Neji at Leisure

Konoha awoke to birdsong in the early morning. The sudden downpour of the previous night had subsided, and sunlight pierced through the thin clouds, spilling onto the wet streets and creating a misty vapor. Villagers began to emerge from their homes, shops drew their curtains, and ninjas donned their uniforms and headed to their posts—the war was not yet completely over, but life had to go on.

Meanwhile, at the edge of an inconspicuous training ground somewhere in Konoha, Neji leaned against an ancient cherry blossom tree, closing his eyes to rest. The Tenseigan's perception spread like an invisible net across the entire Shinobi World; he could "hear" countless sounds from hundreds of miles away, thousands of kilometers away—the whispers of the Sand Village on the border of the Land of Wind Land of Lightning, the Raikage's furious roar in the Kumogakure Land of Lightning, the ship whistles of the Mist Village Port of the Land of Water, and the weary sigh of Kurotsuchi in the Iwagakure of the Land of Earth.

And then there are... the rumors circulating in the shadows.

"The Akatsuki are still alive... their next target is the Four Great Ninja Villages..."

"Obito Uchiha dead, but an even more terrifying enemy has appeared..."

Why isn't Neji Hyuga of Konoha launching a preemptive strike? What is he waiting for?

Fear spread like a plague throughout the Shinobi World. High-level meetings were held one after another in major ninja villages, and urgent letters flew to Konoha like snowflakes, demanding explanations, support, and... accountability.

Neji opened his eyes, a playful smile playing on his lips.

"Madara Uchiha... he actually resorted to such methods." He muttered to himself, as if commenting on his opponent's clumsy strategy in a game of chess. "Trying to force me to act through public pressure? Trying to keep me preoccupied with these trivial matters and unable to attend to anything else?"

He shook his head, a hint of mockery in his smile.

Too arrogant, Madara. So arrogant that he thinks everyone is like him, caring about power, fame, and the chaos of the Shinobi World.

But Neji didn't care.

What he wanted was never to Guardian Ninja or rule the Shinobi World. He was simply conducting an experiment—an experiment about "what the world would be like if we broke the old shackles ahead of time, if we gave power to those who sought change, and if we gave those oppressed by fate the right to choose."

The process will be fun. As for the result? He doesn't care. It's like a child building a sandcastle; they enjoy the process of building, not how long the sandcastle will last.

"However..." Neji stood up, brushing the fallen leaves off his clothes, "Since Madara wants to play so much, I'll play along. But the rules... have to be mine."

He strode into the streets of Konoha, his long hair fluttering gently in the morning breeze. Passersby turned to look— Neji Hyuga, the legendary Six Paths Tier being, was Earth Walk casually down the street like an ordinary young ninja. But no one dared to approach him; the invisible gap in their life levels made everyone instinctively keep their distance.

Except for one person.

"Neji!"

A clear, crisp female voice came from the street corner. Tenten peeked out from the flower shop, holding a bunch of freshly trimmed Himawari, a bright smile on her face, "So early? Where are you going?"

Neji stopped and looked at Tenten. Today she was wearing a light blue short-sleeved kimono, her hair was simply tied up with a wooden hairpin, and a few strands of hair fell around her ears, gleaming softly in the sunlight.

"Let's go find Naruto," Neji with a smile. "I have something to discuss with him."

Tenten blinked, didn't ask any more questions, and just nodded. "Are you free at noon? I know a new dumpling shop opened, and I heard the dumplings are really good."

"Okay," Neji agreed readily. "I'll come find you at lunchtime."

"It's a deal!" Tenten smiled even more brightly, turned around and went back to the flower shop to continue trimming the colorful bouquets.

Neji watched her busy figure, and a strange sense of peace suddenly welled up in his heart. In this world full of scheming and intrigue, it's so good that there is still such a simple and pure existence.

He continued forward and soon arrived at Naruto's residence—a simple detached house with a "Uzumaki" sign hanging on the door. Gate of Opening, he saw several pairs of ninja shoes scattered in the entryway, and the sound of a television program and... slurping ramen coming from the living room.

"Naruto." Neji entered the living room.

