The name Hyūga Neji had slowly begun to spread within the walls of the Hidden Cloud, though most of the village's inhabitants still knew little about the mysterious boy with pale eyes who trained in secret.
Two years had passed since the young genius had been taken in, nurtured, and molded by the village's elites.
Though only six years old, Neji's growth had been nothing short of astounding. His chakra reserves now rivaled those of a seasoned jōnin. His body, honed by lightning release training, secret medicinal tonics, and endless sparring, had transformed from that of a frail child into a powerful young warrior with the frame of someone much older.
His status was no longer that of a simple child from the fallen branch family of the Hyūga. Within the Hidden Cloud, Neji was gradually being recognized as the seed from which a new Hyūga clan of Kumogakure would rise.
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Neji's Current Strength
Name: Hyūga Neji
Talent: Heaven Rewards Diligence — A gift that ensured all effort bore fruit, whether in the hands of a genius or an ordinary man.
Age: 6
Chakra Level: Jōnin-tier
Chakra Natures: Yin, Fire, Earth, Water, Lightning
Bloodline Limit: Tenseigan Lv1 (321/500)
Special Technique: Curse Wheel Heart Sealing Technique
Ninjutsu:
Lightning Release Chakra Mode Lv4 (3211/4000)
Lightning Clone Lv3 (1141/2000)
Earth and Water Release Combination: Hiding in Fish Technique Lv3 (541/2000)
Taijutsu:
Divine Empty Fist Lv1 (384/500)
Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms Lv3 (687/2000)
Genjutsu:
Demonic Illusion: Hell Visualization Technique Lv3 (541/2000)
His greatest leap forward came when his Byakugan reached its limits. At the fifth level, it had blossomed into the Tenseigan.
Unlike the Uchiha's evolution from Sharingan to Mangekyō, Neji did not lose his Byakugan. He could freely shift between the two dōjutsu.
It was an unprecedented gift. Even Uchiha Madara, who wielded both Mangekyō and Rinnegan, could not revert his eyes at will once they evolved. Sasuke's Rinnegan, too, after receiving the Six Paths' power, became permanently fixed.
But Neji's case was different. His body was alive, not bound by Edo Tensei. His Tenseigan and Byakugan flowed like water, interchangeable, and each brought him unique perspectives.
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Graduation Approaches
On a cold evening, Ay, the Fourth Raikage, stood watching Neji's training. His eyes sparkled with pride and a hint of envy. Few things could impress him, but the sight of a child mastering both the Lightning Release Chakra Mode and an original taijutsu technique at the age of six was enough to shake him.
When Tsuchida and Matsuichi arrived at the training grounds, Ay finally spoke, his tone heavy with authority:
"Neji. The Academy's graduation is next month. It is time. You will debut—not just as a student, but as a true shinobi of the Hidden Cloud."
The words struck like thunder.
Tsuchida glanced at Neji, now taller, sharper, a figure already standing apart from ordinary children. His brows knit in thought.
Normally, graduation came no earlier than age ten, and only under wartime pressures were exceptions made. But Neji was no ordinary prodigy. His strength had already surpassed that of most chūnin, and by some estimates, even special jōnin.
It was undeniable. He had earned his place.
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A Heated Debate in the Raikage's Office
Elsewhere, inside the Raikage's office, Ay's cousin, Yotsuki Kazeki, voiced his doubts.
"Are you truly allowing that boy to graduate? He's only six!"
Kazeki was not an outsider to the truth. As head of the Yotsuki clan and a man of significant influence, he knew that Kumogakure had been secretly cultivating the Byakugan bloodline for years. But the details of Neji's existence had always been kept in shadow.
Now that the child was to debut, Kazeki's protective instincts—and his clan's ambitions—rose to the surface.
Ay poured his cousin a cup of steaming water, a rare gesture of respect. He sighed.
"Kazeki… you know me. I was called a genius too. But in front of that boy, I can only feel humbled."
