novel-bin Chapter 248 Emotions
Chapter 248 Emotions
Hinata Hyuga naturally saw the exceptionally handsome boy with a smile looking at her. Her gaze lingered on him, and a warm and familiar feeling welled up inside her. Images from her memories gradually surfaced, and Neji Hyuga's resolute gaze overlapped with that of the boy before her. It was as if time had reversed, returning her to the past, the scenes of them training and growing together vividly before her eyes. Now, meeting again, although time had changed, that tacit understanding and affection remained deeply etched in her heart.
She was filled with doubt, unsure if the boy before her was indeed Hyuga Neji, the one who had left Konoha years ago. Although many years had passed, the boy's appearance was remarkably similar to Neji's, almost identical. However, the aura he exuded was completely different; he appeared more mature and composed, and his physique was more upright than before. This change surprised Hinata greatly, and a sense of familiarity welled up within her, as if this person truly were Neji. Therefore, she couldn't help but ask softly, "Excuse me… are you Neji-nii?"
Hyuga Neji looked at Hyuga Hinata, a hint of doting affection and emotion in his eyes. He slowly stood up and walked steadily towards her. Every step carried a sense of composure and confidence, as if the years had not changed the unwavering resolve deep within him. When he reached Hinata, he stopped and gently placed his warm hand on her head.
"What? After all these years, you've already forgotten your brother!" Hyuga Neji's voice was gentle and kind, as if time had never left a mark between them. His eyes revealed his love and care for his sister, making one feel a warm current surge in their heart.
Hinata Hyuga looked up at her familiar yet unfamiliar older brother, a happy smile spreading across her face. She felt the hand resting on her head, and an overwhelming sense of familiar closeness welled up within her. This hand had stroked her hair countless times, offering comfort and encouragement; this hand had fought alongside her, protecting her from harm. Now, this hand was on her head again, bringing her a long-lost warmth and sense of security.
Hinata Hyuga's eyes glistened with tears, her voice trembling with emotion. She struggled to control her emotions, saying in a trembling voice, "It really is Neji-nii! It's been so long, I missed you so much! And... welcome home." Her words were filled with longing and anticipation for her loved one, while also expressing her warm welcome to Neji.
Neji Hyuga smiled slightly and gently patted Hinata Hyuga's shoulder, showing his understanding and response. He knew that although many years had passed, their familial bond remained unchanged. He was grateful to see Hinata Hyuga again and hoped to make up for the lost time. He decided to take good care of Hinata Hyuga from now on and ensure she lived a happy life.
“Yes, I’m back,” Hyuga Neji said.
Hiashi Hyuga, watching from a short distance away, was overjoyed. Seeing that Neji Hyuga and his daughter's affection hadn't faded with time filled him with immense relief. Meanwhile, Hanabi Hyuga, standing nearby, pouted unhappily, feeling that her older sister was about to be stolen away by this new brother.
Hyuga Hiashi didn't want to disturb the joy of the two reuniting after so many years, so with a face full of resentment, Hyuga Hanabi quietly left the living room, leaving Hyuga Neji and Hyuga Hinata alone to talk.
The two, completely oblivious to the departure of others, continued to recount their past years and express their joy at reuniting. Most of the time, the shy Hinata recounted her experiences to Neji, who listened quietly. At this moment, Hinata had completely shed her shyness, transforming into a chatterbox, constantly telling Neji about her experiences over the years, introducing her current classmates and school life.
Time flowed by, and night quietly fell. Hinata continued her story to Hyuga Neji, seemingly oblivious to the passage of time.
Soon, Hiashi Hyuga appeared outside the door. Although he didn't want to interrupt his daughter and Neji Hyuga's deepening relationship, he couldn't let them continue talking like that. So he interrupted their conversation and told them to go have dinner.
Hearing her father's words, Hinata Hyuga blushed slightly, regaining her shy and bashful demeanor. She said to Neji Hyuga, very embarrassed, "I'm sorry, Neji, Neji-nii-san, you just got back, and I... I've been talking to you nonstop, I didn't even notice the time." After speaking, she lowered her head shyly, unsure what to do with her hands.
