Caged Bird, Are You Ready to Soar into the Sky?

In Konoha Year 55, a year had passed since Naruto enrolled in the Ninja Academy. (The timing of the Uchiha massacre was too Schrödinger-like, so let's say it was this year.)

Third Training Ground.

Smack!

Smack!

Smack!

Smack!

The sounds of bodies colliding rang out continuously as two figures weaved around each other, fists and palms clashing again and again.

Facing Naruto's defense, Hinata had already thrown sixteen consecutive palm strikes. Though she was gasping for breath, she still gritted her teeth and kept striking. Her movements remained smooth and fluid, without the slightest distortion.

As he watched Naruto and Hinata spar, Sasuke sat nearby with a cold expression, secretly clicking his tongue over and over, his eyes filled with dissatisfaction.

He could not help muttering, "Why does Naruto always play with that girl for so long?"

"Sasuke, Lady Hinata beat you last time. If you're bored, we can spar."

Seeing Sasuke's unhappy expression, Hyuga Neji found it rather amusing. Sasuke seemed to have a very strange sort of feeling toward Naruto.

Hyuga Neji had changed greatly over the past year as well. In the past, he had often resented Hinata because she clearly had no talent, yet stood above all branch family members simply because she had been born into the main family. She could not even use the Gentle Fist properly, yet he was expected to protect her with his life. That had bred hostility, even hatred, within him.

But after personally witnessing Hinata's determination, the effort she put in, and her rocket-like rate of improvement, Neji suddenly could no longer find a reason to hate her. He had even been lost for a while because of it. Though he still harbored intense resentment toward the main family, his hostility toward Hinata was no longer as deep as before.

But the biggest reason for all this was Naruto.

"Hyuga Neji, do you believe in fate?"

As Naruto looked at the branch family genius he had happened to encounter, his interest was stirred after a long time.

"Do you need something?"

Hyuga Neji looked warily at the blond who was close to his clan's young lady yet stood half a head taller than him.

"The Hokage's child may not necessarily become Hokage, but the child of a scapegoat will definitely become a scapegoat."

"A bird locked in a cage for too long will forget how to fly. Are you like that too, Hyuga Neji?"

"You bastard! Are you looking to die?" Veins had already begun bulging on Hyuga Neji's forehead. The ugly Caged Bird on his brow was what he hated most.

Naruto ignored Neji and instead looked toward the surrounding streets.

"Look at this peace bought with your father's sacrifice. Isn't it beautiful?"

"Bastard!" Hyuga Neji attacked directly, Chakra wrapped around his hand as he struck toward the Tenketsu on Naruto's shoulder.

But before his palm could touch Naruto, Naruto's fist hit him in the face at an even faster speed. His body flew out, rolling several times across the ground before finally coming to a stop.

After stopping, he clutched his swollen right cheek and stared blankly at Naruto.

He had never been beaten like this before!

"Do those who believe in fate also long to suddenly receive fate's favor?"

"Caged Bird, if you want to fly again, come find me."

Though Naruto had said that back then, Neji still had not seen any opportunity to regain his freedom. Still, after training here with the others, his strength had indeed improved much faster than when he trained alone.

"Hmph, fighting you is no fun at all. Naruto is the only one worthy of being my opponent!"

Neji was still recalling the past when he heard Sasuke's cold voice. He could not help twitching his lips. This guy had never beaten him even once—where did he get such a big mouth?

It was not that Sasuke could not accept losing. It was just that every time he sparred with Hyuga Neji, he felt especially stifled. The Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist was simply too disgusting. In close combat, one touch from his opponent would leave him aching for quite a while. Once they opened up the distance, he only knew the Great Fireball Technique, and he had never hit anyone with it.

That was why he felt sparring with Naruto was the most comfortable.

"Heh. Then wait slowly."

After letting out a cold snort, Neji fell silent again and began observing Naruto and Hinata's movements.

Naturally, Naruto heard their brief exchange clearly. Though he was sparring with Hinata, handling two things at once was easy when it was only Hinata.

