Hinata seemed to have encountered some joyful event recently, as she returned home every day with a smile on her face.
At first, Makoto and the others thought it was because Ayano was about to give birth to her little sister.
But after hearing Naruto's explanation, they realized that wasn't the case.
Hinata had made two new friends at school.
Ino and Sakura.
Kushina couldn't help but chuckle, "Just two new friends make her this happy? Didn't Hinata have any friends before?"
Naruto said, "These two people are different for Hinata, especially one of them…"
A strange smile appeared on his face. "That Haruno Sakura actually married Sasuke in another world."
Sasuke, who happened to overhear, immediately retorted in a tsundere manner, "That's in another world. I'm not interested in her at all."
Naruto's grin widened. "If you're not interested, then why do you keep secretly helping her?"
Sasuke was immediately flustered and angry.
He grabbed Naruto, ready to fight, while the adults watched with amused smiles as the two kids bickered.
Makoto chuckled and said, "Why not invite that Sakura over to play sometime? That way, I can meet my future daughter-in-law."
Sasuke was both angry and helpless. "Dad!"
Makoto thought about how, in the original timeline, the younger generation had already started confessing and developing crushes while still in the Ninja Academy.
He couldn't help but sigh at how early kids in this world matured.
Then he turned to Neji and asked with a smile, "Neji, is there no girl you like at school?"
Neji shook his head. "No."
His expression was calm and genuine, and his answer was given with honest confidence.
Makoto pondered for a moment and then asked, "There should be a girl named Tenten in your class, right?"
Neji was momentarily stunned.
After thinking carefully, he nodded and said, "I think so."
Naruto and Sasuke immediately crowded in with excitement. "Tenten? Is she the girl Neji likes?"
Neji sighed helplessly. "What nonsense are you talking about? I've never even spoken to her."
He then looked at his father and asked, "Dad, why are you asking about her?"
"It's nothing," Makoto simply shook his head with a smile.
In the original timeline, Neji and Tenten weren't officially paired together, nor was there any explicit romantic development between them in the story.
Their relationship seemed more like that of close comrades.
If anything, Tenten did seem to admire Neji's good looks at times, and after Neji's sacrifice, she remained single.
The Next Day
As usual, Neji woke up early, washed up, and had breakfast before heading out first.
Outside the palace, he met Toneri and Jugo, who were waiting for him.
"Morning, Neji."
"Morning. How long have you been waiting?"
"Just got here."
After exchanging greetings, the three walked side by side toward the school.
Neji and Toneri casually chatted while Jugo, still looking half-asleep, followed silently beside them.
"We have shuriken training today."
"Boring. The teacher only teaches the same old stuff."
"So what do you want to learn, Neji?"
"Powerful jutsu, of course."
"The teacher already said that no matter how strong a jutsu is, if you can't hit your target, it's useless. It'll just waste chakra needlessly. And since we don't have an abundant chakra supply to begin with, relying too much on high-powered techniques would actually be harmful to us."
Neji scoffed at those words, clearly unimpressed by such reasoning.
When they arrived at school, many students greeted him along the way.
There were so many that he didn't bother responding to each one, merely nodding in acknowledgment when he saw familiar faces.
"Prince Neji!"
Kensuke arrived a bit late, but as soon as he stepped into the classroom, he jogged over, his plump body bouncing slightly as he moved.
Neji was already used to this and didn't mind it.
This guy was always trying different ways to curry favor with him.
With a fawning smile, Kensuke said, "Prince Neji, I know a really interesting place. Want to check it out after school?"
Resting his chin in his palm, Neji gazed out the window.
At Kensuke's words, he glanced at him indifferently. "Did one of your relatives open a new store again?"
Kensuke chuckled and then leaned closer to the three of them, lowering his voice. "The Mechanical Science Research Institute."
Neji and Toneri were both momentarily stunned.
"You said where?" Neji pressed.
Kensuke hesitated before vaguely saying, "That big, big place in the far west of Konoha."
Konoha City's layout was well-known: the northern part housed the main entrance, the western district was home to the Mechanical Science Research Institute, the eastern district contained the Biological Science Research Institute, and the southern district featured the Solarity Tower, the Reincarnation Shrine, and the Tailed Beast Energy Base.
"That place… can we even go there?" Neji was uncertain.
Going to places like archery ranges or swimming pools was just for passing time, but the place Kensuke mentioned truly piqued his interest.
