Facing Hyuga Hiashi's lengthy speech, Hyuga Hizashi's expression turned cold. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone carried a sharp edge like steel.
"Hyuga Hiashi, I am different from you," he said flatly.
"If the Hokage restricts me, I will smash the Hokage."
"If someone wants to kill my brother, I will make sure that person dies first."
The quiet conviction in his voice caused Hiashi to freeze for a moment. He studied his younger brother with a mix of surprise and reminiscence. Then, unexpectedly, a faint smile touched his lips.
"Neji, I used to be like you," Hiashi replied slowly. "But people only become truly brave when they have nothing. When you possess everything, you will eventually become like me."
Everyone had selfish motives—Hiashi understood this truth deeply. To him, sacrifice without reason was pointless. But Hizashi's words burned with defiance, rejecting that logic outright.
Hizashi's eyes hardened. If even one is willing to sacrifice their own blood for power, what makes them different from a beast?
The tension in the izakaya thickened. Hiashi's calm words were answered only by Hizashi's quiet, murderous intent.
"Nonsense!"
A sharp sound broke the silence.
Thud!
A flash of steel cut through the dim lamplight. Hiashi's eyes widened as the world tilted. His head separated from his shoulders, rolling across the floor. Blood gushed out in a crimson arc, staining the wooden boards.
Hizashi exhaled slowly, face expressionless, as if killing his own twin brought him neither triumph nor sorrow. He leaned down, pried the Byakugan from Hiashi's lifeless form, and pressed it into his own eye socket. His form shimmered, and in the next instant, his appearance twisted.
The man who stepped out of the izakaya was no longer Hizashi, but the image of Hyuga Hiashi himself. Calm, dignified, unhurried—he blended into the bustling night crowd and vanished.
---
The Toy Store
Not far from there, in the heart of Konoha, life carried on as if nothing had happened.
A small toy store sat under the glow of lanterns. Inside, bright shelves displayed dolls, trinkets, and playful curiosities.
At the entrance, a blond-haired boy stood quietly beneath the eaves, his azure eyes fixed on a frog-shaped wallet. Its comical bulging eyes reminded him of the goggles he wore, and its open mouth seemed to mock him with a permanent grin.
Uzumaki Naruto swallowed hard and dug into his pocket. He counted the handful of coins he had scraped together over weeks of effort. They weren't much, but for him, this frog wallet was worth it. For once, he wanted to buy himself something nice—something that belonged only to him.
But when he pointed at it, the shop owner's face twisted with disdain.
"Everything in this store can be sold to anyone… except you," the man spat venomously. "Get out!"
He grabbed a broom, waving it as though driving away a pest.
The customers inside turned to look. Some frowned in disgust, others simply shook their heads and left.
Most of them were ordinary villagers. They didn't know Naruto's true identity. They didn't know he was the son of the Fourth Hokage. All they saw was the vessel of the Nine-Tailed Fox—the beast that had ravaged their homes years ago.
Even the shinobi present, those who did know, chose to remain silent. They tugged their children away, unwilling to intervene.
As more and more customers left, the shopkeeper's face grew darker. He glared at Naruto as though he were some curse dragging his livelihood down.
"Didn't you hear me? Get out!" he roared, raising the broom higher.
Naruto froze. The broom didn't hurt nearly as much as the hatred in the man's eyes. That gaze was sharper than any weapon.
For a fleeting second, Naruto thought maybe, just maybe, the shop owner had forgotten about him after all this time. But reality was merciless. The pain returned sharper than ever.
Still, Naruto forced himself to smile. He had practiced that smile countless times—it was his only defense.
"Sell me that frog wallet," he said softly, holding out his coins with both hands. "I'll give you everything I have."
The shopkeeper sneered, snatching the frog wallet off the shelf. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it out into the crowded street.
"You want it? Go fetch it!"
The wallet bounced onto the stones. A few passersby deliberately stomped on it, crushing the fabric beneath their sandals before kicking it away.
Naruto's chest tightened. In that moment, he saw himself in that wallet—trampled, unwanted, treated like trash.
He dashed after it, but a foot hooked out from nowhere, and he tumbled face-first into the dirt. His coins scattered across the street, clinking loudly.
Laughter erupted around him.
"Hahaha!"
"Look at the Nine-Tailed Fox, how pathetic."
"Too bad he didn't break his neck."
The words cut deeper than blades.
But Naruto ignored them. His eyes darted desperately over the cobblestones. My money… I can't lose it.
He scrambled on his hands and knees, dirty palms pressing against the ground as he gathered the scattered coins. Passersby sneered, stepping aside—or worse, stepping on the coins before he could grab them.
Finally, only one coin remained, lying in the middle of the road.
Naruto pushed through the crowd, hand stretching out—only for another child to snatch it up.
"I… thank you—" Naruto began, relief flickering across his face.
But the boy smirked and hurled the coin far into the distance.
Naruto froze. His small hands clenched around the coins he had saved, trembling. His throat burned, but no words came out.
Why? Why do you all treat me this way?
The frog wallet lay crumpled in the dirt. Naruto bent down, picked it up, and brushed it off with trembling fingers. It was still smiling at him, but all he wanted to do was cry.
He stuffed the coins into the wallet's belly and zipped it closed. Only then did the frog shut its mocking mouth.
"You and it… you're both hurt, aren't you?"
The voice was soft, gentle, and without malice.
Naruto's head snapped up. His wide eyes met a pair of jade-clear eyes that regarded him with curiosity rather than contempt.
A young woman stood there, flipping a coin effortlessly in her palm. She wore a different headband than Konoha's, her long hair swaying lightly as she tilted her head.
"Kid, is this yours?" Yugito asked, tossing the coin once more before catching it.
Naruto blinked in surprise. He had never been spoken to like that before.
Before he could answer, another voice joined in.
"I saw it," Neji said calmly as he approached. "It belongs to him."
Naruto stared between them, flustered. These weren't villagers. Their forehead protectors carried different symbols. Shinobi, but not from Konoha.
Still, they weren't mocking him.
Naruto's lips trembled. "Th-thank you… I'm called—"
But his words were cut short by the loud growl of his stomach. His face flushed crimson.
Neji chuckled softly, patting his own pocket. "Seems we're the same—hungry. But I'm luckier. I have money."
Naruto's eyes widened.
Neji pointed to the Ichiraku Ramen shop down the street. "Nice to meet you. Come on, I'll treat you to ramen."
For a moment, Naruto stood frozen. He was used to being ignored, used to hatred, used to indifference. The only kindness he'd ever known was from the Third Hokage, Teuchi, and Ayame.
Why were these strangers… different?
But his heart leapt. This was what he had always wished for.
"…Old man Teuchi! Three bowls of char siu ramen!" Neji called as they stepped inside.
Naruto followed quietly, clutching the frog wallet to his chest.
Inside, the warmth of the ramen shop enveloped him. The familiar scent of broth filled the air. He sat between Neji and Yugito, heart pounding with excitement.
"Hello, I'm Uzumaki Naruto," he introduced himself brightly, his smile infectious. "What are your names?"
Neji's gaze softened. He remembered this smile from another lifetime—the smile that had once changed the world. He sighed inwardly.
"I'm Hyuga Neji," he said with a nod. "Nice to meet you."
Yugito hesitated until Neji nudged her under the table. She gave Naruto a small smile. "I'm Yugito. Nice to meet you."
Naruto's grin grew even wider. His heart felt light for the first time in ages.
---
Ramen and Reflection
As Teuchi set steaming bowls before them, Naruto's eyes lit up. His mouth watered, but he hesitated, embarrassed.
"Eat," Neji urged, pushing the first bowl toward him.
Naruto's hands shook as he lifted his chopsticks. Tears welled up and spilled over, mixing with the broth as he slurped greedily.
Why won't they play with me? Why won't anyone sell to me? Why do they all hate me? Did I do something wrong? Was I born a mistake?
The thoughts stabbed his heart, but the warmth of the ramen softened the pain.
Neji watched him silently, his chest heavy. Naruto's suffering was more than personal misfortune—it was the product of Konoha's failures. Sarutobi Hiruzen had hidden Naruto's lineage while allowing rumors of the Nine-Tails to fester. The villagers' hatred had found an outlet in an innocent child.
Even the great clans who knew the truth kept their distance. They dared not provoke the Hokage, nor comfort the boy. And so Naruto bore everything alone.
As Naruto wiped his tears and kept eating, Neji took a breath. His chakra flared faintly, his Byakugan shifting beneath the goggles, evolving into the luminous Tenseigan.
In the next moment, his consciousness slipped quietly into Naruto's mindscape.
The air was heavy with killing intent. Dark waters rippled beneath his feet as he stepped forward. Before long, he stood before towering bars, behind which loomed a vast shadow of fur and malice.
The Nine-Tailed Fox stirred, its eyes glowing like burning coals.
"Hello," Neji said softly, gazing up at the imprisoned beast. "Nine-Tails…"
---
Meanwhile
Elsewhere in Konoha, unrest brewed.
Inaho Uchiha rushed to find Fugaku, his face pale with worry. "Captain, Tekka has gone missing."
Fugaku's brows furrowed deeply. "Missing?"
"Yes. The night before yesterday, he led a patrol but never returned. I searched everywhere he usually goes, but there's no sign of him."
Under normal circumstances, a day's absence might not be alarming. But now, with shinobi from all over the world gathered in Konoha and tension running high, this disappearance was ominous.
Fugaku's eyes narrowed. "Inaho, Tekka awakened his Three Tomoe last month, didn't he?"
"Yes," Inaho confirmed.
Fugaku's expression darkened further. A Three Tomoe Uchiha was not easily subdued, especially within the heavily guarded village.
For a jonin of such strength to vanish without a trace…
Who could be behind this?
patreon (Obito_uchiha)