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Konoha – Hyūga Clan Compound
CRACK!
A training post, already battered from countless strikes, splintered and fell. A young boy, no older than five, stood before it, sweat soaking through his white training uniform. His chest heaved with shallow breaths.
"Neji!"
A voice called out stern, yet laced with guilt.
Hiashi Hyūga stood at the edge of the courtyard, watching the boy whose resemblance to his late brother was almost painful.
Neji turned, bowing respectfully. "Clan Head."
That formal tone. That distance. It struck Hiashi harder than any blow. He still remembered holding this boy in his arms, bright-eyed and full of promise. Now, that spark had hardened into something unreadable.
"I need to tell you something," Hiashi said.
Neji's expression didn't change. "It's about my father, isn't it?"
Hiashi paused. He knew Neji already understood. That sharp mind and icy calm weren't just the result of the bloodline. He had matured far too early.
"Your father, Hizashi... sacrificed himself for the clan and the village."
No reaction. Just quiet.
Then Neji spoke, voice devoid of warmth: "Did he leave a message?"
Hiashi clenched his fists. "He said... he was sorry. He couldn't keep his promise to you."
Even as brothers, their roles had been worlds apart. Hiashi, the heir of the main family, Hizashi, was relegated to serve as a branch member. And now, the weight of that tradition came full circle.
"There's one more thing," Hiashi continued, his tone heavy. "The Cursed Seal Ceremony... it can't be delayed any longer."
Neji closed his eyes.
He had known this day would come. It should've happened a year ago, but his father had begged for a time one final request before his death. That delay ended today.
Hiashi's words continued like knives: "I must uphold tradition. Even if you're my nephew, the Branch Family must be marked."
Neji didn't argue. He nodded. "Understood."
And then... something no one could've predicted.
Without a word, Neji raised his hands and gouged out both of his own eyes.
Hiashi froze, horror flooding him as blood splashed across the stone tiles. Neji didn't scream. Didn't flinch.
A few practiced movements, clean cloth, and a black blindfold.
Like he had planned this.
With unshaking hands, Neji placed his still-pristine Byakugan into Hiashi's palms.
"This is my answer. Now, you won't have to mark me."
He turned, walking away. One final sentence trailing behind him:
"Thank you for your concern, Clan Head."
Hiashi stumbled back, collapsing against a wooden pillar. For the first time in decades, he wept. Not just for Neji. But for the entire Hyūga clan.
What had they become?
What had he allowed?
The boy he once held now chose blindness over submission. This was the result of their sacred traditions pain, sacrifice, and silence.
Clutching the pale, bloodstained eyes, Hiashi muttered bitterly, "This... is the future of the Hyūga. This is Neji's answer... from a five-year-old boy."
And yet, even now, he couldn't promise things would change.
All he could do was rush, desperate for Konoha's only hope.
Tsunade.
---
Meanwhile, Neji walked through the compound, his newly trained sensory awareness the first hints of Observation Haki, as he now called it guiding his every step.
At a corner, a familiar voice called softly, "Neji-nii!"
Hinata.
She had no idea what had happened. Only that her cousin was hurt.
"Neji-nii, your eyes... did you get hurt again?"
He crouched slightly, gently patting her head.
"Just pushed too hard in training. I'll be fine."
Hinata's tiny fingers brushed his cheek cautiously. "You're always pushing yourself too hard..."
"If I don't, how can I protect you?"
She puffed out her cheeks. "Then I'll get stronger too! I'll protect you one day, Neji-nii!"
Neji smiled faintly, feeling a warmth beneath the blindfold.
Not from tears but from her innocence.
"Looking forward to it," he said softly. "But for now, I have something I need to do. We'll play later, okay?"
"Okay!" She reached out her pinky.
"Promise?"
He locked his pinky with hers. "Promise."
"Pinky swear no takebacks, not for a hundred years!"
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[Support with 100 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter]