When Hyuga Kiyonari stepped into the Hyuga compound, he immediately sensed an indescribable strangeness. It wasn't an obvious change, but more like a shift in atmosphere—something you could only notice if you paid close attention.
When he passed his neighbor Hyuga Hayate's house, his steps suddenly stopped.
The wooden door was shut tight. But on the stone steps and even on the door handle, a thin layer of dust had settled, glaringly obvious under the setting sun.
"Kiyonari, you're back?"
A voice came from the side.
Kiyonari turned and saw another neighbor, Hyuga Kenta, standing at his own storefront with a broom in hand, sweeping the little shop he ran.
"Uncle Kenta," Kiyonari greeted with a nod, then pointed at Hayate's door. "Hayate-niisan… is he on a mission? It looks like he's been gone a long time."
Kenta's expression grew complicated. He glanced around, then lowered his voice. "He was transferred to the border force. And—right after you left, I heard Hinata-sama personally wrote his name onto the roster."
Kiyonari's brows tightened slightly.
"It's not just Hayate," Kenta continued, unease in his tone. "The clan's transferred quite a few people to the border lately. And—apparently those transfers all had Hinata-sama's input."
"I see." Kiyonari nodded, thoughtful.
"Alright, I won't say more." Kenta looked at the sky. "You just got back—rest up. Clan affairs… sigh. People like us can't do much about them anyway."
With that, he turned and went back inside.
If Hinata was hoping Hayate could go to the border and, after some 'polishing,' become the version she saw in the simulator—
Kiyonari shook his head and continued walking home.
Using the "future" shown by the simulator to push Hinata to change, then having her act in reality and move toward that preset ending—
That was "the outcome first, the cause after."
But hearts were complicated, and the world was unpredictable. Whether reality would match the script… even Hyuga Kiyonari couldn't give an answer.
All he could do was do everything within his power, and at the final step—pray for heaven's blessing.
That wasn't superstition. It was a distinctly East Asian sense of awe—respect for what you can't see. After all, the only constant in this world is change.
If this script completed smoothly, the correction points from this haul would be enough for him to pull something big across the entire ninja world.
Sweeping the floor, wiping windows, tidying the room—those small chores gradually calmed him.
After nearly an hour, Kiyonari finally got the place more or less in order. He changed out of his dust-covered clothes, washed up quickly, and went out to find food.
Night had fallen, and stars began to flicker in the sky.
Then Kiyonari noticed a girl walking toward him from not far ahead.
"Hinata?"
Hearing his voice, Hinata jerked her head up, searching for him.
"Kiyonari-kun, you're back?"
"Yeah, just got back," Kiyonari walked closer. "It's late—why are you still outside?"
Hinata lowered her head. Her fingers twisted together, weaving around each other by habit. "I was about to go back… but suddenly I felt hungry, so I thought I'd find something to eat."
"Perfect timing." He suggested, "I'm about to eat too. Want to go together?"
Hinata's face flushed faintly. She nodded quickly, with a hint of eagerness.
They walked side by side in the night, both quiet, yet not awkward. Even after being apart for a while, meeting again still felt just like before.
They found a nearby place inside the compound and stepped in. There weren't many customers—only a few tables scattered around.
The owner, a middle-aged man in his fifties, immediately bowed deeply the moment he saw Hinata.
"Welcome, Hinata-sama."
Hinata gave a small nod in return and sat with Kiyonari by the window.
The owner personally brought the menu, his attitude far beyond mere respect—almost excessive. Even the other clan members in the shop lowered their heads when they saw Hinata.
What has Hinata done?
A question flashed through Kiyonari's mind.
After ordering, when the owner left, Hinata broke the silence first.
"Kiyonari-kun… was everything smooth at the border?"
"It was alright," Kiyonari replied. "Just tired."
"It's good you came back safely."
"I don't have much to say about myself." Kiyonari paused. "But the clan… it looks like it's changed a lot."
Hinata's hand paused. She looked up at him, her eyes complicated.
"Then what do you think… is that change good, or bad?"
"Hmm…" Kiyonari thought seriously. "Given the Hyuga's situation, any change is probably a good thing. And with you here, I believe it'll move in a good direction."
Hearing that, the tension in Hinata's expression visibly eased. She let out a soft breath.
Just then, the owner came over with their food. "Hinata-sama, your dishes are here."
Kiyonari began eating. Hinata ate slowly too, but compared to her normal appetite, she clearly ate much less—often staring into space instead.
After the meal, Kiyonari insisted on paying.
After all, he could get reimbursed.
"I'll walk you back," Kiyonari said.
"No," Hinata shook her head lightly. "I can manage. And you just came back—you need rest even more."
"Alright then," Kiyonari didn't force it. "Be careful."
"Mm."
Hinata answered and turned to leave. After a few steps, she stopped and looked back, giving Kiyonari a small, gentle smile.
"Kiyonari-kun… thank you for coming back."
Kiyonari froze briefly, then returned a warm smile. "Good night, Hinata."
They parted, disappearing into different directions under the night.
Kiyonari stood where he was, watching Hinata's figure blend into the darkness until she was completely gone.
…
Back in her room, Hinata opened the Life Simulator and used Designated Simulation.
The cooldown had ended long ago, but she'd been waiting—waiting until Kiyonari returned before using it.
[Year 56 of Konoha.]
[At New Year's, I use the secret passage from the study to sneak into Father's secret room and steal two target scrolls.]
[After returning to my room, driven by that strange palpitation, I first unroll the older scroll.]