Kensuke grinned. "Did you forget who my father is?"
Toneri, however, hesitated. "But isn't that a top-secret imperial facility? Ordinary people aren't allowed in."
Kensuke replied matter-of-factly, "But is Prince Neji an ordinary person? Besides, I already spoke to the guards there. They said it's fine for us to take a look."
Neji was immediately tempted.
After some thought, he couldn't resist the allure.
Kensuke had a point—he was a prince of the empire.
Was there any place in this world that he couldn't go?
Morning Class: Shuriken Training
Despite attending shuriken training in the morning, Neji's mind was elsewhere—completely focused on the Mechanical Science Research Institute.
His distraction led to a lackluster performance when the teacher called on him to demonstrate.
"This time, the best performance in shuriken training goes to Tenten. I hope everyone takes her as an example and learns from her. Just because you've done well in the past doesn't mean you won't regress. Only by staying diligent and humble can you achieve greater things."
Toneri nudged Neji's elbow, chuckling softly. "The teacher is calling you out."
Neji sighed and shifted his gaze toward the girl in the crowd with twin bun hairstyles.
She wore a small, cross-collared jacket, her features delicate and pretty.
He quietly asked Toneri, "Is this Tenten always good at her studies?"
Toneri replied, "She excels at shuriken techniques, but in other subjects, she's just average."
Neji nodded slightly.
He recalled how his father had suddenly brought up this girl yesterday, which made him a bit curious about her.
Toneri smirked. "What, are you interested in her?"
Neji simply rolled his eyes at him.
Meanwhile, in the crowd, Tenten seemed to sense something and glanced in Neji's direction.
Neji immediately averted his gaze as if nothing had happened.
After School
Neji and his group left the classroom together, heading toward the Mechanical Science Research Institute.
Konoha City was vast, and walking there would take quite a bit of time.
However, as ninja trainees, they chose to leap across the rooftops instead.
"Hurry up," Neji said with a frown, glancing back at Kensuke, who was lagging behind.
"Your Highness, I can't keep up with you guys! Can't you slow down a little?" Kensuke panted heavily, forcing a wry smile.
After a few more minutes, they finally arrived at the entrance of the Mechanical Science Research Institute.
Unlike residential buildings, the institute's architecture was uniform and structured, with a distinctly different style.
The area was much quieter, with few people around.
Guards stood at the main gate.
Kensuke stepped forward and exchanged a few words with them before turning back to Neji and the others, making an "OK" gesture.
With that, the five of them walked through the main entrance and entered the institute's interior.
The white, pristine walls and the sleek, futuristic design immediately caught their attention.
It was the first time Neji and the others had seen a building styled this way.
Walking past the main entrance, they found themselves in a long corridor connecting the left and right wings.
Along the way, they saw many staff members dressed in white lab coats.
Besides the people, Neji and his group also spotted small, half-human-height mechanical puppets moving on four wheels, transporting various items.
"These are mini mechanical hounds, used for transportation," Kensuke introduced, having done his homework before coming.
"These are just offices—nothing interesting here. Let's head further inside."
The five children walked openly through the corridor, drawing surprised looks from the staff.
Some seemed to recognize Neji as a royal, but no one said anything.
At the end of the hallway, a tightly shut door blocked their path.
At that moment, Daito took out a special card.
Neji keenly noticed that it bore the name of the Deputy Minister of the Scientific Artificer Department.
Daito swiped the card through the authentication device beside the door.
With a soft beep, the heavy door slid open, revealing a scene that made all of them widen their eyes in astonishment.
Even Kensuke and Daito, who had arranged this trip, were left speechless.
Inside was a brightly lit laboratory filled with unfamiliar instruments.
Numerous screens displayed indecipherable data, while uniformed researchers busily attended to various tasks.
But what truly shocked them was the figure at the center of the lab—a person clad in a strange mechanical apparatus resembling an exoskeleton, complete with four long mechanical arms.
The arrival of the children immediately caught the attention of everyone in the laboratory, and all turned to look at them.
"What's going on?"
"Where did these kids come from?"
"That's Minister Tohnogawa's son… and the Deputy Minister's son."
One of the staff members stepped toward them, hesitated for a moment upon seeing Neji's face, then cautiously asked, "Are you… Prince Neji?"
