Hyūga Unbound
When Hyūga Riku opened his eyes, he should have been dead.
The mission had gone wrong. His squad was wiped out. The Caged Bird Seal burned through his Byakugan and shattered the future that had been waiting for him since birth.
Yet somehow, he survived.
Now the elders of the Hyūga clan are asking questions they don't want answered. A branch family member lived through a fate that should have been impossible, and the implications terrify them. Before long, they intend to restore his eyes, restore the seal, and restore the order that has kept the clan obedient for generations.
Riku has no intention of letting that happen.
Armed with knowledge of a future no one else can see, he finds himself trapped in a dangerous game between clan politics, village interests, and a war that is rapidly reshaping the shinobi world. One wrong move could put him back in chains. One reckless step could get him killed.
To gain his freedom, he'll need allies, leverage, and enough power to survive the attention of people far more dangerous than himself.
The cage has already broken once.
This time, he plans to stay out.