The Rooftop

And just like that, the morning theory class passed.

It went by amidst the mental breakdowns of Naruto and Kiba, the ease of Hinata, Sakura, and Shino, the focus of Sasuke and Choji, and the indifferent attitudes of Shikamaru and Ning Xue.

Now it was noon, time for lunch.

Every child took out their bento box, sitting in circles with the friends they had just met today, chatting and laughing while they ate. Of course, there were a few exceptions.

Oh right, there was also one person who brought instant noodles.

As for Ning Xue, he didn't gather with the others to eat; instead, he walked toward the rooftop alone.

Pushing open the door to the rooftop, a gentle breeze brushed against his face, and the view opened up before him.

He found a shady spot to sit down and opened the bento his mother had carefully prepared. The dishes were simple but nutritionally balanced, and she had thoughtfully avoided the fish and seafood he disliked.

Just as he was about to start eating, the rooftop door opened again.

The person who arrived was none other than his good friend, Hyuga Neji.

Seeing that Ning Xue was also here, he didn't show any surprise, simply sitting down beside him with an expressionless face.

Neji skillfully opened his own bento box. The food inside was equally exquisite, but it felt a bit too stereotypical, as if it had been bought at a restaurant, lacking the warmth of home found in Ning Xue's bento.

The two sat side by side, eating in silence. The atmosphere wasn't awkward; rather, there was a tacit understanding that required no words.

After chewing a few mouthfuls of food, Neji was the first to break the silence.

"How does the first day of school feel?"

His tone was calm, carrying a hint of imperceptible probing.

Ning Xue swallowed the food in his mouth and replied in a tone as calm as Neji's.

"Noisy, childish, a waste of time."

Neji wasn't surprised by such an answer. The impression he had formed over their years of getting along was that Ning Xue was introverted, aloof, and blunt.

As for combat... he was insidious and cunning.

After Ning Xue's reply, both sides fell into silence again. A moment later, Neji broke it, continuing to ask.

"I heard that among the new students, someone with white hair scared a brat out of his wits. That was you, right?"

There was a touch of curiosity in Neji's tone.

"Mm."

Ning Xue admitted it directly. He then picked up a mouthful of rice and put it into his mouth, pausing for a moment before continuing.

"He came looking for trouble himself; I just gave him a little scare."

There wasn't a hint of pride in his tone, only the calmness of someone who didn't care about the matter at all.

Neji was noncommittal toward this; he was already used to this way Ning Xue handled trouble.

One had to know that within the clan, Ning Xue's "ghost face" had an outstanding effect on inexperienced brats.

After the two ate a few more mouthfuls of food in silence, Neji's gaze inadvertently swept over Ning Xue's eyes, and he suddenly asked.

"Your Byakugan—has it not awakened yet?"

This was a question he had actually wanted to ask for a long time.

As a genius of the Hyuga Clan, he had successfully awakened his eyes at the age of four.

He had seen Ning Xue's talent and hard work with his own eyes; theoretically, he shouldn't be lagging behind for this long.

Especially given the exquisite taijutsu techniques Ning Xue displayed, and those elusive Ice Needles that even made him feel troubled—yet these eyes of his remained dormant.

After taking a bite of food and hearing Neji's question, Ning Xue was silent for a moment before replying.

"Soon." He finally spat out the word, but there was no joy of an impending breakthrough in his tone; instead, there was a sense of worry and confusion.

He raised his hand, gently tapping his right eye corner with his index finger, and continued.

"But I always feel like something is missing... it feels like I've been locked away."

"Every time I'm about to use it, I get pushed back by this lock."

"It clearly feels like the key isn't by my side, yet it also feels within reach."

His voice was very soft, as if a light breeze could break it, but Neji still heard him.

"A lock?" Neji frowned; he didn't quite understand this metaphor.

In the clan, awakening the eyes was a combination of talent and hard work, a natural progression—where did this talk of a "lock" come from? He simply assumed Ning Xue had hit a bottleneck.

"Is it a problem with the chakra condensing in the eye meridians? Perhaps you could try..."

"It's not a technical problem." Ning Xue interrupted.

He lowered his hand, his tone still calm, but mixed with a trace of confusion.

"This is definitely not a technical problem. From the feeling, it's more like... a part is missing?"

Neji was slightly stunned; he had never heard of such a situation regarding the awakening of the Byakugan. He pondered for a moment and said.

"Perhaps there is some knot in your heart affecting the awakening of your Byakugan. Opening the Byakugan is not just about chakra; it is also tied to one's state of mind."

Ning Xue lowered his head in thought, unsure himself of what this inexplicable lock might be. But perhaps, just as Neji had said, he truly did have some lingering knot in his heart.

After nodding once more, Ning Xue ate his meal in silence, saying nothing further.

Seeing that Ning Xue did not wish to discuss it any longer, Neji also ate his meal in silence.

And so, the two of them finished their bento boxes on the empty rooftop.

Once finished, they packed up their lunch boxes and stood up to leave the rooftop. On the way downstairs, Neji patted Ning Xue on the shoulder.

"Don't dwell on it too much; you might just awaken it naturally one of these days."

Ning Xue nodded, remaining silent.

The first class of the afternoon was practical combat, and the teacher led the students to the school's training ground. Looking at the training equipment and the open field before him, Naruto rubbed his hands together in excitement, while Kiba stood nearby, eager to give it a try.

The teacher began to explain the content of the lesson: basic taijutsu training.

Ning Xue stood in the ranks, but his gaze was somewhat unfocused as he continued to ponder the issue of awakening his Byakugan.

Suddenly, the teacher called Ning Xue's name, instructing him and Sasuke to engage in a simple taijutsu sparring match.

Ning Xue snapped back to reality, glanced at Sasuke, and walked calmly toward the center of the field. Sasuke walked toward Ning Xue with his hands in his pockets and a confident smirk on his lips.

Of course, Ning Xue intended to play along; if Sasuke truly possessed the skill, he would put on a performance before conceding.