Naruto Birdcage

"Miss Rin."

Looking at the maid who had brought her tea, Nohara Rin felt a little at a loss.

She awkwardly stood up to return the greeting, but the maid did not meet her eyes, bowed slightly, and then left.

The spacious reception hall felt so empty that it made her extremely uneasy.

From the inner room came the faint sound of conversation—it was her teacher speaking with the head of the Hyuga clan.

Rin picked up the teacup and took a small sip, her eyes wandering aimlessly around the room.

She had saved a comrade from the village on the battlefield, but it seemed she had gotten herself entangled in some kind of trouble, to the point where her teacher had to step in on her behalf.

Fortunately, every time the Hyuga family invited her over, they always treated her with great courtesy.

Apart from asking for detailed accounts of what had happened back then, they had not made things difficult for her.

Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly noticed a figure standing at the doorway.

The courtyard outside buzzed with the noise of daytime, and sunlight slanted into the reception hall.

The figure stood precisely at the boundary between light and shadow, and in the dim backlight, she could faintly make out the sharp contours of his face.

The Hyuga clan members all seem to be quite good-looking…

The thought crossed her mind inexplicably.

Having visited the Hyuga compound several times, she had seen so many pairs of those pale, unseeing eyes that they had started to blur together in her memory.

But she remembered this person very clearly.

"It's you."

Rin quickly set down her teacup and stood up.

During a mission to search for a missing reconnaissance team, She and Kakashi had only found Hyuga Makoto, who was blind, gravely injured, and on the verge of death.

The rest of his team had all perished in action.

At that time, they were near the edge of the Iwa-nin military camp, constantly at risk of being discovered by the enemy.

Hyuga Makoto had told her and Kakashi that if they didn't want to return with a blind burden, they should help him replace his eyes.

Her impression of him ended when he was brought back to the village.

Although Rin had visited the Hyuga compound several times since then, she had never seen him again, despite every visit was because of him.

"How is your health now?" Rin asked while examining him, her gaze lingering on his eyes for a second longer than intended.

Those dark pupils were deep and tranquil, seemingly ordinary, but on a Hyuga clan member, they felt strikingly out of place.

"Almost fully recovered."

"And… are you getting used to your eyes?"

"Yes, I can see everything."

"That's good."

Rin had only performed eye replacement surgery twice, both under urgent and perilous circumstances.

Given the limitations of her skills and the lack of proper equipment, she worried that Hyuga Makoto might suffer some lasting side effects.

"Thank you for everything you've done," Hyuga Makoto suddenly said.

"You came all this way just to thank me again?" Rin chuckled, finding him rather straightforward.

"You've already thanked me before. Besides, we're comrades from the same village—it was my duty to save you."

"This is very important to me," Hyuga Makoto said earnestly.

Rin felt a little awkward. "You… don't need to dwell on it."

Hyuga Makoto didn't press the matter further and instead changed the topic.

"I heard Lord Minato is here."

Rin nodded. "Sensei is talking with Lord Hiashi."

"It seems I'm fortunate enough to meet Lord Minato today."

Rin smiled faintly.

She was long used to the fact that her teacher had countless admirers.

The two of them exchanged a few more casual words before a sound suddenly came from the inner room.

Hyuga Hiashi and Namikaze Minato emerged together.

Hiashi wore a friendly smile, a stark contrast to the stern expression Hyuga Makoto was used to seeing on him.

Then, he caught sight of the man who would become the Fourth Hokage—a tall, slender, and handsome blond youth.

"Sensei." Rin immediately spoke up, also greeting Hyuga Hiashi with a polite nod. "Lord Hiashi."

Hyuga Makoto stood quietly to the side, bowing slightly but saying nothing.

"The situation on the front lines remains deadlocked. We'll have to rely on you, Minato, to lead us forward," Hiashi said.

"With the Hokage guiding us, victory is certain," Minato replied with confidence.

Hiashi's gaze swept across the two standing in the reception hall, noticing that Hyuga Makoto was wearing his forehead protector today.

Hiashi then looked at Rin and suddenly smiled.

"Inviting Miss Rin here was mainly to better understand the situation back then and ensure proper follow-up treatment. I didn't expect you, Minato, to make a special trip as well. It seems we haven't been treating Miss Rin with enough hospitality."

Minato smiled in return. "You're too kind, Mr. Hiashi. I was just worried Rin might unintentionally offend you."

Hiashi replied, "Miss Rin is an excellent medical ninja. Many of our clan members admire her greatly."

Hearing this, Rin felt a bit flattered and caught off guard.

"You may remain here, Mr. Hiashi. We'll take our leave now," Minato said with a slight bow.

"Makoto, see our guests out," Hiashi said with a smile.

Leaving the reception hall, the three of them walked along the covered corridor toward the main gate.

The Hyuga courtyard was vast, with artificial rock formations, flowing water, ponds, and lush greenery.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the stone pathways.

"You must be Hyuga Makoto," Minato said as they walked, his mind thoughtfully considering the young man beside him.

"Yes, Lord Minato," Makoto replied respectfully.

"There's no need to be so formal. It was thanks to your intelligence back then that we secured such an important victory," Minato said with a warm smile.

"The intelligence wasn't obtained by me alone. It was the effort of the entire reconnaissance team," Makoto responded calmly.

Minato paused briefly, clearly moved by Makoto's words, and nodded. "You're absolutely right."

After a moment of silence, Minato sighed softly. "The situation back then must have been incredibly perilous."

Makoto replied, "It was all for the village. One of your students, Lord Minato, also gave his life for that cause, didn't he?"

These words brought a heavy silence over the group.

Hyuga Makoto caught a glimpse of Rin lowering her head, her expression dim with sorrow.

Before long, Minato spoke again, his voice steady and firm, as if making a solemn promise: "No one dies in vain."

Hyuga Makoto replied with an unchanged expression.

"You're right, Lord Minato. Every fallen comrade is a hero of the village.

Their will guides us to keep moving forward with determination."

Hearing such dignified and resolute words, Minato was slightly taken aback.

He couldn't help but glance at Hyuga Makoto again, his gaze filled with a hint of surprise.

"You have an admirable sense of resolve."

Hyuga Makoto smoothly continued,

"It was the sacrifice of my comrades that gave me some important lessons.

I also want to become someone like you, Lord Minato, who charges to the front lines for the village.

Unfortunately, my clan requires me to stay in the village to recover.

I wish I could fight alongside you."

Minato smiled and replied.

"Since you're still recovering, you should focus on your rest.

A young person like you being alive is already a contribution to the village.

Moreover, the strength of your Hyuga clan is unique and holds great significance for the village."

Hyuga Makoto's gaze flickered slightly. "You're right, Lord Minato."

When they reached the entrance of the Hyuga compound, they parted ways, and Hyuga Makoto watched them leave, his expression returning to calm.

He had been rejected… but that was to be expected.

How could he expect Minato to accept such a one-sided request?

He wasn't a hot-blooded fool like Naruto.

After Minato and Rin had left the Hyuga compound, Rin couldn't help but speak up to her teacher, "Makoto is a really good person, isn't he?"

Perhaps it was because their comrades had both been sacrificed, but Rin felt some empathy toward him.

Minato didn't comment directly and simply smiled.

"Don't interact with him too much."

End of chapter

Exclusive access : Get 10+ advanced chapters ahead of everyone else

Join now : patreon*com/DeCakraWnloverz