[The scroll contains information about the Hyuga clan's origins. Some handwriting is already worn, but it can still barely be read: "Byakugan bloodline descendants of the Sage of Six Paths' younger brother—"]
["Split into two branches. One branch takes the name Hyuga, remains in the world created by the Sage of Six Paths to guide—while the other branch migrates to the moon—bears a mission—if—then—"]
["Byakugan evolution—kin's—Tenseigan—Caged Bird—" and other information.]
"How can this be?!"
Hinata's pupils trembled violently.
Last time she'd only been able to see a few scattered words—why had it become this?
"Wait!"
The simulator's content changed along with reality. So—
Hinata abruptly recalled the reward she'd chosen last time: [Byakugan evolution potential slightly increased].
Could it be… because her eyes had improved compared to before, she could now see more?
And the content here said: the Hyuga—no, the Byakugan bloodline—descended from the Sage of Six Paths' younger brother.
Meaning: the legendary Sage of Six Paths was real—and he had a brother.
His descendants split in two. One branch became the modern Hyuga clan, and the other branch lived on—
The moon?!
Can people even live up there?
And what "mission," what "if—then—" is that supposed to mean?!
Hinata felt a sudden panic, as if something bad was going to happen.
And also—
"Tenseigan… is that the name after the Byakugan evolves?"
Hinata picked up her mirror and examined her eyes closely. Maybe it was psychological, but they seemed… prettier than before.
She set the mirror down and continued reading.
[I copy both scrolls, return them to their original places, and begin researching the Caged Bird curse seal.]
[Year 60 of Konoha. Konoha suddenly grows turbulent. Tsunade-sama publicly accuses an underground faction called Root, drawing everyone's attention. I realize this may be an opportunity.]
[Please manually correct the simulation direction. Note: each correction will greatly increase the cooldown time.]
[Question: What will you do?]
Hinata didn't hesitate. She picked up her pen and wrote her answer.
[I find Kiyonari and, using insomnia as an excuse, ask him to prepare some sleeping medicine. I record the herbs he used, then secretly buy more and remake it into a stronger sleeping drug.]
[At year's end, as my birthday approaches, I casually mention the idea of holding a banquet, inviting the main family members to test whether my training has improved. Father agrees gladly.]
[The opportunity is here, but if I personally enter the kitchen, the maids will notice and it will be inconvenient to act. So I need a helper.]
[I find Neji. After a brief hesitation, he decides to gamble with me. He takes the powder and leaves.]
[The banquet proceeds as planned. During the meal, I carefully confirm the list—no omissions—then signal Neji. Neji finds an excuse to enter the kitchen and mixes the powder into the food.]
[The drug works quickly. The main family members collapse. Father realizes something is wrong, but I knock him unconscious.]
[My finger hovers over a main family elder's forehead, trembling. I know that once I press down, there will be no turning back.]
[The plan progresses smoothly. The next day, unprecedented chaos erupts in the Hyuga compound. Without exception, every main family member roars in fury—each with the Caged Bird curse seal carved onto their forehead.]
[The entire Hyuga clan falls into turmoil. The branch family is shocked, yet a quiet, indescribable thrill rises in their hearts.]
[Father calls an emergency meeting, and as the sole exception—unmarked by the seal—I have nowhere to hide. Of course, I have no intention of hiding.]
["I did it."]
[My voice isn't loud, but it successfully draws every gaze. Father's eyes widen, staring at me in disbelief.]
[A main family elder roars: "Have you lost your mind?! Do you know what you've done?!"]
[I answer calmly: "I know exactly. And I demand that from this day forward, the system of main family and branch family be abolished. The Hyuga clan will no longer be split into two parts."]
["Impossible!"]
[The main family refuses to agree. I only respond lightly: "The seal is already carved. This is your fate. If you cannot accept it, then why did you demand the branch family accept their fate?"]
[However, the voices of support I expected from the branch family do not rise. They did want more rights, but they never expected me to jump straight to the finish line. I moved too fast—and since they were never good at thinking about such things, they dare not move rashly.]
"Sigh." Hinata rubbed her brow and sighed.
"As Kiyonari would say: I started the raid, and you guys aren't even following?"
["Absurd!" A main family elder stands abruptly. "The main family system is ancestral law—how dare you trample it?!"]
[Father suppresses his anger and says: "Hinata, as the main family's young lady, why would you do this?"]
[I do not answer Father. I only form a hand seal and say: "Now, I am the only main family."]
[Father falls silent. The atmosphere grows even tighter, and the meeting ends on bad terms.]
[Afterward, clan conflict intensifies rapidly. Old grudges and new hatred between main and branch erupt constantly. Many branch members finally come to their senses and begin openly supporting me.]
[But I do not intervene in the conflict itself. If anyone dares to use the Caged Bird technique, I return it without hesitation—using their own method against them.]
[In only a few days, the Hyuga's chaos gradually calms, and everything seems to be turning for the better.]
[Not long after, I die.]
[Simulation ends.]
Hinata understood the key immediately: if she could drug people, others could poison her too.
Once she died, the branch lost its shield. The sealed main family—so long as they still held the method to activate the seal—could put the "main family" crown back on again.
"I was too naive…" Hinata gave a bitter smile and shook her head.
She could drug them. Others could drug her. She could act in secret. Others could strike back in secret.
But the moment she stepped into the open and declared her stance, she put herself under everyone's eyes—becoming the easiest target.
And the branch family—after all this time, they only slowly reacted. By then the "raid fight" was already over. What was the point of joining late?
"Is it really… because I moved too fast?"
~~~
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