Naruto: Naruto's Uchiha girlfriend is too arrogant

Chapter 37 The Vow of New Life

The time for parting finally arrived. Neji's emotions finally erupted, and despite biting his lip tightly, tears still welled up uncontrollably.

"Father..." his voice choked with emotion, "Please... don't leave me..."

Rizashi gently wiped away his son's tears. "I haven't left you, it's just... a temporary separation is necessary. Even if we're not in the same place, I'll always be watching over you and caring for you."

Seeing this heart-wrenching scene, Naruto, who was leaning against the wall, suddenly sighed.

"If you really don't want to separate," he interjected casually, "then you can stay."

Hizashi and Neji froze simultaneously, as if a pause button had been pressed.

"After Neji stays behind, I'll go and speak with the head of the Hyuga clan. Given my current 'fame' in the ninja world, he won't have any objections."

This is the most direct solution; Naruto hates pointless sentimental drama the most. With Menma's current intimidation, even if he went directly to the Third Hokage and said he wanted to take the Hyuga clan's children away, the latter probably wouldn't dare to say a single "no."

However, after a brief silence, Hizashi gave an unexpected answer. "Lord Menma, please take Neji back to Konoha."

Neji looked up abruptly, his eyes widening in disbelief. A wave of resentment washed over him; was his father... going to abandon him?

Fortunately, there wasn't that melodramatic "I'm doing this for your own good, but I just won't say it" kind of thing; the misunderstanding didn't linger. He looked his son straight in the eye and spoke.

"Neji, it's not that I want to abandon you... it's that Lord Menma gave me a second life, and I've sworn to be loyal to him. But you're still too young; it's not suitable for you to live a life of hiding and running with me."

"Only in Konoha can you forge new bonds. Your life shouldn't be confined to my side. In the future, you will make friends, meet teachers, and even... meet someone you like. These precious bonds can only be gained through your own experiences."

Neji's tears were still flowing, but he understood the deeper meaning in his father's words. This was not abandonment, but rather a way to give him a broader future.

Hizashi gave his son a tight hug at the end, whispering in his ear, "Remember, no matter how far apart we are, you will always be my proudest son."

------

As dawn broke, inside the Hyuga branch family's residence...

A faint light flashed from the Flying Thunder God Technique, and Neji's figure silently appeared in his room without alerting anyone. Naruto, after confirming his safe return, casually waved.

"Alright, keep up the good work from now on, Ghana!"

He turned to leave, but—"...Wait a minute! Master Menma!"

Neji suddenly called out to him.

Naruto paused, turned around, and saw little Neji clenching his fists, his Byakugan still bearing traces of tears, but his eyes were unusually firm.

"I really...really...thank you so much..." Neji's voice choked with emotion as he spoke, each word distinct. "I...don't know what to say..."

Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing, just a small favor, and saving your father is also beneficial to me."

Neji took a deep breath, his small chest heaving. "I... am too weak... I can't repay you now..." His voice grew clearer, "But if one day you need strength! I will definitely—"

Before he could finish speaking, Naruto suddenly reached out and gently flicked Neji's forehead.

"Honestly... you didn't heed a single word of your father's most important advice."

Neji covered his forehead, looking somewhat bewildered.

Naruto said irritably, "I'm not so down on my luck that I need a child's help."

"No! This isn't helping! This is ineffective—"

"No need for loyalty either."

"Huh?"

Neji's eyes widened slightly as he stared at Menma in confusion. Why? Why did he refuse his request to repay the debt of gratitude? Was it really because he was too weak? His small hands unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes.

Are all the children in the ninja world so precocious?

Naruto, hidden behind the mask, sighed inwardly. Although he was only three years old in real life, a year younger than Neji, his mental age was already over twenty. Recalling his own silly self at four years old, and looking at this precocious child before him, he couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.

