Chapter 1: The Tragic Barrier Between Us
A heavy snow fell last night, blanketing the world in a vast expanse of white. In the Konoha training grounds, an old tree, laden with snow, swayed weakly in the cold wind, a picture of bleak desolation.
"Byakugan!"
With a sharp cry, veins bulged at the corners of Neji's eyes, and his pure white pupils took on a faint, ethereal glow.
His vision shifted to a monochrome world, a perfect 360-degree field of view. The falling snowflakes, the sparrows perched on withered branches, even the villagers hurrying down a street a hundred meters away—every detail in the world was rendered with absolute clarity.
"Eight Trigrams: Twelve Slashes!"
Wielding a tantō, Neji's form blurred into motion like a startled rabbit. A faint amount of chakra flowed from his tenketsu and gathered in his arms. The sound of the blade slicing through the air was sharp and constant, shredding every snowflake within a three-foot radius of his body.
"Hah..."
He exhaled a long, white plume of breath, a wave of fatigue washing over his young body.
The Gentle Fist was the signature taijutsu of the Hyūga clan. At the Genin, Chūnin, and even Jōnin levels, its advantages were obvious. But a step beyond that, at the Kage level, it was woefully inadequate. Using the Gentle Fist against enemies who could command the Susanoo, the power of a Tailed Beast, or Sage Mode was an exercise in futility.
Because of this, from the moment he had been reincarnated into this world, Neji had begun to search for a different path.
Combining the Byakugan with kenjutsu was the fruit of this past year of training.
After all, cutting someone with a blade was bound to be more effective than just poking their chakra points.
Neji focused his attention on the system panel in his mind, the special ability that had accompanied him since his transmigration.
[Name: Hyūga Neji]
[Innate Talent: Divine Diligence (Effort will always be rewarded. Suitable for the ordinary, and for the genius.)]
[Age: 4]
[Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan Lv1 (241/500)]
[Chakra Level: Genin]
[Chakra Natures: Yin, Fire, Earth, Water]
[Taijutsu: Eight Trigrams: Twelve Slashes Lv1 (154/500)]
When he was three years old, just as the Caged Bird Curse Seal was about to be applied, the original Neji had suddenly died. The soul from another world—his soul—had slipped in and taken his place.
The moment their souls merged, Neji awakened his Byakugan, shattering the Hyūga clan's record for the earliest activation in history.
Lord Hiashi had decreed that they would wait another year before attempting to place the curse seal on him again.
Therefore, for now, Neji was still a free man.
Neji touched his smooth forehead, a shadow of sorrow clouding his thoughts.
The Neji from the original story had mastered the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven on his own and had become a Jōnin by fifteen. In terms of talent, he was in no way inferior to the likes of Kakashi, Minato, or the Legendary Sannin.
And he would only become stronger.
The Byakugan had the potential to evolve into the Tenseigan, the Jōgan, or perhaps something even greater. With enough time, Neji was confident he could reach the level of the Sage of Six Paths, or even higher.
However, Hinata's third birthday was in half a month. When that day came, he would be branded with the Caged Bird.
Once that seal was in place, no matter how much of a genius he was, he would be nothing more than a servant, a disposable pawn. Even if he were to be brought back by the Reanimation Jutsu after death, he would never be free from the Caged Bird's control.
A deep worry, one that didn't belong in the eyes of a four-year-old, settled in Neji's pale irises.
"If I stay with the clan, I cannot escape the fate of being caged. But if I defect from Konoha... putting aside whether I could even succeed, how would a child survive in the brutal Shinobi World?"
The Byakugan was a priceless Kekkei Genkai, its strategic value arguably greater than even the Sharingan. A four-year-old child wandering the world with such recognizable eyes would suffer a fate ten times more miserable than Nagato's.
He pondered for a long time but could find no solution. With a sigh, he left the training grounds.
As he walked down the main street, villagers would see him and break into whispered, admiring conversations. Neji buried his anxieties deep in his heart and put on a shy smile for their benefit.
To compete with the other great clan, the Uchiha, the Hyūga Main Family had been aggressively promoting Neji's reputation as a prodigy. Half the village had heard that the Hyūga had produced a genius on par with Uchiha Itachi.
For Neji, this was a small blessing. When he began his career in Konoha, the title of "genius" would afford him more opportunities.
'Am I truly destined to be a Caged Bird?'
'Perhaps if I prove myself exceptional enough, I'll be granted more privileges within the clan... Maybe?!'
Neji let out a self-deprecating laugh.
Lost in thought, he found himself approaching the Hyūga clan compound.
'Father-sama... Tokuma-san... where are you? And where am I?'
Hyūga Hinata looked around, completely lost. It was her first time leaving the clan grounds by herself, and everything felt new and exciting.
If only she hadn't gotten lost, it would have been perfect.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Hinata noticed three older boys playing in a snowy patch nearby. On instinct, she ran toward them.
"Hey, look! A little kid!"
"Why are her eyes white?"
"She's a monster!"
The three boys quickly surrounded Hinata, staring at her with unabashed curiosity. Terrified, Hinata trembled, clutching her scarf tightly as a film of tears welled up in her eyes.
"Is she gonna cry?"
"Haha, what a crybaby."
"Hey, what do you think would happen if we stuffed dirt in her eyes? Think they'd still be white?"
The boys' minds were filled with the ignorant and terrible ideas that only children could conjure.
At that moment, the sounds of their taunts reached the ears of the preoccupied Neji. He froze, turning his head toward the commotion.
He saw three boys, maybe five or six years old, and a small, adorable girl they had cornered.
Hyūga Hinata.
The heiress of the Main Family, the one the original Neji would have given his life to protect.
Watching the small, helpless, and pitiful girl, Neji's brow furrowed.
According to his memories of his past life, Hinata was supposed to have been bullied by these kids on the night of her third birthday, after sneaking out and getting lost.
This wasn't the right time.
'Did I remember it wrong?'
Neji stood rooted to the spot, deep in thought. A cold gust of wind snapped him out of his daze, and a chill ran down his spine.
Hinata was the heiress of the Main Family. How could she possibly be without a guard watching her from the shadows? For a child not yet three years old to sneak out of the heavily guarded clan compound was a feat nearly as difficult as Neji himself defecting from the village.
And then, for her to just happen to appear on his path back to the compound?
This was no coincidence.
A member of the Branch Family who witnessed the heiress in distress was expected to rush to her aid without a second thought, to put their life on the line. Any hesitation would have unimaginable consequences.
Realizing this, Neji rubbed his eyes, feigning that he had only just noticed what was happening. His expression shifted to one of alarm as he shouted at the three bullies, "Let go of her!"
"Look! Another white-eyed monster!" the leader of the trio yelled, motioning for his friends to surround Neji instead.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Against little brats who hadn't even entered the Ninja Academy, Neji dispatched them with a single punch each. The three boys ran off, wiping tears from their eyes.
Neji quickly went to Hinata, helping the sobbing girl to her feet.
Still wiping away her tears, she whispered in a soft, choked voice, "Neji-niisan... don't look. They're ugly."
Neji looked at his own reflection in her pure white eyes. "Hinata-sama," he said, his tone formal and precise. "The Byakugan is our clan's Kekkei Genkai. These are eyes you should be proud of."
Hearing this, Hinata blinked her large, watery eyes in confusion.
Not yet three, she couldn't grasp words like "clan" or "pride," but she was incredibly sensitive to the emotions between people. Neji's response was perfectly in line with his station as a member of the Bunke, but to her, it felt distant and alien.
She sensed with a sharp clarity that a tragic and heavy barrier now stood between her and Neji.