Naruto's daily routine hadn't changed much—splitting his time between training and attending the Ninja Academy.
These days, though, his favorite pastime was teasing Hinata.
Thanks to Naruto's persistence, Hinata no longer fainted on the spot whenever he got too close. She still turned shy and flustered, but that only made Naruto grow fonder of her.
One afternoon, he brushed a hand gently through Hinata's soft hair, gazing at her as if the rest of the world didn't exist.
"N-Naruto-kun… d-don't, so many people are watching…" Hinata whispered, her pale cheeks blooming with a rosy hue that crept down her slender neck.
Their classmates glanced over, some smirking, some whispering. Everyone knew about Naruto and Hinata's closeness by now, but Naruto never bothered to hold back.
"Hah! Don't be shy, Hinata. They're just jealous!" Naruto said with his trademark grin, squeezing her hand.
"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata lowered her head, too embarrassed to continue, which only earned more chuckles from their classmates.
Over the past two years, Naruto had become one of the most respected students in Class A. His strength placed him easily within the top three, earning him both admiration and acknowledgment.
In the Shinobi world, strength commanded respect—and Naruto was no longer the dead last everyone used to mock. His talent and relentless hard work had erased that image. Clan heirs respected him, and the children of commoners admired him.
The classroom grew quiet as Iruka entered, and Naruto reluctantly stopped teasing Hinata. Lessons resumed as usual, but to Naruto, they were unbearably dull. He had already mastered everything Iruka taught long ago.
The Academy's curriculum balanced theory and practice. Practical courses included taijutsu sparring, shuriken and kunai drills, and basic formation exercises.
Theoretical classes spanned everything from hand seals, information gathering, and strategy riddles, to the history of the Will of Fire and trap-making.
It was no less demanding than the subjects he had once studied in another life. But with his near-photographic memory and tireless effort, Naruto excelled in every field.
When the day ended, Naruto parted ways with Hinata and headed to the training grounds with Sasuke.
As they left, the forest nearby stirred faintly—but neither slowed down. They simply exchanged a glance and pressed onward.
By the time they arrived, Rock Lee was already deep into his training. Sweat poured from him as he pushed his body to the limit, his movements echoing the relentless spirit of Might Guy.
"Yo! Naruto! Sasuke!" Lee called, barely pausing before resuming his drills. The sheer intensity of his training even made Sasuke click his tongue.
Naruto smirked, but suddenly his expression sharpened. "Come out."
The words made the hidden figure in the treeline stiffen. A moment later, he stepped into the open.
Naruto's eyes widened slightly. Of all people…
"…My brother-in-law?"
"Neji?!" Lee exclaimed.
The figure was Hyūga Neji. He had come after hearing rumors that Lady Hinata had been growing close to none other than the so-called fox demon. Suspicious and protective, Neji decided to investigate Naruto personally—only to be caught right away.
"Rock Lee…" Neji's lips curled in disdain. In his eyes, Lee was nothing but a dropout. A boy with no talent, no ninjutsu, no genjutsu—just a body that would one day betray him.
As for Naruto, Neji's pale eyes lingered on him. Dressed in a white training robe with red accents, Naruto's build was already more developed than most boys his age. His calm blue eyes and confident bearing were enough to unsettle anyone who underestimated him.
"No wonder he dares to linger near Lady Hinata," Neji thought coldly.
He stepped forward, his tone sharp and filled with contempt.
"You're Uzumaki Naruto, aren't you? Stay away from Lady Hinata. She is the future heir of the Hyūga Main House—someone far beyond your reach."
Naruto blinked in surprise. This brother-in-law of his had come all the way here… just to threaten him?
Was this even part of the original story?
Ah—right. He almost forgot. It must be the butterfly effect caused by his closeness with Hinata.
Still, Naruto wasn't the type to care about sticking to the "plot." In the end, this world would be flipped upside down by him anyway. With enough strength, he could handle whatever changes came his way.
He licked his lips, eyes narrowing with interest as he studied Hyūga Neji. Neji was someone Naruto had already marked as worth winning over. Right now, though, the boy was still shackled by despair—crushed beneath the seal of the Caged Bird.
Naruto had originally planned to approach Neji once his fuinjutsu studies had progressed further. He hadn't expected Neji to walk right to him. Convenient.
Thanks to the sealing scrolls he had secretly taken from Danzō, Naruto's understanding of fuinjutsu had already deepened at a terrifying pace.
With his gift of Heaven Rewards Diligence, every hour of his effort yielded the equivalent of years of study. What would take another ten years of work, Naruto could grasp in months.
Even so, he still wasn't close to unraveling the Caged Bird Seal. Not yet.
Naruto's lips curved into a smirk as he stepped forward.
"Why should I leave her?"
"This isn't for you to decide!" Neji's voice was cold, his face rigid with pride.
"You're just a common orphan. Lady Hinata is the heir of the Main House. Even if she is weak, her destiny is already decided. Fate cannot be opposed! Your positions are worlds apart—so stop harassing Lady Hinata!"
Neji's composure cracked as his emotions bled through. The thought of an orphan catching Hinata's attention was something he could not accept.
As a Branch House member, his duty was to protect the Main House. The elders would never allow Hinata to be with Naruto. Hiashi-sama would never allow it.
Naruto chuckled lowly, eyes gleaming. "Heh. You keep talking about how everything is decided by fate… but if you really believed that, why are you so agitated? Why try to stop me?"
"Clearly, even you are fighting against fate. Aren't you?"
Neji's expression flickered.
"Shut up! What would you know?!" he roared, fury breaking through his calm mask.
He lunged forward, hands glowing with chakra.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!"
Naruto's brows rose slightly. "So, he can already use that technique at this age?"
He thought briefly of the Neji from the original timeline—such a genius, yet held back by the Branch House's restrictions. If he had received proper support from the Main House, his accomplishments could have been far greater.
In the original story, Neji eventually changed after being moved by Naruto's words. But this Naruto… he didn't care for that kind of idealistic sermon.
The "original" Naruto's philosophy had been too full of empty words and too little real change. Yes, he saved the shinobi world—but he never dismantled the system that birthed its tragedies.
Just like Senju Hashirama before him.
...
TN:
Hope you enjoy~😊