Kazeki frowned, skeptical. He trusted Ay, but words alone were never enough. Geniuses were rare, but claims of genius were common.
"Then at least," Kazeki continued, "tell me who will lead him. He cannot wander without a jōnin sensei. I suggest Darui. He is reliable, steady, and strong."
Ay's lips curled into a rare smile. "Darui… yes, he is a fine shinobi. He will do."
With those words, Darui—already renowned for his Storm Release—was appointed as both Neji's leader and a member of the Raikage's personal Shadow Guard Corps.
Kazeki arched an eyebrow. Darui was talented, yes, but he was also not of the Yotsuki bloodline. Still, Ay's appointment meant Darui's future was secure. For Kazeki, the move was inconvenient, but undeniable.
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A Proposal for the Byakugan
"Kazeki, you didn't come here just to argue about Neji's graduation, did you?" Ay asked, watching his cousin carefully.
Kazeki hesitated. For a moment, his usually commanding voice faltered. Then, taking a deep breath, he spoke.
"It's about the Byakugan. Neji is still young. He will face battles, danger, enemies we cannot predict. If something happens to him, everything we've built—the Hyūga bloodline of the Hidden Cloud—could be lost.
Therefore… I propose we pass on the Byakugan immediately. To preserve the bloodline, I have already found suitable girls. I intended to raise this years from now, but with his debut so near, we cannot delay."
The Raikage fell silent.
Kazeki's reasoning was sound. The ninja world was cruel, and even the most brilliant flames could be extinguished in a moment. How many geniuses had fallen before reaching their peak?
Even legends such as the Second Mizukage or Konoha's Fourth Hokage had perished in their prime.
Neji was extraordinary, but he was still mortal.
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Clash of Wills
But Ay's eyes narrowed. His tone grew colder.
"Kazeki… tell me. The girls you've chosen—are they from the Yotsuki clan?"
Kazeki froze. His mask slipped for an instant. The truth was plain: he had chosen women from his own clan, hoping to tie the Byakugan directly to his bloodline.
Ay's gaze sharpened like a blade.
The silence stretched until Kazeki, regaining his composure, finally admitted it with a faint nod.
As clan head, his duty was first to his family. Merging the Byakugan with Yotsuki blood would secure both his clan's dominance and the village's future. In his eyes, it was logical, inevitable.
But Ay did not agree.
His massive hand slammed against the desk, rattling the room. "No, Kazeki. I cannot permit it."
Kazeki's face darkened, his temper flaring. He had once been as hot-blooded as Ay in his youth, but age and leadership had tempered him. Still, this rejection snapped his restraint.
The table before him cracked under his fist, splintering into pieces.
"Absurd! For years, the Yotsuki clan has given him resources—training, food, medicine—all without asking for anything in return. And now you say our daughters are unworthy of him? Do you mean to say the women of this village are beneath him?"
Ay refilled his cousin's cup with cold water, his expression calm despite the tension.
"Kazeki, cool your head. Neji's eyes—the Byakugan, the Tenseigan—they will not leave this village. That much I promise. But the boy himself… he is not a tool. He is a shinobi with dreams higher than even we can see."
Kazeki clenched his fists, seething, but he could not refute his cousin's authority.
The discussion ended there, but the rift between them remained.
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Neji's Resolve
Meanwhile, Neji himself was unaware of the storm brewing in the Raikage's office. His mind was on the path ahead.
Graduation meant freedom—but also responsibility. Missions, battles, blood, and loss awaited him. Yet in his heart, there was no fear.
Standing in the ruined training grounds, fragments of shattered weapons around him, his pale eyes glowed faintly.
"Two years of training… and now it begins. My destiny will not be chained. I will carve my own path."
The Divine Empty Fist tightened in his grasp, his Tenseigan shimmering with quiet power.
The boy once fated to die a branch house slave in Konoha was no more.
Now, Neji Hyūga of the Hidden Cloud was ready to take his first step into the wider world.