Just at this moment, a voice sounded beside Neji's ear.
"To be honest, she's mastered it very well, at least, better than you imagine."
The space around Neji twisted for a moment, and Obito's figure slowly emerged.
Seeing who it was, Neji was startled.
"When did you get here?"
Obito smiled, "I haven't been here long. I just arrived when you said that line just now. Looks like things on your side are over too."
Neji gave a bitter smile, "So… Hinata-chan failed as well?"
Obito shook his head, "She's not as useless as you. Our fight had no clear outcome. She only stopped because she wanted to observe what was happening here, and saw that you no longer had any chance of winning. She knew that no matter what, she couldn't take on both of us alone, so she withdrew."
"In other words, you dragged her down."
Neji froze.
Although Obito hadn't reached the Six Paths level, and seemed like he should be easier to handle than Madara, the Sage of Six Paths had personally warned them that Obito could rival Indra's reincarnation, Uchiha Sasuke, in combat. Thinking about it, he probably wasn't much weaker after all.
Yet Hinata had fought him to a standstill, and during the fight, she could still split her attention to watch other battles. That alone was proof of her excellence.
Neji lowered his head, feeling guilty.
"Sorry, Hinata-chan. In the end… it was me who wasn't good enough."
Seeing this, Obito couldn't help but want to laugh.
'The Uchiha and Hyuga clans really does have something in common. Red eyes, white eyes, are they equally obsessive when it came to bonds between siblings?'
Thinking that, Obito jerked his chin toward Naruto's direction.
"Anyway, after Hinata stopped, we exchanged just a few words, and then she couldn't wait to run off to find Naruto…"
"She really doesn't have you in her heart at all. Her head is filled with nothing but Naruto-shaped thoughts."
"Honestly, if not for sheer luck, you should've just accepted your death and let their love story have its happy ending."
Three black lines practically appeared on Neji's forehead.
He knew Hinata liked Naruto, but hearing it out of Obito's mouth made him feel an urge to punch someone.
Still, worried about Hinata's safety, Neji activated his Byakugan and looked toward where Naruto was lying unconscious.
Then he saw Hinata gently cradling Naruto in her arms, continuously channeling chakra into him.
Neji's face darkened even further.
He couldn't help but mutter, "Sometimes I really don't understand why Hinata-chan likes Naruto so much. Especially since this crush started when we were kids. Back then, Naruto wasn't anywhere near as impressive as he is now."
Obito smiled, "You really don't understand?"
"I haven't paid much attention to Hinata, but even I could tell. She used to be timid, self-conscious, and accepted whatever came her way without resistance."
"That sort of personality fits a Hyuga branch family member perfectly, but for the main family, it's a bit too weak."
He paused and glanced at Neji.
"Actually, your fates were better suited to be swapped. But fate is fickle, there are no ifs."
Neji's face dimmed. This was exactly why he had always felt so unwilling to accept things.
Obito continued, "Of course, we can't just reverse-engineer the process from the outcome. Even if your lives were swapped, Hinata might not have turned out the same way. She might not appear so soft and easy to bully."
Neji was stunned, "Hinata-chan… could actually become strong-willed?"
It was hard to imagine.
But Obito recalled the Infinite Tsukuyomi dream world he had created for experimentation.
In that world, Hinata's temper had nothing to do with being gentle.
Besides…
Obito's tone grew serious, "From what I observed today, Hinata had only just awakened the Tenseigan, yet she was already able to draw out the power contained in those eyes and use it as naturally as breathing."
"Do you know what that means?"
He paused, then went on.
"Madara's Rinnegan, when Nagato used it, required a long period of adaptation. And some advanced abilities were never developed at all."
After speaking, Obito glanced toward Madara.
"It's the same even for us."
Madara gave a cold snort but didn't refute him.
Even now, as the second Sage of Six Paths, the Rinnegan to him was mostly a tool, to summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and contain the Ten-Tails.
He had never counted on using its full set of abilities in battle.
Obito looked back at Neji, "But if those eyes were in Madara's hands, even if he had just obtained them, he could still unleash immense power."
Neji wasn't a fool. He instantly understood Obito's meaning.
"You're saying… Hinata-chan's eyes are already very close to naturally awakened Tenseigan. So even if she's just gotten them, she can quickly use them with ease?"
Obito nodded, "Just like how she could split her attention to observe the battle, you think that's something you couldn't do. But maybe for her, using this ability doesn't even feel like splitting her focus."
Neji's breathing quickened instantly.
He knew well how strong the Tenseigan was. If Hinata's Byakugan was truly close to it, then her talent was frighteningly high.
Thinking of this, Neji's mood unexpectedly calmed. The resentment he'd carried for so long suddenly faded away.
He let go.
If Hinata was truly gifted by nature, then he had no reason to be so unwilling.
Seeing this, Obito remarked, "That's why I don't get how the Hyuga main family managed to waste a genius like her. If they had a pair of Tenseigan, the title of Konoha's number one clan would actually be well deserved."
Neji nodded, then looked at Obito, "There's something I have to remind you of. When my ancestor, Otsutsuki Hamura, bestowed power upon me, aside from enhancing my dojutsu, he also injected another, completely different chakra into my body. It was the fusion of that chakra with my pupil power that caused my eyes to evolve."
"So I suspect, without that chakra, the Hyuga's Byakugan can't naturally evolve into the Tenseigan."
Obito nodded, murmuring, "Similar to how evolving the Rinnegan requires the Almighty Push of all creation?"
Neji said excitedly, "Exactly. Ancestor Hamura mentioned that on the moon, there's still a clan of his descendants bearing the name Otsutsuki. The chakra needed to evolve the Byakugan may well be in their bodies."
Suddenly, a look of understanding crossed Obito's face. He gave Neji a faint, knowing smile, "You're asking me to, in another world, change the fate of the Hyuga?"
Neji nodded, "No matter what, Hinata is my younger sister. If she has astonishing talent, I don't want it to go to waste."
"And now, I've told you such important information, could you change the fate of the branch family? I think… getting rid of the Caged Bird Seal is something you could do, right?"
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