Chapter 19 Hinata Ayane

  The weekend is the collective holiday of the ninja school, and Ayane stayed in the Hyuga clan's place and didn't go anywhere.

  In the Hyuga clan, the residences of the branch family and the main family are separated.

  People from the Zong family seldom associate with the branch family. For the Zong family, the branch family only needs to complete the tasks assigned to them honestly.

  In this generation of Hyuga sub-family members, Ayane is an exceptionally talented type. Not only the sub-family, but the main family is also looking forward to her future.

  Whether it is as the guard of the clan, or as an excellent mother for the Hyuga clan to give birth to offspring, the fate seems to have been decided from the very beginning.

   "Ayane, someone from the Zong family came here before, and they want you to be the maid who takes care of Master Nizuzu's daily life. This is a great honor for you as a branch family."

  Looking at her mother's proud smile for having such an excellent daughter, Ayane just froze for a moment, then nodded obediently.

  However, would members of the Zong family use words like hope?

   Said she wanted her to do this, rather than a threat and an order.

   After all, as a member of the branch family, she is not qualified to bargain with the main family.

  When she witnessed several members of the separated family who rebelled against the clan and ended up being tortured by the curse of the caged bird, she had already considered what attitude she should use to face the clan.

   "Master Nizuzu is an excellent ninja. He is fourteen years old this year, and he is already a well-known Chunin in the village. Everyone says that he can become a Jōnin before he turns twenty."

  Ayane sat kneeling on the cushion, her straight black hair draped over her shoulders, her silent white pupils, she couldn't see any excitement or joy, she just quietly listened to her mother's nagging words.

  Her mother is a more traditional woman, submissive.

  Perhaps because she has seen too much, the dissatisfaction with the clan in her heart has turned into awe and humbleness in the past thirty years.

  Separated families are not qualified to rebel against the main family.

  Separated families are born to dedicate everything, love, life, and dignity to the main family.

   Everything in the branch family is bestowed by the clan.

  After so many years of being influenced by such traditional thinking, her mother has turned into a tool to obey the orders of the clan.

  That's why Ayane never argues meaninglessly with her mother.

  Habits are a terrible thing.

   "Ayane, don't resent the main family. They are thinking about the future of the Hyuga family. The white eyes of our family have always been coveted by outsiders. The bird in the cage is not a curse. This is done entirely to protect the white eyes from outsiders. One day, the rest of the branch family will understand this truth."

   "I know, mother."

  Ayane does not dislike her mother, even though she has become a tool of the head family.

  But the bird in the cage is not a curse, which Ayane does not agree with.

   Maybe the bird in the cage has a reason to protect the white eyes, but those ninjas who were cursed by the bird in the cage, should they be killed by their own people without a sound or dignity?

   What's wrong with them?

  Why doesn’t the village care?

  Ayane doesn't believe that Hokage and other high-level officials don't know about this kind of thing.

  This kind of behavior of harming colleagues should be put in prison.

  Jun Baishi is right, this village is twisted and boring. And we're all just part of this twisted, boring village, the humblest part. Ayane remembered what Shiraishi had said to herself, and felt this helpless cruelty and distortion more deeply than at that time.

   Therefore, every time Hokage personally hosts the opening ceremony to promote the will of fire, Ayane will feel that she is out of place with this village, strange and afraid.

  What is flowing in my body now is the blood that does not succumb to this fate.

  She wants to be the bird that flies freely in the sky.

   Instead of being locked in a birdcage by the Zong family, the flying bird with broken wings.

  One day, she will break free from the cage that binds her body and fly to the sky.

  ◎

  Hyuga Hinata.

   This name is still very famous in the Hyuga clan.

  He is the young master of the Hyuga clan, a well-known genius chunin in Konoha Village at a young age.

  In this village, he is destined to become a big man who is looked up to by countless people.

  Ayane never thought that she would become this person's maid, and it happened to be the member of the clan she hated the most.

  However, considering that the guards of the main family have always been chosen from the branch family, it seems that this is also a reasonable thing.

   "Master Nizuzu, I am Hinata Ayane who will be your maid from today on."

  Sitting in the corridor of the courtyard, a handsome young man with straight black and long hair looked at the pond in the courtyard with pure white pupils.

  After hearing the voice from the side, he slowly turned his head and glanced at this innocent girl with the same pure white pupils as himself.

  There was no emotional fluctuation in her eyes, but it would be wrong to say that there was no stagnant water. There was only a soft smile on her face, with a hint of sadness in the smile.

   "Do you hate the Zong family?"

   Hizuru asked.

   Ayane was slightly taken aback, she didn't expect the other party to ask herself such a question.

"hatred."

   Lying will lead to suspicion, and sometimes being honest will make the other party relax.

   At least getting along will not be so hypocritical.

  Rizu nodded and started talking to himself:

   "I hate it too, because of this rule, Rizai hasn't smiled at me for many years, and some only have indifference and hostility. Rizai is my favorite brother. We used to play together, laugh at each other, and fight for snacks regardless of identity..."

   "Really? Master Nizuzu is a gentle person."

   Ayane said with a smile.

   "I'm not gentle at all, and I can't be gentle. Three years ago, I had a competition with Rizai. I lost on purpose. I wanted to impress the people of the Zong family. I didn't expect that after returning home, my father used the curse seal to make Nishizai cry on the ground in pain... My father told me that as the heir of the main family, we must always let the subfamily remember our identity. Don't go beyond the class and be rude to the Zongjia."

   Hizuru looked at the clear blue sky and let out a sigh of regret.

   Ayane fell silent after hearing this.

   "Since then, I finally understand what the rules are. In the Hyuga Clan with strict rules, the Nisai... No, it's the branch family. Everything is arranged by the main family. You can't resist, you can't be free."

  Hizu stood up from the corridor, then glanced at Ayane again:

   "So, you should hate me and the Zong family. But you must remember not to show hostility or killing intent towards me, because I am the Zong family and the master of your branch family."

  If a bird in captivity glares at its master and displeases the master, it will lead to merciless death.

   expresses exactly this kind of meaning.

  So, the so-called asking her to become a maid was an act of compulsion from the very beginning.

   "I understand, I will pay attention to my own sense of proportion, Master Nizuzu."

  Seeing that Ayane is so knowledgeable, Hizuki nodded with satisfaction.

  Hizu walked back into the house and took out a birdcage with a white flying bird inside.

  Ayane's expression was slightly unnatural when she saw this scene.

   Hizuru didn't care about Ayane's unnatural expression, and murmured in a low voice:

   "Do you know? Only this birdcage has never been changed, but the birds in it have been changed seven times. This is the eighth bird. I bought it for you today."

   "Before that..."

   "The moment they flew out, I killed them."

   "Master Nizuzu why did you do this?"

   "Before you, there were seven maids by my side. All of them were executed by my father for various reasons."

  Nizuru hung the birdcage outside.

   "I hope you won't end up like this..."

   This sentence seems to be addressed to the bird, but also seems to be addressed to Ayane.

  (end of this chapter)