"Brother?" Naruto's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he processed the exchange between Neji and Hinata.
Though he had immediately recognized the distinctive pupilless eyes as a Hyuga clan trait, he hadn't expected this stern-looking boy to be Hinata's brother. Throughout their time at the Academy together, Hinata had never mentioned having a sibling.
Before Naruto could ponder this further, Hyuga Neji approached their group with measured steps. He completely ignored the emotional scene between Lee and Sasuke, his focus entirely on Hinata as he came to stand before her.
After casting a brief, assessing glance at Naruto, Neji addressed Hinata directly, his tone formal and unyielding.
"Lady Hinata, as the future heir of our clan, you must be mindful of your conduct when addressing others," he admonished. "Such timidity brings dishonor to the Hyuga name. You must carry yourself with the dignity befitting your position."
"I wasn't—" Hinata began, her voice soft but insistent. "Naruto-kun is my friend. I was just..."
Her explanation faltered as she darted a nervous glance toward Naruto. Whatever she had intended to say remained unspoken, trapped by her characteristic shyness.
Neji showed no interest in pursuing this particular line of conversation. "I simply ask that you remember your station," he continued, his tone brooking no argument.
"Yes," Hinata acquiesced with multiple small nods, making no attempt to challenge his pronouncement.
Naruto observed the interaction with growing irritation. What Neji interpreted as proper obedience from an heir, Naruto saw as resignation—Hinata's gentle spirit crushed beneath the weight of clan expectations. As the heir to the main family, she was expected to project strength and authority, qualities that ran counter to her naturally kind and gentle disposition.
Unable to contain himself any longer, Naruto interjected, "You've been lecturing her from the moment you saw her. It's endless! Even if you are her brother, you're being way too harsh."
Neji's pale eyes narrowed fractionally. "This matter does not concern you," he stated coldly.
"Then how Hinata interacts with others shouldn't concern you either!" Naruto shot back immediately, his voice rising with indignation.
"Because she is—" Neji began, only to be cut off by Naruto's sharp interruption.
"I know exactly what you're going to say," Naruto's face contorted with disgust. "Because she's the heir to your precious clan, she can't embarrass the almighty Hyuga, right?"
His blue eyes flashed with anger as he continued, "If you're so worried about the clan's reputation, go earn it yourself instead of forcing others to change who they are! Making life difficult for a girl like Hinata—that's just the behavior of a complete jerk!"
The vehemence in Naruto's voice reflected his genuine outrage. From Neji's condescending tone and rigid demeanor, it was painfully obvious that the Hyuga clan cared little for Hinata's personal wishes or comfort. They had burdened her with expectations without consideration for who she truly was.
Neji remained unmoved by Naruto's outburst. "This is her responsibility as the eldest daughter of the Hyuga main family," he stated with unwavering conviction. His pale eyes shifted to regard Naruto with cool assessment. "You speak without understanding. Though you may only be a genin now, you are still the Hokage's son. You should be accountable for your words."
"What I just said, I said as myself!" Naruto's face flushed with mounting anger, his emotions bubbling to the surface. "I take full responsibility for my own words and actions, but they have nothing to do with my father!"
The accusation that he would hide behind his father's position struck a particularly raw nerve with Naruto. Throughout his life, he had struggled to establish his own identity separate from the towering legacy of the Yellow Flash.
"One would hope so," Neji replied, his eyes taking on a shadowed quality.
"You don't have to hold back, you know," Naruto said with a knowing smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Let's be honest—if I weren't the Hokage's son, you wouldn't even bother talking to me right now. You'd have attacked me outright for daring to interrupt your conversation with Hinata. You're restraining yourself because of who my father is."
He shook his head, a mixture of bitterness and resignation in his expression. "You don't need to put on an act."
Being the son of the Fourth Hokage was an immutable fact of Naruto's existence, but it was a title he had always resented. His father's generation had cast such long shadows that Naruto often felt invisible beneath them. No matter how hard he worked or what he accomplished, the praise he received always carried the same underlying sentiment: As expected of the Hokage's son!
Neji remained silent in the face of Naruto's accusation. His lack of denial was confirmation enough.
"N-Naruto-kun, thank you, but Neji-niisan is just—" Hinata stepped forward, her brow creased with worry as she attempted to defuse the escalating tension between the two boys.
"Lady Hinata, there is no need to explain on my behalf," Neji interrupted smoothly. He turned his attention back to Naruto, his expression hardening. "You are correct about one thing—no outsider should interfere in the affairs of another family."
