Chapter 8: caged bird
Chapter 8 The Bird in the Cage
After that day, Shiraishi felt that his relationship with Liuli had become very strange.
Although on the surface there is no difference from usual, when it is time to pass notes in class, I still pass notes, and I still practice as usual at night, but Liuli seems to have changed into the same way as when I first saw her, silent and cold, and rarely speaks.
A few days passed like this.
Shiraishi went to school as usual that day, but when the first class was about to start, Shiraishi found that Ayane on the left hadn't arrived.
Shiraishi finds this very strange.
Ayane, as a branch member of the wealthy Hyuga clan, although her status is definitely not as good as that of the main family, she still maintains the code of conduct that a wealthy family should have, and it is impossible to skip classes and be late.
Until the first class was about to end, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door.
It was a girl with straight black hair, waist-length.
Ayane stood alone at the door, without saying a word, biting her lip, as if she was about to bite her lip, an atmosphere of sadness and despair enveloped her.
What's even more strange is that there is a white ribbon tied on Ayane's forehead, which doesn't look ugly, but I always feel that the sudden change is a bit too abrupt.
Before this, Ayane would never wear such a sensational ribbon ornament on her forehead.
Ms. Fujimura, the homeroom teacher, took a look at Ayane and wanted to reprimand Ayane, but when she noticed the deep despair and sadness in Ayane, she sighed softly, as if she knew something, and said flatly: "Come in, remember not to be late next time."
Ayane nodded, and under the weird and puzzled gazes of everyone, she walked to her seat and sat down.
"Bai, Shiraishi-kun, good morning."
Ayane tried her best to greet Shiraishi as usual, but in the end she smiled reluctantly, and the tears in her eyes seemed to flow uncontrollably.
Then without waiting for Shiraishi to respond, he buried his head on the table, as if it was a shame to be seen like this, and would be ridiculed and despised by others.
And all this happened, and the rest of the students looked at her with strange eyes, whispered, pointed, and seemed to know something.
But the students who didn't know the truth were just curious and worried about Ayane.
Baishi's face was full of question marks, but he was sensible and didn't ask.
Liuli looked past Shiraishi, glanced at Ayane, but didn't speak.
—Liu Li, do you know what happened to Ayane?
Because the relationship is further advanced, the suffix of 'classmate' has been canceled.
Pass the note with this question to Liuli.
The same wealthy family, Liuli must know something.
—What else can it be, of course it is the 'excellent' tradition of the Hyuga clan.
The word "good" was put in quotation marks. Obviously, Liuli's words were full of irony.
Hyuga Clan's 'excellent' tradition?
Shiraishi didn't know what it was, but Ayane's behavior like this must be inseparable from the 'excellent' tradition of the Hyuga clan.
What exactly is it?
Really couldn't think of any reason why, so Shiraishi gave up.
At noon, Shiraishi and Liuli ate bento together.
"Hey, Ruri, what is the tradition of the Hyuga clan you're talking about?"
Still unable to hold back his curiosity, Shiraishi asked this question.
Liuli was silent for a moment, and replied: "This matter is not a secret among ninjas, and the Chunin and Jonin in the village have basically heard about it. The Hyuga clan has had a tradition that is difficult to accept since ancient times. That is the distinction between the main family and the branch family."
"Is there a problem with the distinction between the main family and the branch family?"
"The branch family must bear the responsibility and obligation to protect the head family."
"This is also normal."
Shiraishi couldn't understand.
It is not very fair for those with low protection status and high protection status, but this is a stable "social" structure.
Society is class and hierarchical.
Therefore, in Shiraishi's eyes, it is a normal development trend for people from the Hyuga clan to protect those from the Hyuga clan.
"If it's just like this, it's really not a rare thing. But in order to let the branch family wholeheartedly protect the main family, and in order to prevent the blood of the Hyuga clan from spreading outside, there is a reason to control the branch family."
"control?"
Shiraishi was taken aback.
"That's right, control, control in the true sense." Liuli glanced at Baishi and said seriously: "For the safety of the Zong family, the Fen family must take the initiative to bear a curse seal called 'caged bird', which means that the Zong family holds the power of life and death of the Fen family. Once the members of the Fen family become unruly, or fail to fulfill the obligations and responsibilities that the Fen family should perform, the Zong family can use the curse seal to instantly execute the Fen family members who have the curse seal."
"..."
"In other words, Ayane's life and death...is now in the hands of an outsider. If Ayane becomes dissatisfied and intends to kill someone from the Zong family, the people from the Zong family have the right to beat and scold Ayane, or even execute her."
Baishi thought of something and said: "Then, is the location of the curse seal at..."
"That's right, the curse mark that was planted was on Ayane's forehead. That's why Ayane used a cloth belt to block it. Whether it's Dayi, or the nominal protection of the clan, it is said that it is the existence meaning of the division, and that curse mark is a real 'slave' mark."
Baishi was silent.
A voice kept telling him that Konoha is a terrorist organization, and it is normal for such things to happen in terrorist organizations.
Although he was very repulsive, Shiraishi found that he couldn't do anything.
This is the helplessness and compromise called reality.
For Ayane, having the mark of 'slave' engraved on her forehead is more cruel than killing her directly.
Really, what a terrible era this is!
If this kind of thing happens in a dark corner, Shiraishi can reluctantly accept it, but the rules of the Hyuga clan are open to the public.
Bringing the other half of his tribe as 'slaves' openly, without any cover-up, what does it mean?
Shiraishi looked at Konoha's shadow rock from here, and the three Hokage sculptures carved with Konoha symbolized the great achievements of those three.
Especially the first Hokage and the second Hokage brothers, they are known by the world as the people who ended the troubled times of the Warring States Period.
And after that?
The war continues.
It is no different from the Warring States Period, and children will still be sent to the battlefield.
Nothing seems to have changed.
The only thing that has changed is that the ninjas have formed a larger village from the ninjas, and the one country, one village system has been established.
Baishi suddenly felt that the existence of Yingyan was full of irony.
If the so-called family is only at this level, then the tradition of the Hyuga clan is incompatible with Konoha from the very beginning.
Ninjas like this should not be allowed to join the Konoha Ninja Village dominated by the "Will of Fire".
The tradition of this family is the best interpretation of denying the "will of fire".
Can't even love their own clansmen, can you believe that such a family will have the belief in loving and caring for the whole village?
Baishi put a big question mark on this issue.
Finally sighed and said nothing.
Growing up with Liuli these days, he has almost forgotten that he is a 'heretic' to this village, and he will become a 'traitor' sooner or later.
But the peaceful life made him almost forget that he was a 'traitor', and he couldn't help but want to integrate into this village.
Thinking of this, Shiraishi was sweating coldly.
Ease leads to corruption.
From the very beginning, he didn't have the slightest surrender to Konoha.
He is very grateful to Konoha for teaching him the knowledge of ninjas, but it is only for this teaching.
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