บท 210: 210: No… no, no!
Chapter 210: No… no, no!
—
"So… Hinata, is it true that the Hyugas see through everyone's clothes every time you use your eyes?" Ino asked her, putting on her clothes beside her and Tenten, the latter daydreaming.
Hinata pondered if she should lie or not before sighing and telling the truth.
"No, he was lying." She confirmed, putting on her shorts followed by her wool shirt. "We can control how much we can see. He was just setting those words to build up for his final punchline."
"Oh…" Tenten finally regained her senses, her mood becoming gloomy. "So he was lying, huh…"
"...He was lying about always seeing us naked. However, I am certain he saw all our bodies today if he hadn't done so before already. Notice how his eyes were softly glowing? That meant he had his eyes activated, he was seeing our bodies, with our towels blocking nothing from his 360° angled penetrating vision." Hinata replied, tying her purple obi around her shirt. "Anyway, don't think much of it. We are Ninjas, someone seeing our bodies is no big deal."
"Now that you say it, yeah." Ino nodded to herself, sighing in relief. On the other hand, Tenten had regained her blush back.
Ino continued. "In any case, I never knew Neji was that handsome. Well, given I had only seen his lower face until now which was handsome on its own, I should have expected this but still… he was breathtaking, haah." She let out a heavy breath. "Mhm, maybe because Sasuke is gone for years but it seems I found my new crush… and those eyes, sheesh."
Hinata narrowed her eyes at her, which the girl missed, busy rubbing her thighs together. Hinata sighed and added, "Yes, about that. Please keep it a secret. I mean the name. I am sure half the village will know about his eyes being blue by the morning, but we can cover it up by saying it was an illusion jutsu. But since you learned of its true name too… please keep it to yourself."
Ino and Tenten, both of them blushing softly, nodded at her immediately. They knew the importance of clan secrets.
Giving them a parting smile, Hinata walked outside first, only to find Neji flirting with the owner of the hot spring, who seemed to be at a lot more ease compared to before.
'...Neji-nii just wouldn't learn, would he? Why has he been like this recently? So annoyingly nice. I thought he became a pushover, but today's incident deems that impossible.' Hinata thought with a frown.
Neji Hyuga had become uncaring to the negativity around him, even if they were directed at him.
Even though she showed him so much hate and displeasure, hate that he didn't deserve after he risked his own life to save her life, he just wouldn't hate her back… Well, at one point in his life, he did hate her and her father, but things changed after his fight with Naruto in the chunin exam. Neji Hyuga had matured a lot more than Hinata liked in the past few years… Why couldn't he just hate her back?
She mentally sighed.
"Cousin, I am here. Let's go." She didn't wait for him and simply walked out, activating her Byakugan, her veins popping up, to see Neji sharing an intimate kiss with the owner before following behind her.
Hinata sighed and turned off her eyes.
Disgusting.
—★—
"I assume it must have been an important reason since you came to the Onsen just to pick me up?" Hinata asked him, as they walked side by side in the night streets of Konoha.
[Hinata Hyuga - Peak Tier 7]

Neji took a glance at her before turning ahead. "I guess it's important. I don't know the reason, but your father- the clan head has summoned the both of us. I was tasked to bring you to him." Neji added, wearing his blindfold again, as he observed Konoha from a birdview.
Even as he conversed with her, he was searching for the one of his girls who ended up in the Naruto world. Whoever she was, maybe she was right in the village as they spoke? Heck, maybe something like his situation happened to them where they replaced an existing character? Such as Kimi for Tsunade, and Nejire for Hinata. Though he soon realised the latter was impossible. The first also didn't have any clear indication, once he looked inside the Hokage building with his eyes, where Tsunade was sleeping with her face resting on her table, her drool damaging many of the paperworks.
The Hokage building was protected by Fuinjutsu Seals to block Byakugan users, but his eyes still worked, something the previous Neji Hyuga was smart enough to keep to himself.
"...I see." Hinata replied, a slight sign of gloominess in her tone as she walked with less enthusiasm than before.
From the looks of it, she could also tell what the meeting would be about.
