Caged Girl

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Naruto or of Harry Potter. I really wished that I did, but sadly I do not. I just want to say 'thank you' to all of those who wrote a review, favored, and or followed this or any of my other stories. It means a lot to us authors to have your support. I also want to thank 'sakurademonalchemist' for being my BETA.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

(Scene Break)

Last Time…

After what it seemed to be hours on end, since the man first began drawing on her forehead, the man declared that he was done with drawing the seal. Hiashi walked up and check it over to make sure that there were no mistakes made. Once, Hiashi gave his approval, Ichigo made hand signs and then put his hands on Retsu's forehead and exclaimed, "Seal!"

Suddenly, pain erupted in Retsu's body, but mostly at her forehead, where the seal was placed. What they did not know that the Caged Bird Seal destroyed the Horcrux that was in her scar without any blood or extra pain involved. Finally, the pain began to fade, leaving Retsu with hardly any energy left in her tiny body. Retsu turned her head to the side and saw one of the Elders talking, but she could not hear what they were saying. Retsu felt her eyelids getting heavier and heavier, until she could not keep her eyes open anymore and soon she was asleep.

"Take her to her new bedroom that has been prepared for her next to Neji's room," Hiashi told the two Branch members that were guarding the door. As one of them picked Retsu up, he could see the look of pity and sadness being directed at the girl, while the other guard directed small looks of hatred and rage at himself and the Clan Elders.

When he sat down in his chair in his office, he muttered to himself, "Welcome, Hyuga Retsu, to the Hyuga Clan. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

(Scene Break)

Present Time…

Neji Hyuga had just sat down in front of his father, Hizashi Hyuga, who was the Head of the Branch House. He was curious as to why his father would summon him from his training. Neji was almost five years old and considered a genius and a prodigy in the Hyuga Clan.

"Neji, I am sure that you have heard about Hinata –Sama's kidnapping and how she was saved by a street kid," Hizashi told his son. Hizashi was wondering how would his son, Neji, is going to take the news of his arranged marriage, when he told him.

"Yes, father. I have heard of it. But what does that have to do with me?" Neji asked in confusion.

"Hiashi –sama and my mother had decided to adopt the young girl into the Branch House of the Hyuga Clan." Hizashi saw Neji's eyes widen as Neji figured out about what was happening. "As you probably already figured out, the girl is having the Caged Bird Seal placed on her forehead as we speak. This is being done, on Mother's orders. And there is a second part, Mother has ordered that you and the girl be wed at the age of sixteen or if either of you reach the rank of chunin first."

Neji was in shock from what he had heard come out of his father's mouth. He could not understand why the Head of the Hyuga Clan, Hiashi –Sama, would allow that cursed seal to put on the forehead of Hinata –Sama's hero. It's like a slap in the face.

'It's too bad that the girl was not older,' Neji thought to himself. Everyone knew that all of the Hyuga Branch members have to have the Caged Bird Seal put on them before the age of four. What people outside of the Hyuga Clan did not know that there were three versions of the Caged Bird Seal. The Branch version will kill a person if it was put on them when they are older than the age of four, then they will die. But the version that is put on a Main member of the Hyuga Clan, whenever the Hyuga decided that one of the siblings needed to become a Branch member, would not kill a person and can be put on at any age. Another thing about that version of the Caged Bird Seal that it cannot cause pain or allow anyone to activate the pain causing part of the seal as there is none. The third version of the Caged Bird Seal was created for outsiders, who have been adopted into the clan. That seal is almost exactly like the seal put on Branch members, except it does not destroy the eyes.

"Why couldn't they just put her in an orphanage?" Neji asked his father in confusion.

Hizashi sighed as he wished that his son would not ask this question. But he answered truthfully anyways, "Neji, my son, there is a man, who is on the council and is one of the advisors to the Hokage, named Danzo. This man likes to take talented children like you and the girl and put them in his ROOT program. This program turns these children into emotionless killing machine. You must understand that those children have no personalities of their own and they don't think for themselves. They just do as they are told and if they fail on the mission, they perform seppuku (suicide). Now you understand, you can not repeat what I have told you to anyone else. That's an order."

"I understand. But why do I have to be married to her? She's a girl!?" Neji ranted in frustration.

Hizashi had to hide a smile as he was glad that his son still acts like a young child like he should do. Hizashi replied, "I can't tell you the reason for that decision as I do not know it. Only your Baa –chan (grandmother) knows that reason. But I want you to be nice to the girl and get to know her as she will be your wife someday."

"Of course, tou –san (father)," Neji responded in defeat.

Hizashi dismissed his son. He had to agree with his twin brother, Hiashi, that the girl will bring interesting changes to the Hyuga Clan in the future.

(Scene Break)

The next day…

Retsu began to wake up to the feeling of warmth and softness. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked around. The room looked different from the first room that she woke up in the last time. The room seemed less fancy and barer. It felt empty and lonely and Retsu did not like it at all.

Retsu winced as she slowly sat up in her bed. Her body was sore and stiff, but her forehead felt worse than anything else. She remembered what had happened before she passed out from the pain. The Hyuga Elders had something written on her forehead. Spotting a mirror next to the end of her bed, Retsu slowly crawled over to it and looked in it. There on her forehead was a weird black tattoo.

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door. Retsu called out, "Come in."

A boy came into the room. The boy looked to be a couple of years older than she was, his black hair already went passed his shoulders and it was smooth and shiny like he spent hours every day working on it, and his eyes were like the other Hyuga eyes. The boy wore simple, yet fancy clothes and there was a headband covering his forehead.

"I'm Neji Hyuga and I am here to take you to my father, Hizashi Hyuga. He is the Head of the Branch Family of the Hyuga Clan." Neji told her. "So if you will, please follow me."

"Hai." Retsu answered as she got up and followed Neji to his father. This was the start of a new life as a servant of the Main Family of the Hyuga Clan.

(Scene Break)

In the Clan Head's office…

Hiashi set down some paperwork that was just delivered to him not too long ago. It was the DNA test of Retsu Hyuga and it seems that there is no one, who is related to the girl. This was both a relief and depressing.

The other paperwork was from Danzo, who is protesting the adoption of Retsu into the Hyuga Clan. It was too late for the old war hawk to claim the poor girl as his ward, since the Caged Bird Seal was placed on her forehead. It will protect her from Danzo's clutches.

AN: I hope that you all like this chapter. Please review and tell me what you all think of it. Have a nice day, everyone.

Summary for the next chapter: a shocking surprise comes for the wizarding world and Retsu learns about the meaning about the Caged Bird Seal and how to act like a Hyuga.