He discovered that Uchiha Sasuke seemed to have grown a little crooked, though that might have had something to do with Naruto constantly raising his favorability over the past year.

From the very beginning, Sasuke had held an extremely strong fighting spirit toward him. Even Naruto did not know why. Then, somehow, he beat Sasuke up for a while, and from then on, Naruto's life became a cycle of eating, training, and beating Sasuke.

And somehow, Sasuke's favorability toward him seemed to be getting higher and higher.

That was not a bad thing for Naruto, though. During this time, Naruto had secretly absorbed quite a bit of Sasuke's Chakra.

For some reason, however, his Sharingan seemed to have become only a tiny bit stronger, and beyond that, there had been no change at all.

Naruto could only assume Sasuke was still too weak, that the purity of Indra in his Chakra was too low. He would try again once Sasuke awakened the Sharingan.

If that still did not work, he would reveal his identity, stab Sasuke in the stomach, and begin chanting, "Sasuke, admiration is the farthest thing from understanding."

Then defect on the spot.

He wondered whether Sasuke would awaken the Mangekyo right then and there, collapse to the ground, and shout:

It doesn't matter who my opponent is. If my arms are broken, I'll kick him to death with my feet. If my feet are broken, I'll bite him to death with my teeth. If my neck is broken, I'll stare him to death with my eyes. If I don't even have eyes, I'll curse him to death. Even if I'm torn into eight pieces, I'll still do it. I'll definitely bring Naruto back.

Ha, why did that seem kind of funny?

Just as Naruto was holding back his laughter, he suddenly felt the force in Hinata's palms weaken. Looking again, he discovered that Hinata was already completely exhausted. Every breath seemed heavy, sweat streaming down her cheeks like a small river. Even her attacks had slowed, as though she were moving through mud.

As another palm strike came at him, Naruto took a step back with the motion instead of blocking it head-on. When Hinata stumbled before she could react, he stepped forward and caught her.

"Ah, Na-Naruto-kun!"

Hinata cried out instinctively when Naruto suddenly caught her. Her little face immediately turned red as she tried to steady herself.

Naruto directly picked Hinata up and walked toward the two spectators.

"Alright, Hinata. You're too tired right now. I'll take you over to rest first."

"Na-Naruto-kun, I can walk by myself."

Though her personality had changed a great deal, she was still terribly shy when the person she liked suddenly held her.

Naruto did not answer. He merely infused Hinata with purified Nine-Tails Chakra.

Beside them, Sasuke sprang to his feet with a face full of delight when he saw Naruto approaching. He looked at Naruto eagerly, raring to go.

As for that, Naruto could only give Sasuke exactly what he asked for and beat him up again.

Under the setting sun, clouds like flames dyed the sky as the four walked home, their shadows stretched long behind them.

Of the four, Sasuke was the first to leave. The Uchiha Clan Compound did not welcome outsiders. Ever since the Anbu had thoroughly searched it a year ago, the Uchiha had become even more paranoid.

After declaring that he would definitely win next time, Sasuke ran off.

After a while, they reached the Hyuga Clan as well.

"Naruto-kun, I'll be going now."

After saying goodbye to Naruto somewhat reluctantly, Hinata walked toward the figure waiting for her in front of the gate. A little head also poked out from behind the gate, looking at Hinata with delight while baring its teeth at Naruto, which Naruto found rather amusing.

"I should get going too."

Neji smiled and walked toward the Hyuga Clan's gates as well. There was a trace of regret in his heart too. There was still no answer...

"Wait, Neji."

Naruto's voice suddenly rang out. When Neji turned around, he found himself standing in a world of black and white.

This was Naruto's genjutsu. Neji understood instantly.

"Caged Bird, are you ready to fly again?"

Neji's eyes widened. A breeze passed by, and he instinctively closed them. When he opened them again, Naruto had already disappeared, and the genjutsu had been dispelled.

"Neji, are you coming over for dinner tonight?" Hyuga Keiko appeared at the entrance once more.

Hyuga Neji pressed his lips together. After hesitating for a moment, he still walked toward Hyuga Keiko.

"Next time, I might not be able to come back."