His voice took on an edge of steel as he continued, "Remember this lesson well. Should we meet during the Chunin Exams, I will ensure you understand the consequences of your arrogance."
"Looking forward to it," Naruto replied with a challenging grin.
Neji offered Hinata a respectful nod before turning away. "Lee," he called to his green-clad teammate, "you've created enough of a spectacle. The first examination is about to commence."
"Right!" Lee responded with characteristic enthusiasm. Before departing, he flashed a dazzling smile at Sakura. "Sakura-san, please wait for me! I shall return to properly express my feelings for you after I've proven my worth!"
With that declaration hanging in the air, he quickly followed Neji and their kunoichi teammate, Tenten, toward the staircase leading to the examination room.
"Let's go too," Naruto said, casting a final concerned glance at Hinata.
"Yes," she nodded, falling into step alongside Kiba and Shino as they all began moving toward the exam venue.
Sakura exhaled a relieved sigh as the eccentric Lee finally departed. As Naruto passed by, she muttered under her breath, "Naruto is such a troublemaker. He's already made enemies before the exam has even started. Chiharu and Shin-senpai are going to suffer because of him."
Her comment caught Sasuke's attention, causing him to glance in her direction—a rare acknowledgment that momentarily sparked hope in Sakura's heart.
That fleeting hope was instantly crushed by his next words.
"Women like you are the real burden," Sasuke stated, undisguised contempt in his dark eyes.
The harsh assessment wasn't directed solely at Sakura. It was clear that others—Sai, Kiba, perhaps even Shino—likely shared her opinion that Naruto had needlessly involved himself in someone else's business.
On a rational level, Sasuke understood that Naruto's interference in the Hyuga family dynamics could be considered inappropriate. Yet, deep within, he found himself in complete agreement with Naruto's actions.
Sasuke, too, despised those who imposed rigid expectations on others, forcing them to sacrifice their true selves for the sake of reputation or tradition. In Naruto's defense of Hinata, Sasuke recognized a quality he secretly admired—the courage to stand against convention when it harmed someone vulnerable.
Sakura's face fell at Sasuke's cutting remark, her expression crumpling with hurt.
Without another word, Sasuke turned and walked purposefully toward the staircase, leaving Sakura frozen in place.
"Let's go," Sai said gently, placing a comforting hand on Sakura's shoulder. "The exam is about to begin. It's probably best not to get involved in such disputes in the future."
From an outside perspective, Naruto's reaction might have seemed excessive. But Sai, with his observant nature, suspected there was more to it than mere impulsiveness. Naruto must have had his reasons for reacting so strongly.
Examination Hall
The first examination of the Chunin Exams was held in a vast chamber that dwarfed the standard Academy classrooms, occupying nearly an entire floor of the building. Its size was necessitated by the joint nature of the exams—with participants from both Konoha and Sunagakure, the number of candidates was substantially larger than usual.
As Naruto's group entered the room, they immediately felt the weight of numerous gazes fixed upon them. The atmosphere was charged with tension, a palpable sense of assessment and challenge hanging in the air.
Almost simultaneously, Sasuke and Naruto traced one particular stare to its source. Gaara, the red-haired Sand ninja with a massive gourd strapped to his back, was observing them with an unsettling half-smile that never reached his eyes.
"We're being watched," Chiharu murmured softly, acutely aware of the many sets of eyes tracking their movement across the room.
The majority of these attentive gazes came from Sand ninja. It seemed their identities as children of the Fourth Hokage were common knowledge among the Sunagakure contingent.
For the past decade, every student who entered the Sand Village Ninja Academy had been required to memorize one particular name. This practice wasn't unique to Sunagakure—textbooks in Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure similarly contained detailed accounts of a man whose exploits had reshaped the ninja world.
Though more than a decade had passed since the end of the war, the formidable reputation attached to that name had not diminished with time. If anything, it had grown more legendary, spoken with a mixture of fear and respect in every corner of the shinobi nations.
Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha—the Yellow Flash who had single-handedly turned the tide of the Third Shinobi World War.
And now his children stood before their peers, targets of curiosity, resentment, and in some cases, a desire for vicarious revenge. The burden of their father's legacy was made manifest in the hostile stares directed their way, particularly from those whose villages had suffered devastating losses at Minato's hands.
Naruto straightened his posture, returning the stares with unwavering determination. If they thought the children of the Yellow Flash would be intimidated by mere looks, they were sorely mistaken. The Chunin Exams had barely begun, but the true test—proving themselves as individuals rather than extensions of their father's legacy—was already underway.
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