Naruto had anticipated that the Third Hokage would recall Jiraiya and Tsunade to the village, so these past few days he'd deliberately adjusted his taijutsu training route to pass by Konoha's hot spring inn daily. Unfortunately, he never spotted that lecherous white-haired old man appearing.
In reality, Jiraiya had indeed returned once, appearing directly at the hospital through Mount Myoboku's reverse summoning technique. But he'd only briefly visited the recuperating Third Hokage, and after their private discussion, Jiraiya had hurriedly left Konoha. As for Tsunade, given her current state of spiritual death, she probably wouldn't return unless Konoha was truly destroyed.
Naruto wasn't rushing to take Neji to the Land of Hot Water to find Hizashi. With current events causing such upheaval, it was wiser to wait for the storm to settle before making any moves.
Ironically, this conflict capable of shaking the entire shinobi world had originated from Kumogakure's plotting over the Byakugan incident, yet its true victim—Hyuuga Hizashi—had been completely forgotten.
Faced with the sudden appearance of a madman possessing destructive power and claiming to prevent war, the life or death of a re Hyuuga branch family mber seed utterly insignificant. The gap between individual fate and world affairs was simply too vast.
Naruto had originally prepared for the possibility that Konoha might execute Hizashi through the Caged Bird seal to appease Kumogakure. But now, under the absolute deterrent power nma had displayed, both Kumogakure and Konoha had tacitly forgotten this Hyuuga clan mber in the corner—neither dared act rashly, fearing they might accidentally provoke that terrifying existence's wrath.
This unexpected developnt left Naruto at a loss. He'd planned to rush over with Flying Thunder God whenever necessary, attempting to use "Crazy Diamond's" ability to break the Caged Bird's death curse seal, but now found himself with no opportunity to intervene.
Though Konoha's villagers had experienced brief panic, life ultimately had to continue. Like facing irresistible natural disasters, people quickly returned to their routines. Those who fard continued farming, those who ran shops kept their businesses open. Fear certainly existed, but since they were powerless against it, why spend every day in constant anxiety? Life was hard enough without adding unnecessary tornt.
As the shocking crater outside the village neared complete repair, villagers' fears gradually cald. Finally, Naruto could begin fulfilling his promise.
---
At midnight, the Hyuuga branch family estate was shrouded in deathly silence.
Four-year-old Neji curled up alone on cold tatami mats, tears silently streaming down his cheeks and dampening the fabric beside his pillow.
In this Hyuuga clan that divided status by main and branch family hierarchy, blood relations had long been replaced by cold rules. Losing his father ant losing his only family mber for this child.
The outside world was trembling over earth-shaking events—the mysterious nma, the anti-war madman capable of destroying villages, the appearance of the Ember organization, the Raikage's near-death... But none of this mattered to Neji. Occupying his entire heart was just one simple yet cruel fact: his father might never return.
Though only a child, in this unreasonable world, one couldn't survive without maturing early. Neji had already pieced together the truth from servants' whispered conversations—his father had beco the main family's scapegoat.
'Father... where are you... what am I supposed to do...'
Hatred? Resentnt? Anger? These emotions would eventually fernt slowly in the lonely days ahead. But now, occupying this young heart was the purest and most cruel feeling—sorrow.
Tears under moonlight were like this child's shattered childhood, silently disappearing into the endless night. In this quiet midnight...
"Yo."
A sudden voice made Neji's entire body tremble. He shot upright, looking toward the sound's source. On the moonlit windowsill, a figure had appeared at so point—dressed in black robes with a fox mask completely covering their face, casually sitting on the window fra.
Of course, this was a transformation technique.
"You are—!"
"Shh." The masked figure raised one finger. "Don't make noise—causing a commotion won't benefit you."
Before Neji could react, the figure before him suddenly vanished. The next second, a pair of hands gently rested on his shoulders.
---
"When... when did you..."
Cold sweat slid down Neji's back. Only then did he realize that if this person wanted to take his life, it would be child's play.
"What... what do you want..." Neji's voice carried suppressed terror.
"Yare yare..." Naruto helplessly spread his hands. "Don't be so afraid—I have no ill intent toward you. If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead."
"!"
"...I'm... I'm just a branch family mber..."
Neji fought back his fear as physiological tears uncontrollably fell. "If you want the Byakugan... the main family will execute with the Caged Bird..."
Hearing this voice full of fear yet attempting communication, Naruto had only ant to tease Neji playfully, but now felt sowhat guilty about his approach.
"How should I put this? My objective might be more childish than you think." Naruto chuckled, placing his hand back on the shoulder. "Anyway, co with for now—you'll understand afterward."
'Co with him? Is he going to kidnap ?'
Neji's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. Just as he was about to speak, the scenery before him suddenly twisted.
This wasn't the blurriness from high-speed movent, but genuine spatial displacent. The world spun and reassembled before his eyes like being thrown into a kaleidoscope.
'What's happening? Where am I now?'
'Am I really being kidnapped...'
'There's no way... to call for help anymore...'
When his vision refocused, intense dizziness struck. Neji fought the discomfort and chanically surveyed his surroundings. This seed to be inside so residence's interior—Japanese-style corridors on both sides, and a simple sliding door ahead.
"Alright." Naruto released his hand from the shoulder. "Open the door and go in. Treasure this opportunity well—there won't be another for a long ti."
Neji looked up fearfully at the fox mask, unable to fathom those eyes hidden behind it. Though he completely didn't understand the aning of those words, he truly had no other choice now.
'At least... this doesn't look like a prison...'
His small hand trembled as it reached for the sliding door. Neji took a deep breath and slowly pulled it open—
"Father...?!"
The childish voice carried unbelievable trembling. What appeared before him was the face he thought he'd lost forever, that he'd never see again.
Hyuuga Hizashi knelt in the room's center. Upon seeing his son, those usually stern eyes rippled with gentle waves. This man who'd walked the line between life and death had finally achieved his greatest wish since rebirth.
"Neji."
That simple call contained too many inexpressible emotions. The usually strict father now showed unprecedented loving kindness.
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