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Neji and Hinata arrived at Ichiraku Ramen just as a group of customers left. They slid onto two stools.
"Ten bowls of miso chashu ramen, please," Neji said calmly.
Several people glanced over.
Hinata blushed, hiding her face behind her bangs. She tugged gently at Neji's sleeve.
He smiled inwardly and whispered, "Don't worry. A big appetite is a good thing. The more you eat, the stronger you grow."
"Mm…" she nodded softly. With Neji beside her, her nerves eased.
"Ten bowls?" Teuchi, the relatively young ramen chef, blinked in surprise.
Neji gave a small grin. "Yes, sir."
Teuchi nodded and turned to begin his craft. The rhythm of noodle-pulling and broth stirring filled the air.
Soon, steaming bowls of ramen were placed in front of them.
"Let's eat."
"Okay!"
Their eyes lit up after the first bite, and the feast began.
Five bowls each barely enough to fill them, but satisfying nonetheless. Money was tight, so Neji didn't splurge. Just twenty bowls total, with him eating most.
'No wonder this place is a shinobi hotspot' Neji thought. 'The flavor really lives up to the hype…'
Just as he finished his last bite, a familiar voice rang out—
"One bowl of ramen, please, Teuchi-ossan!"
Naruto strolled in, whisker marks on his cheeks and a smile on his face.
"Yo, Hinata! Didn't expect to see you here!"
Hinata perked up. "Naruto… you came for ramen too?"
She admired his open personality, so bright and carefree, but she always found him a bit too loud, unlike her shy and silent persona.
"Yup! Ichiraku's the best food in the whole world!" Naruto declared proudly.
Teuchi laughed as he placed a heaping bowl in front of Naruto. "Flattery gets you everywhere. Here you go, kiddo."
Neji didn't say a word. He simply paid the bill, gesturing toward Naruto as well.
Teuchi understood and nodded silently. He knew Naruto often saved up for days just to afford one bowl… and still walked away hungry.
So he quietly made an extra bowl.
Neji stood.
Hinata, being raised as a Hyūga, bowed politely.
"See you later, Naruto!"
"Mmmph—mmm!"
Naruto, cheeks puffed with noodles, gave a thumbs-up and a grin.
They left Ichiraku just as the sky began to turn orange. The walk home was peaceful.
"That was your classmate?" Neji asked.
Hinata nodded. "His name is Naruto Uzumaki. He's… loud. He skips class with Shikamaru and Chōji, Iruka-sensei is always frustrated."
Neji nodded thoughtfully. He was only one year older than Hinata, so he kept up with the younger classes' reputations.
"Invite some friends when the hotpot restaurant opens," Neji said. "You'll need allies."
"I will, Neji-nii!"
---
Back at Ichiraku…
Naruto was about to pay when Teuchi slid another bowl toward him.
Naruto froze. "Teuchi-ossan, I only have enough for one—"
"It's on the house. That boy who was with your classmate covered it."
"…He did?"
Teuchi smiled, nodding. "Don't waste his kindness."
Naruto stared at the ramen, eyes wide.
Then, quietly, he sat down, pulled the bowl close, and dug in.
His vision blurred.
He rubbed his eyes.
"Man, what's wrong with my eyes today… I must be catching a cold or something. Can't taste properly if your eyes keep leaking…"
Teuchi pretended not to hear. This was a boy who refused to give in to the coldness of the world.
A child who had every reason to hate, but still smiled.
Naruto kept eating slower now committing that small act of kindness to memory.
Hinata's brother…
He wouldn't forget.
---
Back in his personal home, Neji parted ways with Hinata and settled into meditation.
He thought about Naruto.
That was our second meeting. He probably doesn't remember the first…
If Neji had lived Naruto's life, he wasn't sure he could stay as optimistic.
"…The ones showered in love are often the least grateful. And the ones treated coldly… they're the ones who quietly carry everyone's burdens."
A quiet sigh escaped his lips.
People are strange.
Some smiled to hide their jealousy. Some scoffed at you to protect you. It was hard to tell who meant well and who didn't.
In the end, it didn't matter.
Blame the Hokage system. Let Danzo shoulder the blame. That snake can carry everyone's sins.
---
Cross-legged, Neji began refining his chakra.
His reserves were already impressive, thanks to Life Return, which made gathering and controlling chakra far easier.
That's what had allowed him to train in medical ninjutsu so early not his Observation Haki.
Another force flowed alongside his chakra - Nen, The system's influence was still alive within him.
Originally, Neji had affinities with fire, earth, and water. But his "Sensory Combat Specialist" class had granted him wind and lightning as well.
Now he held five elemental natures, plus the positive-aligned chakra used in healing jutsu.
The only one missing?
Yin chakra.
He'd been contemplating extracting it from Sharingan dojutsu, one of the most iconic Yin-based powers.
But he didn't yet know what fusing Sharingan and Byakugan chakra systems might do.
That experiment… would have to wait.
Because one year from now, the Uchiha Clan would fall.
If he didn't act before then, there'd be nothing left to work with unless he wanted to strike a deal with Orochimaru, Danzo, or… Obito.
All were terrible options.
And not part of his plan.
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[Support with 100 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter]