(Disclaimers: I do not own Naruto or Jujutsu Kaisen. Much love and respect to the actual creators.)
[A/N: yo, this chapter is pretty long, for my standards. I appreciate all the love and support yall are showing to this fanfic, like seriously, i appreciate each and everyone of you. The fic is already at 30k views at the time of me writing this. Granted, i don't know if those are good numbers for a fic but i don't really care.
The comments really do help, especially in motivating me to write chapters. So feel free to drop one, also don't be afraid to point out any mistakes, plotholes or inconsistencies within the story. It'll help me improve as a writer and make this fic even better. Sorry for this whole yap session, enjoy the chapter]
[Chapter Start]
[Time Skip: 1 year later]
After my encounter with the Snake Sannin, I stayed true to my word and never stepped out of the compound, and as I'd expected, Hiashi and the two elders were quite pleased with my decision.
I hadn't told them, or anyone for that matter, about Orochimaru, they had probably thought I was being their obedient little weapon. Well, I guess I was… whatever.
Now why hadn't I just simply informed Hiashi about Orochimaru tailing me, and even about the disgusting experiments he was performing on unwilling Leaf ninja and children? Well, for one, I feared that doing that may mean that I might not be able to attend the academy.
I mean, do you really think Hiashi, or the elders for that matter, would allow the Hyūga clan's greatest weapon to be put in harm's way, even if it had a minor chance of occurring? Exactly.
Besides, it's not like anyone would believe me.
I am just a 5-year-old child, and Orochimaru is a war hero for his contributions during the 2nd Great Ninja War. Not to mention, he's quite literally a candidate to be the next Hokage.
So I would ignore Orochimaru's slippery and probably slimy schemes until I was able to expose him, and on top of that, until I was confident enough to be able to fight against him.
Speaking of fighting, after that day I started focusing more on physical training and fixing up my diet to be the most nutritionally best one for me.
This was on top of the usual training routine with the elders, which consisted mostly of chakra control and improving my handle on the Limitless.
Now after a whole year, did my control of Limitless, thus Infinity, increase? Yes. But it wasn't by much, and that could be contributed to the fact that I was still a kid and my actual brain wasn't developed enough to be able to withstand the stress of manipulating Limitless.
So I didn't even think about popping a Blue.
Okay, I thought about it, but it was mostly about seeing the type of look the elders would have on their faces.
During the year, I was able to get closer to my two eternal guards, well mostly Jun, because Hitensu, or Hit, which is his nickname that Jun told me without the latter's permission.
Yeah, me and Jun had a good chuckle at his reaction from when I called that.
While my relationship with Jun and Hit grew closer, my one with Hizashi grew apart.
It wasn't on purpose, he was just really busy with missions and his duties with the intelligence department of Konoha. However, despite all that, he still took the time out to ask me about my well-being and how the training was coming along, even asking me to tell him if the elders or Hiashi were making me do something I didn't wanna do.
His wife, Hyuza, however, had changed her schedule at the hospital to be able to spend more time with me, especially during the night since she and I slept in the same room.
And she told me stories about my mother until I fell asleep. I would be lying if I said I didn't miss them.
It was nice to get to know about my mother.
From her, I learned that my mother, Chizuha, was actually in the running for the seat of clan head. Apparently, I am a lot like her in how rebellious I am.
Like any other night, Hyuza and I were by the lake, sitting cross-legged on the grass as we looked onwards at the reflection of the moon on the large body of water's surface.
It helped me relax and get my thoughts in order after a long day of training. Hyuza was finishing up her story about how my mother was back in the academy.
"And what happened to the kids who made fun of you?" I ask, genuinely intrigued in the story.
The pale-eyed woman softly smiled as if reminiscing it.
"Oh, Chizuha took personal offence to their insults and beat all three up."
I smiled. Sounds like my mother was a badass.
"Well, it's getting late, Hakari. Better we head to sleep."
I nodded, looking up my aunt as she stood up and held out a hand and I took it.
Her hands were soft and warm, it was comforting.
After helping me tuck into bed, she lay down on her futon next to my bed. This made Hyuza seem more like a servant rather than how I actually viewed her, which is as a mother figure.
I did contemplate whether to ask her if she wanted to sleep on the bed with me, but I soon realized that she would reject it, seeing as how she was like all of the Hyūga in the department of obedience to the clan due to the fact that she was from the branch family.
Also, since birth she had been taught to serve and respect the main branch, not even mentioning the Caged Bird cursed seal on her forehead.
For those who may have the memory of a goldfish, the Caged Bird cursed seal on the forehead of branch members allows the Hyūga Main Family to control Branch Family members by inflicting infuriating pain via a hand sign.
Of course, its actual purpose was to erase the Byakugan of a dead member to prevent it from being stolen.
Yeah, and from the couple of times Hiashi used it on some misbehaving kids, I could tell it must hurt a lot.
Also, I have a theory — no, I am very certain that our noble clan head was a psychopath, because I am sure I once saw him grin as a child cried from the pain caused by the seal.
So I didn't want someone I care about to go through that.
Not to mention, I overheard one of the elders threatening Hyuza to not get too close with me. I correctly guessed that they were scared of me valuing her more than a caretaker, thus once I grew up with, a branch member like her, may have more power than them.
I am pretty certain that those wrinkly assholes were the reason why Hyuza's shifts at the hospital became longer.
I mean, they did have the influence to have something like that done.
But I digress.
Tomorrow was the first day of the academy!
Woohoo!
We are gonna get taught to murder people in cold blood at the grand spanking age of 5.
Hooray for the Will of Fire.