Neji nodded slowly, thinking for a moment before saying, "Apologies—did we interrupt your work?"
The man immediately smiled and said, "Not at all. Are you here for a tour?"
At that moment, Kensuke spoke up, "We're just looking around with Prince Neji."
The staff member chuckled, "His Highness is welcome to explore freely. Would you like me to give you an introduction?"
With so many eyes on him, Neji felt a little embarrassed. He quickly replied, "No need," and turned to leave the lab with his companions.
Kensuke, still excited, said, "I know another place—the things there are even more impressive!"
He led Neji and the group through a series of twists and turns inside the research institute, eventually arriving at what appeared to be an exit—possibly a back door.
Once again, Daito took out his father's access card and used it to unlock the door.
To their surprise, this was no ordinary exit.
Beyond the door lay a massive open-air facility, where countless mechanical hounds and large automaton puppets were actively operating, alongside many researchers.
At the center of this vast space stood an enormous skeletal structure, towering over a hundred meters high!
"This is…" Neji was momentarily stunned.
Kensuke grinned and said, "This is the third Celestial Titan, following the Brutal Justice and the Cruiser Destroyer. Its name is the Endless Zealot!"
The titan was still under construction—what stood before them was merely an immense metal framework, its entire surface covered with intricate engravings.
Observing it up close, the sheer scale of the colossus left the children utterly awestruck.
"Toneri…" Neji murmured suddenly.
"Hm?"
"Do you think… a ninja could defeat this?"
The Brutal Justice, standing outside Konoha, had once been the very tool his father used to sweep across the world and forge the empire.
He suddenly felt that what was taught at the ninja academy was far too insignificant, and the power of ninjas was equally small in comparison.
Toneri thought seriously for a moment before saying, "Perhaps only His Majesty and the Ten Crown Guards could reach such a level."
"Kensuke!"
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out from not far away.
Upon hearing it, Kensuke instinctively shrank his neck.
He turned his head and let out an awkward laugh. "Dad."
The newcomer was none other than Tohnogawa, the Minister of the Scientific Craftsmen Division, the chief overseer of the Endless Zealot's construction, and one of the emperor's most trusted aides.
Tohnogawa was not surprised to see Neji and gave him a slight bow. "Your Highness Neji."
"Uncle Tohnogawa." Neji respectfully greeted him in return.
"Please don't blame Kensuke. It was my idea to come and take a look."
Tohnogawa replied, "Your Highness is always welcome to visit, but this project has been personally designated as a state secret by His Majesty. I must ask that you and your companions refrain from discussing anything you have seen here outside these walls."
Neji immediately nodded. "Uncle Tohnogawa, you have my word."
As they left the Mechanical Science Institute, Kensuke couldn't help but sigh.
"How did I run into my dad of all people? There were still so many cool things I wanted to see."
Neji, however, was lost in thought as he gazed into the distance at the towering Brutal Justice.
He saw it every day, yet he had never felt so directly aware of the sheer difference in scale between it and a mere human.
His eyes flickered as he turned his gaze toward the Tower of the Solarity standing high atop the cliffs.
How many incredible things had his father accomplished along the way…?
"Neji?" Toneri softly called from beside him.
"Mm." Neji responded calmly.
Seeing that Neji was deep in thought, Toneri didn't press further.
"Let's head back. Being able to see all that was already satisfying enough," Neji said.
On the way home, however, Neji remained somewhat distracted, walking in silence and often lost in thought.
"What's on your mind, Neji?"
They were almost at the palace when Toneri finally asked.
"…Thinking about what I should do next."
"Don't you want to become a Crown Guard?" Toneri asked with a smile.
Neji also smiled. "If I become a Crown Guard… who exactly would I be protecting? You and Jugo?"
As the Empire's first prince, he was, in theory, the rightful heir to his father's legacy.
But his father had never imposed any expectations on them, never dictated what they must become.
Even when Neji expressed his desire to become a Crown Guard, his father had simply smiled and offered his support.
Neji now understood that, given his identity, he could never truly become a Crown Guard.
He had to do what an imperial heir was meant to do—what a son should do for his father.
Even if he could never match his father…
Neji fell silent for a moment before suddenly stopping in his tracks.
Then, he grinned at Toneri and Jugo and said, "You two should become Crown Guards instead."
Jugo tilted his head slightly at his words.
Toneri, however, simply smiled and said, "Alright."
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