The next morning, the sun rose as usual, bathing the earth in warm sunlight.
A ray of sunlight slipped through the window and fell across Ruri's face. He slowly opened his eyes and looked outside.
"Another bright, sunny day!" Ruri threw back the covers and climbed out of bed as he spoke. After getting dressed, he began tidying up. Once he had washed, he looked especially refreshed.
Ruri put together a simple breakfast and ate a few bites, then tidied up and left home. Today, he was not going to train, but to have a meal at Hizashi's house.
After walking for a few dozen minutes, Ruri arrived at Hizashi's home.
Ruri raised his hand and knocked. Knock, knock, knock.
Just then, a woman's voice called from inside the courtyard, "Coming, coming!"
The courtyard gate slowly opened, revealing a woman's face. The corners of Ruri's mouth twitched when he saw her, because she was Aunt Meiling, whom he dreaded. Every time he visited Hizashi's home, she would pinch his cheeks.
"I'm here, Aunt Meiling!" Ruri said awkwardly.
Aunt Meiling smiled. "Little Ruri, come on in!" With that, Aunt Meiling pinched Ruri's cheek, then took his hand and pulled him into the courtyard.
"Meiling, who is it?" Hizashi asked from inside the house, where he was drinking tea.
"It's Ruri!" Meiling said with a smile.
Hizashi came out of the house and looked at Ruri. "Kid, you finally made it! Your Aunt Meiling has been talking about you for days. Come inside!"
"Okay, Uncle Hizashi!" Ruri followed Meiling into the house.
Sitting in the living room, Ruri looked around Hizashi's home. Hizashi Hyuga's house was not very large, but it was big enough for the three of them to live in.
"Come here, let Aunt Meiling have a look at you!" Meiling Hyuga began pinching Ruri's cheeks as she spoke. It made him terribly uncomfortable, but there was nothing he could do. He was just a cute little boy right now, after all.
"Oh, Ruri, you've gotten thinner these past few days! Have you been training really hard lately?" Mei Ling Hyuga asked with a frown.
Ruri looked at Meiling Hyuga and smiled. "No, Aunt Meiling. Training has been a little tough these past few days, but I can handle it!"
"That's right. Our Ruri really is gifted. He's already learned the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms at such a young age!" Hizashi Hyuga said as he brought tea out of the kitchen.
Ruri gave an awkward smile. "I'm not that gifted!"
"Really? Our Ruri is quite amazing!" Mei Ling Hyuga smiled again. "Ruri, would you like to see Neji? I don't think you've visited him since he was born!"
"Sure! Yes, it's been so long since Neji was born, and this will still be my first time meeting him!"
With that, Mei Ling Hyuga took Ruri to Neji Hyuga's room.
It was a small room with a cradle in the middle. A baby lay inside it: Neji Hyuga.
Mei Ling Hyuga gently picked Neji Hyuga up, then crouched in front of Ruri. "Look, Neji. This is your big brother Ruri!"
Neji Hyuga blinked his pale white eyes as he looked at Ruri Hyuga.
Ruri smiled too. "Hello, Neji! You've already grown so much!"
Ruri recalled that Neji Hyuga had also been a genius ninja in the original story. Neji Hyuga was a member of the Branch Family. Although the Main Family had restricted the abilities of his kekkei genkai, the Byakugan, his talent had allowed him to master taijutsu such as the Eight Trigrams Palm, which only the Main Family was permitted to use.
After losing to Naruto during the Chunin Ninja Exams, his view of fate had changed. He no longer believed that fate could not be changed.
During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Neji Hyuga had died heroically while protecting Naruto and Hinata, using his own body to block the Ten-Tails' Cutting Technique.
Later, Neji's father, Hizashi Hyuga, had willingly died in his elder brother's place. Yet Neji had always believed that the Main Family had forced his father to his death, and had hated the Hyuga Main Family until that hatred was finally resolved during the Chunin Ninja Exams.
"Neji, I believe you'll become very strong one day, just like me. I believe you're a genius ninja too. Let's work hard together!" Ruri told Neji with a smile. Neji opened his mouth and smiled back.
"All right, come out and eat! The food's almost cold!" Hizashi Hyuga called from the living room.
"Okay, Uncle Hizashi! We're coming!"
Mei Ling Hyuga laid little Neji back in his cradle, then left the room with Ruri. They returned to the living room, sat down at the table, and began eating.
During the meal, Ruri asked, "Uncle Hizashi, will I be going to the Ninja Academy next year?"
Hizashi nodded. "That's right. Next year, you'll start studying at the Ninja Academy. Once you graduate and become a Genin, you'll be able to go on missions!"
Ruri nodded without saying anything and continued eating. Aunt Meiling kept smiling and placing food in his bowl. "Eat a little more, Ruri."
Ruri nodded, then lowered his head and ate the food in his bowl.
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