First Thought

Night.

After finishing at Ichiraku Ramen and saying goodbye to Iruka at the crossroads.

Naruto walked alone in the direction of his "home."

The pedestrians on the road gradually thinned out, and the night breeze carried a hint of chill.

Naruto held the back of his head with both hands, walking at a steady pace.

However, his mind involuntarily recalled Orochimaru's words from the last reincarnation, as well as his own countless cycles of rebirth.

"You understand the tragic fate of the Hyuga Clan, and you even saved Neji. But even so, Neji lived his entire life under the Caged Bird. Have you tried to use your infinite lifespan to research a way to break the Caged Bird?"

"Stop thinking about how to escape reincarnation. Quietly experience everything around you, and change everything."

Hyuga Neji.

Thinking of this person again, with a different mindset, made Naruto's heart feel complicated.

In the first life, Naruto had also fully understood the source of Neji's hatred.

Naruto knew the "truth" behind the death of Neji's father, Hizashi Hyuga.

And countless times during the Chunin Exams or even earlier, using this "information," he had facilitated the reconciliation between Neji and Hyuga Hiashi, who was now the head of the Hyuga Clan.

Naruto had personally witnessed the hatred and confusion in Neji's eyes vanish when the misunderstanding was resolved.

In the days that followed.

The stiff relationship between Neji and Hinata gradually warmed up, and then both parties truly achieved fraternal affection.

In every reincarnation, seeing Neji no longer be so extreme, able to spar relatively peacefully with Hyuga Hiashi and grow stronger.

And also getting along very friendly and gently with his peers.

Naruto had taken it for granted that the issue with Neji had been resolved.

After all, hadn't they reconciled?

Wasn't Neji no longer complaining about fate?

It wasn't until this moment, on this road home he had walked countless times, that Naruto suddenly realized a crucial point he had completely overlooked.

Reconciliation did not mean liberation.

Hyuga Hiashi might no longer feel guilt towards Neji.

Neji might have understood his father's choice and no longer directed his anger at the Main Family.

But then what?

The Caged Bird curse, etched onto Neji's forehead, binding his fate, even his life, was still there.

The Hyuga Clan's strict system of dividing clan members into ranks, the Main Family and Branch Family system, was still there, unmoving.

Reconciliation had merely made Neji "accept" all of this.

It made him carry this heavy shackle until death.

Just like in the first life, the curse mark was only removed at the very end of Neji's life.

But what kind of freedom was that?

Had Neji truly accepted it?

Thinking of this, Naruto stopped in his tracks and looked up at the night sky.

His way of thinking had undergone many changes through countless reincarnations, seeing so much.

He had long surpassed many adults.

Naruto could now see deeper and more clearly.

It was only under Orochimaru's guidance that he had completely changed his perspective.

Naruto was also gradually beginning to understand the logic of Clan Head Hiashi.

These were the rules, and it had always been this way.

Therefore, even though he felt reluctant, he would still place the Caged Bird curse mark on his own nephew and believe it was natural for the Branch Family to sacrifice for the Main Family.

And Neji, initially, and even after reconciliation, in a sense, had merely gone from "angrily accepting fate" to "calmly accepting fate."

But...

Was it right just because it had always been this way?

Once this thought arose, it couldn't be shaken from Naruto's mind.

Protecting the Byakugan bloodline?

This reason sounded noble.

But what was the price paid for it?

It was the estrangement and sacrifice between blood relatives, the choices forced upon them like Hizashi Hyuga.

It was the life of a genius like Neji, who could hardly truly unleash his inherent talent!

Perhaps this system itself is the greatest mistake!

A strong sense of doubt surged within Naruto.

This time around, Naruto was no longer content with just saving a few lives or preventing a single war.

Naruto wanted to change something more deeply rooted.

For instance, completely changing this system.

His thoughts became clearer than ever before.

Naruto's azure eyes shifted from fatigue and confusion to determination.

He now had two clear goals.

First, to find a specific method to remove the Caged Bird curse mark.

Second, and more difficult, was to fundamentally change the branch family system of the Hyuga Clan that had continued for hundreds, even thousands, of years.

This wasn't just about freeing Neji from his shackles, but about liberating all members of the Branch Family and changing this absurd system.

This would require not only strength but also making the Konoha higher-ups and even all Hyuga Branch Family members realize the flaws in this system.

Naruto felt a long-lost sense of purpose, causing the passion from his first life to faintly stir.

Perhaps this would be difficult, far more difficult than directly defeating a powerful enemy.

This involved people's hearts, traditional systems, and immense resistance.

But wasn't this precisely the "overlooked truth and details" that he had never truly tried to delve into during his countless loops?

Naruto took a deep breath, the cold night wind blowing, making his mind exceptionally clear.

As he pondered, he caught sight of a familiar figure at a nearby intersection.

The person had white hair, a mask covering most of his face, and a Konoha forehead protector obscuring one eye—Obito's Sharingan.

It was Teacher Kakashi!

Kakashi, with one hand casually in his pocket and the other holding a boring novel by the Pervy Sage, Icha Icha Paradise, was walking leisurely.

Naruto didn't stop walking, but his heart stirred slightly.

In his countless loops, he had become very familiar with Kakashi's appearance at this time and place.

He had also sought Kakashi's help, confiding the pain of his infinite loops, but ultimately, he couldn't break the cycle.

Although Kakashi was Naruto's teacher, he couldn't possibly understand a predicament of this magnitude.

To find a solution, Naruto had...

In his infinite time, he had sought out many people and learned many techniques, such as Fuinjutsu and Juinjutsu.

Even so, while he could be considered proficient, it was still difficult to quickly break the Caged Bird curse mark alone.

Naruto knew that although Kakashi's mastery of Juinjutsu and Fuinjutsu was deep, he might not be able to offer more constructive advice.

Moreover, if Kakashi learned of this, he wouldn't offer advice but would try to stop him.

However, since they had run into each other, it wouldn't hurt to say hello.

"Good evening."

Naruto walked forward, speaking naturally.

Hearing this, Kakashi seemed surprised that someone would approach him, especially at this hour, and the voice was unfamiliar.

"Oh? You know me?"

Kakashi slightly raised his head, the visible eye curving slightly with a lazy expression.

"I've heard of your name, Konoha's number one genius, the Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake. Seeing your appearance, I guessed it was you."

Naruto smiled and continued, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki."