Only Caged Birds Imprisoned by Their Thoughts; Lady Hinata Wants to Be Clan Head
Naruto had been too busy lately, and after thinking for a while without any results, he was too lazy to bother with that silly dog. He figured, let it be; it wouldn't cause any trouble anyway.
He's practically taken over the role of the dream-fulfilling master Kabuto lately, always wandering around. It seems like everyone else has lofty goals, while he's the only one who's idle and aimless.
However, he was not impatient. Hinata wanted to become Jonin by relying on her own strength, which was influenced by him little by little.
Even geniuses can't solve every problem; even Neji Hyuga has his weaknesses. Naruto told Hinata this, encouraging her to be herself.
Under his influence, the fates of those around him were all slightly altered. Like a butterfly flapping its wings many years ago, it stirred up a storm many years later.
As night fell, Naruto did not visit Sakura. He had deliberately argued with her yesterday to teach her a lesson, lest she keep secrets from him again.
In his heart, Black Sakura was someone he had taken in. She was practically his private property, which was a drawback of sharing a secret. In short, her keeping her illness a secret made him extremely angry.
So he turned around and went to find some friends to drink and eat. Kiba Inuzuka wasn't there. Neji, Shikamaru, Choji, and Rock Lee all came.
A gathering of four Jonin and one Chunin! How awkward.
At Naruto's suggestion, none of the four wore their Jonin green vests, and Naruto naturally wouldn't wear his Chunin green vest either.
Chunin vests have only two characteristics compared to Jonin vests: they are made of inferior material and are greener—greener than the Green Grassland.
"Yo, the Chunin are here?" Shikamaru, with his sharp eyes, spotted Naruto walking from the doorway to his seat and greeted him lazily.
"If you can't speak, just rent your mouth to a mute. What's Chunin a Chunin?" Naruto said, speechless. "Chunin eat your rice? Huh?"
The four people sat in a square formation, with two barbecue grills on the table. The table was laden with a dazzling array of ingredients, and several bottles of wine were placed nearby.
He looked like a hero returning to his hometown in glory, and he didn't take Shikamaru's words of chuunin to heart at all. He opened a bottle of wine rather arrogantly and saluted the four people.
"Haven't seen you for a long time."
"Can't you drink your own sake?!" Shikamaru said helplessly, thinking to himself that this person was still so petty and cunning as he got older.
"What have you been busy with lately?" Choji charm, but his simple-minded face made it sound like he was asking about gossip.
"He's busy having babies. He can't let loose in Konohagakure, so he's out enjoying his youth." Naruto said with a grin, making jokes, not intending to tell the truth.
Guys don't care about this. Knowing you're awesome doesn't really matter. At most, they'll just say, "You little bastard, you're secretly competing with us when we're not looking, aren't you?"
"Several hundred million? Enough for you to squander?" Shikamaru, always one to mince words, casually chimed in, instantly igniting the atmosphere at the table.
Neji, on the other hand, was very serious and didn't tell any dirty jokes, while Rock Lee understood them and seemed a little embarrassed. Shikamaru and Choji, were chatting away, their jokes flowing freely.
What do eighteen-year-old boys like? Pretty girls.
When Shikamaru was young, he had a Sage Mode, but once he came of age, he couldn't contain himself anymore. He and Choji both knew girls, but things hadn't progressed to that point yet.
Without exception, the priority was matching social status and family background; the daughters were from other prominent families in Konohagakure or families with potential. They would connect with each other and gradually become acquainted.
Shikamaru and Choji were raised as heirs of their clan from a young age, so naturally they wouldn't choose commoner ninjas. Neither of them felt there was anything wrong with it, and they weren't particularly opposed to their clan's arrangement.
Every year during the New Year Festival, large families of similar size would gather. In fact, by that time, many things already had their prices clearly marked.
They ate and drank for two or three hours, and as the night deepened, most of the people at the table were quite drunk. Rock Lee always acts crazy when he drinks, and Shikamaru had to use his Shadow Possession Jutsu to restrain him.
Otherwise, by the time he finishes his punches, the Barbecue restaurant might have been completely demolished by Rock Lee. This is to prevent the young owner from becoming a victim of forced demolition at an unexpected age.
Later, Shikamaru and Choji also fell down.
The barbecue grill was turned off, leaving only Naruto and Neji sober at the table. Naruto even unbuttoned his shirt, got up, and opened the window to let the smell of alcohol dissipate.
Although he wasn't drunk, his neck was still a little red, as if it had been dabbed with dye. Neji, sitting opposite him, was completely unaffected; apart from reeking of alcohol, his face wasn't even red.
"Should we wake them up?" Neji asked.
"No need, let them wake up slowly." Naruto waved his hand and said, "They come to this shop often, it's no problem to say hello, you can just leave them here."
Neji.
"I was just using an analogy; I won't really abandon the three of them," he quickly explained.
"Mm." Neji nodded.
The two of them had a pretty good relationship. To be precise, Naruto had a good relationship with all three members of Team 3, and they had teamed up together for a while.
Under Naruto's influence, Neji's personality also underwent a slight change. He became more ruthless in handling missions and less stubborn.
The two exchanged a glance, then raised their glasses and clinked them together with a tacit understanding. Under the influence of alcohol, Neji was clearly more relaxed.
"I heard your opinion from Hinata about the Caged Bird Seal," Neji said. "Hinata took it to heart and has been holding a grudge ever since."
"She probably wants to be the clan leader, right?" Naruto asked with a smile after taking a sip of his drink.
"Yes, I guess so." Neji nodded. "I used to care a lot about my father's death and hate the Main Family, but I've thought it through now."
"Think clearly about what?"
"There is no destiny that cannot be changed, only a caged bird imprisoned by its own thoughts." Neji Hyuga's eyes were firm and clear, shining brightly under the lamplight.
"This is my own destiny, and I can change it myself."
"So you think Hinata worked so hard because she felt indebted to someone?" He put down his wine glass.
"I can't be completely sure, but as Hinata's family, I want her to live for what she loves," Neji said without any reservations. "The clan leader is not suitable for her."
"I don't know either," Naruto waved his hand and said. "Let her make her own decision. Whether she's doing it out of guilt or for some other reason, let her do it."
Neji thought about it for a while, and finally nodded.
The next day.
Naruto met Hinata Hyuga compound gate. Before he even arrived, he saw a figure standing there in the distance, looking somewhat dazed.
"Why did you come out so early? How long have you been waiting?" he asked.
"It wasn't long, I only stood there for a short while," Hinata said softly, her head lowered so she couldn't see her toes.
Now he finally understood why Neji said Hinata wasn't suitable to be the clan leader; he probably felt that Hinata's personality made her almost unfit for the position.
In terms of ability, Hanabi isn't very good either; her skills are rather weak.
On the other hand Hinata seems to have developed the Byakugan, but I wonder how well it's going. I inquired about it briefly before, and the answer I got was that it was pretty good, which means she's made some progress.
"Alright, let's go to Training Ground 5," Naruto said, scratching his head.
"Okay." Hinata replied, obediently following behind him.