Naruto explained the difference between the two methods, and after listening carefully, Neji didn't hesitate to choose the latter.
The excitement in his chest was almost uncontrollable.
Even though the Caged Bird Seal wasn't completely undone, at the very least, he no longer had to live under the threat of death at the hands of the Main Family.
For the first time in his life, Neji felt that his destiny was truly in his own hands.
"Na–Naruto… thank you!" Neji's voice trembled as his eyes grew moist.
Seeing Neji so overwhelmed, Naruto placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Next, I'll place another Fuinjutsu over your seal. I'll call it Flying Bird. It represents my hope—that you'll take control of your own destiny."
Naruto smiled warmly as he spoke.
Neji was still trembling, his emotions spilling over. No one else could possibly understand the depth of his relief and joy.
"Calm yourself, Neji," Naruto said gently.
Taking a deep breath, Neji quickly steadied himself and sat still.
Naruto formed a string of hand seals and pressed his palm against Neji's forehead. A sharp pain instantly lanced through Neji's skull, but it was fleeting. In its place spread a gentle warmth, flowing through his mind like a soothing current.
When the technique was complete, Neji opened his eyes, breathing hard. His forehead protector rested against a mark that had changed—beside the green X-shaped seal, two slanted strokes now extended outward, resembling wings.
Neji's heart pounded. This new sensation, this new freedom—he knew, without a doubt, that he was no longer at the mercy of the Hyūga Main Family's command.
"Thank you, Naruto!" he cried, unable to hold back his tears of joy. His face was a strange mix of laughter and tears, almost comical in its intensity.
"Hahaha!" Naruto chuckled.
"So, Neji—does it feel like you've finally taken control of your own destiny?"
"Destiny… has always been in our own hands," Naruto added, his voice carrying a rare note of emotion.
"Alright, let's head back."
Naruto clapped his hands together, and with a deep rumble, the earthen chamber opened. He and Neji climbed out, and with another seal, the ground closed neatly behind them.
"Congratulations, Neji."
Seeing the change on his forehead, both Lee and Sasuke immediately understood. Naruto's efforts had succeeded.
Neji gave a firm nod, though his excitement still lingered.
Over the past few days, Sasuke and Lee had tested his strength and had already come to acknowledge him. Neji's skills were entirely self-trained, and that alone earned their respect.
Later, Naruto sat with Neji and shared his own thoughts—not just about the seal, but also about the darkness festering within Konoha.
"Neji, one day, we'll leave this village. Before that happens, you can rally the other branch members. If you can break free from the Caged Bird's control, then in their eyes, it's as if you've released the seal entirely."
"This will shake the Hyūga branch family to its core. If you wanted to challenge the Main Family's authority, many would even support you."
Naruto spoke slowly, but with clarity.
Neji listened intently, his admiration quietly growing. Naruto was younger than him, yet the way he carried himself—the way he thought through matters with such foresight—was anything but childish.
Why doesn't he push for immediate action, though? Neji wondered.
As if sensing his doubt, Naruto explained, "We still need years before we can leave Konoha. There's no need to rush. Focus on growing stronger. Power comes first—only then can we change things. The branch family matter cannot be forced before its time."
In the days that followed, their training grew even more rigorous. Compared to the average academy student, their effort—and their access to resources—was on an entirely different level. Their strength rose rapidly.
…
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the village, Naruto had deliberately let Kakashi Hatake glimpse the darkness of Konoha.
When Kakashi returned, he quietly began to investigate—and what he discovered was troubling.
First, he confirmed that his father's final mission had been classified as S-rank. Such missions were known to only a select few. Yet somehow, it had been made public knowledge across the entire village.
Digging deeper, Kakashi found something even stranger: the shinobi assigned to work alongside Sakumo Hatake on that mission had been none other than a Special Jōnin from the Shimura clan.
A mere Special Jōnin partnered with the White Fang on an S-rank mission? That alone didn't add up. And yet, afterward, that very shinobi had been the first to criticize Sakumo for his failure.
The more Kakashi uncovered, the less sense it made. As a child, he hadn't understood, but looking back now, he realized his father had likely been targeted.
Had Sakumo's reputation truly threatened the Hokage's position?
Kakashi remembered that in the end, Konoha had won the war. His father's mission had been to secure a set of confidential documents—but in the grand scheme of the Third Great Ninja War, those documents hadn't seemed crucial at all.
So why had his father been disgraced? Why had he been driven to his death?
Kakashi's doubts only deepened.
And his father—a former Kage—seemed to have played an even greater role than he had imagined!
And when he thought back to Naruto's so-called conspiracy theory about Konoha's higher-ups…
That long-held Will of Fire inside him began to waver.
"Hey! Kakashi! Why do you look so dispirited lately?!"
A figure patted Kakashi's shoulder. Turning, Kakashi saw a pale-faced man with deep dark circles under his eyes standing before him.
"Oh, it's you, Hayate. I'm fine. But you… you've seemed absent-minded as well."
The moment Kakashi said this, Gekkō Hayate's expression fell.
For some time now, Uzuki Yūgao had been drifting away from him. Recently, she had even told him outright not to bother her.
"Sigh… Kakashi-senpai, I don't know why, but Yūgao lately… sigh…"
Hayate trailed off, not wanting to explain further.
Kakashi studied him and immediately understood. This was the trouble of love.
He patted Hayate's shoulder and said quietly, "I can't help you with this. Matters of the heart… you'll have to approach them with an open mind."
In the original course of events, Uzuki Yūgao and Gekkō Hayate had become lovers. But because of Naruto's interference—through the Soul Seize technique—the caster's lingering presence had unconsciously taken root in Yūgao's mind.
As a result, Yūgao had begun to view Naruto as the most important person in her life, slowly and unknowingly pushing Hayate aside.
In time, Naruto's presence would even replace Hayate's in her heart.
Naruto himself was unaware of this. If he did know, he would probably just laugh it off—it was only to his benefit. But if Gekkō Hayate ever found out, he would surely be reduced to tears.
After all… what had he done to deserve this?!
His perfect romance had been completely ruined!
"Kakashi-senpai, is that really how you comfort someone?!"
Hayate's voice cracked, as if he were about to cry. Kakashi's words sounded less like encouragement and more like telling him to give up on Yūgao altogether.
How could he? He and Yūgao had been childhood sweethearts! Surely this was just a passing phase, a bad mood. She would come around again… wouldn't she?
"I can't help you with this," Kakashi repeated slowly.
Hayate gave him a sideways glance and muttered, "That's true. After all, Kakashi-senpai doesn't have a girlfriend either."
Kakashi: "…"
Was that supposed to be polite? Just because I don't have a girlfriend, does that mean I'm eating your food?
Kakashi narrowed his eyes, preparing to give Hayate his signature dead-fish stare.
...
TN:
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