Chapter 47:
"Alright, it's getting dark. I can't compare to you guys — if I go home late, I'll get beaten…"
Naruto looked troubled after playing in the forest for half the afternoon. Only when the sun was about to set did he decide it was time to head home.
"Then let's go. Good luck when you get home. Hopefully those two rabbits will spare you from a beating…"
Shikamaru patted Naruto on the shoulder, then walked back with Choji, who had been eating potato chips the entire afternoon.
As for Inuzuka Kiba…
He had already left with Akamaru the moment school dismissal time arrived.
"I hope so…"
Naruto shook his head and headed toward the Uchiha district while carrying the two rabbits.
He had been living in the Uchiha house for several years now. The original house the village had given him was left completely empty, but the village showed no intention of taking it back — probably still planning for him to return there one day.
"Hm?"
Halfway there, Naruto suddenly stopped. He looked at the figure training ahead and slowly walked over.
Hyuga Neji…
Supposedly one of the "Konoha 12"…
That was the term, anyway. He was the only one among the four teams who died before the end of the original story.
And he died saving him?
A true genius.
His father had died early, and he was only from the branch family, yet through sheer hard work he had independently mastered secret techniques that only the main Hyuga family was supposed to learn.
Such talent — if not for the Caged Bird seal, if not for the plot's forced death…
It was truly a pity for such a genius to die.
And he seemed to care a lot about Hyuga Hinata?
Because he would definitely have a complete falling-out with the village soon, Naruto had deliberately avoided any contact with Hinata. Yet that shy girl still watched him quietly from afar…
Even though it was something from the "original plot," Naruto still hoped that shy girl could have someone by her side.
"Who's there?"
Hyuga Neji's eyes suddenly widened. The moment he activated his Byakugan, he saw Naruto standing beside the tree.
He had been training taijutsu here the whole time. Today he actually ran into a peeper?
"Just passing by… Looks like I disturbed you. Sorry about that…"
Naruto took a step to the side, walking out from the tree's shadow.
Seeing Neji's Byakugan activated, he lifted the rabbits in his hand and shook them lightly to show he really was just passing through.
"It's fine…"
Neji glanced at Naruto. He did remember there was a student named Naruto in the academy.
The demon fox boy — some of his classmates would occasionally mention him.
And…
This seemed to be the person the main family's eldest daughter, Hyuga Hinata, liked.
Although they rarely interacted, Neji would still pay a little attention whenever he saw them.
He had seen Hinata quietly watching Naruto from a distance a few times.
"The sun is about to set, so I'll head home now. Training… Even though my grades aren't great, you still need to have limits when training. When it's time to eat, you should eat your fill so you have the energy to keep practicing!"
Naruto didn't say much more. He gave a small reminder and left.
The Caged Bird seal…
If it were Sasuke, he would help him break free from that cage. But this person…
Never mind.
As long as the Caged Bird existed, he wouldn't leave the village or the Hyuga clan. In the future, that girl would have a protector. It would be best if she completely forgot about him.
Everything else didn't matter. Right now he needed to hurry home and cook for Sasuke. Rabbit meat needed to stew for a while to become fragrant and tender — the kind Sasuke liked best…
"A person like that is completely unsuitable for Lady Hinata…"
Hyuga Neji watched Naruto's figure disappear into the distance, shook his head with a sigh, and continued his training.
For him, training was the most important thing!
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