An Unexpected Voice

The Hyuga clan compound is located in the northwest corner of central Konoha. Despite being in a bustling area, the surroundings remain remarkably quiet; one can even hear the sound of falling leaves, giving the place an air of being hidden in plain sight.

Naruto followed Neji to the front of the Hyuga clan's massive residential complex. Towering walls completely isolated the interior from the outside world, and above the tightly shut vermilion main gate, the giant Hyuga clan crest hung with an imposing air.

"Because wandering ronin often come here to challenge us for no reason, the Hyuga clan's gates are usually kept closed," Neji explained casually as he stepped forward to knock.

"Are there really ronin who dare to come and challenge you?" Naruto asked in surprise.

So-called ronin are individuals who do not belong to any country or organization, wandering the Ninja World alone. Such people usually utilize chakra, but due to a lack of systematic training and heritage, their strength is mostly mediocre.

"Yes. After all, since the Uchiha clan became a name in name only, the Byakugan of our Hyuga is the only one left among the three great dojutsu of the Ninja World, so it draws extra attention," Neji said. "What ronin crave most is fame; challenging us brings notoriety regardless of whether they win or lose... and we can't afford to be too heavy-handed with them, lest we gain a bad reputation, so we simply keep the gates shut and refuse visitors."

"Oh... it seems you Hyuga really care about your reputation."

"...Don't say that once we're inside," Neji warned helplessly. "If the members of the Main House hear you, they will consider it an act of contempt or provocation."

"How am I supposed to know if someone is from the Main House?"

"...Those who are willing to show their foreheads are from the Main House."

Creak—

No sooner had Neji finished speaking than the vermilion gate was pulled open from within. A young boy wearing a forehead protector and a plain white training uniform poked his head out. Seeing it was Neji, his face immediately lit up with joy.

"Brother Neji! You're back!"

"Mn." Neji's tone was uncharacteristically soft. "I'm back. This is... a friend of Hinata-sama and me. He's here to visit her."

The boy's expression turned slightly odd upon hearing this, but he still respectfully welcomed them in. After bowing to Naruto, he leaned in close to Neji's ear and whispered:

"The Main House elders are all in the West Courtyard for a meeting. You should go through the east side, Brother Neji."

Neji nodded, patted the boy on the shoulder, and said nothing more.

Following that, Naruto trailed Neji along winding, secluded corridors, passing through one orderly courtyard after another. Occasionally, when they passed a dojo, some young disciples who recognized Neji would specifically come out to greet him, and without exception, these people all wore forehead protectors or headbands.

"Looks like you're quite well-respected," Naruto said, giving a thumbs-up. After digesting everything along the way, his mindset had recovered.

"Mn," Neji said calmly. "Because I am the strongest of the Hyuga's younger generation. Whether it's the Branch House or the Main House."

Such an arrogant statement sounded perfectly natural coming from Neji, with not a hint of pride, as if he were merely stating the most ordinary of facts.

What else could Naruto say? He could only raise the thumb of his other hand as well.

"You're awesome, senior."

Neji accepted the compliment with composure.

"By the way," Neji reminded him, "you cannot stay in our compound for too long, so pay attention to the time while visiting Hinata-sama. I will remind you."

"Mn," Naruto replied, then added with a touch of apology, "Sorry for putting you in a difficult position."

In truth, Neji had initially rejected his request, and it was only after Naruto's persistent pestering that he had reluctantly agreed to bring him inside.

"...It's fine. You're already here."

Neji remained calm, but in reality, he felt a sense of helplessness.

He had indeed wanted to refuse Naruto at first, because while the Hyuga clan appears humble and polite to the outside world, they are actually an extremely xenophobic family that places an absolute premium on their own bloodline.

In the eyes of the Hyuga Main House elders, the Byakugan is the strongest Kekkei Genkai in the Ninja World, while the secret techniques of other families—which aren't even Kekkei Genkai—are nothing but worthless trash. Furthermore, any outsider attempting to get close to a Hyuga is seen as coveting their Byakugan bloodline... one can catch a glimpse of this from their refusal to marry outside the clan and the practice of placing the [Caged Bird] seal on Branch House members.

In the past, with the "lunatics" of the Uchiha clan in the village for comparison, the villagers' view of the Hyuga was decent. But ever since the Uchiha were wiped out, the arrogance hidden beneath the Hyuga's exterior—their bloodline supremacy and the "my family is the strongest in Konoha" mentality—gradually revealed itself in daily life. This led to a situation where almost no other families associate with the Hyuga, and most villagers adopt an attitude of "if I can't afford to offend you, I'll just stay away."

Thus, the Hyuga compound's "hidden in plain sight" nature is less of a deliberate choice and more of a forced reality... though, of course, this forced state is something they brought upon themselves.

As for why Neji finally agreed, it was partly because he recognized that Naruto, like himself, was a born genius—they were the same kind of people—and Naruto had also gained the recognition of Might Guy. On the other hand, he would soon begin incorporating the "Mixed-Oxygen Method" into his training... in this regard, he truly owed Naruto a favor, so he fulfilled the request to settle the debt.

"We're almost there."

As the two ventured deeper, they finally reached the most secluded core area of the mansion, guarded as strictly as a heart.

"This is the Main House inner courtyard. Don't make too much noise." Even Neji lowered his voice at this point. "The third room from the left, the Heart Room—Hinata-sama is inside. However, you cannot go in alone; I will accompany you."

Naruto nodded, indicating he understood.

The two arrived before the inner courtyard of the Main House, where another dark, tightly shut door stood, guarded as always by members of the Branch House.

The guard here was an adult man, but judging by his attitude toward Neji, he was quite respectful, or perhaps that respect stemmed from another source.

Neji whispered a few words to him; the man looked troubled, but he let Naruto pass. However, the moment Naruto stepped into the inner courtyard, an unexpected voice suddenly rang out.

[Hey, brat.]

Get lost, I'll yell at you later.

[You stinking brat, I'll—!@%¥@%!!!]

After a rapid-fire outburst, the Nine-Tails panted heavily before reorganizing its thoughts.

[I sense something wrong.]

What's wrong?

[The third room from the left—something is wrong there. It's a feeling I've never experienced since the day I was born... something is wrong.]

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

Be specific.

"Damn it, you idiot, I already told you something is wrong! If I knew exactly what was going on, would I just use the word 'wrong' to describe it? All I know right now is that something is off in there!"

"You stinking fox, I %!&...@!!"

Man and fox were cursing each other out frantically in their minds. Neji, walking in front, turned his head to urge them on: "Why did you suddenly slow down? Hurry up."

"Sorry."

Naruto cursed once more in his heart and quickened his pace.

"Anyway, we'll talk once we're inside. You should be able to sense it more clearly if you get closer."

[Hmph.]

Nine-Tails let out a cold snort, though this time it did not retort.

This was not to say it wanted to help Naruto; in truth, Nine-Tails did not even know who was lying inside, nor did it care. It was purely because it had been locked away for too long, and in the long, idle days of boredom, it had developed a habit of intense curiosity toward the unknown.

"We're here."

Neji gently slid open the paper door. As the sunlight pierced through, Naruto finally saw Hinata again after more than a decade—

Then, an aged palm blocked his view.

Bang!

The paper door was slammed shut.

An elder of the main branch, dressed in an expensive silk kimono with hair as white as frost and a smooth forehead, stepped out of the Heart Room. His expression was stern, his gaze sweeping over them like cold lightning.

"Neji." He looked down at Neji, the mere utterance of the name sounding like an interrogation.

"Elder Liujia..."

Neji's heart sank. The situation he had dreaded most had come to pass.