Chapter 65: In Order Not to Lose Again

The words spoken by Hyūga Neji made Sasuke instinctively release the grip on his opponent's collar, staggering back a few steps in a daze.

"Do you understand now, Uchiha Sasuke? Having experienced 'loss,' I understand you. To say you're luckier than me... is because, at one point, I didn't even have the possibility of revenge." Neji revealed the deepest secret of his heart, and the weight of that secret was something Sasuke could feel in his very bones.

"I... I don't know... Hmm? 'Once upon a time'?"

Sasuke's face was nearly consumed by guilt and regret when he suddenly caught the key words in Neji's statement.

"Yes, before I met Naruto Uzumaki." Neji rewrapped the bandages, covering the caged bird mark, and gently spoke, meeting Sasuke's eyes. "Back then, during my first match with him at the academy... or should I say, when I was soundly defeated, he came to apologize in the hospital. That kid... who would have thought that someone who just beat you would turn around and chat like a friend... Anyway, he asked me why I hated Hinata, why I hated the main family. That's when he learned about the caged bird mark. Do you know what he said to me?"

"What did he say?"

"I thought it was something much more complicated, like an advanced sealing technique," Neji recited Naruto's words with a nostalgic smile. "He said, 'The sealing technique's principle? I can't fully understand it yet, but that's fine. As long as I get stronger, I can break it!'"

Sasuke could easily picture Naruto's face from back then—full of that cocky, yet undeniably impressive grin.

"In my eyes, 'fate' was something unchangeable. But to him, just one year younger than me, it was nothing more than a technique that could eventually be undone." Neji clenched his fists, a mixture of frustration and resignation in his voice. "And looking at him... I suddenly thought, if I worked hard enough, if I could be as strong as him, maybe... maybe my future could change too."

"As long as you're strong enough, you can do whatever you want? Even 'fate' itself can be rewritten?" Sasuke remained silent, digesting Neji's words. He seemed to understand the meaning, but refused to admit that he'd been moved by them. He bit his lip, staring at the ground, before finally murmuring, "I think it's because you've been beaten up by him too much..."

"Sounds like you're not much different," Neji retorted, rolling his eyes.

They exchanged bitter smiles, the air between them a bit awkward.

Neji picked up the fruit basket, which had been dangling from his arm during the chase. Inside, only a single apple remained, sitting stubbornly at the bottom of the basket. It seemed its companions had already been sent flying in the earlier endurance race.

"This is their consolation prize for you," Neji said, offering the apple to Sasuke. "Eat up, and you'll have the strength to train. Then, whether you want to take revenge or do something else, make sure you set a small goal first. Start by getting stronger and beating Naruto Uzumaki."

He handed the apple to Sasuke.

Sasuke took the apple and seemed to come to a resolution. He squeezed the fruit in his hand, then snapped it in half and handed part of it back. "You too."

Crunch.

The crisp apple burst with juice, and from a nearby tree, Naruto watched the scene while munching on a fruit he'd picked up along the way. Leaning against the tree trunk, he mumbled to himself, "The result's good, but this little goal they've set is tough... Actually, I should say, it's practically impossible to achieve!"

"Sasuke-kun, Neji-nii, good luck!" Hinata, who was holding Naruto's hand, smiled reassuringly, her other hand placed gently over her chest as she silently cheered for them.

Then, feeling a little guilty, she glanced at Naruto, who was nibbling on his apple and watching the scene unfold, and quietly added, "I also think Naruto-kun won't lose."

"Huh?" Naruto turned his head in confusion. "Hinata, what did you say?"

"Nothing... Nothing at all."

As the sun set, the new sprouts in Konoha grew strong and healthy.

Meanwhile, in Naruto's inner world...

"Phew, finally done."

The Nine-Tails exhaled, looking at the scene in front of him. The cramped, dark, and eerie space that had once felt like a cold sewer had now dissipated, replaced by a beautiful, vibrant, and lush white space, full of flowers and greenery.

The Nine-Tails admired his work, feeling satisfied. Although Naruto's heart was no longer as dark as it once was, the seal still separated them. It had taken considerable effort to create such a vibrant scene in Naruto's mental world.

"Minato, what do you think? Care to offer your opinion?"

After these years of living together, the Nine-Tails instinctively reached out to Minato for a chat, perhaps for some feedback. But as it turned to look at the red chakra orb sleeping quietly in the corner, it stopped mid-sentence.

"You... forget it, just rest."

The Nine-Tails couldn't help but think of the time spent with Minato in the Shinigami's seal. In their past life, from mutual hatred to understanding, Minato was someone the Nine-Tails recognized, though it never admitted it aloud. Their souls, sealed by the Shinigami, had once been in constant conflict, but over time, they'd started talking.

Most of the time, there wasn't much to say, but in the Nine-Tails' memory, the only being it understood as well as Naruto was Minato. He was, in the Nine-Tails' heart, a "companion."

That's why, even at some risk, the Nine-Tails had preserved a piece of Minato's chakra.

The Nine-Tails didn't consider itself as sentimental as humans. But after experiencing the bond of companionship, loneliness was always harder to bear. When Minato's figure, cloaked in the Hokage's mantle, appeared in the Nine-Tails' mind again, it couldn't help but acknowledge that, in a sense, it understood the meaning of "loss" more than Sasuke and Neji.

But in this life, its goal was to make sure Naruto never had to experience "loss," nor would it allow itself to experience it again.

For that, there was still much to be done, including things that couldn't be shared with anyone until they were completed. This was why the Nine-Tails had never considered letting Minato or Naruto know everything, especially not with a simple fist bump. It had a secret—one that must remain unknown to anyone.

So, these past few days, besides organizing its mental space, the Nine-Tails had been thinking about how much to reveal to Naruto.

"Well, let's bring him in first," the Nine-Tails flicked its tail and dismissed the thoughts. After confirming that Naruto had finished seeing Hinata home and was back, it locked onto his mind and—

The confused face of Naruto appeared in front of it.