Naruto Birdcage

When Hyuga Hiashi departed, he took most of the clan members with him, including Hizashi, whose duty was to serve as his close bodyguard at all times.

The Hyuga clan grounds became noticeably quieter, with the streets now mostly populated by the elderly, women, and children.

Not long after Hiashi left, Ayano paid an unexpected visit.

"Ayano-nee?!" Makoto stared at Ayano standing outside his door, his face full of surprise.

She wore a pure white long dress, giving her a youthful and innocent charm that was slightly different from her usual demeanor.

Her long hair was still carefully tied up in an elegant bun, accentuating her refined and graceful beauty.

"You… Why are you here?"

"What, am I not welcome here?" Ayano said with a gentle smile, holding a paper bag in her hand.

"Of course you're welcome! Please, come in!"

Makoto quickly stepped aside, allowing Ayano to enter his room.

The typical messy teenage boy's bedroom scene was nowhere to be found, which made Ayano quietly breathe a sigh of relief.

However, a dog suddenly dashed out from somewhere, giving her a slight fright.

"Ayano-nee, this is Spi." Makoto introduced.

"Oh, it's your dog? How adorable!" 

Ayano's face lit up with joy as she bent down to pick up the fluffy white dog circling around her.

"Right? Ayari-nee really likes him too. Please, have a seat."

Sitting down on the sofa, Ayano chuckled lightly.

"I didn't expect you to be such a caring person, Makoto."

"Not really. It's just that being alone gets a little boring sometimes." 

Makoto said with an honest smile.

Ayano set the dog down beside her and handed over the paper bag she had brought.

"I brought you some food.

"I noticed you like snacks, but eating too many of those isn't good for your health.

So, I made some pastries and treats myself."

Makoto took the bag and opened it, finding several neatly packed boxes filled with snacks.

The packaging was delicate, and the presentation showed clear care and effort.

"Ayano-nee, this…" 

Makoto's face was filled with gratitude.

"You're so kind to me!"

Ayano smiled warmly.

"Silly child, since you call me 'sister,' it's only natural for me to do what an older sister should.

Just keep them in the fridge, and take them out whenever you feel like eating."

Makoto nodded and went to put the snacks in the refrigerator.

Seeing this, Ayano chuckled.

"I didn't mean for you to put them away immediately.

You could at least try them first."

Makoto scratched his head sheepishly and said with a grin.

"Anything Ayano-nee makes must taste amazing.

I'll need to savor it properly."

Ayano couldn't help but smile at Makoto's straightforwardness.

Her eyes then drifted to the books on his desk.

"Were you reading?"

"Ah, yeah. When there's nothing else to do, I like to read a bit."

It was a book about human acupoints, an essential subject for Hyuga clan members as it was foundational knowledge for mastering the Gentle Fist technique.

Memorizing the body's meridians and acupoints was a requirement.

Ayano glanced briefly at the book but didn't pay much attention to it, assuming he was just casually revising some basics.

"Makoto, there's something I need to tell you."

"Ayano-nee, please go ahead."

"It's about your eyes."

At these words, Makoto's expression immediately grew tense, a change Ayano caught in full detail.

She spoke slowly.

"The hospital informed us that the Byakugan originally matched for you has shown some… irregularities upon further inspection."

Makoto asked in confusion, "What… does that mean?"

"It means that a new suitable Byakugan needs to be selected for your replacement surgery.

However, with Hiashi now on the front lines, it's difficult to proceed with the surgery in the absence of the clan head.

Do you understand?"

Makoto stood frozen in place for a moment, his eyes dim with disappointment.

"The situation on the battlefield is tense, and Lord Hiashi must go—"

"I understand!" Makoto suddenly interrupted Ayano.

"I understand, Ayano-nee. I'm just a Chunin.

How could I let my situation delay Lord Hiashi?"

His voice was filled with disappointment, yet it seemed like he was trying hard to stay strong.

Ayano nodded approvingly.

"It's good that you can think this way."

She then offered some comfort.

"When the war is over and Hiashi returns, he will definitely make sure to arrange a new pair of Byakugan for you."

Hope rekindled in Makoto's eyes as he nodded firmly.

"Yes! I know!"

Seeing Makoto in such a state, Ayano couldn't help but smile inwardly.

Kids are so easy to reassure.

After casually chatting with him about daily life and showing her care, Ayano finally stood up to leave.

"Take care, Ayano-nee."

She hadn't walked far when she noticed a short white hair stuck to her sleeve—it was from that dog.

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, but she didn't brush it off.

Turning her head back, she saw Makoto still standing at the door, watching her leave.

Ayano's face softened into a warm smile as she waved at him.

Back in his room, Makoto didn't return to his book.

Instead, he lay down on his bed.

Spi followed him, hopping onto the bed and curling up on his stomach.

The first step… could be considered a success.

Hiashi wouldn't kill him.

In the current situation, if he died, it would undoubtedly point all the blame toward the main family.

