Naruto: Beyond The Cage

---

Chapter 5 – The Seal and the Byakugan

We were all kneeling in a row, kids my age, wearing the traditional clan garb. The hall was huge, with soft lanterns illuminating the impassive faces of the main family. The silence was broken only by the sound of the crackling flames and the tense breathing of the other boys. We all knew what was going to happen.

The Bird in a Cage seal.

I wanted to pretend that I didn't care, that it didn't matter. But the truth? It was shit. A mark that condemned me to be a subordinate until the day I died. Even if I became the strongest in this shitty clan, one touch from the main family could still bring me down.

But at the moment, I had no choice.

One of the elders approached, an old man with a wrinkled face and cold eyes. He gestured, and the first boys were led one by one to the center of the hall. They were trembling. When the seal was applied, the screams began. Desperate, childish screams, of a pain that I knew would come to me as well. Some fainted on the spot. Others struggled on the floor, crying.

Fuck. What a shitty clan.

I kept my face neutral. Pretend. Always pretend.

When it was my turn, I walked calmly to the center of the hall. I wasn't going to kneel down and cry like a coward. I wasn't going to give these bastards that pleasure.

The elder raised his hand, forming a seal with his fingers.

"May this seal guide your loyalty to the clan," he said, with that shitty voice full of false benevolence.

And then came the pain.

It was as if a thousand needles had been stuck straight into my brain, burning every nerve, every thought. My entire body shook, my vision went black for a second, and my jaw clenched to keep from screaming.

Son of a bitch!

The chakra burned inside my head, like an electric current screwing everything up. But in the midst of this unbearable pain... something woke up.

My vision changed.

Suddenly, I could see everything. The chakra networks. The tenketsus. The elders' expressions, the faint glow of the energy currents flowing through their bodies. The floor, the walls, everything seemed clearer, more intense.

The Byakugan.

I did it.

I blinked a few times, processing everything. And then...

"Wow!" My voice was full of childish excitement. I looked around with wide eyes, as if I had just won a new toy. "This is amazing! I can see everything!"

The room was silent for a moment. The elder stared at me, surprised. I turned to him, like an excited child.

"I have the Byakugan!" — I said excitedly, completely ignoring the throbbing pain in my head.

I let my excitement sound genuine, like I was an innocent kid. Like I wasn't, at this very moment, cursing every single one of those decrepit old men in my head.

The elder narrowed his eyes. He hadn't expected this reaction. He wanted fear. Submission.

Well, fuck you.

He leaned slightly toward me.

— You woke up early... — he murmured, analyzing me. Then his gaze became harder. — I hope you understand what this means, boy. You are now part of the clan's tradition. You serve the main family. Your loyalty cannot waver.

Intimidation. So predictable.

I smiled broadly.

— Of course, sir! I'll do my best!

He looked dissatisfied. But then, his tone changed.

"You seem like a smart boy," he said, his voice softer now. "If you're obedient, you'll have a comfortable life. You might even be favored by the main family."

Ah, I see. The famous "be a good slave and we'll take care of you."

Inside, I wanted to laugh. What a joke.

But I kept my childish smile and nodded excitedly.

"Really? That would be amazing!"

The old man seemed pleased. Idiot.

I left the center of the hall and returned to my place among the other children. Some were still moaning in pain, others were unconscious. None of them had awakened their Byakugan.

And me?

I felt more trapped than ever. But at the same time…

Stronger.

And that strength, one day, would set me free.

---