Konoha: I Have a Gravity Training Room Chapter 50

Chapter 101: The Byakugan Can Evolve

Xia Mu listened quietly. He already knew all of this, but hearing Neji speak of it himself still made him sigh for Neji.

Neji's voice carried confusion and despair, like a little bird trapped in a cage, wanting to spread its wings and soar but unable to do so, only able to cry out in anguish.

In the original story, Hiashi Hyuga gave Hizashi Hyuga's final letter to Neji.

In the letter, Hizashi Hyuga said he had willingly chosen to die in his brother's place. Hiashi Hyuga also knelt and begged Neji for forgiveness, and Neji finally let go of his resentment.

It seemed touching, but the more one thought about it, the more absurd it became.

Kumogakure failed to kidnap the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Main Family, then shamelessly turned around and demanded Hiashi Hyuga's life. It was one thing for that old fool, the Third Hokage, to be weak and easily bullied, but the Hyuga Clan kept calling itself the strongest clan. Yet when faced with such a situation, they did not think of resisting. Instead, they cowardly yielded. Hiashi Hyuga even kept trying to kill himself to show his resolve.

If you weren't afraid of dying, why didn't you dare fight the Hokage? Why didn't you dare stand up to Kumogakure?

You said you would trade your life for the village's peace. Could the Hyuga Main Family really let their clan head die? That would have been humiliating. In the end, wouldn't it still have been Hizashi Hyuga, who looked exactly like you, dying in your place?

Hizashi Hyuga must have realized that too. Rather than being forced to die, he chose to die voluntarily. At least then, he could exchange his life for the clan treating Neji better.

But did the Hyuga Main Family treat Neji well? They did not!

Neji was such a genius, yet he had always been restricted. He had not even been qualified to learn Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven. If not for his exceptional talent and comprehension allowing him to figure it out himself, he would merely have been an ordinary genius now, with strength unworthy of notice.

The Hyuga Main Family wanted the Branch Family's protection, yet feared that the Branch Family would grow too powerful, so they refused to teach them many secret techniques.

It was utterly ridiculous!

What strongest clan in the Shinobi World? They were clearly the most laughable clan!

"Xia Mu, can you imagine the despair of being unable to control your own fate? I'm very desperate right now. I once believed that fate had already been decided, that it could not be resisted. But after someone like you, a commoner of ordinary birth, decisively defeated me, and after seeing that you could even fight Orochimaru while I, born into a prestigious clan, could do nothing... I wanted to believe in miracles.

"I've been thinking. You came from a commoner background, with no clan teachings whatsoever, yet you surpassed me through your own efforts. You even surpassed me by far. It's truly incredible, almost like a miracle.

"I want to believe in miracles. I want to break out of this cage and stop being a bird in a cage. I want to soar freely. Do you think I can do it?"

Neji's eyes were completely white, but Xia Mu seemed to see hope within them.

He had truly begun to believe in miracles!

Not because of Naruto's Talk no Jutsu, but because he had learned to think. He no longer stubbornly believed that fate could not be changed, all because Xia Mu had defeated and surpassed him.

Xia Mu took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Neji, fate can be changed. Miracles must be created by yourself. You need a clever mind, great strength, and a clear direction."

Neji's eyes lit up. He clenched the forehead protector in his hand. "What should I do?"

Xia Mu looked around, then suddenly raised his voice and called toward the front, "Might Guy, Tenten, Rock Lee, Neji and I are going to buy groceries. Come to my place for dinner tonight!"

"Oh? Xia Mu, are you treating us? Then go ahead!" Might Guy and Rock Lee waved.

"Go ahead, Xia Mu. I'll bring Might Guy and Rock Lee over later," Tenten said as well.

Xia Mu nodded, called out to Neji, and left.

Though Neji was confused, he immediately followed. However, he had not expected Xia Mu to skip buying groceries entirely and head straight home.

Xia Mu smiled. "Don't worry about ingredients. We have plenty at home. The main thing is that some matters aren't convenient to discuss outside. Check whether anyone is nearby. We can't let anyone eavesdrop."