"Because of a near-death experience, your father's wishes changed. Initially, he might have hoped that you would become the Hyuga family's genius and heir. But now—he only wants you to grow up safely."

He leaned forward slightly. "Don't waste his efforts."

Neji's pupils trembled slightly. After a moment of silence, he asked softly, "Father... was it really true that we almost... separated from the family... that we couldn't choose why we were born, but only why we died?"

He raised his head, his pure white eyes staring directly at the mask. "Lord Menma, do you think... this is the only way to change the fate of the branch family?"

Naruto straightened up, his black robe fluttering gently in the morning breeze. "No," he answered crisply and resolutely, "To change one's fate through death is too tragic."

Neji held his breath and listened quietly.

"I believe that there is no such thing as irreversible misfortune in this world—as long as the person involved has enough power, they can change everything."

A morning breeze swept through the courtyard, rustling the leaves.

"Ultimately, this is a world where the strong prey on the weak. Konoha fears that Kumogakure will start a war, the Hyuga cannot disobey Konoha's orders, and as a branch family member—the Hizashi—cannot defy the main family's decision."

Neji's fists clenched involuntarily.

"But I changed your father's fate." He reached out and gently placed his hand on Neji's head.

"The reason is simple—Konoha fears Kumogakure, and Konoha fears me, just as Konoha fears me. Because I am stronger than them, that's all."

"Stronger than anyone else..."

Neji murmured to himself, "Can I... also change fate?"

"Who knows?" Naruto shrugged casually, but continued, "Whether you can break the shackles between the main family and the branch family on your own depends on you."

"However... within the current Hyuga clan, you are indeed a genius who inherited the most outstanding talent, and no one can deny that."

Neji paused slightly, a flicker of emotion crossing his eyes. "Father... said something similar..."

Seeing Neji lost in thought, Naruto turned to leave again. Just then—a small hand suddenly tugged at his sleeve.

Naruto turned around and saw Neji's face, filled with resentment. A stubborn flame burned in his Byakugan eyes.

As expected... Naruto sighed inwardly. "Is it still hard for you to accept a favor that requires no repayment?"

Neji nodded emphatically, his voice resolute beyond what one would expect from a four-year-old. "Yes! I know... I'm too weak right now... I have no way to repay you..."

His little hands clenched even tighter.

"But that doesn't mean the future! I will definitely become a powerful ninja! Lord Menma! Please give me a chance!" Neji practically shouted. "This isn't because of my father! It's the path I chose myself!"

"...I just can't do anything with you."

Naruto spoke softly, slowly turning around. Neji felt the sleeve in his hand being gently pulled away, and his heart suddenly felt empty.

Just then—an object suddenly flew towards him. Neji instinctively caught it, looked down, and his pupils contracted sharply. "This is...!"

In his hand was Menma's iconic fox mask.

Neji looked up abruptly, only to see Menma with his back to him. The true face that the entire ninja world wanted to investigate was now exposed to him without any defenses.

But Neji didn't see it.

"If in the future—you have the confidence to stand before me."

"Bring this with you when you come to me."

"At that time..."

The rising sun shone behind him, casting a dazzling halo around him. It pierced straight into Neji's heart.

"Let me see for myself the true character of this so-called genius of the Hyuga clan."

Neji stared blankly at the figure in front of him.

The morning light bathed the world in white. The blinding light made Neji squint, and when he rubbed his eyes and opened them again—there was no one there.

"...Menma-sama!"

Neji shouted in a panic, his voice echoing in the empty room. The experience of this night was so surreal that he almost thought it was a dream.

The next moment, the icy touch in his hand told him that it was all real. The fox mask that struck fear into the hearts of the entire ninja world was now lying quietly in his palm.

Neji looked down at the mask, then looked up at the rising sun on the horizon.

The seed of a dream took root and sprouted at that moment. In the morning light, an unprecedented light ignited in the child's eyes.

From this day forward, Hyuga Neji begins a brand new life.