "It's been days! The compound is as dead as a graveyard! Have you figured anything out yet?!"
Hiashi, infuriated by the sudden intrusion and questioning, slammed the table, trying to assert paternal authority. "Hinata! How dare you! Who taught you to barge in like this? What impropriety!"
"Propriety? Is now the time for those stupid rules?" Hinata glared back fearlessly, hands on hips. "I'll ask again, old man, do you have any way to fix this rotten Main and Branch Family system or not?"
Looking into his daughter's unyielding eyes, Hiashi's anger suddenly deflated like a pricked balloon, replaced by deep powerlessness.
He slumped back into his chair with a sigh. "The tension in the clan, do you think I'm unaware? It's just... the Caged Bird has held for centuries, affecting everything... Sigh, it's easier said than done."
Hiashi almost instinctively began treating the daughter before him as someone to vent his pressures to. "Do you have any ideas?"
He didn't truly expect her to have a solution, just wanted to hear a different voice in his exhaustion.
However, Hinata's next words struck his ears like a thunderclap!
"Hmph, if you can't do it, then just hand the clan leadership to me. I'll shatter the Caged Bird!" Hinata snorted lightly, as if stating the most ordinary thing. "Since the Branch Family sees the 'Caged Bird' as chains imprisoning them, a shame imposed by the Main Family! Then the solution is obvious, isn't it?"
She took a step forward, her gaze burning into her father, enunciating each word clearly:
"Just brand the Main Family with the 'Caged Bird' too!"
"Wh-What?!!"
Hiashi shot up from his chair, eyes wide with utter shock and disbelief, as if he'd heard the most absurd, appalling words in the world!
'Brand the Main Family... with the Caged Bird?!'
'This... this is simply...'