Neji immediately understood that what Xia Mu wanted to say was no trivial matter. He activated his Byakugan at once and scanned the area. After finding no one, he quickly nodded to Xia Mu.

Xia Mu poured two cups of water and gathered his thoughts again. "Neji, have you ever considered this? If the purpose was simply to protect the Byakugan, then everyone could have been branded with the Caged Bird Seal. Why did they have to distinguish between the Main Family and Branch Family? Why were the Main Family forbidden from receiving the Caged Bird Seal? Even if the seal gave the Byakugan a blind spot, that was not such a major issue. True strength would not fear such a minor blind spot, would it?"

Neji frowned. He had truly never thought about it seriously. Normally, no one would think about something like that, right?

"Why?" he pressed.

"I think... perhaps it's because the Byakugan can evolve too!" Xia Mu made a shocking declaration.

Neji shot to his feet in shock, his face filled with disbelief. Clearly, the sudden claim had startled him. But after considering it carefully, it actually seemed possible.

Just as Xia Mu had said, if the goal had truly been only to protect the Byakugan, then branding everyone with the Caged Bird Seal would have been enough. There would have been no need for this nonsense about the Main Family and Branch Family. The Main Family would not need to hide inside the clan grounds, too afraid to go out, and the Branch Family would not need to divide its manpower to protect the Main Family. If everyone united and fought outside, wouldn't that be how the Hyuga Clan built its illustrious reputation?

Instead, the Main Family was a group of turtles hiding in their shells, while the Branch Family was enslaved by those turtles. The glory of the Hyuga Clan had long become history. The Main Family only indulged in past glory and had already rotted beyond repair.

Had the person who created the Caged Bird Seal not foreseen such consequences?

No, they definitely had. Anyone who was not stupid could have thought of it. Yet they still chose this path, still divided the clan into the Main Family and Branch Family. What exactly was it for?

With Xia Mu's single statement, perhaps he had found the truth.

The Byakugan could evolve. Or rather, a pure Byakugan could evolve!

Neji's lips trembled. "Is it... is it really like that?"

Xia Mu spread his hands. "It's only a guess, but I think it probably is. Think about it. The Byakugan and Sharingan are known as two of the Three Great Dōjutsu, yet the Sharingan can continually evolve and grow stronger. Before the Uchiha Clan was exterminated, powerful Uchiha emerged one after another. But what about the Hyuga Clan? Who did they have? And since they are both among the Three Great Dōjutsu, the Byakugan's performance has been rather disappointing. Instead, the Gentle Fist has quite the reputation. But the Hyuga are a dōjutsu clan, not a Gentle Fist clan!"

Neji nodded seriously. "You're right. The Byakugan is as famous as the Sharingan, but it has always performed worse than the Sharingan. Since the Sharingan can keep evolving, the Byakugan naturally can too—especially a pure Byakugan! That must be why they preserve the Main Family and refuse to let the pure Byakugan be restrained by the Caged Bird Seal. They are waiting for the day when a pair of Byakugan evolves and truly allows the Hyuga Clan to rise!"

By the time he said this, Neji felt as though everything had suddenly become clear.

Yet the more he understood, the heavier his heart became.

So he was still that bird in a cage, still unable to obtain freedom. Whether he understood the truth behind the Main Family and Branch Family was actually meaningless.

Chapter 102: Neji's Transformation

Xia Mu smiled. "Neji, the Hyuga Clan is ancient, but in all these years, has there ever been an example of a Byakugan evolving? No, right? Perhaps the legendary Hyuga Tenin evolved his Byakugan, but the Hyuga Clan today can no longer produce an evolved Byakugan.

"They say the Branch Family has the Caged Bird Seal, but does the Main Family not have a cage too? They do! They have trapped themselves in a cage called Konoha. They are cowardly, rotten, arrogant, and complacent. A group of useless cowards who fear death, lack ambition, and do not even dare leave the village—how are they any different from the Branch Family that cannot fly?

"At least the Branch Family resists. The Main Family only flaunts its outdated rules, forever intoxicated by its former glory and unable to wake up. Can such a Main Family make the Byakugan evolve?"

"No!"

Neji answered without hesitation.

