Chapter 95: Neji: Damn the Main Family
"Stop, Neji."
A figure stepped in front of Boruto.
Boruto looked at the person blocking him and felt a little unfamiliar. "And you are…?"
"I used to be the Third Hokage. I've retired and am staying at home now. I am just an ordinary old man now."
Sarutobi Hiruzen turned around and gave Boruto a kindly smile.
"Oh… oh."
Boruto nodded, but his mind was racing.
The Third Hokage?
So that meant big brother Konohamaru's grandfather?
But he clearly remembered that Konohamaru's grandfather, the Third Hokage, and his uncle Sarutobi Asuma were both dead.
Wasn't that supposed to happen later?
Boruto scratched his head.
If I'd known I was coming back, I should've studied Konoha's history in advance.
"Naruto, you and this kid go do whatever you were planning. Leave the explanations here to me."
Hiruzen said to Naruto.
"Oh, okay. Thanks, Third Grandpa."
Seeing the Third step in to smooth things over, Naruto immediately relaxed and hurriedly pulled Boruto away.
"Um… Thank you, Grandpa."
Boruto still thanked him before leaving.
"What a polite child. He's much better behaved than Naruto was at that age."
Hiruzen smiled with satisfaction.
"Lord Third, that person just now…"
"I understand everything."
Neji was about to say more, but Hiruzen cut him off.
Watching Naruto and Boruto's backs as they left, Hiruzen patted Neji on the shoulder.
"That child isn't what you think. He's deliberately hiding part of his identity. Don't disturb them."
"Is… is that so? I understand."
Since the Third Hokage had said as much, Neji could only let it go.
—
On the other side, Boruto and Naruto finished eating at Ichiraku Ramen.
While Naruto was paying, adult Sasuke returned briefly and told Boruto that he planned to scout the surrounding area to see if there were any signs of Urashiki's movements. He told Boruto to keep an eye on Naruto and not to leave the village. The village was very safe right now.
What Sasuke said made sense.
Konoha really was extremely safe at the moment.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Sarutobi Hiruzen were all in the village.
Even if Urashiki happened to appear right after Sasuke left, even if Jiraiya and the others weren't a match for him, they could still make enough noise to stall until Sasuke rushed back.
This Ōtsutsuki named Urashiki was quite strange. Ever since he appeared, he clearly had the power to kill people instantly, yet he hadn't actually killed a single person.
Gaara, Chōjūrō, Temari, Kankurō, Mitsuki, Shinki, Sarutobi Mirai…
They say Amaterasu is a flame of kindness. By that logic, Urashiki was practically a benevolent Ōtsutsuki.
Naruto took Boruto around for another stroll. Only when he noticed that Boruto looked listless did he remember that Boruto had been tied up by him all night yesterday and hadn't slept at all.
Feeling embarrassed, Naruto immediately took Boruto home and told him to rest first.
"Hey, you absolutely can't leave the village! ...uh, I mean, you're my guide. If you're gone, I won't even know where to go tomorrow."
Boruto's head really hurt from sleepiness. Seeing Naruto about to leave after dumping him at home, he shouted that last line.
After Naruto left, Boruto covered one eye with his hand. A voice echoed in his mind.
[Child of humanity, you are going to die.]
"It's you?! Die? Are you threatening me?"
Boruto pressed his hand tighter over his eye.
[Oh, perhaps I used the wrong word. Not die, disappear.]
"What's the difference?"
[You don't care if you disappear, but what about your sister?]
"What do you mean?!"
"Hey?"
"Why aren't you talking anymore?"
"…"
No matter how much Boruto spoke, Momoshiki's voice did not appear again. He noticed that his headache was gone, and a wave of drowsiness washed over him. He fell into a deep sleep.
By the time Boruto woke up again, it was already night.
He was lying on a futon, covered with a blanket. Naruto was already asleep beside him. On the table was an empty cup of instant noodles, apparently his dad's dinner was that again.
At this moment, Boruto remembered what Momoshiki had said during the day.
Back when Momoshiki was defeated, he had already spoken some cryptic, prophecy-like words. And now he'd said something similar again.
Could it be that he wasn't just spouting nonsense? Was Boruto really going to disappear?
Boruto carefully lifted the blanket and stood up.
Yesterday, he had indeed confirmed that his dad's "tool for the crime" hadn't been damaged, but that was all.
If Momoshiki said something like that today, was he trying to tell him that although it looked intact on the surface, it had actually already lost its function?
Otherwise, why would Momoshiki say that both he and his sister Himawari would be gone?
After yesterday's awkward incident, Boruto would never have done the same thing again under normal circumstances. But this involved his sister's life.
"For Himawari… forgive me, Dad. This is the last time…"
Gritting his teeth, Boruto walked to Naruto's bedside again.
He had to verify whether his dad still had the ability.
Begin!
"Ugh~ Sakura-chan, don't… hehehe~"
"..."
As Boruto carried out the verification, while praying his dad wouldn't wake up, he heard this extremely sleazy bit of sleep-talking.
And the verification was complete. His dad's ability was not a problem.
But Boruto felt no joy at all.
His dad was actually muttering Sarada's mom's name in such a lecherous tone under these circumstances.
Could it be that what Momoshiki meant by his disappearance was this?
Just as Boruto thought he had discovered the truth and was at a loss, Naruto woke up again.
This awakening was even more terrifying than the last.
Last time, it was static. This time, it was dynamic.
Naruto's eyes widened as he looked down.
What use is this iron rod to me?
Even if I have it, what if it changes?
Still uneasy, still despondent…
"AHHHHHHH!"
Another piercing scream tore through the night.
But this time, Sasuke didn't come rushing over. Instead, someone else was hesitating downstairs outside Naruto's house.
After hearing Naruto's scream, Hyūga Neji immediately activated his Byakugan and looked over.
After learning from the Third that Boruto's identity was special, Neji really hadn't planned to cause trouble for Boruto anymore. But to resolve the knot in his own heart, he still wanted to quietly observe Boruto in secret.
Who would have thought that Boruto would sleep the entire day without waking up.
After waiting for most of the day, just as Neji was about to leave, he heard this scream.
"No wonder Lord Third said there was no need to worry about Hinata-sama's safety… so that's how it is…"
Seeing the scene inside the room through his Byakugan, Neji wanted nothing more than to gouge out his own eyes.
On his way back, Neji no longer worried about whether Boruto would pose a threat to Hinata. Instead, he started thinking about whether he should tell Hinata about this.
Neji ran through the possibilities in his mind,
If he told Hinata the truth about the "mutual deer doll," and if Hinata-sama refused to give up and concluded that Naruto liked men, then she would have to become a man herself.
Then the clan head, for Hinata's sake, and also believing that males were more suitable as heads of the main family, might decide to have him, a branch family member, contribute his "thing" and transplant it onto Hinata…
This matter is also recorded in Kakashi's work 'Bluff Man Paradise'.
"Damn the main family!"
Neji decided to keep this matter secret. It absolutely could not be let out.
He didn't hate Hinata. What he hated was this shameless system.
In order not to become Hyūga Neji-ko, he would have to apologize to Hinata, he could not tell her the truth after all.
(End of this chapter)