Naruto: Naruto's Uchiha girlfriend is too tsundere

"Well, how should I put it? My purpose is probably more naive than you think," Naruto said with a light laugh, placing his hand back on his shoulder. "Anyway, come with me first, and you'll understand."

Go on a trip? Are you going to kidnap me?

Neji's heart suddenly raced, and just as he was about to say something, the scene before him suddenly distorted.

This isn't the blurriness caused by high-speed movement, but a genuine spatial displacement. The world spins and reassembles before my eyes, as if I've been thrown into a kaleidoscope.

What's going on? Where am I?

So they really were kidnapped...?

There's... no way to call for help anymore...

When his vision refocused, a strong sense of dizziness washed over him. Neji suppressed the discomfort and mechanically looked around. He seemed to be inside a mansion, with ordinary Japanese corridors on both sides and a simple sliding door in front of him.

"Alright." Naruto released his hand from his shoulder. "Open the door and go inside. Cherish this opportunity; you won't have another one for a long time."

Neji looked up cautiously at the fox mask, the eyes hidden behind it unfathomable. Although he didn't understand the meaning of those words, he truly had no other choice at the moment.

At least... this doesn't look like a prison cell...

Her small hand trembled as she reached for the sliding door. Neji took a deep breath and slowly pulled the door open—

"Father...?!"

His childish voice trembled with disbelief. Before him stood the face he thought he had lost forever, a face he would never see again.

Hyuga Hizashi knelt in the center of the room, and the moment he saw his son, a gentle ripple appeared in his usually stern eyes. This man, who had walked through the gates of hell, had finally fulfilled his greatest wish since his rebirth.

"Neji."

The simple call contained so many unspeakable emotions. The usually stern father now showed an unprecedented look of tenderness.

Chapter 36 The Fate and Choices of Dividing the Family

"Father...is it really...it really you?"

Neji's Byakugan misted over. His precocious nature made him hesitant to believe the surprise before him, fearing it was just a dream and that he would only face greater disappointment upon waking.

If it's an illusion... if it's a trap...

He shakily raised his finger, trying hard to recall the knowledge he had been taught at home.

That...that mark...what was it again...?

Barely managing to form an "Un" hand seal, Neji took a deep breath and hissed in a voice trembling with tears, "...Release!"

The spell was activated, but the scene before him remained unchanged. His father was still kneeling there, his usually stern eyes now filled with tenderness, and even a hint of heartache.

It's not an illusion... It's not an illusion...

At this moment, Neji's tears, which he had been holding back, finally burst forth. The tears that had been falling silently turned into a torrential downpour, and the four-year-old could no longer maintain his precocious facade.

"……Father!"

A tearful cry escaped his lips, and his small body lunged forward. Hizashi opened his arms and caught his son safely. Neji buried his face in his father's chest, his grievances and the joy of regaining his son turning into a wail that echoed for a long time in the quiet room.

Fortunately, the high-end hotel that Naruto chose had excellent soundproofing.

Naruto leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, a slight smile playing on his lips beneath his mask. The scene before him—a father-son reunion that could never happen in the original timeline—was unfolding before his very eyes.

Instead of instructing his son to "be strong" as usual, Hiashi gently stroked Neji's trembling back, letting him vent his emotions in his arms.

The tragedy of the original work was changed, and Naruto felt very happy watching the father and son embracing.

Neji's crying gradually subsided, leaving only occasional sobs. Hizashi gently stroked his son's wet cheek, wiping away the glistening tears with his thumb. Only the sound of Neji sniffling and the faint chirping of insects outside the window remained in the room.

"Father...you're really still alive..." Neji knelt before Hizashi, his small hands clutching his father's sleeve tightly. "I...I thought you were already..."

His voice grew softer and softer, the last few words almost squeezed out between his teeth. Richa could feel the strength in his son's fingers.

“Neji, I’m sorry.” He gently held his son’s small hand. “I should have died already, but someone gave me a second chance.”

Hiashi slowly recounted what happened that day. He was supposed to be escorted to Kumogakure when the man wearing the fox mask suddenly appeared, attacked the Kumogakure caravan, and saved him.

After speaking, Hizashi turned to the corner of the room and bowed deeply to the figure that was always leaning against the wall. Neji then remembered that there was a third person in the room. He followed his father's gaze and saw that the mysterious masked man was still in the posture of crossing his arms.

