The room was silent after everyone left.
Li Shang—now in Neji Hyuuga's body—let out a deep sigh.
"Hmph... that was close."
He still felt a cold shiver run down his spine at the memory of Inoichi's hand on his head. If he had hesitated, his secret would have been revealed immediately.
Wasting no time, he began to test his body's limits. He moved his arms, stretched his fingers, and rotated his neck. Every joint responded with precision, but also with a certain stiffness. A few minutes later, he stood up, staggering, and began pacing the room. His steps were firm, yet unsteady.
Soon after, he leaned on the floor and began doing push-ups. One, two, three... until sweat ran down his forehead. His body was young, but not weak. There was discipline in it, a legacy of rigorous training.
Hours passed in this process. When the first ray of sunlight appeared through the window, he threw himself back on the bed, exhausted but satisfied.
'I'm already used to this body.'
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
'At least this body isn't useless. The young Hyuuga trained it very well... but even if it were the other way around, it wouldn't be much of a problem. I'd do it myself.'
With a calm mind, he sat in the lotus position. He closed his eyes. He let the outside world grow silent until, suddenly, an inner space revealed itself before him.
Was in hissea of knowledge.
And this wasn't what he expected. A vast stone plain stretched into infinity, shrouded in cold shadows. Black chains rose from the ground, attached to invisible pillars, hissing like serpents when the nonexistent wind touched them.
"So that's it..." he murmured, watching.
'The mind reproduces our fears. Neji felt chained to the fate of the branch family since his father's death.'
Li Shang clenched his fists. He felt a bitterness well up from deep within his soul, as if it belonged not only to him, but also to the boy whose body he now inhabited.
'Looks like... the boy's emotions are still there.'
He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, before letting an oath echo in his mind:
'As payment for this second chance... I will fulfill his last wish.'
It was then that something ignited deep within the sea of stones. A crimson rune glowed in the darkness, emerging in his mind like an ancient whisper. Familiar symbols took shape: the[Heart of the Celestial Devourer], the forbidden cultivation technique of the demonic sect.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"This... technique...!"
Memories of his past life surfaced. The demonic sect that used him as a test subject practiced this terrible art. It was a cursed method that allowed the devouring of all kinds of energy—qi, blood essence, even souls. But in his previous life, his foundation was already too weak and corrupted to harness it.
Now, in a clean body, with the potential of a Hyuuga, it was different.
The smile returned to his face, wilder than before.
"Whether it's qi or chakra... it doesn't matter. I can refine everything."
He sat still, gathering the energy in his mind, and felt for the first time the smooth, vibrant flow of chakra. A new, fresh, pure current spreading through his meridians.
The dark currents of his mind trembled, as if resisting. But he only chuckled softly, closing his eyes in satisfaction.
"In my past life, I was just a failed experiment. Now... I'll have the best start ever."
And so, between the night that departed and the day that dawned, Li Shang — in the body of Neji Hyuuga — began his cultivation in a new world.
The room remained silent, interrupted only by the sound of the box beeping at regular intervals. Li Shang shifted more comfortably in bed. His body still felt strange, but it was already responding perfectly.
The door suddenly opened.
"Neji!"
Maito Gai entered with his usual exaggeration. The sparkle in his eyes and his voice filled the room with more energy than the morning sun itself.
"You're really awake! Humph! I knew the flame of youth in you wouldn't go out so easily!"
Neji looked up. In the past, he would have responded coldly, perhaps even with contempt. But now, deep down, Li Shang recognized something rare in this man: sincerity.
"I'm... better," he replied, his voice calm.
Gai smiled broadly, as if those words were a treasure. "Get well soon. Youth waits for no one!"
Before Neji could retort, soft footsteps echoed down the hallway. The door opened again, revealing Hinata. She hesitated in the doorway, her fingers clasped together in front of her, her eyes shyly avoiding his direct gaze.
"Neji-nii-san..." he muttered, almost in a whisper.
Neji's memories surged like a blade through Li Shang's chest. The blow, the rage, the seal that had destroyed him from within. The shame of the girl before him, mixed with pent-up fear.
'So... this is what happened before I got here.'
"I'm fine." His words were firm, almost unexpected even to himself. "No need to worry."
Hinata blinked in surprise. She lowered her head, but couldn't hide the small smile of relief.
A few minutes later, they both left. The room fell silent again. Li Shang leaned back, taking a deep breath.
'Hm. This body has stronger bonds than I thought. If I'm not careful, they'll notice the changes.'
Five days passed.
During this time, Neji maintained his facade before the doctors, but in every moment of solitude, he cultivated silence. Sitting in the lotus position, he immersed himself in the sea of knowledge.
The black chains were still there, heavy, reflecting the branch family's imprisonment. But amidst them, the rune of[Heart of the Celestial Devourer]pulsated like a red star.
And he used it without hesitation.
He refined chakra as if it were qi, devouring every drop of energy from his body and rebuilding it into a purer cycle. Something he had never been able to accomplish in his previous life.
On the morning of the fifth day, when he was finally discharged, he walked down the hospital corridor with firm steps. His body was no longer a stranger, but an extension of his will.
The streets of Vila da Folha were still bustling that early afternoon. Children ran along the sidewalks, vendors shouted about discounts on fresh vegetables, and the metallic sound of blacksmiths hammering echoed in the distance.
Li Shang walked slowly, instinctively following the memories he had inherited. His steps led him toward the Hyuga clan's residential quarters.
"Neji... Neji..." he heard a low voice. For a moment, he completely forgot that he was now this boy. His eyes were fixed on the blue sky, lost in thought.
It was then that something unexpected appeared in front of him.
A boy in a tight, skin-tight green outfit appeared, balanced upside down, doing a handstand in the middle of the street as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Li Shang blinked in surprise.
"Rock Lee?"
The boy stopped his movement immediately, leaning on his hands and turning to face him.
"What's wrong with you? I've been calling you for a while, but you didn't seem to hear me."
Li Shang realized his mistake too late. He smiled awkwardly, trying to ease the tension.
"Hehehe... sorry. My memory isn't very good. I even forgot for a moment... my own name, Lee."
'I'd better start feeding the memory loss lie. That way, if anyone becomes suspicious of my behavior, I'll have an excuse ready.'
Lee's smile instantly disappeared. He broke his stance and landed on his feet, walking over to Neji with a worried expression.
"So it's true about your amnesia? Gai-sensei told me, but I didn't believe him. At least... you remember me, right?"
"You're Rock Lee. We're on the same team... but I'm not sure about a lot of other things. It's all hazy."
Li Shang forced a weak smile, trying to appear convincing. But to Lee, the gesture felt completely strange.
"Something really happened to you..." Lee murmured, his voice thick with worry. "I've never seen you smile so much."
The boy's eyes shone with insecurity. Lee, who had always carried energy and confidence, now seemed to fear the change in the friend he knew so well.
He took a deep breath, and as he always did, he tried to hide his anguish behind a smile.
"Hehehe... get well soon, Neji. So Team 9 can come back with full force."
He took a few steps back and raised his hand in farewell.
"See you later, Neji."
Li Shang watched him leave, the shadow of a smile still on his face.
'So this is the kid's teammate... Rock Lee. He seems to have a heart too pure for this world.'
The gentle afternoon wind blew through the streets, and for a moment, the new Neji wondered how long he could keep up the charade without arousing suspicion.
[Author's Note:
This story was originally written in Portuguese, so there may be some translation errors. If you notice any, please let me know so I can fix them. Thank you for reading!]