Hyuuga Nen

In a small town in the Land of Iron, a young boy stood by the edge of a frozen stream.

The boy looked to be about seven or eight years old, with short brown hair and dark eyes that stared blankly at the ice in the distance, lost in thought.

I've been in this world for seven years now, and I've actually lived them just like an ordinary child.

The boy, who was now Hyuuga Nen, mused to himself.

Seven years ago, the day Hyuuga Nen arrived in this world, he had seen a man with the Byakugan seal his own eyes. He had never seen that man again since.

Touching his own eyes, Hyuuga Nen thought, What was the point of that cheap father of mine bringing me into this world? Was it to have me help him break the Caged Bird seal? If that's the case, why hasn't he contacted me in all these years? Did he kick the bucket?

But thinking of his mother's situation over the years, it didn't seem like he had died.

Was it just a moment of impulse, and he lost control? Or did he want me to help the Hyuga Clan expand its lineage?

He shook his head, casting those two absurd thoughts from his mind. Hyuuga Nen knew the chances of either were slim; his father sealing his Byakugan and having them hide away to live was the best proof of that.

I can't keep hiding like this, not when I possess the bloodline of the Hyuga Clan.

If I'm discovered, the best outcome is being branded with the Caged Bird, and the worst is being killed. Neither is acceptable to me. I need the power to fight against such possibilities!

Hyuuga Nen clenched his fists tightly and whispered to himself.

When he first arrived in this world, Hyuuga Nen had expected to master extraordinary powers, full of anticipation. But as he gradually realized his situation and grew fearful of his identity being exposed, he became anxious and overly cautious.

In all his years in this world, Hyuuga Nen had neither heard a "ding" from a system nor experienced the life of a four-year-old Genin, six-year-old Jonin, or eight-year-old Kage.

All he had were memories of needing to sleep three times a day before he was six. After six, he began learning literacy and herbal knowledge from his mother.

Although Hyuuga Nen had watched Naruto, he wasn't a hardcore fan. He only had a rough understanding of the world, knew nothing of the details, and was completely ignorant of the timeline, making it impossible to anticipate his enemies.

Thinking of his situation, Hyuuga Nen couldn't help but frown and let out a deep sigh.

Waiting for a pie to fall from the sky is too agonizing; it's practically a slow death! I need to take the initiative. Perhaps becoming a samurai first is a good choice, Hyuuga Nen thought silently.

Noticing it was getting late, he turned and headed home. Upon returning, he found that his mother, Rika, hadn't come back yet. After cooking dinner, he picked up Rika's herbal notes and began to review them.

Looking up, Hyuuga Nen suddenly noticed that Taro, the family's yellow dog, was staring at him with intense, glowing eyes. Hyuuga Nen frowned and locked eyes with Taro.

Realizing Hyuuga Nen was watching him, Taro quickly turned his head away. Hyuuga Nen muttered something under his breath and went back to his notes.

As he read, Hyuuga Nen felt something was off. He looked up, and Taro was staring at him with those intense eyes again.

"Taro, what are you looking at?" Hyuuga Nen asked, puzzled. This time, Taro didn't turn away; instead, he wagged his tail and continued to watch him.

Hyuuga Nen closed his notes, sat up straight, and looked at Taro, recalling how the dog had lived with them over the years.

Taro was usually quite quiet, but there were times when he was incredibly fierce. He remembered one night when a thief broke into the house; Taro had barked so viciously, looking as if he wanted to tear the intruder to shreds, that the thief had fled in terror.

Hyuuga Nen and Rika had been frightened too, but since that night, the security around their home had improved significantly.

Looking at Taro's frame, which was much larger than an average dog, Hyuuga Nen thought of the strangest thing about him: sometimes, he felt that Taro's gaze was more like that of a human than an animal. At this thought, a faint suspicion took root in his mind.

"Taro, can you understand what I'm saying?" Hyuuga Nen tried asking.

Taro blinked. "Can you speak?" Hyuuga Nen continued, but this time, Taro had no reaction.

Just as Hyuuga Nen was pondering Taro's meaning, he heard the front door open, followed by a familiar voice: "Nen, I'm home!"

Hyuuga Nen stood up and saw his mother, Rika.

Rika walked in, looked at Hyuuga Nen and Taro, and asked in a strange tone, "Were you just talking to Taro?"

Hyuuga Nen gave a dry laugh and said nothing. Rika stepped forward, stroked his hair, and smiled gently. "You, you're not like a child at all. You act like an adult all day long. You should go out and play with other kids more."

Hyuuga Nen tilted his head slightly to avoid her hand and stiffly changed the subject. "Mom, I'm hungry."

Seeing his reaction, Rika looked a bit disappointed. "Wait a moment, dinner will be ready soon," she said, heading toward the kitchen.

Watching her back, Hyuuga Nen sighed inwardly. Although they had lived together for years and he called her "Mom," he didn't truly view Rika as his mother, only as a relative he lived with.

Rika's warmth was something Hyuuga Nen found hard to bear.

At the dinner table, they ate in silence. After a moment, Hyuuga Nen decided to ask some questions. "Mom, how did Taro come to live with us?"

Hearing this, Rika set down her bowl and chopsticks, turned to look at Taro, and a flicker of memory crossed her eyes.

"When I was still in the Land of Grass, before you were born, Taro suddenly showed up at my house one day and has followed me ever since. He has always protected you and me. He is our family."

Hyuuga Nen nodded. "The Land of Grass?"

"The Land of Grass, that's my hometown. It's quite far from here. I haven't told you that before, have I?"

Hyuuga Nen had tried to ask about Rika's past before, but she always avoided answering. He pressed on, "Then why did you leave the Land of Grass? Does it have to do with my father? Who exactly is my father?"

Rika looked at Hyuuga Nen and shook her head with a smile. "You'll know in the future." With that, she picked up her bowl and continued eating.

That phrase again. Hyuuga Nen felt frustrated and pursued the matter. "Then what are we supposed to do from here on out?"

At this, Rika's face turned pale, a look of pain crossing her features, and her hand froze. After a dozen seconds, she lowered her head and ate in silence, saying no more.

Hyuuga Nen realized he had said the wrong thing. With no desire to ask further questions, he ate in silence as well.

Late that night, Hyuuga Nen felt something heavy pressing on his chest in his sleep, along with a tongue licking his face.

He slowly woke up to find Taro lying on top of him. Seeing that he was awake, Taro jumped off the bed, grabbed the hem of Hyuuga Nen's pants with his mouth, and tugged him forward. Then, the dog turned around, lowered his head, and crept forward a few steps.

"You want me to follow you, and stay quiet?" Hyuuga Nen whispered. Taro glanced at him, nodded, and continued forward.

Seeing this, Hyuuga Nen felt a surge of excitement. He carefully followed Taro out of the house and toward the distant forest.

About twenty minutes later, they reached a clearing in the woods. By the light of the moon, Hyuuga Nen vaguely saw a dark shadow crouched on a large rock.

Hyuuga Nen strained his eyes. "Is that... a leopard?"