"You guys keep talking, don't worry about me." A nonchalant voice came from behind the mask, accompanied by a casual wave of the hand.

The sir nodded respectfully and turned his gaze back to his son.

"...Father," Neji's voice lowered, "was this incident really as others said... because as a member of the branch family, he died in place of the main family?"

Although he was overjoyed that his father had come back to life, the plan by the main family to use him as a scapegoat in the Cloud Village's attempt to seize the Byakugan still planted a seed of resentment in Neji's heart.

After a moment of silence, Hijiri nodded slowly.

"Yes, that's indeed what the main family planned. To prevent the Byakugan from being leaked, I, as a member of the branch family... because I look almost exactly like my brother, was chosen as a substitute and given to Kumogakure."

"I see..."

Neji's voice suddenly turned icy. It turned out that his ability to see his father again was purely by chance—if that mysterious masked man hadn't appeared, his father would already be…

"Father!" Neji suddenly looked up, "Is it really just because of the division of the family... that we should be used like this?!"

Hizashi sighed deeply and gently placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "Neji, if possible… I don't want you to hate them."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Neji's head. He stared wide-eyed in disbelief, completely unable to comprehend his father's thoughts.

Not hate? Why? Even if you're pushed to your death for no reason, you can't resent the main family?

Looking at his son's confused and angry expression, Hizashi's eyes revealed deep guilt.

“I… almost died. But in that moment, I realized one thing: hatred is easy, but it only leads us into the cage of another caged bird.”

Neji shook his head blankly, unable to understand the deeper meaning in his father's words. But what Hizashi said next struck him like a thunderbolt.

"Neji... I'm so sorry." Hizashi's voice was filled with unprecedented remorse. "Actually, on that day... I chose death myself."

"...Huh?"

Neji's expression froze. He couldn't understand the meaning behind his father's words. Why choose death when he didn't have to?

Hizashi continued to explain. "That day, the main family did indeed propose this plan: that I, as a member of the branch family, should die in place of my elder brother."

"However, in the end, it was my elder brother... Hiashi Hyuga himself who rejected the proposal. As the clan head, as long as he disagreed, this plan to sacrifice himself could not be carried out."

Neji's mind went blank. Why...?

"My brother's plan was to destroy his Byakugan and then hand himself over to Kumogakure." Hizashi's tone turned somber. "I've hated the main family my whole life, and I still do. But at that moment... I volunteered to die in his place."

Neji's pupils contracted violently.

“But I did it not to protect the main family,” Hizashi’s gaze softened, “but to protect my brother… to die protecting my family. That was the first time I truly had the right to choose.”

He gently pressed his hand on Neji's shoulder, his voice firm yet tender. "Neji, my son, I don't want you to be bound by hatred. Now I finally understand—your safe upbringing is more important than anything else."

"so……"

"Don't believe that your life is solely for the sake of the main family. Continue until you find what you truly want to protect."

Richa paused for a moment, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes.

"But if we really encounter danger... I hope you can survive to the end. This is... a father's selfish wish."

------

In the time that followed, Hizashi and Neji's conversation became calm and warm. There was no conflict in the ninja world, no family feuds, only the most ordinary father-son chatter.

For example, remember to eat on time, don't be a picky eater, and take breaks even when training is busy. Remember to wear extra layers in winter.

If you encounter any problems you can't solve, go to your uncle. He may be strict, but he will definitely help you.

Don't take your anger out on others this time. And don't put too much pressure on yourself.

Once you get into ninja school, you must listen to your teachers. But if anyone bullies you, you don't have to put up with it.

Neji kept his head down, but he remembered every word his father said.

These words of advice were ordinary, trivial, and even a bit nagging. But every single one was imbued with a father's most sincere concern. Neji listened quietly, treasuring these ordinary moments of warmth little by little in his heart.

Before I knew it, the sky outside the window was gradually turning white. The chirping of early birds came from the distant woods, their clear calls breaking the silence of the night.

It’s almost dawn.

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. Given Menma's current influence, even if he went directly to the Third Hokage and said he wanted to take the Hyuga clan's children away, the Third Hokage probably wouldn't dare utter a single word of dissent.

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'm not saying 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 Menma-sama who 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 will you find 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! Lord 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 gaze was 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...I'm 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—"

"Allegiance is also waived."

"Eh?"

Neji's eyes widened slightly as he stared at Menma in confusion. Why? Why did Menma refuse his request to repay his 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 down 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 could only choose 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 branched family?"