The day's training ended as usual, but when night came, Riku noticed something unusual — the "special meal" that Hinata Katyu had prepared for him was gone.
Instead, standing before him was the stern-faced Elder Huoshu.
"Riku," Elder Huoshu began, his tone carrying both authority and finality. "You and Yuto are old enough to enter the Ninja Academy. I've already signed you up. Starting tomorrow, you'll both attend school."
Hearing this, Riku simply nodded, his expression calm yet distant, as if something had clicked in his mind.
Elder Huoshu frowned slightly at the boy's quiet reaction. "Although you won't have to endure such harsh training anymore," he continued, "you must still perform well at the Academy. I don't expect you to stand out, but you must never tarnish the reputation of our Hyuga Clan. Remember this well — our clan is the foremost Dōjutsu clan in the Ninja World!"
Internally, Riku couldn't help rolling his eyes.
Foremost Dōjutsu clan? You're not afraid those red-eyed people next door will come knocking?
He snorted inwardly. That kind of arrogance only flies because Lord Madara's long gone, and Fugaku's being kept on a leash by Konoha's higher-ups.
Elder Huoshu studied Riku's indifferent expression and sighed. This kid is getting duller by the day, he thought grimly. Despite the resources he had poured into Riku's training over the past year, the boy's results remained mediocre.
Every night, the old man would sit and wonder: Will this bodyguard I've chosen for Yuto truly amount to anything? Can he really become the sharp blade protecting my grandson?
But deep down, Huoshu already knew the answer. No, he admitted to himself. A blade? Hardly. A shield — that's the best I can hope for.
And so he consoled himself with that thought. Even so, the sheer cost of raising Riku pained him daily. Sometimes, it felt as if he were raising two grandsons instead of one.
At least that burden would soon lighten. Once Riku and Yuto entered the Ninja Academy, the training intensity would drop, and those expensive medicinal baths could finally stop.
Sure, Riku's progress would probably stagnate, but Huoshu no longer cared. A shield didn't need to be talented — it just needed to endure.
As for Yuto, he'd have all the motivation he needed. The Academy was filled with young ninja from other families, and competition would push him naturally. The Uchiha kids, for instance, were often at the top of the class. With rivals like them, Huoshu was confident his grandson would grow stronger — and perhaps even form the right kind of "bonds."
In the old man's eyes, Riku's usefulness had nearly run dry. He'd served his purpose. From now on, Huoshu only hoped Riku could continue to play the role of a sturdy shield — nothing more, nothing less.
Ironically, that suited Riku perfectly.
Going to the Ninja Academy meant fewer eyes watching him and fewer expectations pressing down. Without Elder Huoshu's constant supervision — and without those costly resources — his growth might slow, but it also meant freedom.
Still, he couldn't help feeling a twinge of regret. The loss of those medicinal baths and supplements meant his "grinding" efficiency would drop drastically. Without intense daily training, gaining experience would become harder.
Unless, he mused, I can somehow acquire a body like the Senju or the Uzumaki — with their ridiculous regeneration and chakra reserves.
But that was only wishful thinking. Bloodline transplantation was dangerous, and he had neither the skill nor the knowledge to attempt it.
Looks like I'll have to train more moderately from now on, he thought. Too bad. I was just getting used to exploiting the old man's resources.
Still, Riku wasn't one to dwell on disappointment. After enduring Elder Huoshu's lecture, he returned home, took a long, hot bath, and washed away the day's exhaustion — and the old man's words along with it. His mood instantly lifted.
When the lights went out and the compound fell silent, Riku lay in bed, eyes wide open, shining in the dark. His fingers began to move, weaving through a series of rapid hand seals. Chakra gathered, compressed, and swirled at his fingertips, creating a faint blue glow that pulsed rhythmically.
Good, he thought, feeling the flow stabilize. Then came the familiar, game-like prompts before his eyes:
[Sealing Jutsu: Chakra Sealing Finger (D) — Experience +3]
[Sealing Jutsu: Chakra Sealing Finger (D): Lv10 (1975/2000)]
A faint smile curved Riku's lips. The higher his strength rose, the deeper his understanding of jutsu became — and with it, the experience gained from each repetition increased.
He took a deep breath and resumed the motions. Hand seals, chakra flow, activation — again and again, over and over, until his fingers trembled and half his chakra reserves were spent.