However, without the chains restricting him, he had effectively placed a spotlight on himself, and whatever he did would attract more attention.

After the war, there was a high chance that the Hyuga clan would suffer casualties, which meant that Hiashi might bring back a pair of Byakugan from the battlefield.

Freedom isn't permanent.

In the afternoon,

Perhaps news of Hiashi leaving the village had spread, and visitors came to the Hyuga clan.

This person was specifically looking for Makoto.

Makoto's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Anko being brought to his door by a clan member.

She hesitated before speaking.

"Um... I was thinking of asking you to have a meal together.

How about some grilled meat?"

Makoto replied calmly.

"Are you inviting me?"

"Huh? Ah... yes! I'll pay!"

Makoto walked out of the room and casually closed the door behind him.

"Forget about grilled meat, let's go for some dango instead."

"Eh?" 

Anko paused, then her face brightened.

"You like dango too?"

"I just suddenly felt like eating it. Let's go."

The two of them left the Hyuga clan grounds and walked through the streets, with Anko leading the way.

She said she knew where the best dango shop was.

However, along the way, Anko kept glancing back at Makoto, her expression showing that she seemed to have something to say but hesitated.

Children can't hide their thoughts easily, and Makoto could tell right away.

However, he didn't ask her about it and simply followed her into a dango shop.

Seeing the dango she liked, Anko's mood perked up again, and she began marking items on the menu.

After all, it was Lord Orochimaru's money.

"Is there anything you want to eat?" 

Anko asked, looking up at Makoto.

"Just order what you want."

"This shop's three-color dango is really delicious, and the red bean dango is also great. I'll order both for you."

Makoto sat across from her, resting his chin in his hand, watching her intently as she pondered over the menu, seemingly unable to decide and reluctant to cross anything out.

"You love sweets so much, aren't you worried about getting fat?"

"I won't get fat."

"If you become a big fatty, no one will want to marry you."

Hearing that, Anko immediately became upset and snapped.

"How can you say such rude things to a girl!"

Several plates of dango were brought to the table, instantly making Anko forget all her worries.

She grabbed a skewer with each hand and began eating happily.

The outdoor shop had very few customers, making the two young children stand out even more.

It was rare to see ninja attire on the streets now, and during wartime, only someone like Makoto could afford to be so leisurely.

He gently rubbed his tea cup, his gaze drifting along the street, seemingly lost in thought.

"Makoto?"

"Are we so familiar now that you can just call me by my name?"

"You can call me Anko too."

Makoto gave a faint smile, but when he looked at Anko, he noticed her mouth was covered in sweet sauce.

He casually handed her a napkin.

After wiping her mouth, Anko stopped eating dango.

She sat there with a hesitant expression, as if struggling to find the right words to say.

"Do you know who my teacher is?" she asked awkwardly.

Makoto looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"No, I don't."

Anko immediately became excited.

"My teacher is one of the legendary Sannin, Lord Orochimaru!"

Makoto casually replied. "Wow, that's amazing."

Anko: "..."

She furrowed her brows, feeling that this person in front of her didn't seem to respect her teacher.

In her mind, Makoto should have looked at her with admiration upon learning she was Orochimaru's disciple, then eagerly asked her about all of Orochimaru's deeds and eventually begged her to introduce him to the great Orochimaru.

But reality was so different from what she had imagined.

She could only continue asking.

"Don't you want to meet Lord Orochimaru?"

Makoto countered, "Did Lord Orochimaru tell you to say that?"

Akadō looked surprised. "How did you know?"

Makoto looked at Anko innocent expression and felt that dealing with children was much easier.

Simplicity remained simplicity.

"Eat your dango, it'll get cold soon."

"Oh! I forgot!"

After finishing the dango, Makoto followed Anko to meet Orochimaru.

On the way, Anko kept talking about how amazing her teacher was, listing the glorious deeds of the legendary Sannin.

Makoto just listened, as much of what Anko said was unknown to him, regardless of whether it was exaggerated.

Orochimaru's residence was a somewhat isolated house, with few people on the street in front.

Without knocking, Anko ran inside while shouting.

"Lord Orochimaru! I've brought Makoto here!"

Makoto didn't follow Anko casualness.

Once they entered the living room, he simply stood quietly.

Before long, someone slowly walked out from the inner room.

Makoto didn't immediately look up; he only saw the man's black, casual clothing and his tall figure.

The person stopped just in front of Makoto.

Anko immediately moved closer, and his hand lightly brushed Anko's head.

"Greetings, Lord Orochimaru." Makoto said.

"Hmm."

A brief response, his voice slightly raspy, like the sound of a fine thread scraping against paper—uncomfortably harsh to the ear.

Anko, still somewhat playful, seemed to be showing off to Makoto:

"Lord Orochimaru is the future Hokage!"

Makoto, surprised, looked up and said.

"Really? But I've heard that the next Hokage will be Lord Namikaze Minato."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the room fell silent.

After a moment, Makoto heard the raspy voice again.

"Hyuga Makoto, is it?"

End of chapter

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