"Ugh! Neji!" Naruto looked up from the huge ramen bowl, broth still clinging to his lips, his blue eyes wide open. "What are you doing here? Have you had breakfast? I still have some instant noodles here!"

"I've already eaten." Neji sat down opposite Naruto, looking at the mountain of empty bowls piled on the table. "You have quite an appetite."

"Hehe, you need to be well-fed to have the energy to train!" Naruto wiped his mouth and said seriously, "By the way, Neji, did you need something?"

"Hmm." Neji nodded. "I want to chat with the one inside you..."

Naruto paused, then asked, "The Nine-Tails inside me... you mean the Nine-Tails?"

Before he finished speaking, Neji had already extended his finger and gently tapped Naruto's forehead. The movement was light, yet it carried an irresistible force.

"Take a nap," Neji said.

Naruto's eyes glazed over instantly, his body slumped onto the sofa, and he fell into a deep sleep. Neji withdrew his fingers, the light of his Tenseigan swirling in his pupils. His consciousness, like an invisible thread, probed into Naruto's body, delving along the Chakra pathways, ultimately reaching the cage that sealed the Nine-Tails—

It was a dark, damp space filled with hatred. A huge iron railing stretched across the center, and behind it, a massive orange-red figure huddled, its nine tails swaying like flames, emitting a low breathing sound.

Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, Kurama.

It seemed to sense something, and suddenly opened its scarlet eyes, looking out of the cage. When it saw the white-clad, black-haired boy, its pupils contracted sharply, and all the fur on its body stood on end.

Fear. It is a fear stemming from the instinct of life, a fear of a higher existence.

The Nine-Tails had felt this kind of pressure a thousand years ago—from its creator, the Sage of Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. And now, this young man was emanating a similar aura, seemingly... even more profound and unfathomable.

"You..." Nine-Tails's voice echoed like thunder in the consciousness space, yet it carried a hint of barely concealed tremor, "You are Neji Hyuga, how did you get in?"

Neji stood outside the cage, looking up at the legendary Tailed Beast. In his Tenseigan vision, the Nine-Tails was not simply a collection of Chakra, but a vast, chaotic yet orderly energy life form. The so-called "hatred" was merely an external manifestation of energy imbalance.

"Kurama," Neji spoke, his voice calm, "Don't be afraid, I'm not here to eat you."

Nine-Tails was stunned. How many years had it been since anyone called it that name? Since the death of the Sage of Six Paths, people had only called it "Nine-Tailed Demon Fox," "Incarnation of Calamity," "A Collection of Hatred"... Kurama, that was the name given to it by its master, proof that it was an independent life form.

"How do you know my name?" Nine-Tails lowered his voice, trying to mask his inner turmoil with fierceness.

"Naturally, it was the Sage of Six Paths who told me," Neji said casually, his expression as natural as if he were commenting on the Tenten.

Nine-Tails' breathing quickened. "Master... is he still alive?"

Neji. Does a soul count as being alive? In the definition of the Shinobi World, perhaps it does. But that form of existence is probably not the same as the "living" that Nine-Tails) expects.

"If you consider a soul as living," Neji said, "Then that's living."

The light in the Nine-Tails's eyes dimmed. It understood the unspoken meaning—its master had not truly been resurrected, but merely existed in the world in some form. An unnamed rage surged within it, but it dared not vent its anger on the boy before it. It could only arrogantly turn its head away, its nine tails thrashing irritably against the iron bars of the cage, making a loud clanging sound.

Neji found it somewhat amusing to watch Nine-Tails act so sulky. These Tailed Beast, in the end, were nothing more than manifestations of energy, with minds as simple as children, clearly distinguishing between love and hate.

"Madara Uchiha been resurrected," he suddenly said.

Nine-Tails Fox whirled around, its scarlet eyes widening even further. "What?!"

"Madara Uchiha, the man who once controlled you with his Sharingan and used you as a weapon of war, has been resurrected," Neji repeated. "Moreover, he possesses the complete Rinnegan and is planning to capture you, synthesize you into the Ten-Tails, make you the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, and activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi."

With each word it spoke, Nine-Tails's body trembled. When it heard the words "Ten-Tails Jinchuriki," it let out a low roar, a roar mixed with fear and rage.

