"System, open my status panel."
[Host: Hyuga Neji]
[Age: 13]
[Chakra Natures: Fire, Earth, Water]
[Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan (Pure)]
[Taijutsu: Gentle Fist, Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation, Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms]
[Ninjutsu: Three Basic Techniques (Transformation, Substitution, Clone), Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique]
[Overall Strength: Elite Chunin]
"Elite Chunin, huh… not bad."
Neji nodded in satisfaction, a grin forming on his face. By ninja standards, he was already considered upper-middle tier.
Everyone knew that elite chunin were regarded as solid combatants in every ninja village. Even during the Fourth Great Ninja War, elite chunin could still hold their ground on the battlefield.
"I didn't expect Hyuga Neji to have three chakra natures," he thought, feeling rather pleased.
"Taijutsu is important, but in the later stages of the ninja world, ninjutsu is more reliable."
Neji clicked his tongue, having already made up his mind.
He would cultivate both taijutsu and ninjutsu.
After all, against opponents like Rinnegan users, taijutsu was often more effective.
Just thinking about Six Paths Madara—who overwhelmed everyone yet was nearly kicked to death by Might Guy—made the point clear enough.
But for now…
Neji subconsciously touched the forehead protector on his head and let out a bitter smile.
The Caged Bird Seal still had to be dealt with.
The Caged Bird Seal was a curse mark placed by the Hyuga main family on branch family members, restricting their Byakugan until death.
Worse still, the main family could destroy the bearer's brain tissue at will through this seal.
Although Neji believed Hyuga Hiashi wouldn't casually use it to kill him, he had no intention of placing his life in someone else's hands.
"This curse mark is a ticking time bomb."
"I need to find a way to eliminate the threat of the Caged Bird Seal… I just don't know if the main family has such a method."
"Or maybe, once my Byakugan evolves into the Tenseigan, it'll automatically remove the seal?"
Lying on the training ground, Neji stared up at the sky, his Byakugan still active.
"Just interacting with the opposite sex really works…?"
After wrestling with his thoughts for a while, Neji rolled over, stood up, and walked out of the training grounds.
"Alright. Let's give it a try."
Along the way, he encountered many clan members. When they saw him, their eyes were filled with admiration.
At just thirteen years old, Neji was already calm, mature, and steady. He had been the strongest among last year's new generation.
In only one year, his strength had risen to nearly match that of an ordinary chunin.
All of this—achieved by a thirteen-year-old child.
In the eyes of many, Neji was far more outstanding than either Hinata or Hanabi.
It was just a shame that such a promising seed had been born into the branch family and branded with the Caged Bird Seal from an early age.
His mother had died on the battlefield.
His father had sacrificed himself for the main family—and for Konoha.
Because of this, Neji held even greater prestige among many clan members than Hinata or Hanabi.
Ignoring the gazes around him, Neji headed straight for the Ninja Academy.
He planned to pick Hanabi up and walk her home.
Admittedly, this behavior didn't match Hyuga Neji's usual personality.
But everything was for the sake of survival and growth.
If there truly was no way to remove the Caged Bird Seal, then he could only force his way forward by becoming strong enough.
He refused to believe that the Caged Bird Seal could restrain figures on the level of Uchiha Madara or Senju Hashirama.
At the entrance to the Ninja Academy, many people had already gathered.
Seeing Neji approach, several of them looked surprised.
What was Hyuga Neji doing here?
Noticing their gazes, Neji smiled wryly.
"This Hyuga Neji really is… out of place."
That was the only way he could describe it.
He sighed softly as he looked at the academy building ahead of him, feeling an inexplicable sense of emotion.
Not because of nostalgia.
He had no memories of this place whatsoever.
Or rather, his subconscious refused to recall anything related to school.
No matter the world, the moment "studying" was mentioned, his head started to hurt.
An eternal truth.
Before long, a group of children poured out of the academy, laughing and chatting.
Watching this scene, Neji didn't know what to feel.
This world was fundamentally unfair.
Most civilian children could only receive basic education, and at best would become chunin in their lifetime.
Only a small number of civilians, thanks to exceptional talent, could receive the same opportunities as those from major clans.
Future jonin—and even Hokage—would mostly come from among them.
They were the backbone of the village's future.
As for the vast majority of civilian students?
They would become the nearly one hundred thousand pieces of cannon fodder in the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Seeing their bright, innocent faces now, Neji truly didn't know whether to feel relieved—or worried.
Just then, a small and delicate figure caught his eye.
His objective for today.
Hyuga Hanabi.
"Hanabi, let's go home."
Neji stepped forward and spoke in a firm, unquestionable tone.
"Huh?"
"Brother Neji?"
"Are you picking me up today?"
Hanabi bit her thumb, her big eyes staring curiously at him.
So cute.
As expected of sisters—equally adorable.
Neji hurriedly shook his head, forcibly banishing all dangerous thoughts.
Sin, sin.
This is a loli. Don't touch. Absolutely don't touch.
Touch a loli and it's three years in prison!
"Yes," Neji replied.
"Ennn…"
"Mmm."
Hanabi happily placed her soft little hand into Neji's, giggling as she did.
Indeed—cuteness is justice.
> "Host held hands with Hyuga Hanabi."
"Reward obtained: [Caged Bird Seal Removal]."
Neji abruptly stopped walking.
There really was a reward.
And it was exactly what he wanted most.
A wish fulfilled?!
He instinctively reached for his forehead, but with so many people around, he couldn't check it openly.
"Huh? Brother Neji, what's wrong?" Hanabi asked curiously when she noticed him stop.
"Nothing. Let's go." Neji gently patted her head.
With the curse mark gone, his mood soared, and he unconsciously became much gentler toward her.
> "Host patted Hyuga Hanabi's head."
"Reward obtained: [Wind Chakra]."
The corner of Neji's mouth twitched.
If that was how the system judged interactions, then—
He patted Hanabi's head again.
Nothing happened.
"So each type of interaction only works once per person," Neji concluded.
The Hyuga clan member secretly guarding Hanabi from the shadows was completely stunned.
If he hadn't activated his own Byakugan, he would've genuinely thought someone had used the Transformation Technique to impersonate Neji.
Soon, Neji escorted Hanabi back to her residence.
"We're here," Neji said.
"Mmm! Brother Neji!"
Hanabi smiled brightly, spread her arms, and ran excitedly back into the house.
> "Host escorted Hyuga Hanabi home, obtaining…"