“Will you come with me?” Neiki asked.
“No!” Neji shook his head firmly. “Taking a few days off is already too much. If I miss more classes, my teachers will be upset.”
“Besides, your missions must be really difficult. I haven’t even graduated from the ninja academy yet. I’d only be a burden to you,” Neji added.
Neiki nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, you need to get stronger quickly.”
Not to help me, but to help yourself, Neiki thought. Otherwise, you might be unable to withstand the hatred of many people around you. Of course, he wouldn’t delve into why that hatred would be directed at Neji, even though he was the cause.
Seeing Neiki was still responding, Neji couldn’t help but ask, “Brother, were you just joking?”
“Even if I could help you, what kind of mission would involve unrelated family members? Wouldn’t wasting ninja resources like that get you in trouble with the Hokage?” Neji said.
Neiki chuckled. “You’ve already refused. Why are you asking so many questions? Just eat.”
“Brother, you’re so suspicious.”
Everyone has their path to walk.
It wasn’t until a few days later, when harsh reality struck like a meteor, shattering all perceptions and fantasies about his brother, that Neji realized the choice Neiki had casually offered at the dinner table had already set the course for his entire life. After refusing, it was quickly brushed off as a joke.
The detachment was swift and clean like a stone tossed into a lake, leaving no trace except for a few fleeting ripples that testified there had been a moment when Neji felt he was finally close to the real Neiki.
What kind of answer was his brother expecting? Or was it just a meaningless joke left for his future self?
Neiki had done this countless times, so much so that when Neji looked back after the incident, he realized that all their interactions were filled with deliberate traces left by Neiki.
“That wasn’t meant for you now.”
“You’ll understand later.”
Such vague statements were countless. Neiki’s tone was always light, so Neji never took them seriously. Since he would “understand later,” he thought he would deal with it when “later” came.
However, Neji realized he had never truly understood Neiki until the day finally arrived. Despite living together daily, there was always a fog between them. The closest he ever got to understanding his brother was those few days before the incident when Neiki asked:
“Will you come with me?”
Did that choice ever really exist?
Would it have been another illusion created by Neiki’s playful tone, where Neji, full of hope, accepted his brother’s invitation, only to find the grand stage was a trap, with Neiki standing on the shore laughing as Neji struggled in the mud?
This could have happened if Neji had said yes.
Neiki’s character was always so vile. He liked manipulating everyone and enjoyed seeing hope crushed in their eyes. After the incident, this was the only thing Neji could honestly believe about his brother.
“Will you come with me?”
Since it was all hypothetical, why not be more daring?
Future Neji often thought back to this night, imagining what might have happened if he had said yes. Was there a possible life path that would unfold if he had nodded when Neiki casually asked?
Would saying yes reveal the true Neiki behind the mask?
What would that look like?
He didn’t know.
He would never know.
For the present Neji, this was just another ordinary night, one of countless uneventful days in the future.
The moon was round, there were many mosquitoes, the food was delicious, and Hanabi was clumsy.
That was all.
Like a joke or a test, the brief conversation that future Neji would think about countless times was brushed off lightly.
All opinions were exchanged unintentionally.
It wasn’t fair.
But that’s life.
Neiki, being dismissed by his brother, didn’t mind. He continued eating while Hanabi, sitting beside him on a small chair, looked at him with bright eyes.
“What? Do you want to come with me?” Neiki patted her head.
The girl was shy but mustered the courage to say, “I’ll work hard to get stronger. I won’t be a burden to you!”
Both brothers were surprised to see Hanabi’s determination.
“You want to go?” Neji asked again.
“Mm!” Hanabi nodded vigorously.
The room fell silent.
The girl’s affection was puzzling. Anyone would think she had known Neiki for months. Under Neji’s suspicious gaze, Neiki took a bite of chicken and pondered.
“Hey, brother, you’re not serious, right?” Neji saw him deep in thought and reminded him, “Don’t forget who she is.”
A noble member of the leading family couldn’t just go on a mission with you.
That’s absurd.
“What kind of mission needs you to take a kid?” Neji asked.
“Huh?” Neiki snapped out of it, frowning. “No, I was thinking if the chicken had too much salt.”
“…”
Neji shook his head.
Brother was always like this. He could never figure out what Neiki was thinking.
Not understanding that this was a refusal, Hanabi looked at Neiki expectantly.
“Hanabi, we’ll go back to the main house tonight,” Neiki said casually.
Hanabi hesitated. She was scared to return to that “home,” but it was not a question. Under Neiki’s calm gaze, she nodded slightly.
After dinner, Neiki took Hanabi back to the main house.
The giant Byakugan illusion hovered above the estate, as tranquil as ever.
Newly planted trees lined the courtyard, and several servants stood guard at the entrance. Even as Neiki led Hanabi in, they remained expressionless, only their necks moving to follow their steps.
“Good evening, Sister Unpū, Sister Ren…” Hanabi greeted everyone softly, clinging to Neiki.
“Sorry, I haven’t been home these past few days…”
Hanabi seemed to be explaining to the servants at the door, although they showed no reaction. This was a sign that their consciousness was fading. If not for the impending clan meeting, Neiki would have replaced them with others to maintain the façade of a noble estate.
