Naruto: The Nine-Tails' Legacy

Thunk.

The sound of kunai striking targets rang out sporadically across the training ground.

Upside down atop a tree branch, Naruto looked like a wilted cucumber vine swaying weakly in the wind, completely distracted.

A wilted Naruto-kun.

Definitely not cute.

"Naruto-kun…"

Training nearby, Hinata watched Naruto wobbling back and forth like a leaf about to fall from the tree.

Trying her best to encourage him, she softly said:

"When we visited Sasuke-kun at the hospital yesterday, the doctors already said he should recover soon."

"He'll definitely come back quickly."

Thunk.

Another kunai embedded itself into the target.

Finally, Naruto—whose mind clearly wasn't focused on training at all—jumped down from the tree and sighed toward Hinata.

"It's not just about Sasuke."

"You also said before that I brought Big Sister Izumi to your house, but then she disappeared."

"That part makes even less sense to me."

"I seriously have zero memory of it."

"But apparently I really did appear inside your house."

He scratched his head furiously.

"There's no way I sleepwalked there, right?"

And for some reason…

These past few days, I haven't dreamed at all anymore.

Every time I wake up, instead of feeling refreshed, there's just this huge emptiness inside me…

But saying something like that felt way too melodramatic.

So Naruto kept those thoughts to himself instead of mentioning them to Hinata.

"... Can't you still use that technique of yours to find her?"

Hinata stopped practicing and asked sadly.

Though she didn't know Izumi very well—and seeing Naruto so depressed over another girl did make her feel a tiny bit jealous—

Hinata's naturally kind personality still made her genuinely worried for the missing Izumi Uchiha.

"Yeah. That's the weirdest part."

Naruto frowned deeply, looking as though his brain had already been overworked.

"The mark I left on Big Sister Izumi's hand should've been impossible to remove."

"But now I seriously can't sense it anymore."

Then he looked toward Hinata.

"Meanwhile, the mark on you is still super easy to sense."

Naruto's strangely phrased explanation instantly made Hinata's face turn bright red.

Subconsciously, she looked down toward the tiny spiral-shaped mark within her palm.

That was from the first time Naruto-kun held my hand…

No no no no, don't remember that!

Too embarrassing!

"Could it be because she's too far away?"

Hinata quickly changed the topic.

"No, distance only increases chakra consumption. It shouldn't affect sensing…"

Suddenly, Naruto's expression darkened again.

"Don't tell me even Big Sister Izumi got into some kind of accident too…"

"After all, Sasuke's clan already…"

It was obvious Naruto felt too worried and lost to focus on training anymore.

Understanding that perfectly, Hinata immediately switched topics again.

"Naruto-kun, maybe we should go visit Sasuke-kun at the hospital right now?"

"Hm?"

"You see…"

Hinata spoke seriously.

"Even though Neji-niisan said earlier today that he'd visit him…"

"Sasuke-kun might already be awake by now."

"And after something this terrible happened, he'll definitely feel completely lost when he wakes up."

"As his friends…"

Hinata lowered her head slightly.

"I think we should stay beside him."

Naruto froze briefly.

Then suddenly nodded vigorously.

"You're right, Hinata!"

"That makes total sense!"

"With Sasuke's personality, if he wakes up and realizes something this huge happened, who knows what stupid thing he might do!"

"Let's hurry!"

Without another word, Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand and immediately started running toward the hospital.

Hinata quietly sighed in relief within her heart.

Actually—

She wasn't the only person who noticed Naruto's confusion lately.

In Hinata's memory, even her father had noticed it.

Ever since that night, Hiashi had personally spoken with her.

Very seriously—

Yet strangely gently—

He instructed her that for the next period of time, she should avoid leaving Naruto alone after school whenever possible.

And if she returned home, she should bring Naruto with her whenever she could.

In simple terms—

Stay beside Naruto-kun as much as possible.

Father must want me to help Naruto-kun more.

The innocent Hinata interpreted things exactly like that.

Completely failing to realize that if Hiashi's instructions were viewed from another perspective—

He was essentially demanding that outside of school and home, Hinata must remain within Naruto's protection at all times.

Under absolutely no circumstances could she remain alone during this period.

Meanwhile—

Elsewhere—

Sasuke sat alone beside the riverbank, staring blankly at the flowing water.

"Dad…"

"Mom…"

His lips moved slightly while muttering quietly to himself.

Yet no real sound came out.

It felt as though something clogged his throat completely.

Eventually, tears still began flowing uncontrollably, dripping softly onto the grass below.

"... You already got discharged. At least leave someone a message."

A familiar voice suddenly sounded behind him.

Sasuke hurriedly wiped away his tears with one hand before turning around.

Standing there was the pale-eyed boy carrying a fruit basket in both hands, his chest still rising and falling from running.

Neji Hyūga.

After glancing at him briefly, Sasuke said nothing and simply stood up to leave.

Neji—who had spent ages searching for him after discovering he disappeared from the hospital—quietly followed behind without speaking either.

Sasuke started running.

Neji picked up the fruit basket and chased after him.

The one in front ran while every movement sent pain through his body.

The one behind nearly collapsed from exhaustion trying to keep up.

Yet neither of them spoke.

They simply ran faster and faster.

Until eventually—

Both boys became too exhausted to continue and finally slowed down while gasping heavily for breath.

"Y-You…"

"Haa…"

"Have you run enough yet?"

After activating Byakugan and searching all over the village for Sasuke, Neji nearly couldn't breathe anymore.

Taking a deep breath, he finally spoke.

Sasuke clutched his stomach.

The spot where Itachi struck him still ached faintly.

Yet he merely raised his head and stared at the sky silently without answering.

"... We all know what happened."

Neji quietly looked at him.

"I can understand how you feel right now."

"If you're done running…"

"Then let me talk to you for a bit."

His voice sounded almost like self-directed muttering.

"You know…"

"I'm from the Hyūga branch family."

"My father was the branch family head."

"Then he died."

"When I was four."

"He was forced to death by the main family."

"And after my father died…"

"My mother stopped eating and followed him shortly afterward."

Neji's expression became bitter.

"I tasted the pain of loss much earlier than you did."

Those words caused Sasuke's heart to tremble slightly.

For the first time, he truly looked directly at Neji.

He's… the same as me?

"That feeling hurts terribly."

Neji continued calmly.

"And I know exactly what you want to do right now."

"Just by looking into your eyes, I can tell."

"You already know who your enemy is."

"You want revenge."

"So…"

Neji smiled bitterly.

"I think you're luckier than me."

"Luckier?"

Sasuke's emotions instantly exploded.

"You're mocking me?!"

Rage and hatred overwhelmed his reason as he suddenly charged forward and grabbed Neji tightly by the collar.

"Yeah."

"Luckier."

Neji's smile looked utterly miserable now.

Then he suddenly pulled away the bandages covering his forehead and pointed toward the strange green seal there while speaking word by word.

"Sasuke."

"Have you ever heard of something called…"

"Fate?"

"I'm a branch family member of the Hyūga clan."

"Since childhood, I've carried the Caged Bird Seal."

"A curse that ensures branch family members can never betray the main family."

"I can never escape their control for my entire life."

Neji's voice became increasingly cold.

"I'm doomed to spend eternity protecting the very family that destroyed my parents."

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