Neji Hyuga's behavior mirrors the expectations of a hierarchical society—it naturally earns him the favor of others.
He always understands his position and never oversteps boundaries, even if others treat him as more than just a subordinate. He knows his place.
It's like in the workplace: even if your boss treats you like a brother in private, you're still a subordinate. You can't treat him like a peer. You carry out your duties diligently, not arrogantly or recklessly. Someone like that gains the trust of others easily and climbs the ranks swiftly.
This is often called high emotional intelligence—Neji's version being, "I have accepted my destiny."
Upon hearing this, Ye Dou raised his head.
"Have you seen the clouds outside? I still don't know if they move with the wind or choose their own path.
But either way, they all drift to the same destination."
Neji turned his head and looked out the window, a faint smile on his lips.
"I want to try walking a different path from my previous life—see if I'll witness a different view."
"Ye Dou, just hypothetically… if you were in my position, what would you do?"
"I don't know. I don't waste time on meaningless hypotheticals."
After a brief silence, Ye Dou shook his head.
"But if I were you, the first thing I'd do is find a way to remove the cursed seal—the Caged Bird."
"Hmph. That fits your personality. But unfortunately, there's no known way to remove the Caged Bird Seal without damaging the brain's neural network."
Then I'd eliminate every branch of the clan that could threaten me, Ye Dou said silently to himself.
He would never allow his life to be controlled by others.
"What are you two talking about?"
The door to the hospital ward opened. Hyuga Hanabi stepped inside, holding a fruit basket.
"It's nothing," Neji replied. "I was just wondering how Master Hanabi managed to get close to this guy—he's not exactly friendly."
He glanced at Ye Dou and smirked mockingly.
"We didn't do anything," Ye Dou replied coolly.
Hanabi's face flushed, and she fumbled for words.
She couldn't possibly say that she'd been tailing Ye Dou since childhood, sneaking out of the Hyuga compound just to follow him around.
Ye Dou cast her a faint glance, then stood and walked out.
"Where are you going?" Hanabi asked.
"Training."
With that, he left the hospital.
But just as he stepped through the doors, a blur of green appeared in front of him—Might Guy.
"Let's go, Ye Dou. I've got a mission for you."
---
[Time skips back briefly]
At Konoha Hospital—but not in Neji Hyuga's ward. This time, it's Hatake Kakashi's.
Might Guy, Sarutobi Asuma, and Yūhi Kurenai sat around Kakashi's bed, watching him with grave expressions. The silver-haired jōnin was unconscious, pale and still.
"It's unbelievable… that Uchiha Itachi is that powerful," Asuma muttered. "Kakashi didn't even last a second."
"With that Mangekyō Sharingan…" Kurenai added. "Uchiha bloodlines always had an edge, but the Mangekyō is on another level entirely. Its power is beyond comprehension."
"Still," Asuma exhaled a stream of smoke, "they haven't found Naruto yet. That's the only good news."
Just hours ago, Konoha's elite had faced Itachi Uchiha and the rogue Mist ninja, Kisame Hoshigaki.
Despite the danger, they had engaged the Akatsuki members immediately.
But the battle had been one-sided. Kakashi, even with his own Sharingan, had fallen almost instantly to Itachi's Tsukuyomi—his consciousness shattered in a moment.
If Might Guy hadn't arrived in time—and fought with his eyes closed—they might have all been killed.
"We can't take any more risks," Kurenai said. "We still don't know why Itachi's targeting Naruto, but we can't let him be captured. He's the vessel of the Nine-Tails. The village's future depends on him."
"Shhh." Might Guy suddenly lifted a hand, ears twitching.
He motioned for silence.
Moments later, the door opened—and in walked Sasuke Uchiha.
"I heard what happened to Kakashi…"
The boy's voice trailed off when he saw his teacher unconscious. He froze, wide-eyed and silent.
Kakashi had summoned him just yesterday. He was supposed to help Sasuke strengthen his Sharingan—to prepare him for future dangers.
But now Kakashi lay unmoving, comatose.
"What happened…?" Sasuke asked slowly.
Might Guy stood up, as if expecting this moment.
He had planned to cover for the incident, but rumors had spread too fast. Some careless Konoha ninja had already let the truth slip.
"I heard… Itachi Uchiha returned. And he's looking for Naruto. Is it true?"
Might Guy placed a palm over his forehead and sighed.
The careless ninja nearby realized too late what he had said—and stared in shock as Sasuke turned, his eyes burning, and stormed out the door.
He swallowed hard.
"Did I just say that out loud?"
"You idiot… what do we do now?"
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