Hinata Hyuga… she's different this time around exactly because of Neji. Because Neji saved her life. That's why she could never accept the fact that her saviour would give up his life for her. She tried to bargain with her father countless times, but she never succeeded. This was why she changed herself, she treated Neji badly, in a way that seemed ungrateful and thankless. Her only goal was to make him hate her, hate her so much that when she (indirectly) kills him, she doesn't feel as guilty, so she can freely say, 'It's good that the burden is finally gone.'
Of course, the previous Neji Hyuga was never able to look through this facade of her, but it was a bit too simple for Neji to not notice. More so, her next action right here only solidified his logic.
"...Cousin- no, Neji-nii." Hinata stopped in her tracks, a sudden gust of wind causing her hair to flutter as she looked at his blindfold-covered eyes. "Why haven't you fled yet?"
She talked as if she wanted him to flee.
"I… I can't understand. Itachi Uchiha massacred his own clan and left the village. I am sure you are at least strong enough to leave the village on your own. Then why are you still here, waiting to die?" She said in a voice filled with confusion.
Neji looked at her eyes too, pulling down his blindfold. Her proposal was a possibility the previous Neji hadn't even thought of, and he would only blame Lady Luck's reality manipulation for it. So truth be told, there wasn't any reason why he hadn't left the village yet.
Neji smiled at her. "I wonder. Perhaps it's just because I myself want my princess to use these eyes of mine? Maybe I think that will make my life worth it? Or should I say 'my death'?" Neji finished with a chuckle.
But Hinata wasn't so amused. She clenched her jaws, and Neji could tell she hadn't taken his jokes as a joke. However, she simply nodded instead of retorting.
"Alright, I… I am happy to hear that, cousin." She also smiled at him, something she hasn't done for Neji in 3 long years. "I will make sure to use your eyes to their best capabilities."
Neji mentally shrugged. She was as naive as she was before, even if she acted cold on the outside. Also, he actually liked this confident side of her more.
Soon the walking continued, all in silence, before Hinata took the initiative to start a conversion. Hey, was she suddenly treating him nicer?
"So who was the pervert? I am sure it wasn't you, you wouldn't need to be close to the hot spring to watch what's happening inside." She asked, leaning forward and tilting his head at him, her hands behind her back. "Or did you not see the person?"
"It was Naruto." Neji replied swiftly, watching her freeze before her blush grew.
"N-N-Naruto-kun??? I-I did hear he's back, b-but…" her blush kept growing as she started stuttering.
Haah, looks like even reality-bending didn't destroy that idiotic bond between her and Naruto. Though Neji preferred this more than having her served on his plate, it would be more fun conquering her.
Neji raised an eyebrow at her, which she couldn't see because he was wearing his blindfold again. "I am pretty sure he didn't come to see you, princess. I am also pretty sure you are aware of that."
Hinata froze, blinking twice, before nodding. Her mood was suddenly quite less enthusiastic. "You are… right."
Though Neji told Sakura so many things, Hinata herself could tell for sure who Naruto went to the Onsen for.
"Anyway, let's get moving."
The rest of the walk was spent in comfortable silence.
—★—
Hinata was expecting the meeting to just be a reminder for both of them about the eye transplant surgery that'd take place in two months. However, this… she wasn't expecting.
"But father-" she started, but her stern father simply raised a hand.
"Silence, Hinata." He said, putting that hand down on Hanabi's shoulder, who was on his side. "From the recent test result, Hanabi has a very pure Hyuga bloodline, and her Byakugan is purer than any other Hyuga in the last few generations [1]. The eye transplant would be the most beneficial for her, compared to you and anyone else. Also, as it turns out she doesn't even need to be 20 years old for the transplant to be possible safely. She's 15 years old now, yet her pure bloodline allows her to take the transplant anytime, even at this moment if we wish. But I am a man of my words, so the surgery would still take place in 2 months from now."
No… no, no! This isn't right, this can't be happening! Neji… he, he wanted her to have his eyes, for her to have a part of him inside her after he passed away, for her to remember him as her greatest life saviour. This… this isn't right!
