The Hyūga gardens were quiet that evening—quiet in a way only old places could be. Lanterns glowed softly beneath the eaves, moths fluttered lazily around them, and the stone paths shimmered faintly with the last traces of sunlight.
Renji swept those paths with slow, steady strokes.
He liked evenings best.
Not because they were peaceful—
but because the adults were busy with clan meetings, and the children were preparing for bedtime.
No one watched him too closely.
No one ordered him around every five minutes.
No one scolded him for existing.
He could simply… work.
The blindfold rested snugly against his forehead, hiding the dark branching seal that had become a part of him. Even now, it pulsed faintly, syncing with Hinata and Hanabi's distant chakra rhythms.
They were calm tonight.
Quiet.
Emotionally steady.
That helped.
Renji exhaled softly and continued sweeping.
Footsteps approached.
Not heavy enough for an elder.
Not light enough for Hinata.
Not rapid enough for a servant in a hurry.
Renji didn't lift his head—he wasn't allowed to—but he sensed the chakra instantly.
Hiashi Hyūga.
Renji immediately knelt, placing the broom flat on the ground and lowering his forehead close to the stone.
"Clan Head."
Hiashi stopped in front of him, hands folded behind his back, posture perfect and commanding even in casual attire.
"You behaved appropriately today."
Renji's breath caught.
Praise?
From Hiashi?
Even if it was faint, even if it was merely acknowledgment, it meant more than any meal or rest.
"Thank you," Renji whispered.
Hiashi studied him quietly.
"Walk with me."
Renji stood quickly and followed behind him at the proper distance—four steps, head lowered, silent.
They walked through the garden, the lantern light glittering against the koi pond. Renji kept his breathing controlled, trying to ignore the faint trembling in his limbs.
Hiashi never summoned him without purpose.
"Tell me," Hiashi said finally, "what did you observe today at the academy?"
Renji spoke carefully.
"Lady Hinata… interacted briefly with other children."
"Briefly," Hiashi repeated.
Renji hesitated. "She… tried her best."
Hiashi hummed softly—a thoughtful, neutral sound.
"She is gentle," he said. "Too gentle. It makes her vulnerable."
Renji nodded, though he kept his gaze down.
"She requires stability," Hiashi continued. "Emotional stability. If she falters, the clan's future falters with her."
Renji swallowed hard.
"I understand."
Hiashi stopped walking.
"And because of the seal, any instability will affect you as well."
Renji stiffened.
Hiashi turned slightly toward him.
"You will feel her fear," Hiashi said. "Her hesitation. Her embarrassment. Her pain. Her guilt."
Renji lowered his head deeper.
"I accept this burden."
"It is not a burden."
Renji blinked beneath the blindfold.
"It is your duty," Hiashi corrected.
Renji bowed.
"Yes."
Hiashi walked forward again, and Renji followed silently.
They reached the center of the garden, where a tall plum tree stood. Half its blossoms had fallen, carpeting the stones in soft pink petals.
Hiashi looked at it with unreadable eyes.
"My daughter is fragile," he said. "But she is also stronger than even she realizes."
Renji listened quietly.
"She will grow," Hiashi continued. "But growth requires support."
Renji bowed again. "I will always support her."
Hiashi turned fully to him this time.
"You will protect her," he said, "even from herself."
Renji froze.
"From her doubts. Her insecurities. Her fears. She will falter. You will not. You cannot."
He paused.
"You are bound to her. So you must be stronger."
Renji's chest tightened.
Stronger… than he was allowed to be.
Hiashi's voice softened—not warmly, but with the weight of expectation.
"You will train."
Renji's breath caught sharply.
"T-Train…?"
Hiashi nodded.
"You will not learn the Hyūga style formally. You are forbidden from Jūken instruction. But…"
He stepped back slightly.
"…a protector must be capable."
Renji lowered his head quickly.
"I will obey whatever training the clan allows."
"Good," Hiashi said. "There will be no formal lessons. But you will be tested. Observed. Pushed."
Renji bowed.
"I will endure."
Hiashi began to walk away.
Then he paused.
"And Renji."
"Yes, Clan Head."
"Today… when Uzumaki Naruto spoke to Hinata…"
Renji felt his stomach tighten.
Hiashi glanced back.
"…you did well to intervene quietly. She must not form bonds that draw her away from the clan."
Renji bowed deeper.
"Yes."
Hiashi stared at him a moment longer.
"Especially not bonds that make her forget the burden she carries."
Then he left the garden.
Renji waited until his chakra signature faded into the distance…
Only then did he allow himself to breathe.
