This Isn't Hard!

The third day after the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall.

When Neji arrived at school, the topic was already in full swing. The moment he sat down, Tenten leaned over and said,

"Neji, did that annoying Uchiha in our class die too? It's the first time someone around me has disappeared. It feels kind of awful."

Although Tenten did not like the arrogant Uchiha very much, they had been living and studying in the same class. Someone who had laughed and argued beside her had simply vanished.

She still felt somewhat sad.

Neji understood that it was the feeling of grieving for those like oneself. But having been a blunt straight guy all his life,

he had no interest in making those abrasive, nitpicking remarks that hurt people.

"Yeah. Of the Uchiha Clan, only Uchiha Sasuke remains now. It happened too suddenly. It really was unexpected."

"Even I feel a little sad when I think that the person who always liked provoking me is gone."

He truly was rather sad. He had lost a high-quality experience pack who would challenge him the moment he was provoked.

The faint regret on Neji's face immediately resonated with Tenten, and she instead began comforting him.

"Maybe this is our first experience of losing a companion."

Since they wanted to become ninja, facing the deaths of their companions was something they would have to confront sooner or later.

Even their teacher had sighed over this matter more than once.

"I don't want such things to happen. That's why I'm learning Medical Ninjutsu. Maybe one day, I'll be able to save a companion."

With the Byakugan, Neji truly felt it was a pity for the Hyuga Clan.

Such excellent X-ray vision, yet they did not use it to study medicine. They insisted on practicing the Gentle Fist instead.

With the Byakugan activated, wouldn't every part of the human body's structure be perfectly clear? Wouldn't surgical treatment come naturally?

Even if that did not work, they could at least use various ninjutsu as long-range artillery!

With the Gentle Fist, they would not fear close combat, and with long-range ninjutsu, they could serve as artillery. Yet they stubbornly clung to the Gentle Fist and refused to let go.

The times had changed, old man!

Neji condemned that sort of outdated thinking, but perhaps it was also a rule for survival.

Neji would not say anything about it. As long as he was strong enough, everything would be negotiable.

"So you're learning Medical Ninjutsu, Neji. Then I'll have to rely on you if I get hurt in the future!"

Tenten no longer looked so melancholy. She revealed a faint smile as she made her request of Neji.

"Of course. But Tenten works so hard, so make sure you don't get hurt."

Neji smiled slightly and spoke with considerable seriousness, making Tenten's little face flush.

"Rock Lee has been working so hard lately. He trains desperately every day. Even though that annoying Uchiha is gone, the others still mock him for being dead last."

Tenten muttered about it. Since she and Rock Lee had taken care of Neji together, their relationship was fairly good, and she could not stand those people.

Neji smiled. Oh, young maiden!

Do you know what is strongest in this world?

It's the dead last and Konoha genin!

As class began, the two stopped chatting, and Rock Lee also entered the classroom.

Neji nodded. As his level rose, some of his experience packs were now worth too little experience. They needed to be raised a little.

Only an experience pack like Rock Lee could keep up with his pace. Neji was looking forward to the day Might Guy began teaching him.

He would definitely yield plenty of experience when beaten up then!

With that in mind, the day gradually passed, just like usual.

When he was halfway home with Hinata, they separated, and Neji headed to his personal laboratory.

Hinata was slightly concerned by this. Brother Neji seems to have been spending much less time helping me train lately.

I wonder what Brother Neji has been doing. It would be nice if I could help him.

Thinking this, Hinata clenched her fists, preparing to go home and train hard so that she could help Brother Neji someday.

After parting with Hinata, Neji bought some things before returning to his personal laboratory. He looked around after entering the room and found that nothing had been moved.

It seemed Uchiha Izumi was quite obedient and had not come up to the rooms above.

He carried the things downstairs. Uchiha Izumi, still wearing that strange helmet, was flipping through some medical books he had left there.

Uchiha Izumi suddenly noticed Neji had returned and hurriedly closed the book and put it away.

Neji said nothing. He merely set down what he was carrying on the table and asked,

"Have you eaten dinner?"

"No, not yet!"

Uchiha Izumi looked like a naughty child who had been caught. She was somewhat afraid Neji would scold her for touching things without permission.

"Then come eat. I bought Ichiraku ramen and some dango. It's all flour-based food, just right for you to eat now."

"Okay!"

Uchiha Izumi replied softly and, with steps that were still somewhat weak, walked over to the table and sat down.

"Thank you for the meal!"

After saying the customary words before a meal, a prayer of respect for the food, she began to eat.

Her stomach had long been empty, so she ate with particular relish. She was merely blood-depleted and injured, not sick, so her appetite had not been affected.

Neji frowned slightly. "Didn't you eat lunch either?"

Uchiha Izumi took a bite of dango, chewed a few times, then hurriedly answered,

"No. I was still too weak at noon and couldn't get out of bed at all. I only recovered a little strength around now."

As she spoke, she hesitated for a moment before finally picking up a large bundle of noodles and slurping them down, no longer caring about appearances.

She was simply too hungry!

"Tell me, what are you good at?"

Come to think of it, Neji did not know what this Uchiha Izumi specialized in.

"Mm! Slurp... I'm good at Taijutsu."

It was as if she had squeezed out an answer amid her busy eating. She truly must have been starving.

"Taijutsu?"

Neji pondered slightly. Why were all the people he encountered good at Taijutsu?

Still, it did not matter. Basic Earth Release for excavating underground did not require much talent. Being able to use it was enough.

"You can read those medical books. I'll need your help later. Also, practice Chakra control more. If possible, I'll teach you Medical Ninjutsu."

"Mm!"

Looking at Uchiha Izumi, who had returned to her normal state, Neji guessed that she had buried those sorrowful matters deep in her heart.

That was a good thing for Neji. He would not need to spend much effort comforting her.

"When the time comes, I'll teach you an Earth Release C-rank ninjutsu I developed: Swampification Jutsu and Solidification Jutsu."

He had actually split those techniques apart. They required very little Chakra: one liquefied soil, while the other solidified it into bricks.

"A developed ninjutsu?!"

Uchiha Izumi was somewhat shocked, but then she calmed down. Right, the other party was a genius.

"What are you thinking? I just changed the functions of existing ninjutsu. It's a very simple thing."

This is simple?

Uchiha Izumi muttered to herself. She was not incompetent, so she naturally understood the difficulty involved.

For Neji, modifying ninjutsu merely meant using it a few times and observing how Chakra circulated within his body.

Which hand seals produced which effects, and what would happen when they were combined—after making a few slight adjustments, it was done.

It really was not hard!

Very good, he had found another example proving that the Hyuga Clan did not know how to use the Byakugan.

"Understood!"