"Madara Uchiha is powerful," Nine-Tails forced himself to calm down and analyzed, "But he's no match for you, is he? Since you know what he's going to do, why don't you just kill him directly? Why come and tell me this?"

Neji smiled. It was a faint smile, yet it sent a chill down Nine-Tails.

"Because I won't make a move," Neji said. "At least, I won't directly attack Madara. That's my promise, and it's my...rule of the game."

The Nine-Tails was completely dumbfounded. Both were Six Paths Tier, and their masters Guardian Ninja world for a thousand years, while this young man stood idly by, even leaving that immature brat Naruto to face Madara Uchiha? For a moment, it couldn't tell whether it was a beast or the person in front of it was the real monster.

"So you came to me," Nine-Tails's voice deepened, "To get me to help Naruto?"

"That's right." Neji nodded. "I know you don't like using the power of the Toad of Mount Myoboku and your Tailed Beast power to help Naruto, and you feel that it's an insult to the Tailed Beast power. But the reality is—if Naruto doesn't have enough power, he will be captured by Madara, and you will be resealed into the Ten-Tails' stomach, losing your self-awareness and becoming a pure energy battery."

He paused, then emphasized, "Kurama, you've lived for a thousand years, you should understand what this means. Do you continue to arrogantly stay here, waiting to be dragged out and sealed away; or do you actively help Naruto, giving him the power to fight Madara and preserving your freedom... The choice is yours."

Nine-Tails fell silent. Its massive body moved slowly within the cage, its nine tails swaying uneasily. It was thinking, weighing its options, and reminiscing—reminiscing about the humiliation of being controlled by Madara Uchiha, reminiscing about the chaos sealed within the Ten-Tails, reminiscing about... a thousand years ago, when the Sage of Six Paths stroked its head and said gently, "Kurama, you must use your power to protect, not to destroy."

After a long silence, it raised its head, its scarlet eyes staring directly at Neji: "If I agree, what can you guarantee?"

"I can't guarantee anything," Neji said honestly. "The outcome of the battle depends on Naruto himself, on how much power you're willing to give him, on... many variables. But I can tell you—if Naruto loses, I will keep my promise to someone else and won't help him. So, if you want to live, you'd better let Naruto win."

Nine-Tails stared at Neji, trying to read lies or scheming in those Tenseigan. But all it saw was calm, a detached calm, as if all the conflicts in the world were just drama in his eyes.

"...Okay." Nine-Tails finally said, her voice filled with reluctance, "I understand. I will...try to cooperate."

"A wise choice." Neji smiled, his figure beginning to fade. "Then, I look forward to your performance."

Consciousness detaches, returning to reality.

Neji opened his eyes and found himself still sitting in Naruto's living room. Naruto across from him was still fast asleep, drool dripping from his mouth, muttering, "Ramen... another bowl..."

Neji reached out and gently patted Naruto's face. "Wake up."

"Hmm... just five more minutes..." Naruto rolled over.

"Sakura's here."

"What?!" Naruto sprang to his feet, looking around frantically. "Where's Sakura? Where is she?"

Only after seeing Neji's ambiguous smile did he realize he'd been tricked. He scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly, "Neji, you're so mean... By the way, did you finish talking to the person inside me? What did you talk about?"

"Some things about training," Neji said casually, then changed the subject, "Speaking of which, Naruto, do you have a girl you like?"

The topic jumped so abruptly that Naruto was completely stunned. His face flushed red, and he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet. "W-why are you asking this all of a sudden..."

"Curious." Neji rested his chin on his hand, a gossipy expression on his face. "It's normal for someone your age to have a crush, right? Who is it? Sakura? Hinata? Ino? Or...?"

"It's... it's Sakura!" Naruto finally managed to stammer, his voice trailing off, "Although... although I know she likes Sasuke..."

A knowing glint flashed in Neji's eyes. Sure enough, his intervention—the scene where Hinata should have stepped Hinata during Pain's attack on Konoha, but which he replaced with Sakura —had actually strengthened Naruto's feelings for Sakura. A small shift in fate could bring about such a big change; how interesting.