As the lanterns dimmed, Renji moved toward the smaller courtyard where the servants' quarters lay. The air was cooler here, more honest. The sounds of children laughing, elders conversing, and doors sliding were faint echoes in the distance.
He reached the storage shed to place the broom inside—
And froze.
A faint, rapid chakra signature flickered from behind the shed.
Tiny.
High-pitched.
Restless.
Hanabi.
Renji blinked behind his blindfold.
Why was she awake at this hour?
He stepped carefully around the shed—and there she was.
Hanabi Hyūga.
Barely a toddler, standing in her nightclothes, staring up at the moon.
Alone.
The nurse must have lost track of her in the dim light, or perhaps Hanabi slipped away—she was quick, curious, and already a handful.
Renji softened his footsteps.
"Lady Hanabi," he whispered gently.
The little girl turned toward him, her eyes bright like tiny moonlit ponds.
She blinked.
Then toddled toward him with her arms raised.
Renji panicked.
He couldn't touch her unless commanded.
But she tripped on a pebble—
Renji reacted instantly, sweeping forward and catching her before she hit the ground.
Tiny hands clutched his robe, small fingers gripping with surprising strength.
Hanabi giggled.
Renji nearly stopped breathing.
Her chakra—
soft
warm
pure—
bloomed like a tiny lantern inside the seal.
Not painful.
Just present.
She wasn't afraid of him tonight.
She wasn't crying from the markings anymore.
Maybe because she couldn't see them behind the blindfold.
Maybe because she was too sleepy to notice.
Renji held her carefully, arms steady.
"Lady Hanabi… you should not wander alone."
She poked his blindfold with a tiny finger.
"Re…nji."
Renji's breath caught.
She had never said his name before.
She mumbled again, softly:
"Ren…ji…"
His heart tightened painfully.
Not the seal.
Not duty.
Not fear.
Just… emotion.
"Lady Hanabi," he whispered, "let's take you back."
Hanabi curled against him, yawning.
Renji lifted her gently—careful, respectful—and carried her toward the inner quarters.
The seal hummed faintly with her warm, sleepy chakra.
He felt no pain.
No obedience commands.
Just a quiet connection.
A strange, fragile peace.
He reached her room and the nurse gasped, rushing forward.
"Lady Hanabi! Where did you—Renji! Did you—?"
Renji bowed, lowering the toddler into her arms.
"She wandered to the garden. I returned her."
The nurse bowed deeply, relief flooding her expression.
"Thank you… thank you. I should have watched more closely."
Renji shook his head softly.
"She is safe."
As he left, Hanabi peeked over the nurse's shoulder and waved her tiny hand.
"Re…nji…"
Renji paused.
Then bowed deeply.
"Good night, Lady Hanabi."
He walked away, seal humming softly.
Tonight…
it didn't feel like a chain.
It felt like a quiet reminder of the two lives bound to his—
fragile
innocent
lonely
lives he would protect…
even if the clan never thanked him.
Even if they never cared.
Even if he was never free.
Renji returned to his small room long after placing Hanabi into the nurse's arms. The night outside had deepened—the lanterns now extinguished, leaving only pale moonlight slipping through narrow cracks between wooden panels.
He sat on his thin bedding, exhaling slowly.
Tonight had been strange.
Unexpected.
Dangerous.
And yet… gentle in a way that unsettled him more than any punishment.
Hanabi saying his name—
the warmth of her small hands—
the absence of fear—
It all left a painful softness in his chest.
He touched the blindfold lightly, feeling the faint pulse beneath it.
The seal, for once, was quiet.
No pain.
No pressure.
No emotional waves from Hinata or the household.
Just silence.
A rare gift.
Renji lay back slowly, trying to let his body relax. His muscles ached, his shoulders were stiff, and his arms still trembled faintly from the discipline hall earlier. But he didn't mind.
Pain was normal.
Softness was not.
And it was softness that kept him awake.
He turned to face the wall—
and froze.
A chakra signature approached his room.
Small.
Trembling.
Familiar.
Hinata.
Renji shot upright.
Why was she awake at this hour?
Footsteps shuffled outside, hesitant, almost fearful. Then a gentle knock—barely audible, but clear to someone with his senses.
"…R-Renji?"
Her voice was fragile, like a thread pulled too tight.
Renji stood immediately.
"Lady Hinata," he said softly. "You shouldn't be out so late."
There was silence for a moment.
Then the door slid open a fraction.
Hinata peeked inside, eyes wide and shimmering under the moonlight. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she wore her small night kimono, the sleeves too long for her arms.
