"Host has brought Hyuga Hanabi home. Reward granted: Chakra capacity doubled."
The system notification chimed in right on cue.
His chakra had doubled!
Neji's eyes lit up with delight. With this, he was laying a solid foundation for training in both ninjutsu and taijutsu.
In simpler terms he didn't have to worry about running out of chakra anymore.
Gurgle~ Gurgle~
His stomach growled. Neji rubbed his belly with a hint of embarrassment. Looking up at the sky, he gauged the time. Still early. First things first he needed to eat.
He turned and headed for the kitchen.
After he left, Hanabi peeked out from around the corner, nibbling her finger and whispering to herself,
"Neji-nii... seems a little different than before."
Later that evening, Neji returned to the training field to continue his practice with the wooden dummies.
Everything he did now was for one reason: to become stronger.
He could feel himself improving clearly, steadily and that gave him immense satisfaction.
"Just as I thought... only through relentless effort can one truly grow."
Genius? It was just another word for ninety-nine percent sweat and one percent talent.
"Hm?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Neji caught sight of two familiar figures approaching.
Hinata Hyuga. Hanabi Hyuga.
What were they doing here?
"Neji-nii…"
"Good evening, Neji-nii," the girls greeted him with soft smiles as he turned to look at them.
"What are you doing here?" Neji frowned slightly.
His heart was in a flurry. Had they discovered that he'd removed the Caged Bird Seal?
"We... we just wanted to…" Hinata stammered, clearly still rattled from earlier in the day.
"We want Neji-nii to train with us!" Hanabi blurted out without hesitation.
In truth, they'd sensed Neji was in a rare good mood today. It felt like a chance a chance to repair the strained relationship between them.
"Training?"
So that's all it was. Neji exhaled silently in relief. And, to his surprise, he felt a flicker of anticipation.
A reward, delivered right to his door.
Neji scanned the training ground. "Alright. Let's begin."
Their idea of training was sparring. One-on-one.
"Who's going first?" he asked.
"Me!" Hanabi raised her hand eagerly.
"Go ahead." Neji gave her a brief glance.
"Hmph! Watch out, Neji-nii!" Hanabi charged with a fierce cry, her tiny fists clenched as she launched herself at him.
Honestly, Neji was panicking inside.
Hanabi was just too cute. What if he made her cry with a single strike?
With no better choice, Neji opted to dodge lazily.
Talented or not, Hanabi was still a child. The gap between her and Neji who was already at the level of an elite chunin was like heaven and earth.
To Neji, Hanabi's every move was full of openings.
After a few casual exchanges, he simply picked her up by the back of her collar, bringing their bout to an end.
"Your attacks are too slow. You haven't mastered striking the tenketsu. Your force is weak…" Neji calmly listed her flaws one by one.
Correcting their mistakes would help them improve faster.
Neji genuinely wanted them to grow stronger at the very least, strong enough to protect themselves.
Hanabi pouted in shame. "Hmph! Just you wait. I'll work hard!"
With that, she stomped off to the side and started punching a wooden post on her own.
"Host has trained with Hanabi. Reward granted: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm."
Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm: A unique long-range taijutsu technique that harnesses the abilities of the Byakugan, allowing the user to unleash high-density chakra blasts in the form of palm strikes that can hit targets from a distance.
Hearing the system notification, Neji couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips.
A long-range taijutsu move just what he lacked.
Now it was Hinata's turn.
He couldn't help but wonder what reward would he get from training with her?
"Hinata, let's begin," Neji said as he formed the Seal of Confrontation and looked at her calmly.
Seeing his serious expression, Hinata took a steadying breath and responded with quiet resolve,
"Yes, Neji-nii. Please take care of me."
Her heart fluttered with a strange joy.
Neji had never shown her this kind of respect before he'd never used the Seal of Confrontation with her in the past.
"Here I come, Neji-nii!"
With barely a whisper of movement, Hinata closed the distance and struck out with her palm.
Once upon a time, Hanabi might've had the edge.
But Hinata had since graduated and gone on several missions under Kurenai-sensei. Her combat experience and technique had already surpassed her younger sister's.
In the original story, after all, Hinata had been able to stand toe-to-toe with Neji for a time, after Naruto encouraged her.
Neji saw the strike coming. Calm and composed, he stepped aside with minimal effort.
Hinata spun and sent a Gentle Fist blow toward one of his chakra points.
Neji casually deflected her palm, then reached for her wrist in the same motion.
Hinata quickly leapt back and formed a hand seal. "Byakugan!"
"Gentle Fist!"
In an instant, her arms blurred into motion, palms casting afterimages as they flew toward Neji.
Not bad reflexes but still too predictable.
Neji shook his head slightly.
As her strikes closed in, Neji shifted his stance and slipped past every blow. Smoothly, he twisted and caught her wrist, pinning her in place.
"You're too focused on attacking tenketsu. Your moves are linear. You need to adapt more."
"If you can't land a hit, even the deadliest technique is worthless," Neji said sternly.
"And your personality too gentle. It limits you."
The Chunin Exams were fast approaching. Hinata needed the strength to stand on her own.
"You're right, Neji-nii. Please let's go again," Hinata said earnestly.
It was the first time Neji had ever taken the time to guide her like this.
Her heart filled with warmth.
Seeing her so focused, Neji gave a small nod.
When she got serious, she had a quiet, determined strength about her.
For the rest of their session, Neji sparred with Hinata, correcting each of her mistakes.
Before long, she was gasping for breath, her strength nearly spent.
Neji frowned slightly. "That's another weakness."
Poor stamina.
Fatal for anyone who trained in taijutsu.
"That's enough for today. Tomorrow morning meet me here."
With that, he turned and walked off without looking back.
No real reason, except that the system reward had already arrived.
"Today really is my lucky day."
Back home, Neji first activated his Byakugan, scanning carefully to ensure no one was watching.
Then he quietly closed all the windows and doors.
Just to be safe.
In the Hidden Leaf Village, the Third Hokage and Danzo had eyes everywhere.
Especially after the Uchiha clan's massacre, the Hyuga were now the village's most powerful family.
With their paranoid tendencies, there was no doubt that surveillance on the Hyuga clan had intensified.
And since most Hyuga had the Byakugan, it wasn't exactly easy to hide from the Anbu or Root operatives.
Still, to keep the peace, the clan chose to turn a blind eye.
In other words, a delicate balance had formed between the two sides.
But what Neji was about to do next was something he needed to keep secret from even the Hyuga themselves.