Chapter 14: The Confrontation Between Narutoand Hyuga Neji
Naruto didn't know when he had fallen asleep last night, but the information he had received had truly refreshed his understanding.
It was his first time hearing about Dōjutsu, and his first time learning about Bloodline Limit. All in all, the world he was in was far more fascinating than he had imagined.
This was undoubtedly the best catalyst to ignite Naruto's fighting spirit, though it also made him act with more caution.
Up to now, besides the cheat that was the System, Naruto had yet to discover the greatest legacy left to him by Minato Namikaze and Uzumaki Kushina, so it was perfectly normal for him to have such thoughts.
Even if Naruto were to find out the secret of his body later on, he would likely act even more cautiously. After all, Jinchuriki were the focus of the Ninja World, to say nothing of Naruto being the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
But overall, the gains from last night were quite substantial. This made Naruto even more determined to align himself with Hiruzen Sarutobi, and he also decided to implement his plan to approach the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha.
"I'm looking for Uncle Hyuga Hiashi. Yesterday he said that if I had something to do, I could just mention his name!" Naruto stood before the main gate of the Hyuga Clan grounds, neither humble nor pushy, and said to a member of the Hyuga Clan.
The Hyuga Clan member looked at Naruto with a strange gaze, as if he knew Naruto's identity. After hesitating for a moment in place, he turned and entered the clan grounds to notify Hyuga Hiashi.
Soon, Hyuga Hiashi came before Naruto. Although his eyes held a hint of inquiry, his demeanor betrayed nothing at all.
"Naruto, what is it you need from me?"
"Uncle Hiashi, I came to play with Hinata, and to bring her something while I'm at it." Naruto pulled a freshwater fish he had caught himself from behind his back. "Hinata is the sixth friend I've made. You know I don't have many friends, so I hope you won't refuse!"
Naruto put on a full display, bowed deeply to Hyuga Hiashi, then looked up at him with a face full of hope, looking very much like he would cry if Hiashi didn't agree.
Naruto's impeccable behavior left Hyuga Hiashiquite troubled, but hindered by the old friendship between the Hyuga Clan and Minato Namikaze, Hyuga Hiashi simply couldn't drive Naruto away like he would any other commoner.
But if he were to let Naruto into the clan grounds...
Putting aside Hyuga Hinata's subtle attitude toward Naruto, Naruto's current status as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki alone was a huge problem.
If the Clan Chief of the Hyuga Clan were to have contact with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, it could easily be interpreted by those with ulterior motives as the Hyuga Clan trying to rely on their relationship with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to tie the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to their own chariot, plotting for the position of the next Hokage.
Without a doubt, that person with ulterior motives was naturally Danzo Shimura.
Although the Hyuga Clan did not fear Danzo Shimura, Danzo Shimura was, after all, hiding in the shadows, and some of his underhanded tactics behind the scenes would definitely make life miserable for the Hyuga Clan.
Just as Hyuga Hiashi was thinking of a win-win solution, his best ally, Hyuga Hinata, poked her head out from a crack in the door.
"Naruto-kun..."
The familiar black short hair, the familiar "cataract" eyes, and the familiar flushed face made Narutoclench his fist in secret. This little girl was starting to look like his lucky charm.
"Hinata!" Naruto left Hyuga Hiashi behind and scrambled over to Hinata's side. "This is a gift from me as a friend. I caught this fish myself this morning!"
Watching Naruto, who was not shy and made himself at home, Hyuga Hiashi shook his head. Since things had come to this, he stopped agonizing over it. He'd just let this little rascal take advantage of the loophole today.
But taking advantage of a loophole was one thing; Hyuga Hiashi still had ways to make this kid Naruto realize the difficulty and retreat, so he wouldn't come back to cause trouble. For example, his younger brother's child—Hyuga Neji—was a good choice.
"Go call Neji to the main house. A good playmate has arrived, and I believe he will like it."
...
Naruto entered the Hyuga residence like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden. Of course, there was a fair amount of acting involved in that.
After all, in the Life Experience Game, the home of "Sun Yi," whom Naruto possessed, was much larger than the Hyuga residence, and even the decor was superior.
Naruto, who had just planned to get closer to Hyuga Hinata, was blocked. Hyuga Neji, one of the future Konoha 12, had become the obstacle.
"Young Miss Hinata is going to practice the Gentle Fist. Her time is very precious. If you want to play, come with me."
Hyuga Neji's father, Hyuga Hizashi, had not yet died for Hyuga Hiashi, so Hyuga Neji still had a strong sense of belonging to the Main Branch. After receiving a hint from Hyuga Hiashi, he stepped out very dutifully.
"Do you want to be friends with me?" Narutoguessed that this was a trick played by Hyuga Hiashi behind the scenes, but his expression remained that of an innocent boy who loved making friends. "Wouldn't it be better if we played together? Like a Ninja game!"
"Childish games, childish person!" Hyuga Nejimaintained his cold and aloof expression. He took a step forward and blocked the space between the two. "You will never know the efforts of the members of the Hyuga Clan. Playing is not suitable for Young Miss Hinata, nor is it suitable for me!"
"Hmph!" Naruto looked indignant. "I work hard too, you know! Stop looking down on people!"
"Sorry, I haven't seen your hard work, unless you can hit me!" Hyuga Neji was still young, after all, and chose the most brutal way to make Narutoretreat.
However, this was exactly what Naruto wanted. Last night he had heard of the Hyuga Gentle Fist that specifically targeted human acupuncture points, and now he had the opportunity to witness it today.
Moreover, Naruto also wanted to compare how the Eight Extremes Fist, a hard-style martial art formed from the essence of a world, would react when pitted against the world-renowned Gentle Fist.
"Neji-nii-san... Naruto-kun... please don't..." Hyuga Hinata naturally saw the tension between the two. She thought about trying to persuade them, but unexpectedly, she was interrupted by both of them at the same time.
"Young Miss Hinata, I know what I'm doing!"
"Hinata, watch how I teach this arrogant guy a lesson!"
Hinata looked between the two, suddenly at a loss. She could only retreat to the side, wringing her fingers, and secretly praying that neither of them would get hurt too badly.
"This martial art is called the Gentle Fist. Be careful!" Hyuga Neji struck a pose and announced the name of his technique.
Naruto scoffed at Hyuga Neji's practice of announcing his Move. His master of National Martial Arts had told him more than once that when facing an enemy, one must be unpredictable and attack when they are unprepared; winning is the foundation of everything!
Of course, Hyuga Neji was not Naruto's enemy, and Naruto was very happy to play along.
"This martial art is the 'Random Brawling' Fist. You be careful too!"
Hearing Naruto announce the name of his fist technique, Hyuga Neji looked disdainful, while Hyuga Hinata changed from her usual shy demeanor and covered her mouth to chuckle.
And Naruto was getting exactly the effect he wanted.
[If you like this novel, I hope you will share it on Facebook. The author would be very grateful.]