In the silence of his room, Neji sat in the lotus position. Moonlight streamed through the window, partially illuminating the simple space. Before him, a small wooden box sat open, displaying neat rows of brown pills.
He had spent a thousand ryō on fifty units. He could have bought more, but the clerk had informed him that the store had run out of stock. For Li Shang, that was irrelevant. Money wouldn't be an obstacle. Despite living in isolation, the inheritance from his father, Hizashi, still provided him with a monthly stipend sent by Hiashi. It was more than enough to meet his needs.
He picked up one of the pills and studied it for a few seconds. To a cultivator, this small object was nothing more than a crude substitute for a true elixir. Yet, it was exactly what he needed.
'The time has come to use, for the first time in this world, the technique that condemned me and also gave me the strength to survive. The Heart of the Celestial Devourer.'
He placed the pill in his mouth and swallowed. The bitter taste spread across his tongue, slowly making its way down to his stomach. Almost immediately, he felt a surge of energy surging through his body. The chakra released by the pill coursed through his meridians like a flooding river.
However, it was a raw, dispersed energy. The chakra spread chaotically, trying to escape through every pore, unable to settle in a single point.
Neji closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and activated the technique.
Within his sea of knowledge, the landscape shifted. The stone floor trembled, and the chains binding him rattled. At the center of his consciousness, a crimson flame began to pulse. The Heart of the Celestial Devourer manifested.
The flame seemed alive, breathing in sync with him. From each pulse, invisible currents stretched out and enveloped the escaping rivers of chakra. They didn't destroy them, but guided them, dragging each stray particle toward the burning core.
The energy that had previously fled was now devoured. The chakra became pure, dense, spiraling around that flame. The process was painful, as if every nerve was being burned from within, but it was also ecstatic.
'This... is perfect.'
Each beat of his heart caused the circulating chakra to be refined once more. The Heart of the Celestial Devourer didn't just absorb; it shaped, polished, purified. It was like turning raw iron into indestructible steel.
Neji's breathing deepened. His skin was sweating, but his muscles trembled in ecstasy. Gradually, the chakra in his body stopped dispersing and began to condense into uniform layers.
'With fifty of these pills, I can advance through Body Refinement in a matter of months. Much better than wasting years waiting for the world to offer me energy.'
An almost feral smile appeared on his lips. For the first time since her death, he felt genuine joy.
Meanwhile, in the main hall of the Hyuuga clan, the atmosphere was completely different.
A subordinate knelt before Hiashi, his head bowed low. His voice echoed steadily through the silent room.
"Reporting to the patriarch. Neji trained in the morning, left the clan after five hours of meditation, went to the library and read random books for two hours, then bought fifty ration pills and returned to the compound."
Hiashi raised an eyebrow. His serious gaze fixed on his subordinate.
"Fifty ration pills? Does he intend to desert the village?"
Silence fell over the room. The elders closest to me frowned, exchanging uncomfortable glances.
Hiashi remained calm, but worry grew within him. Since his brother's tragedy, the boy had withdrawn from everyone. Hiashi always watched him from a distance, trying to balance his role as leader and uncle. He often turned a blind eye to his actions, even when the elders demanded stricter measures.
But that attack against Hinata... that still weighed on his conscience.
That day, he couldn't control himself. Anger, the fear of losing another member of his family, made him release the full weight of the seal on Neji.
He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.
'Neji... I've always loved you like my own son. But I failed. I hope one day you can forgive me.'
If Neji truly was walking an unknown path, the patriarch's concern was not only for the clan's honor... but also for the fate of the boy who carried so much hatred in his heart.
Hiashi closed his eyes for a few seconds, his face heavy.
"Keep an eye on him," he finally said, his voice firm but not harsh. "I'll tell Gai to keep an eye on Neji whenever he leaves the village."
The subordinate raised his head, surprised by the direct order.
"Yes, patriarch."
As the man left the hall, Hiashi remained silent, staring into space. His memories took him back to the night his brother fell before him, sacrificing himself to preserve peace.
'I can't let anything happen to Neji. It was my brother's last request.'
Despite his cold demeanor, Hiashi's heart never wavered from the weight of that oath. Neji grew resentful, harboring a hatred he couldn't erase. Perhaps his own rigidity only exacerbated this distance. And what happened to Hinata was proof that, no matter how hard he tried to protect him, he failed to reach his nephew's heart.
He clenched his fists silently.
'If I can't guide you... at least I'll make sure you don't drag yourself into the darkness.'
Meanwhile, in his room, Neji finished his cultivation session with the pills. The purified energy swirled like eddies in his meridians, slowly strengthening every fiber of his body. His skin was sweating, but his gaze remained steady.
"With this session, I feel my body becoming more solid. This path is much faster than relying on physical training or clan techniques. In a short time, I will reach the foundation of Body Refinement."
Rising, he opened the window and watched the moon disappear in the sky. The early morning wind blew gently, bringing the distant scent of the sleeping village.
'No matter how much they try to watch me, I will no longer be a prisoner of chains, not of the sects, not of this clan. This time, I will set the course.'
His hands clenched, and for a moment a cold smile spread across his lips. As a cultivator who had spent his entire life hiding, and now with his Byakugan, he realized he was being followed all day.
Dawn arrived, and with it the return of routine. The Hyuuga compound was bustling discreetly, but Neji paid no attention to any of it. After taking a quick bath, he donned his traditional attire and left the house.
The morning was bright when he passed through the clan gates. Merchants were beginning to open their shops, and ninjas hurried through the streets. He walked in silence, ignoring curious glances or occasional greetings.
When he reached the corner near the central square, a village messenger approached, panting.
"Neji Hyuuga?"
"Yes," she replied, looking him up and down.
The young man held out a scroll sealed with the Konoha crest.
"This is an official notice. You must report immediately to Team 9's training camp."
Neji took the scroll without hesitation. His eyes narrowed, and within him only one thought echoed:
'So, it's time to meet up with my team again.'
[Author's Note:
This story was originally written in Portuguese, so there may be some translation errors. If you notice any, please let me know so I can fix them. Thank you for reading!]