Chapter 258: Ruri Mochizuki: The Caged Bird.

When she opened her eyes, she saw herself—a young man with long black hair and snow-white pupils.

"It actually worked... Hm?"

The "self" standing opposite spoke, leaving her mind in a daze, as she realized something.

—She had been *separated* from herself and was no longer Yuto.

The large robe was taken off and draped over the girl's shoulders.

She raised her head, her voice cold, "I didn't expect you to be such a gentleman."

Her original self rubbed his chin, furrowed his brows and murmured to himself, "Why is the clone a girl?"

The girl looked at her original body and sighed softly without meaning to.

Just a second ago, her memory remained on the moment when she used a shinobi technique to create a clone. Unexpectedly, in the next instant, she became the clone herself.

The original's memories and emotions surged through the girl's mind—his hidden affection for Tsunade, his yearning for freedom, and his loathing of the Hyuga Clan...

'From today onward, I am no longer Yuto Hyuga.'

'I am his Kaguya clone. I am Ruri Mochizuki, and the meaning of my existence is to ascend to the pinnacle of our kekkei genkai, so the original can devour me and obtain the purest Otsutsuki bloodline. That way, the original will no longer be a caged bird.'

'The caged bird... is me.'

---

Konoha, Year 59.

Seventy-five hours before the Crimson Night.

"Ruri."

The girl opened her eyes and glanced at Shisui.

"What do you want, idiot Uchiha?"

"Stop sleeping. Sensei said we'll be taking a team photo soon... Also, stop calling me an idiot," the boy sighed. "If my clan hears about it, they'll probably cause trouble for you again. If you really have to insult me, at least drop the surname. That way, it's not insulting the Uchiha."

"Alright~" Ruri giggled. She leaped to Shisui's side and suddenly shoved him against a tree, pressing her lips close to his ear with a mischievous smile.

"In front of others, you're my good teammate, Shisui. But when it's just us, you're my little idiot."

Poor Shisui bounced away, his face flushed red, unable to say a single word.

'Ah... the world of shinobi is truly full of pure-hearted, handsome guys...' As this thought crossed her mind, she glanced into the distance, clicking her tongue unconsciously.

Since she was a part of Yuto, she knew the original's thoughts well.

'A photo shoot? Boring... In the end, it was just a way to soothe his tangled and conflicted heart.'

Far away, the blazing sun painted the clouds in golden hues, making the village of Konoha on the ground look like a bright kingdom. The four Hokage statues stood tall, and everyone believed that the shinobi village called Konoha would forever shine in the world.

But She knew that in just a few hours, the original would use brutal means to end that glory.

She had tried to persuade the original several times about the matter of betraying the village and wiping out the clan. It wasn't to stop Yuto from following through with the idea, but—

"If you're going to do it, do it thoroughly. Why not just wipe out the entire village of Konoha?"

"What? You want to spare Minato? You don't want to harm Tsunade?"

"You're even planning to let any shinobi who surrenders live?"

"What are you playing at? Didn't you want to be a villain? Haven't you read the Evil Overlord List? Giving the enemy a chance to rise again? That... That is just stupid."

"Come on, just devour me here in this little forest. Honestly, having you as my original is embarrassing..."

That evening, the more Ruri spoke, the angrier she got, while Yuto, chewing on a blade of grass, just listened with a smile.

In the end, when the girl had exhausted her anger, Yuto stood up, gently stroked her hair, and quietly said something before lying back on the grass to daydream.

It was at that moment she realized she could no longer completely understand the original's thoughts.

---

Konoha, Year 63.

Ruri woke from her sleep, she was sitting up and feeling around, her expression blank.

She had attended biology classes in her previous life and knew that once you reached a certain age, menstruation was a normal occurrence for a girl. No matter that her essence was a fragment of Yuto's soul, it didn't change the fact that this body was female.

Still...

She irritably ruffled her long white hair, stripped off her clothes, and walked into the bathroom, turned the faucet all the way up and let the hot water cascade over her body.

Steam filled the room, and the large mirror became foggy. She stared straight at her reflection.

A slender waist, long, straight legs, skin soft and smooth.

The memory of being in a "male body" grew increasingly hazy, as if her mind had been fogged up just like the mirror, covered in droplets.

Irritated, she ruffled her hair again, this time harder, tugging painfully at her scalp.

In the four years since the original betrayed the village and massacred the clan, Konoha had faced significant diplomatic pressure. As an elite Shinobi among the younger generation, she and Shisui often went on highly dangerous missions together.

Licking the blade's edge, living or dying together, there were countless times when they leaned on each other, dragging themselves out of piles of corpses.

She had noticed that as they grew older, Shisui's feelings for her grew stronger... This affection was pure and passionate, and even the coldest of hearts couldn't bear to destroy.

Standing in the bathroom, Ruri let out a bitter laugh, recalling the ramen discount card Shisui had given her. When he handed it over, he had casually remarked, "It's an Uchiha clan benefit. I don't like ramen, so take it."

A boy discovering love, even in his attempts to show affection, was clumsy and shy.

What frustrated her most was the guilty pleasure she felt in response.

The girl knew this was an inevitable consequence of being in a female body. With age, the secretion of female hormones was starting to influence her.

Moreover, she had played the role of the "lonely girl with Shikotsumyaku" for seven years. Environmental factors and internal changes meant that this emotional shift was something she had long prepared for.

But... but...

In the dead of night, the mirror had long been covered with water droplets, blurred beyond recognition. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't see her own face clearly.

'Who... exactly am I? A clone of Yuto Hyuga? A Jonin named Ruri Mochizuki? A girl loved by Shisui Uchiha? A transmigrator?'

Crack!

She punched the mirror, shattering the reflection.

Now, no one would know what it was anymore.

---

Konoha, Year 65.

The Land of Iron.

Spring had arrived.

"You have impeccable timing…" Zetsu sneered, tossing the scroll over. "You're both lunatics."

"Woohoo~" Ruri whistled with a grin.

"Are you sure Obito Uchiha is dead? Zetsu, my dear brother, I'm planning to swap this with the Hokage's flesh jar. If he's still alive, things could get messy."

"Don't worry. The Uchiha aren't cowards."

"Good, then. Bye-bye~"

Ruri tucked the scroll into her clothes and leisurely strolled out of the cave.

Outside, the world was bathed in sunshine. It was the season of blooming flowers, and a breeze carrying pollen swirled around her, making her sneeze. She bounced along, carefree, like a butterfly fluttering through the air.

She recalled what the original had said to her one evening in Konoha, Year 59—

"I am making these choices of my own free will. Whether I live or die, I accept it gladly."

(End of Chapter)