"Sakura has always had a crush on Sasuke," Neji said deliberately. "Everyone could see it at the dinner party that night, right? The way she looked at Sasuke was completely different from how she looked at anyone else."

Naruto's expression dimmed for a moment, but he quickly perked up. "I-Is that so... But! When I was in danger, didn't Sakura rush to save me? That shows she still cares about me!"

Neji was speechless. He couldn't very well say, "That's because I took Hinata away; otherwise, it would have been Hinata who saved you," could he?

"In that situation," Neji changed his perspective, "Whether it was you or someone else being attacked by Pain, Sakura would have intervened. Because she is medical-nin, Lady Tsunade's student, and her duty is to protect her comrades. That's completely different from love."

He paused, then gently coaxed, "Love is about mutual consent. Since Sakura's feelings are clear, shouldn't you consider other girls? Like... Hinata? That girl is deeply in love with you."

Naruto frowned, thought seriously for a few seconds, then shook his head. "No. Even if Sakura likes Sasuke, a miracle could still happen before Sasuke and I have a decisive battle! I want to become Hokage, I want to become stronger than Sasuke, and then Sakura will definitely see me!"

His gaze was resolute, and an inextinguishable flame burned in his blue pupils.

Neji looked at Naruto like this and suddenly felt a little helpless, but also a little... relieved. Whether he was single-minded or slow-witted, this pure determination to move towards his goal regardless of everything was perhaps the most dazzling thing about this boy.

As for Hinata... Neji sighed silently in his heart.

Dear cousin, your brother has done his best. You have to walk the rest of the road by yourself.

"Alright." Neji stood up, patted Naruto on the shoulder, and said, "Since that's what you think, then good luck. But remember—relationships aren't a competition; you can't win a trophy just by winning. Sometimes, letting go takes courage."

Naruto nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Neji said no more and turned to leave. As he reached the door, he glanced back— Naruto had already picked up his ramen bowl again, slurping as he watched a replay on TV, looking completely carefree, as if the conversation had never happened.

"She's so... innocent, it's enviable," Neji murmured, pushing open the door and stepping out.

The sun was shining brightly, casting warm steam on the wet streets. Neji checked the time—there was still more than an hour until his lunch appointment with Tenten.

He thought for a moment, then turned and walked towards the training ground. Since he had promised Sasuke he would secretly support him, he had to do something. Perhaps... teach him some knowledge about the Rinnegan beforehand? Or help him train his new Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan abilities?

But after taking a few steps, he stopped again.

"What's the rush?" Neji muttered to himself, a smile playing on his lips. "Madara is still laying the groundwork, the fear is still brewing in the Shinobi World, Sasuke is still exploring the new power of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan... Everything is proceeding according to plan."

He looked up at the clear sky. In his Tenseigan's perception, the Chakra flow in Konoha was steady and orderly; in the Hokage Office Building in the distance, Tsunade and Shikaku were dealing with mountains of documents; in the hospital, Kakashi had just undergone eye transplant surgery and was recovering in a deep sleep; at the Uchiha Old Residence, Sasuke was practicing his new Mangekyou Mangekyo Sharingan ability in front of a mirror...

Meanwhile, deeper underground, Madara Uchiha was devising a new plan; Zetsu was traveling between countries, sowing seeds of fear; Demonic Statue of the Outer Path roared in the darkness, yearning for complete Chakra...

What a brilliant game of chess!

Neji stretched and decided to put his calculations aside for the time being. He turned and walked towards the flower shop.

Since there was plenty of time, since he had promised to have lunch together Tenten, since... this girl greeted him with such a pure smile.

Why not enjoy this rare moment of leisure that belongs to Neji Hyuga, a seventeen-year-old boy?

As for the conflicts in the Shinobi World, the direction of the game, and the enemy's conspiracies...

Let's talk about it after we finish eating the dumplings, strolling around the streets, and watching the sunset.

Neji hummed an unknown tune, his light steps blending into the flow of people on Konoha's streets. Sunlight shone on his long hair, gilding it with a warm golden edge.

At this moment, he was not Six Paths Tier powerhouse, not a chess player, and not a driver of change.

He was just a young man keeping a promise.