The First Idea

Night.

After eating at Ichiraku Ramen and saying goodbye to Iruka at the crossroads,

Naruto headed toward his "home" alone.

The pedestrians on the road gradually thinned, and the evening breeze carried a chill.

Naruto clasped his hands behind his head, walking at an easy pace.

But his mind couldn't help returning to Orochimaru's words from the previous cycle, and to his countless experiences of repeating the cycle.

"You understand the Hyuga Clan's tragic fate, and you even saved Neji once. But even so, Neji lived with the Caged Bird. Have you ever tried using your infinite lifespan to research a way to break it?"

"Stop thinking about how to escape the cycle. Take your time experiencing everything around you. Change things."

Neji Hyuga.

Thinking of him again with a different perspective left Naruto feeling conflicted.

In his first life, Naruto had also come to understand the full source of Neji's hatred.

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

On countless occasions, whether during the Chunin Ninja Exams or even earlier, he had used this "information" to help Neji and the current Hyuga Clan head, Hiashi Hyuga, reconcile.

Naruto had seen with his own eyes the hatred and confusion vanish from Neji's gaze once the misunderstanding was cleared up.

In the days that followed,

the strained relationship between Neji and Hinata gradually thawed, until they truly became a brother and sister who cared for each other.

In every cycle, Naruto saw Neji grow less extreme, calmly spar with Hiashi, and grow stronger.

He also got along warmly and amicably with his peers.

So Naruto had naturally assumed that Neji's problems had been resolved.

After all, hadn't they made peace?

Hadn't Neji stopped complaining about fate?

Only now, on this familiar road home that he had walked countless times, did Naruto suddenly realize the crucial point he had completely overlooked.

Making peace did not mean being free.

Hiashi might no longer feel guilty toward Neji.

Neji might have understood his father's choice and stopped directing his anger at the Main Family.

But what then?

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

The Hyuga Clan's rigid system, dividing its members into ranks and establishing the Main and Branch Families, was still there, unchanged.

Making peace had only made Neji "accept" it all.

It had left him carrying that heavy shackle until his death.

Just as in Naruto's first life, the seal was only removed at the very end of Neji's life.

But what kind of freedom was that?

Had Neji really accepted it?

At that thought, Naruto stopped and looked up at the night sky.

His way of thinking had changed again and again through his countless cycles, and he had witnessed so much.

He had long since surpassed many adults.

Now, Naruto could see deeper and more clearly.

It was just that Orochimaru's nudge had made him look at things from an entirely different angle.

Naruto had gradually begun to understand Clan Head Hiashi's logic, too.

Those were the rules. That was how it had always been.

So even if it pained him, he would place the Caged Bird on his own nephew, and believe it was only natural for the Branch Family to sacrifice itself for the Main Family.

At first, and even after making peace, Neji had only gone from "accepting fate with anger" to "accepting fate calmly," in a sense.

But...

Just because things had always been that way, did that make them right?

Once the thought came to him, Naruto couldn't get it out of his head.

Protecting the Byakugan bloodline?

It sounded like a perfectly noble reason.

But what was the price?

The estrangement and sacrifices between close relatives. Choices forced upon someone like Hizashi Hyuga.

And the fact that a genius like Neji could hardly ever truly live up to his own potential!

Perhaps the system itself was the greatest mistake of all!

A powerful sense of doubt rose steadily in Naruto's heart.

This time, Naruto was no longer satisfied with simply saving a few lives or preventing a war.

He wanted to change things that were more deeply rooted.

For example, he wanted to change a system like this once and for all.

His thoughts had never been clearer.

The fatigue and confusion in Naruto's bright blue eyes gave way to resolve.

He had two clear goals.

First, find a concrete way to remove the Caged Bird.

Second, and more difficult, change the Hyuga Clan's Main and Branch Family system, which had continued for hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of years.

This wasn't just about freeing Neji from his shackles. It was about liberating everyone in the Branch Family and changing this absurd system.

It would take more than strength. He would also have to make the Konoha High Command, and even every member of the Hyuga Branch Family, understand what was wrong with the system.

Naruto felt a sense of purpose he hadn't experienced in a long time. It made the passion that had lain dormant since his first life begin to stir.

Perhaps it would be difficult—much harder than simply defeating a powerful enemy.

It involved people's hearts, traditional systems, and tremendous resistance.

But wasn't this exactly the kind of "overlooked truth and detail" he had never truly tried to explore in all his countless cycles?

Naruto took a deep breath. The cold night breeze passed over him, leaving his mind exceptionally clear.

As he pondered, he spotted a familiar figure at a nearby intersection.

The man had white hair, a mask covering most of his face, and a Konoha Forehead Protector concealing one eye—the Sharingan that belonged to Obito.

It was Teacher Kakashi!

Kakashi walked at a leisurely pace, one hand casually in his pocket and the other holding a dull novel written by the Pervy Sage: Icha Icha Paradise.

Naruto didn't break stride, but something stirred in his heart.

After countless cycles, he was already familiar with Kakashi appearing at this time and place.

He had asked Kakashi for help before, and confided in him about the pain of the endless cycle, but in the end, he still hadn't managed to break it.

Though Kakashi was Naruto's teacher, he simply couldn't understand a predicament on this level.

In his search for a way to break free,

Naruto had sought out many people over all that endless time, and learned many techniques, including Fuinjutsu and Juinjutsu.

Even so, though he could be called proficient, quickly removing the Caged Bird on his own was still difficult.

Naruto knew that although Kakashi had deep knowledge of Cursed Seals and Fuinjutsu, he might not have any more constructive suggestions.

Besides, if Kakashi learned about this, he probably wouldn't offer suggestions at all. He would try to stop Naruto, wouldn't he?

Still, since they'd run into each other, there was no harm in saying hello.

"Good evening."

Naruto walked up and greeted him in a casual tone.

At the sound of his voice, Kakashi seemed surprised that someone had approached him first, especially at this hour. The voice was unfamiliar, too.

"Oh? Do I know you?"

Kakashi raised his head slightly. His visible eye curved faintly, his expression lazy.

"I've heard of you. Konoha's top technician, the Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake. I recognized you from your appearance."

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