Finally, a new set of messages appeared:
[Sealing Jutsu: Chakra Sealing Finger (D): MAX — Breakthrough Possible]
[You have reached the current skill limit. You gain 2500 Free Experience Points!]
[Would you like to initiate breakthrough?]
"Of course," Riku muttered under his breath. Without hesitation, he confirmed the prompt.
[Please select breakthrough direction.]
Having experienced breakthroughs before, Riku was already familiar with the process. He thought clearly: Explain all available breakthrough options in detail.
Immediately, new lines of glowing text appeared before him:
[Chakra Sealing Finger (D) — Breakthrough Options]
Option One: Advance to a stronger version of the Chakra Sealing Jutsu. Slightly increases chakra consumption. (Cost: 8000 Free Experience Points)
Option Two: Derive Unsealing Power — grants ability to remove effects of certain low-level Sealing Jutsu. (Cost: 10,000 Free Experience Points)
Option Three: Derive Special Erosion Power — selectively removes the effect of a specific jutsu. Erosion effectiveness depends on jutsu strength. (Cost: 10,000 Free Experience Points)
Riku read each word carefully, making sure he understood every nuance.
The first path was simple — a direct upgrade to power. Cheap and straightforward.
The second and third options, however, offered something far more intriguing: the power to break seals rather than create them.
In terms of practicality, the second seemed better — it offered broader utility. But Riku's eyes were already fixed on the third.
Selective removal, he thought, heart pounding. That's it!
He touched his forehead unconsciously, feeling the faint heat beneath the Hyuga's Caged Bird Seal. A high-level, complex curse mark — one that bound him to servitude. The second option wouldn't help against something like that. But the third...
The third offered hope.
Without another thought, Riku selected the third option. His free experience points plummeted instantly.
A torrent of information flooded his mind — symbols, patterns, ancient formulae — the raw language of sealing. His body stiffened as his mind strained to absorb it all.
After what felt like hours but was only seconds, the storm subsided, and new glowing text appeared before him:
[Skill breakthrough successful!]
[Chakra Sealing Finger upgraded to Chakra Sealing Finger: Evil Breaking (B): MAX — Breakthrough Possible]
Riku's breathing quickened. Without waiting, he formed the new hand seals, channeling chakra through his meridians with precision.
A surge of unfamiliar power answered his call — dark yet refined, carrying an essence of disintegration. It gathered at his fingertips and shot straight toward his forehead.
A ripple spread across the cursed seal, and Riku felt the tug of resistance as the "Evil Breaking" energy clashed with the Caged Bird Seal's binding force.
Inside his mind's eye, he could almost see it — two forces battling for dominance. Tiny black symbols, like tadpoles of ink, swam through the intricate lattice of green curse marks, gnawing at their edges.
The Caged Bird Seal pulsed violently, trying to suppress the intrusion. But a faint crack appeared — a microscopic flaw in the flawless web.
Riku's pulse raced. It's working.
The Caged Bird Seal was far too advanced to crumble instantly, but the erosion had begun. That tiny gap was widening — slowly, steadily, irresistibly.
It might take days, weeks, even months, but the process had started. For the first time, Riku saw a tangible path to freedom.
He exhaled, sweat trickling down his temple, the last of his chakra fading away. Despite the exhaustion, a satisfied grin spread across his face.
So it's true, he thought. Even the strongest seal can be undone — with the right key.
For the Hyuga branch family, the Caged Bird Seal had always been an inescapable curse, a brand of submission that could never be removed. But now, Riku held the power to challenge that law.
He clenched his fist, determination surging within him.
Just wait, he vowed silently. I'll break this curse completely. No one will ever control me again.
The faint markings on his forehead glowed dimly, as if responding to his will. The black "Evil Breaking" energy continued its slow work beneath the surface.
Outside, the moonlight filtered through the paper windows, bathing the room in a silver sheen. Riku's shadow flickered faintly as he lay back, his body drained but his spirit blazing.
Tomorrow, the Academy would begin — a new phase of his life. But tonight, beneath the quiet of the Hyuga compound, a boy who refused to remain bound had already taken his first step toward liberation.
And though no one else could see it, the balance within the clan — and perhaps even within Konoha itself — had just begun to shift.