"Hinata, you are getting agitated." Her father narrowed his eyes, his Byakugan activating in a threatening manner. "Do you wish to oppose the clan head's order?"
Hinata's body stopped shaking, as she simply stared at her father… that dirty man. She glanced at Hanabi too, but the little girl simply flinched and looked away… Ahh, she wasn't at fault here, she was simply in the same shoes that Hinata was a few years ago. Then, she looked at Neji, who was… perfectly calm?
How could he be so uncaring of this situation?!
Neji looked down on Hanabi, suddenly kneeling and putting a hand on his chest respectfully. "Neji Hyuga greets lady Hanabi. I am sure you'd put these eyes to better use."
"..."
Both Hanabi and Hinata were silent, the latter's eyes losing focus. The Clan Head simply smiled.
"Neji," he put a hand on Neji's shoulders, patting him. "You will earn a great memorial in the Hyuga compounds. You will be forever remembered as the Hyuga Hero, even generations after your death."
Neji simply smiled, nodding softly.
Hinata couldn't bear the scene anymore, her tears threatening to fall. So she burst out of the room, even though it was very disrespectful, she couldn't bear herself to care.
'Why do you look so uncaring even after you said those words just half an hour ago?!'
Was that all a lie? Or did he really lose all his negative emotions?
Hinata couldn't find herself straight, running into her room and falling into her bed with her cheeks wet.
—★—
'Well, that's one hell of a dramatic development.' Neji found himself humming as he walked towards his room after the meeting ended uneventfully. 'Its kinda fun to play along.'
Hanabi was nervous and very guilty too. She, just like her older sister, didn't want to kill a person just because of his eyes. Moreover, if that person was someone who she called "Onii-chan!" for the last 15 years.
'Mhm, this requires some change of plans. Hinata… this makes things easier.'
Though unfortunately, he would have to wait a few weeks before striking on her. If his memories were true, he would soon be sent to the Kazekage Retrieving Mission with his team, after Kakashi's team. He would try to quicken things up, but it would still need a week at the very least.
'Though not like that week will be uneventful either.' Neji thought, looking through the walls of his room with his eyes. Being the Branch Head, his room was protected with Fuinjutsu to stop Byakugans from seeing through, but of course his eyes were an exception. So he could see the person who was waiting for him inside. Opening the door of his room, his gaze immediately fell on the qipao-wearing girl setting up his futon with care, with a deep wifely care. 'Because I have my dear Tenten to strike down in that week.'
"Yo, Tenten." Neji said, the dazed girl perking up. She hasn't even noticed him opening the door, busy setting up his bed. "How come you are in my room? Moreover, setting my futon of all things. I didn't know we were married."
"U-uh…" Tenten, who was about to reply, lost all her cool once she heard his last line. "T-that… I was just here to… ask you something, and since that'd waste your t-time, I thought I would help by setting up your futon."
Neji closed the door, walking inside and sitting on the futon beside her, a bit too close. "Waste my time? Tenten, I don't think you have ever wasted even a second of my life, and I doubt your lovely presence would ever do so either. Say, what did you want to ask? I have the time of the world for you."
"Umm…" she looked away, avoiding eye contact for the first few seconds before she mustered the courage to look into his eyes, since he didn't wear his blindfold in his clan compounds. "So, about the things you said in the Onsen… that… You were lying, right? About my body, I mean…"
Neji blinked for a second before pushing her down on the futon.

"I see what you mean now. You wouldn't happen to want me to make a practical demonstration of my words from before, would you?" He asked her, pinning her down on the soft Japanese bed as she stared at him with a growing blush, her eyes blurry.
"I… I surely wouldn't mind if you do."
Of course. Next week is going to be fun.
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[1] Actually cannon. Hanabi's has a very pure version of Byakugan, the reason why Toneri Otsutsuki used her eyes amongst all the other Hyugas to activate his Tenseigan (Source- 👍 Trust Me Br- Naruto: the Last)
Master4thWall: Anyway, it's a new week 😃 vote power stones before the Gods come to claim me.
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