Hyūga Clan...

———Backstory of Neji's development after Naruto left ———

After Neji apologized to Hinata…

The next day morning, he visited the hospital.

*Door Opens*

"Neji!" Tenten ran towards Neji.

"Tenten!" Neji stared at Tenten who looked towards him with a smile…

"Lee is doing great!" Tenten said as she turned to reveal Lee who was on the bed while Gai-sensei was sitting on the chair which was beside the bed.

"Neji!" Gai and Lee welcomed him into the room at the same time.

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!" Neji stared at the two…

…..

"Another two weeks before he gets up, huh…" Neji stared at Lee who was on his bed.

"Yeah!" Lee scratched the back of his head.

"It's thanks to Naruto-kun, that I was able to stop myself from creating huge damage to my body…" Lee said.

"Naruto-kun?" Neji, Gai and Tenten stared at Lee.

Neji gripped his fists, thinking back to the bit of humiliation he faced after defeating Naruto…

Soon, his expression changed after thinking back to what Naruto said.

——————FlashBack—————

"If a failure like me defeats you, then what does that make you?"

"Worse than failure?"

"People can change Neji…"

"Failure can become genius, through hard work," Naruto said as he left the stage.

———End Of FlashBack—————

"Gai-sensei!" Neji called out.

"Hmm?" Gai looked towards Neji.

"I want to train!"

"I want to become strong!" Neji said.

"HAHA"

"THAT"S THE SPIRIT NEJI!!"

"LET THE FLAMES OF YOUTH EXPLODE!!" Gai screamed.

"AAAARRRGGHHHHH!!!!!" Lee also howled together.

"SHUT UP!" An angry voice interrupted.

The team turned towards the door to see a nurse with an angry face.

"If you want to scream, please go outside…"

"Don't make it difficult for the patients here…"

"Especially the weak-hearted ones." The Nurse said.

"Sorry!" Gai bowed multiple times towards the nurse.

("Poor Gai-sensei….") Tenten sighed.

The following weeks Gai and Neji fought against each other every single day, with Neji improving Leaps and Bounds.

——————————————————

Two days before Naruto left…

After clashing with Naruto…

Hiashi was on his way back to the Hyūga clan district…

Hah!

Hah!

Hah!

Hah!

Hiashi witnessed Neji practicing the gentle fists onto a trunk of wood that was installed in the Hyūga clan training grounds.

Hiashi walked towards Neji.

"Hmm?" Neji stopped practicing upon detecting someone entering his Byakugan's area of vision.

"Hiashi-sama!" Neji stared at Hiashi…

"Neji!"

"How's your training going?" Hiashi asked.

("Huh?")

("What's with him suddenly being concerned about me?") Neji thought.

"What do you need from me?" Neji asked.

"Uh…" Hiashi did not expect Neji to ask him to be straightforward.

"I heard, your opponent for the next exam…"

"is Uzumaki Naruto!" Hiashi said.

Neji frowned…

("Is he here to insult me after knowing how I lost to him?") Neji thought.

"Yes, it is him!" Neji answered.

"I came to help you in your training!" Hiashi said.

("WHAT?") Neji was shocked upon hearing those words.

("He never even bothered to teach me anything for all these years, and now he suddenly wants to train me?")

("What's going on?") Neji thought.

"Hiashi-sama!"

"I don't know what is going on in here, but I know that there has to be a motive behind this!" Neji said in a firm voice.

"You still hate the main branch don't you?" Hiashi sighed.

"No, I realized that the main branch had nothing to do with this, but it was your own decision that forced my father to his death" Neji glared at Hiashi.

Hiashi observed how Neji managed to keep his anger without making his Byakugan flare up.

He knew that Neji did this out of the fear of facing an immense headache from the caged bird seal that was placed by the main branch members on the side branch.

"Follow me!" Hiashi said as he walked away…

After walking a few steps, Hiashi turned back only to see Neji staring right back at him.

"Don't you want to learn the truth of that day?" Hiashi asked.

"That day…"

"the truth?"

"What do you mean?" Neji asked.

Hiashi continued to walk, Neji also followed Hiashi as they walked into the main branch's courtyard…

Hiashi continued to walk into the building while being followed by Neji.

….

Soon the duo reached a room, which had a shelf in the center of one of the walls.

"Father…" Neji sighed as he looked at Hizashi's photo with incense sticks placed in front of it.

Hiashi bowed a bit towards the photo and then used his hand to reach to the back of the picture to grab a scroll.

"The truth of that day!" Hiashi said as he handed over the scroll to Neji.

"Huh?"

"W-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

"That day my father…"

"HE WAS KILLED AS YOUR BODY DOUBLE!" Neji shouted.

Hiashi frowned a bit,

"Neji!"

"Please read that scroll," Hiashi asked Neji politely.

"A scroll?"

"What do you want to accomplish with this?"

"The scroll is probably an excuse made at the convenience of the head family!"

Neji stared at the scroll with disdain.

"The person you are now…"

"You should be able to understand," Hiashi said as he turned the scroll a bit to reveal the characters that were etched onto the surface in familiar handwriting.

"This writing!" Neji stared at the scroll with his heart beating a bit faster…

...

Soon, Neji finished reading the letter, finally learning of how his father chose to end life on his own terms, rather than leaving it up to fate and blindly following the head clan's rule, rather than die protecting it as a mere pawn under a seal, he chose to die as a brother on equal terms, not allowing the separation of head and branch family relation to affect his emotions. He chose death as his freedom!

Neji thought back to his father's words…

"Just this once, I wanted to defy the fate of Hyūga."

"I wanted to choose my own fate!"

....

"Overcome your own fate, Neji."

"Fate is something you work out with your own hands," Hizashi concluded his letter.

"Father…" Neji stared at the final words left by his father…

He turned to see Hiashi, only to find him performing a Dogeza.

"I'm Sorry!" Hiashi said in a guilty voice…

Neji sighed, following which he closed his eyes in shame…

"Please…"

"Raise your head!" Neji said in a low voice.

A few moments passed.

"Are we going to train?" Neji asked.

Hiashi finally regained his usual calm composure.

"Yes!" Hiashi confirmed Neji's words, following which they headed out.

.....

On the training field…

"Neji, show me everything you know so far," Hiashi commanded.

"Yes!" Neji bowed to Hiashi following which he demonstrated the different versions of the Eight Trigrams, sixty-four palms offense, and Hakkeshou Kaiten!

"You learned all this by yourself?" Hiashi stared at Neji with wide eyes.

"Yes!" Neji nodded.

("Hizashi!")

("You should have been the head after all…") Hiashi sighed internally.

"Watch closely!" Hiashi said as he regained his composure.

He took a deep breath following which, he unleashed two palms at the open air.

(Whoosh!)

(Whoosh!)

Twin bursts of vacuum followed through!

"What is that?" Neji asked.

"This technique is known as the Eight Trigrams, Air Palm!" Hiashi said after finishing his demonstration…

————————————————

>>>>>> The PRESENT <<<<<

Hah!

Hah!

Hah!

Hanabi kept striking a wooden trunk that was located near one of the compound walls…

Hanabi usually trained away from the Head Clan's training ground to get experience from battling against branch family members as well…

("This girl is too good!") a figure was watching from the top of a wall.

*Sounds of footsteps*

("What?") The figure on the wall was alerted

"Whoah!"

"Whoah!"

The figure fell from the wall upon losing its balance, following which a small cloud of dust rose up.

"Who are you?" Hinata asked while Karin watched from the side.

"AH, IT'S YOU, The BOSS's wife!" The figure pointed a finger at Hinata.

"EH???" Hinata shrieked.

"Explain yourself!" Karin stepped in and raised the figure with one hand.

"Whoah!"

"Let Go I say!" The figure started to struggle.

Karin let go of the figure, following which, it landed on the ground.

(Poof!)

"So Rough,eh?" The figure complained.

"EXPLAIN!" Karin showed an angry face.

"I am the grandson of the Third Hokage."

"I am Boss Naruto's favourite disciple!"

"BOSS's wife?" Hinata's face became as red as a tomato.

"Naruto has a disciple?" Karin stared at Konohamaru.

"And what were you doing here?" Karin asked.

"Oh!"

"Well…"

"I observed boss had feelings for the girl over there…"

"So I thought, If the boss was my role model, then I as his disciple should not let him down."

"So I started to like Boss's Wife's little sister…" Konohamaru boldly declared.

"Boss's Wife's little sister?" Hinata fainted.

"HONORABLE GRANDSON!" a voice called out.

"Oh, Shit!"

"It's Ebisu sensei!"

"Gotta Go!"

"Bye!" Konohamaru waved towards Karin and left.

("What in the world is going on in here?") Karin thought as she stared at Hinata who was on the ground, unconscious.