Yun Xi's Regrets

Early morning, at Yun Xi's home.

After casually putting away the various ninja tools Tenten had left lying around the house, Yun Xi found a spot to sit down. As he gazed at the dazzling sunlight before him, a lazy look crept across his face.

Ever since experimenting with the various flames inside his body late at night three days ago, Yun Xi had stayed home to train.

Uchiha Itachi seemed to have been busy with missions these past few days, too, and hadn't come to see him.

It was only now that Yun Xi had stopped training and started enjoying a brief stretch of slacking off.

Under normal circumstances, the Uchiha Clan Massacre was only a few days away. Yun Xi should have seized every spare moment to grow stronger.

Instead, he was in full-on slacker mode, lying around like a corpse...

But it wasn't as if Yun Xi wanted things this way!!!

"I should've known better than to pick this option!"

Even the slacker Yun Xi looked troubled. As a matter of fact, the system was to blame for all this!

Late the night before last, Yun Xi had returned home and planned to get some rest, then visit Uchiha Itachi the next day to learn more advanced Fire Release Ninjutsu.

But he hadn't expected what happened next.

The following morning, when Yun Xi went to the Uchiha Clan to look for Uchiha Itachi, he learned by chance that Itachi had left the village on a mission.

That threw Yun Xi's plans completely off track...

With no other choice, Yun Xi could only train at home by himself.

He worked on his basic Taijutsu while also increasing his chakra reserves.

It wasn't the perfect training plan, but Yun Xi had still made quite a bit of progress over those three days.

But everything changed when Tenten showed up...

"Ding! Congratulations, host, on activating the Choice System: Tenten's Good Big Brother or Bad Big Brother..."

{Option One: Refuse Tenten's request to play. Reward: Tenten's affection -99, gain Tenten's resentment, Taijutsu training speed +1%, Ninjutsu training speed -100%...}

{Option Two: Take Tenten on a spring outing. Reward: Basic Ninja Tool Proficiency...}

Faced with such extreme options, Yun Xi hadn't hesitated to choose the second one.

But only after making his choice did he learn that Tenten wanted to go out for three whole days!

Once he found out, Yun Xi was devastated.

Three days!

Taking Tenten on a spring outing!

And the reward was the utterly useless Basic Ninja Tool Proficiency...

Yun Xi felt like he'd taken a massive loss!

In the original Naruto storyline, the Uchiha Clan Massacre was set to happen around this time.

Though his warning might delay it by a few days, he would still have to spend three days accompanying Tenten...

After thinking it over carefully,

Yun Xi still felt like he'd come out behind...

And not just a little behind, either.

"No, I have to come up with an excuse to stop Tenten from going on this spring outing!"

After learning that he couldn't change a choice once the system had made its decision, and that forcing a change or failing to complete it would cost him a randomly selected ability,

Yun Xi had no choice but to think of another way...

And that was how things had come to this...

Yun Xi was currently waiting for Tenten to get ready so he could take her on her outing...

"Damn it!"

Even now, Yun Xi still felt like he'd lost out whenever he thought about it.

Despite all his attempts to talk Tenten out of it (by tricking and coaxing her), he hadn't changed her mind about the spring outing. Still, his efforts hadn't been entirely pointless.

He'd managed to move the outing to the little courtyard at his house.

That way, Yun Xi could still train in his spare time.

His excuse was simple:

"My little courtyard is more fun!"

"Ah, if only I hadn't been so greedy over a small reward..."

After tucking a kunai into his ninja tool pouch, Yun Xi sprang to his feet and started preparing enough food for himself and Tenten for the day.

After all, Tenten wasn't the one to blame; the system was. And with Tenten being so adorable, Yun Xi couldn't bring himself to make her eat instant noodles every day...

"Big brother Yun Xi, I'm here!"

Just then, Tenten's excited voice rang out from a distance. Yun Xi heard her and opened the door, smiling as he said, "Come on in."

"Okay!"

Clearly, Tenten had come prepared for her spring outing today. She wore a pure-white Chinese-style qipao and carried a bulging little backpack. Yun Xi glanced inside and saw rice balls and other food she'd packed.

"Well, looks like I don't need to prepare anything after all."

Seeing that, Yun Xi thought to himself.

Then Yun Xi brought over a small stool and gestured for Tenten to sit. As he wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, he asked, "Why are you here so early today?"

"Mm, I'm just so excited! I honestly never thought you'd agree to go on a spring outing with me, Big brother Yun Xi, so I brought the food Mom prepared and came to see you first thing this morning."

"I regret it..."

Hearing that, Yun Xi felt a faint pang of regret. If I'd just refused her outright, none of this would've happened...

But it had already happened, and there was no point dwelling on it. After getting Tenten settled, Yun Xi took her straight to the backyard and was about to speak...

But just then, a strange expression crossed Tenten's face. She looked at Yun Xi in surprise and said, "Oh no, I forgot something!"

"What is it?" Tenten's sudden outburst startled Yun Xi, and he hurriedly asked.

"I brought a friend along, too!"

With that, Tenten ran off. A few minutes later, she returned with a young boy about the same age as Sasuke.

He wore a white training outfit. His young face, however, bore a coldness far beyond his years.

Of course, that wasn't the point.

What surprised Yun Xi most were the boy's eyes...

Pale, white pupils.

And the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead!

"How is it him?"

Once Yun Xi realized the boy before him was Hyuga Neji, he stared in shock.

According to the original timeline, Neji was a peerless genius of the Hyuga Clan. After receiving the Caged Bird Seal, he spent most of his time training to protect the Hyuga Clan's young lady, Hyuga Hinata.

There was no way he'd waste his time going on a spring outing with Tenten!

"Big brother Yun Xi?"

When Tenten saw the look on Yun Xi's face, she leaned forward and tentatively called his name.

"Mm..."

Surprised as he was, Yun Xi didn't show any hostility. After looking over Hyuga Neji, he decided that this might actually be an opportunity to get closer to the Hyuga Clan...

The Hyuga Clan, like the Uchiha Clan, was one of Konoha's most powerful clans.

They also possessed a unique Kekkei Genkai—the Byakugan.

But the one major difference between them and the Uchiha Clan was...