[The next day]
I woke up on routine, and Hyuza was not here, her futon neatly placed in the corner. She had left for her shift at the hospital.
I quickly took a shower and got ready, a rare tinge of excitement running through my veins as I thought about the academy.
I put on a pair of black shorts and a white shirt with the Hyūga clan symbol on the back. Standing before the mirror, I stared at my reflection.
I hadn't changed much from last year — at least my face hadn't. It still had baby fat. My hair, however, was a bit longer now, reaching just below my eyes. I essentially looked like Gojo when he was a kid, except I guess I was a bit more muscular and probably taller than he was when he was 5.
Speaking of which, I was already 4 feet tall.
I then sensed my caretaker, whom I only recently learned the name of 'Yuma' walking up to my door, and so quickly put on my blindfold before sliding the door open just as she was about to knock.
"Breakfast is ready, young master."
I nodded as I placed my sandals onto the wooden floor, kneeling down to strap them on when I felt her hurried hand on mine.
"I got it. You shouldn't trouble yourself with such things, young master."
I stood back up and let her do her thing. I didn't enjoy this as much as I would've in my past life, you know, having a servant.
I had tried to tell her she didn't have to do every little thing for me, but she insisted that it was her job, so I gave up trying to stop her because she probably would get punished by the four frauds — now the three elder frauds, as I dubbed them.
This elite group of tier-1 assholes consists of Hiashi, the clan head, Masayori and Ayamako, the elders, and Hikashi, the former clan head, who, by the way, I only learned last year is my grandfather.
The asshole didn't even go to visit my mom when she was on her deathbed.
I learned from Hizashi that my mother and Hikashi didn't have the best of relationships.
Ironically, the guy died last year from the same chakra-coil failing disease my mother had.
Rest in Piss
As I finished my breakfast, Hiashi came to get me. As I was about to ask him, he spoke up.
"Today you begin your journey to becoming a shinobi. Act accordingly at the academy, for you are representing the Hyūga clan."
He gave a goddamn speech, but I had to take it seriously, as his usually stern expression was somehow even sterner.
I decided to not trust my sarcastic mouth and just gave a curt nod.
Before stepping outside the room, I was met with Hit and Jun, who were there to, of course, escort me to the academy.
We made it to the gate, and when we walked out, immediately I was hit with an inescapable cutscene—more of a flashback of the last time I stood outside the compounds gate.
The wind blowing across my face made me reminisce on how different it looked now that it wasn't winter.
It was beautiful—simply eye candy for anyone who appreciates nature.
We began walking down the path toward the village.
We didn't exchange any words, mainly because I'm the one who always starts the conversations, but right now I was too busy admiring the greenery around us.
Seriously. the trees, bundles of bushes, the fields of flowers in the distance.
In my past life, I never got the chance to travel to a place like this on Earth.
I stammered a bit when we finally reached the tree which Orochimaru had been near as he stared at me that one time.
Not this bullshit again.
I've been putting off mentioning this, but ever since that day I've been really paranoid and even had a couple of nightmares, mainly because that interaction reminded me of the one child Satoru Gojo had with Toji Fushiguro.
Scarily similar.
It was winter—walking on a secluded path with two guards, neither of which sensed him.
I really don't know why I was scared.
I mean, I had Satoru Gojo's fucking power.
Who the hell was I even supposed to be scared of?
Yes, i am aware that currently I couldn't do jack against Orochimaru.
Thankfully, I overcame my inner turmoil after a conversation with Hizashi.
[Flashback: 7 months ago]
[Third Person POV]
The twin brother of the Hyūga clan head had just returned from his duties in the Intelligence Division.
As he made his way home, he caught a familiar tuft of white hair at the lake's dock from the corner of his eye and immediately changed course.
Hizashi ruffled the messy white hair of his nephew as he sat beside him.
"There's something bothering you, isn't there?" he asked gently, noticing the distant look on the child's face.
"Kind of," Hakari replied vaguely, a small smile appearing when he saw his uncle.
Hakari was similar to his mother in many ways, but vastly different in one crucial area—he didn't know how to express his emotions. Chizuha had always worn hers openly, like sunlight. Hakari kept his buried, tangled somewhere behind his thoughts.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really. I don't know how to say it… or put it into words."
At least not without revealing too much.
"Is it the training?" Hizashi asked patiently.
"No. Training's fine…" Hakari trailed off, falling silent again.
Why was he scared of Orochimaru?
Was Orochimaru even the reason?
Was it the experiments or the killing intent in the way he had stared at him?
And then it hit him like lightning splitting the sky. It wasn't Orochimaru.
It was dying again.
Dying before reaching anything. Before living and proving that this second chance meant something.
The ninja world was built on early graves and unfinished dreams. He had been naïve to think he could escape that fear.
But fear didn't mean retreat.
It just meant that he was grounded.
It meant becoming strong enough to claw his way forward no matter who stood in front of him. He wouldn't fall.
He turned toward his uncle, resolve burning bright beneath the blindfold.
"Thanks uncle," Hakari said, his usual cheer returning. "I figured it out."
Hizashi looked confused for a moment, then simply nodded. Whatever storm had been inside the boy had clearly passed.
And for now, that was enough.
[A/N: Hello, back again with a yap session. This one is pretty important for those really invested in the story so stick around. Those who are concerned about there being like only one or two mentions about the other techniques which can be used by a wielder limitless. (Blue, red, purple and teleportation)
I thought a lot about this and figured out how to make them work with chakra. that will be explained in the next chapter as Hakari figures it out himself. So are we clear? I didn't forget about those techniques or the Domain expansion. though the domain expansion stuff won't be in the next one but it will eventually come up.]