Hyuga Neji

The sky was gradually darkening. After handing in his mission report, Narak headed home.

He had been away from home for a month. Hinata and that little Hanabi girl must have been missing him terribly by now.

After passing through the Hyuga Clan's gates, Narak greeted the clansmen he encountered along the way.

Whenever the older clansmen saw Narak, they would smile and nod at him. Some would even say to their own children beside them, "See that? Your big brother Narak has returned from another mission. He's already a Chunin despite being so young. Unlike you—you still haven't even learned the Gentle Fist. No dinner tonight. Go train properly."

When the younger members of the Hyuga Clan saw Narak, their eyes lit up as though fans from his previous life had spotted their idol. Their faces were filled with admiration.

Narak had long since grown accustomed to the way his clansmen looked at him.

Ever since he had slain the Cloud ninja alone and revealed his strength, Narak had become the positive example the clan elders used when educating their children—the "other people's child" parents in his previous life were always talking about.

Some clan elders would even bring their children to meet Narak, hoping they would spend more time around a "good child" and "good student" like him. Those children would gaze at Narak admiringly as well, clearly treating him as their idol.

Hiashi Hyuga was obviously happy to see this. After all, his own son would inherit his position and become head of the Hyuga Clan in the future. Winning over these clansmen from childhood was clearly a good thing.

Narak, however, did not see it that way. He was rather resistant to the whole affair.

After all, in other people's eyes, Narak was only a child of a few years. But he knew his own circumstances. As a thirty-something man mentally, having to spend all day with a group of runny-nosed brats—some of whom even needed him to change their diapers—was clearly not a pleasant experience.

Fortunately, after becoming a ninja, Narak often had to leave the clan to carry out missions. At least he did not have to face this group of brats every day.

Suddenly, Narak halted mid-step. A boy was walking toward him. The boy had long hair and a forehead protector tied around his forehead.

"Neji, are you heading out?"

Narak greeted him.

The person approaching was Narak's cousin, Hizashi Hyuga's son, Hyuga Neji, who was only a year younger than Narak.

Facing Narak's greeting, Neji merely nodded and said coldly, "I'm heading out for a while. May I ask what orders you have, Lord Narak? If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

There was not the slightest hint of familial closeness in his words. Instead, they sounded like those of strangers.

Narak's heart dimmed. This was clearly not the first time he had encountered such a situation.

Five years ago, when Hizashi Hyuga had gone to his death, a seed of hatred toward the main family had been planted in Neji's heart. In Neji's eyes, his father had been used entirely as Hiashi Hyuga's scapegoat—nothing more than a tool the clan could discard at any time for its own sake.

Especially after Neji had been branded with the Caged Bird Seal, his belief had only grown firmer.

Moreover, the entire incident had been caused by Hyuga Narak's kidnapping by the Cloud ninja. Yet afterward, his own father had been treated as a scapegoat, while Hyuga Narak, the person at the center of the incident, had been elevated by the clan as the model of the younger generation—the example everyone should learn from.

This made Neji feel that things were even more unfair.

Before this, the relationship between the two brothers had been exceptionally close. But after that incident, they had become like strangers. No matter how much Narak wanted to repair their brotherly bond, Neji always refused to respond.

Seeing that Narak had said nothing, Neji raised his foot and walked toward the gate. Watching his departing back, Narak's lips moved. In the end, he still said, "Neji, I know about the hatred in your heart. But some things aren't as you imagine them to be. I hope we can calm down and talk properly."

Hyuga Neji stopped walking and said blandly, "There's no need. Lord Narak's time is precious. Neji wouldn't dare trouble Lord Narak by lowering himself to come speak with me. If Lord Narak has any orders, just issue them. After all, the branch family wouldn't dare disobey the orders of the main family."

Narak was left speechless and silently shook his head.

Every time he tried to talk with Neji, Neji took this attitude. Narak had no idea how to continue the conversation, so he could only shake his head as the two went their separate ways.

After passing through several corridors, Narak arrived outside his family's courtyard. Before he even reached the entrance, he heard the sounds of fighting coming from inside.

"Your strikes need to be ruthless, and your speed needs to be fast. Even though what you use is called the Gentle Fist, that doesn't mean you should use no strength at all. Your fists are as soft as cotton. Are you trying to tickle the enemy?"

"Faster. And pay attention to defense when you attack."

"Bang..."

The sound of someone falling came from inside the courtyard.

"Too slow. With skills like that, you probably couldn't even rank among the top ten at the Ninja Academy."

"You're both my children. Why is there such a huge gap between you and your brother? Your brother is already a Chunin, yet you still haven't learned even the basic Gentle Fist."

"With a personality like yours, how will you survive in the ninja world if a great war breaks out someday?"

Standing at the entrance, Narak raised a hand and rubbed his forehead. "Seriously. Father is lecturing Hinata again."

Narak entered the courtyard and said to Hiashi Hyuga, "Father, really. Hinata is a girl, after all. Why are you being so strict with her?"

Narak then looked at Hinata, who was lying on the ground, and three-year-old Hanabi, who was sitting to the side watching the two of them spar. He opened his arms. "Little Hinata, little Hanabi, did you miss your big brother?"

Hinata, who had been lying on the ground with an aggrieved look as she rubbed her shoulder, and Hanabi beside her both sprang to their feet happily when they saw Narak and rushed toward him. "Big brother, you're finally back! We missed you so much!"

"See? Of course you missed me. Look what delicious snacks I brought you." As he spoke, Narak produced two bags of snacks as if by magic.

Watching the scene before him, Hiashi Hyuga shook his head helplessly. "You've finally returned after being away for a month. You really are something. The moment you come back, you start protecting Hinata. You've spoiled her ever since she was little. Her timid personality is all because you've indulged her too much."

In response to his old father's complaint, Narak said indifferently, "Now, now, Father. I told you long ago—don't be too strict with girls. Boys should be treated like grass, while girls should be treasured and pampered a little more."

"As for the dangers you mentioned, I'm her elder brother. How could I let her face danger? If anyone dares to harm Hinata, they'll have to ask whether the blade in my hand is sharp enough first."

Little Hinata hid behind Narak, secretly watching her brother defend her before their father. Her tiny face was filled with delight.

(^ω^)!