Hanabi lowered her head, saying, “Mother has been looking for me? I’m sorry… I…”
Due to the [Kokanaru Reflection Technique], the things the affected saw would be perceived as what they believed to be “the way things should be.” The variable determining the illusion was the affected person.
Unless Neiki actively shaped the illusion, he couldn’t know what Hanabi was seeing.
The silent servants might have appeared to Hanabi as malicious underlings. Neiki watched with interest.
Interesting. Does she see everyone hating her as the norm?
“Brother, Mother is very angry. Can you come with me?” Hanabi clung to Neiki’s sleeve.
Hanabi didn’t know why she ended up in Neji’s room but never asked. She had confirmed from Neji that Neiki had “rescued” her, so she trusted him completely.
Neiki nodded and led her to a dilapidated room—at least, it looked that way to him. But to Hanabi, it was a clean place where she carefully removed her shoes to avoid dirtying the floor.
Neiki watched her white socks leave small footprints in the dirt, then knelt before a half-decomposed corpse.
“Mother, I’m sorry for worrying you,” she said.
The illusion operated on an absurd logic created by Neiki. He felt a strange emotion.
The corpse was indeed Hanabi’s mother, pierced by Neiki’s sword. But how had she been dug up after being buried?
Neiki turned and saw seven-year-old Hinata standing in the courtyard, dressed in tattered clothes, her left eye bandaged. She held a leaking bucket, having just fetched water.
Hinata set the bucket down, hesitantly reached out, and asked softly:
“Are you Neiki, brother?”
Problem solved.
Neiki realized the girl was about to break free from the illusion. She had arrived at just the right time.
“Yes, it’s me, Hinata,” he said, approaching and gently touching her injured eye. The bandage didn’t hide anything from his Byakugan.
Hiashi, despite his broken hands, had transplanted his own Byakugan into his daughter’s eye. She would use him if her eyes couldn’t see through the illusion.
Creative.
This was feasible in Naruto, where eyes could be swapped.
But luck was not on their side.
Neiki felt a bit sorry for Hiashi’s plan.
Breaking the illusion would mean seeing reality as it was and escaping the fake main house.
Hinata could have exposed Neiki’s plans and saved the Hyuga clan. What a pity.
Hearing Neiki’s gentle words, Hinata hesitated. She didn’t think the man in front of her was terrible, but she stepped back, fearing her actions might hurt his feelings.
“Father said you’re a bad person…”
Speaking ill behind someone’s back, how annoying!
Neiki thought momentarily, then used the Transformation Jutsu to become Neji. Hinata finally felt safe.
Seeing through the illusion with her left eye must have mixed reality and illusion. Despite seeing Neiki transform, she didn’t find it odd.
Both eyes reflected Neji’s face, merging truth and illusion.
Hinata burst into tears, clinging to Neiki, feeling she had found someone trustworthy.
“Neji
, brother… I…” she stammered.
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” Neiki said, stroking her back.
Hanabi was still whispering to her mother. Neiki carried Hinata to the hall where Hiashi was imprisoned, eager to see the clan head’s reaction.
Before entering, Neiki had Hinata hide at the door.
He coughed intentionally before entering.
The decaying smell hit him. The place was even more shabby. With few servants under the illusion of maintaining the garden, the main house’s grand appearance took all remaining effort, leaving the interior to rot.
“What do you want now?”
Though Neiki looked like Neji, Hiashi recognized him immediately.
“Everyone’s dead… you killed them all… what do you want?” Hiashi’s voice was bitter.
The tragedy lay in the fact that any Hyuga returning from missions or visiting Hiashi, no matter what he said or did, would always interpret it as:
Find Neiki and return with him.
Hiashi had immense respect from the clan. His word was law, so they obeyed like sheep following orders into a wolf’s den, even if puzzled.
Hiashi indirectly caused many deaths.
“Big plans are coming. I’ve been restless, so I came to chat,” Neiki said casually. “I posted the clan meeting notice. Some might not take it seriously, so I’ll send another tonight.”
“By the way, I contacted the three elders you told me about. Two will definitely come, one is delayed but will try to arrive.”
“Your information is accurate,” Neiki nodded, looking at Hiashi.
Hyuga members weren’t the only visitors. Some couldn’t be turned away, so Neiki didn’t always kill them. They came and left as they arrived. Though Hiashi couldn’t see them off, it wasn’t a big issue.
To deal with these unavoidable guests, Neiki didn’t take Hiashi’s eyes but sealed his chakra points, effectively keeping up appearances without issues.
He hadn’t expected Hiashi to transplant his own Byakugan into Hinata, helping her see through the illusion.
“Keep your promises,” Hiashi said, eyes closed.
“Of course, I’ll keep my promises,” Neiki said dismissively, calling Hinata in with a cold smile.
“But only if you do the same.”
“Clan leader, your little trick was exposed.”
“Pay a bit more. You seem to have nothing left… but being a prestigious clan, maybe I’m not creative enough.”
“Let’s see if you can scrape up something more to save your daughter’s life…”
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