Even if he had been lost, he still knew that such a Main Family could never achieve the evolution of the Byakugan!

The Uchiha's Sharingan needed constant stimulation to evolve, and the Uchiha constantly fought and never stopped becoming stronger. Perhaps the Uchiha were arrogant, but their eyes could truly evolve.

What about the Hyuga Clan? The Branch Family, which dared to resist, was locked in a cage. The rotten Main Family hid cowardly inside its own cage. No one could fly, and no one could evolve!

Haha! What a ridiculous Hyuga Clan!

Neji felt a strange sense of vengeful satisfaction and actually laughed for a moment.

But Xia Mu stopped him. "Don't be so quick to laugh. When I said miracles must be created by yourself, I wasn't just fooling you. You need a clever mind so that you can learn to think and understand how to find a way to break free from your shackles. A pure Byakugan may be more likely to evolve, but no one has ever said that a Byakugan under the Caged Bird Seal cannot evolve, right? Perhaps the day your Byakugan evolves will be the day the cage opens."

Neji fell into thought, considering that possibility.

"You have an advantage, because your talent is truly high. The Main Family has no Caged Bird Seal and thus willingly falls into decay, while you have the Caged Bird Seal and therefore long to fly. Who do you think will ultimately walk out of the birdcage? You need to think about how to evolve. Finding that method is the clear direction you need. Besides that, you need great strength. Only a truly powerful person can control his own fate and break free from the cage. What do you think?"

"You're right!"

Neji's eyes shone. "I need a clever mind, great strength, and a clear direction. Only then can I make my Byakugan evolve, walk out of the birdcage, and truly soar freely!"

Seeing this, Xia Mu let out a sigh of relief.

It seemed that he had Talk no Jutsu too.

However, his Talk no Jutsu differed from Naruto's. Naruto made promises, promising that once he became Hokage, he would solve everything. Xia Mu, meanwhile, analyzed things rationally and offered a logical conclusion, allowing Neji to come to his own realization.

The results were different. In the original story, Neji believed Naruto's Talk no Jutsu and trusted Naruto like a god. But now, Neji understood Xia Mu's analysis, grasped the truth, and decided to grow on his own, break his shackles on his own, and seize control of his fate on his own. Perhaps that was best.

Between placing hope in others and striving to seek hope himself, Xia Mu preferred the latter.

And Neji clearly needed the latter more.

Xia Mu stood up and smiled. "As for what exactly you should do, think it over carefully. If you need help in the future, you can ask. If you run into any difficult problems, you can come discuss them with me. For now, though, I should cook. Otherwise, my girlfriend will nag me when she gets back."

With that, he turned and headed into the kitchen.

"Xia Mu, thank you!"

Neji thanked him solemnly, then stood as well and helped wash the vegetables.

It was as if the haze in his heart had been swept away. His entire person seemed much brighter. He had seen hope, and so he had come alive again.

Before long, Tenten returned with Might Guy and Rock Lee.

The two green beasts wanted to help, but Xia Mu refused. He created a Shadow Clone to play cards with them, and seeing that, Tenten also created a Shadow Clone to join the card game while their real bodies went to work in the kitchen.

They absolutely could not let Shadow Clones cook, because Shadow Clones could disappear. If a clone suddenly vanished while carrying dishes, wouldn't the freshly cooked food go to waste?

Just like in Boruto, Naruto was always busy as the Seventh Hokage. He even used a Shadow Clone to deal with his daughter's birthday. Then the Shadow Clone disappeared, the cake fell all over the floor, and Boruto got so angry he wanted to kill his father. Naruto was an idiot too. Couldn't he have sent several Shadow Clones to work while staying home himself to celebrate his daughter's birthday?

That was getting off topic. Back to the matter at hand.

Xia Mu and Tenten's Shadow Clones invited Rock Lee, Neji, and Might Guy to play Ninja Kill. It was quite lively.

However, Might Guy looked at Neji in surprise. He felt that Neji seemed somewhat different. He no longer seemed as aloof as before. He was happy while playing cards with everyone, and he even smiled sometimes.

Might Guy did not know the reason, but it was a good change.

Might Guy had always known about the Hyuga Clan's messy affairs, and he had been worried about Neji because of it. That was why he did not dare interfere too easily in Neji's personal matters, nor did he mind Neji's cold demeanor. He had only taught Neji with his passionate spirit. But now, seeing Neji's change, he could not help feeling comforted, and he nearly burst into tears.

However, Might Guy secretly glanced toward the kitchen. He had a feeling that Neji's transformation was connected to Xia Mu.

If it really was Xia Mu's doing, then he was truly grateful.

At that moment, Rock Lee suddenly said, "I feel like you're a little different, Neji. You actually smiled while playing cards. Did something good happen?"

Might Guy could not help raising a thumb. Well done, Rock Lee! I wanted to ask too, but I didn't dare!

Neji's smile stiffened. He shook his head. "Perhaps it is a good thing. Xia Mu simply talked me through a few things, and I figured out quite a lot."

So it really was Xia Mu!

Might Guy glanced at Xia Mu's Shadow Clone, gratitude in his eyes.

Neji's psychological troubles had always left him at a loss. Now, he could finally relax.

"Well, it's good that you figured things out. That's a good thing. Don't overthink things anymore," Might Guy said, speaking words only Neji and Xia Mu understood.

"Mm. Thank you, Might Guy. I've made you worry," Neji said sincerely.

Neji had always known that Might Guy cared about him. Might Guy was even afraid of hurting him, so he never asked too much and only diligently taught him. Neji had always remembered that.

Rock Lee was somewhat confused. "What are you talking about?"

Xia Mu's Shadow Clone immediately changed the subject. "Don't ask about other people's private matters. Let's keep playing cards. Oh, and my cooking has been praised by my friends. You're all in for a treat tonight."

Rock Lee was immediately distracted. "It's delicious? Then I'm looking forward to it!"

Chapter 103: Lending Money to Rock Lee

Xia Mu's cooking did not disappoint anyone.

In Xia Mu's eyes, they were merely ordinary home-cooked dishes. But because Konoha did not have much delicious food, even home-cooked dishes tasted wonderful to everyone.

Moreover, Xia Mu made generous portions of meat dishes. Rock Lee, whose family circumstances were average at best and even poor, ate until tears filled his eyes. He was only a step away from dramatically declaring Xia Mu the God of Cooking.

"Xia Mu, your cooking is so delicious!" Rock Lee said as he stuffed his face, somehow freeing one hand to give a thumbs-up.

"Of course. It was this incredible cooking that left Tenten completely enchanted by me. Ever since then, she hasn't been able to leave me," Xia Mu said with a straight face.

"Yes, yes, yes. My boyfriend is the best cook, and I love it," Tenten helplessly agreed.

However, seeing Rock Lee like this made Xia Mu worried.

Rock Lee's poor family circumstances meant that he did not consume enough meat, let alone maintain balanced nutrition. Yet Rock Lee trained crazily under such conditions. Not only would his progress be slow, it would also harm his body.

Might Guy perhaps understood this too, since he had gone through the same thing. However, the support he could offer Rock Lee was too limited. Even though he was already a jonin and could earn money from high-level missions, his own even more intense training required greater nutrition and naturally cost more money. He simply could not spare enough for Rock Lee.

This would not do!

Xia Mu could not help speaking up. "Rock Lee, your training intensity is very high, so you must consume enough meat and nutrients. I know your family isn't well-off and that you don't have the money to eat better, but you can't keep going on like this. You need to find a solution!"

Tenten and Neji nodded in agreement.

If one did not consume enough energy after intense training, it could leave the body depleted. The consequences would be serious, so it could not be ignored.

Rock Lee paused, not knowing how to respond.

Naturally, he understood this too. He wanted to eat well and replenish himself, but he truly had no money.

Might Guy shed tears of self-reproach. "This is all my responsibility! I made Rock Lee undergo such high-intensity training, yet I cannot help him with food. I'm truly an unqualified teacher!"

Rock Lee panicked and quickly said, "That's not true! Might Guy has taught me so much. You're the best teacher! It's only a small hardship—I'll definitely overcome it!"

"Rock Lee! What a passionate answer full of youth!"

"Yeah!!! Might Guy!"