"I… I'm sorry…" she whispered.
Renji bowed instantly. "You don't need to apologize."
Hinata's fingers twisted nervously in her sleeves.
"I couldn't sleep."
Renji remained still, letting her continue.
"I k-kept thinking about today… a-and how Father spoke to Naruto…"
She swallowed.
"And how Naruto talked to you… a-and how everyone kept looking at us…"
Her emotions spilled out in a quiet stream.
"And… I was embarrassed. And scared. And worried that Father was mad. And… and… I thought maybe…"
She hesitated.
Renji waited.
"…maybe you were hurt."
Renji blinked behind the blindfold.
"Hurt?"
Hinata nodded, barely meeting his covered eyes.
"Father looked so… strict. A-and Naruto said things loudly, and you stepped in front of me, and the instructor frowned… I thought…"
She lowered her head.
"…I thought they would punish you again because of me."
Renji's chest tightened.
"Lady Hinata," he said quietly. "Nothing that happened was your fault."
"But—!"
He shook his head.
"You did nothing wrong. I was not punished."
Hinata stared up at him.
"…You weren't?"
"No."
"Really?"
"Yes."
He wasn't lying—
not exactly.
He had been reprimanded.
Watched.
Warned.
But not punished physically.
Hinata exhaled shakily, her shoulders relaxing.
"I'm glad…"
Renji knelt so he could speak without towering over her.
"Lady Hinata… it is very late. If your attendants find you here—"
"I know," she whispered. "B-But I just… I didn't want to sleep without knowing you were okay…"
The seal pulsed faintly—
a gentle warmth.
A soft connection.
Renji bowed his head.
"I am fine," he said softly. "Your concern means more to me than you know."
Hinata blushed deeply and hid half her face in her sleeve.
"I-I'm not allowed to talk like this," she murmured. "But… I didn't want to keep it inside."
Renji nodded.
What could he say?
Words felt too small for the warmth in his chest.
Before he could speak again, Hinata gasped suddenly and clapped both hands over her mouth.
"I-I should go!"
Renji stood quickly. "Allow me to escort you—"
"No!" she whispered sharply, shaking her head. "If someone sees us walking together at night… it'll be bad."
Renji paused.
She was right.
Hinata stepped back toward the hallway, lantern light brushing her small silhouette.
"G-Goodnight, Renji…" she whispered, bowing in her own timid, clumsy way.
Renji bowed deeply.
"Goodnight, Lady Hinata."
She slipped away down the hall, tiny footsteps fading into the night.
Renji remained kneeling long after she left, breath unsteady.
Her concern…
her fear for him…
her warmth…
All of it echoed in his chest and in the seal.
Too much.
Too dangerous.
Too precious.
He pressed his hand against the blindfold.
I must not get attached, he told himself.
I cannot forget my place.
But the truth whispered back:
It may already be too late.
The next morning arrived with a flurry of activity.
Servants rushed around preparing breakfast. Branch members walked briskly toward their training areas. The clan elders held a morning assembly.
Hinata had her hair tied neatly, face slightly tired but glowing with a gentle determination.
Renji stood in the eastern corridor, waiting for his new set of chores.
An older servant approached him with a small bow.
"The clan head has assigned you new tasks for the coming week."
Renji bowed. "I will hear them."
"You are to accompany Lady Hinata during her Academy preparation sessions. This includes carrying supplies, fetching practice scrolls, and ensuring she remains focused."
Renji nodded.
"You are also to shadow Lady Hanabi during certain hours when she is brought outdoors."
Renji blinked.
"…Hanabi?"
The servant nodded again. "She responded well to you last night. The nurse informed the elders."
Renji stiffened. "I did not intend—"
"It does not matter," the servant said. "What matters is that the child was calm in your presence."
Calm.
Hinata fragile.
Hanabi energetic but easily distressed.
If Hanabi felt safe near him…
"…Then I accept these tasks," Renji said quietly.
The servant nodded and left.
Renji stood alone in the corridor for a moment.
He felt it—
a strange sense of purpose he had never known.
To protect Hinata.
To calm Hanabi.
To serve as the silent bridge between two fragile sisters growing up in a world of strict expectations.
The seal pulsed again—
but this time, the pain was muted.
Almost absent.
Instead, it felt like a soft tug from two small hearts tied to his own.
He inhaled.
Exhaled.
And stepped forward into another day in the Hyūga clan—
a servant, a shadow, and a guardian bound by chains…
but for the first time, not entirely alone.
___________________________________________
Details about bonus content can be found on my profile page.