Hyuga Neji didn't say much, only affectionately patting her head. He loved his younger sister dearly; as the closest person to him in his childhood, their reunion filled him with immense joy. Just talking to her like this elevated his state of mind beyond imagination. Although they were related by blood, they shared a special emotional bond. For Hyuga Neji, Hinata was not only his sister but also a vital part of his life. And for Hinata, Hyuga Neji was her closest older brother.
Seeing the good relationship between the two, Hyuga Hiashi felt very gratified. Although his motives weren't entirely pure, it couldn't be said that those were his only motives. He still sincerely hoped that his daughter could live a happy life. Of course, having Hyuga Neji's willing and full support would be the best thing. Then, even if Hinata's personality wasn't suitable for inheriting the position of head of the main family, the elders of the main family wouldn't dare to raise objections, allowing Hinata to be branded with the Caged Bird Seal and relegated to the branch family.
In the blink of an eye, more than a week had passed since Hyuga Neji returned to Konoha. During this time, Hyuga Hiashi entrusted Neji with the task of teaching his two daughters, Hyuga Hinata and Hyuga Hanabi. He hoped Neji could pass on even a little of what Hyuga Kanan had taught him to his daughters, even just a superficial understanding. After all, a powerful ninja like Hyuga Kanan could greatly benefit Hinata and Hanabi even with just a small amount of knowledge.
Hyuga Neji was completely open in teaching his two younger sisters, imparting most of his knowledge except for chakra cultivation. Through this time together, he realized for the first time that Hinata's personality wasn't suited to be a ninja. It wasn't that Hinata lacked ninja talent; on the contrary, her talent was quite remarkable. However, her overly gentle and kind nature made her incompatible with the ninja profession, which required walking the line between life and death and was filled with killing. In every battle, Hinata would subconsciously hold back, unable to unleash her full power. In contrast, Hyuga Hanabi, in both talent and personality, seemed like a natural-born ninja. However, Hyuga Neji didn't see anything wrong with this. After all, everyone has their own strengths, and if Hinata didn't like fighting, there was no need to force her to participate. He had complete confidence in his abilities and firmly believed he could protect his sisters from harm. Therefore, for Hinata, she only needed to learn some self-defense skills; everything else was unnecessary.
On a bright and sunny morning, Hyuga Neji was patiently instructing his adorable little sister, Hyuga Hanabi, in Gentle Fist. He demonstrated each movement with complete concentration, while Hanabi diligently studied and tried to imitate her brother's techniques. Just then, Hyuga Hiashi quietly entered the courtyard and silently watched the siblings train.
After a while, Hiashi Hyuga finally broke the silence: "Neji, today is Hinata's graduation ceremony. Would you like to go and watch? It's a great opportunity to learn about the Konoha ninja system. Also, if you're still considering whether to join the Konoha ninja ranks, you can observe the performance of the other young ninjas this time."
Hyuga Neji stopped what he was doing, thought for a moment, and then nodded. He had almost forgotten that Hinata had told him yesterday that today was her class assignment day. He also knew that becoming a ninja would provide a lot of combat experience, and he understood that this was a rare opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the ninja world of Konoha. Therefore, he nodded in agreement and went to the academy with Hyuga Hiashi to attend Hinata's graduation class assignment ceremony.
Soon, Hiashi Hyuga brought Neji to a high platform from which he could observe the entire classroom.
A large group of people had already gathered there; they were all ninjas from Konoha Village, dressed in Konoha's standard vests, looking very neat. These ninjas stood quietly, their eyes focused on the classroom below.
Neji curiously surveyed the crowd around him, noticing that many of them were powerful Jonin. He was slightly surprised, realizing that the individuals graduating and being assigned to classes this time were likely not ordinary people. Even the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, whom he had met once, had come to observe him personally. At this moment, the kind old man was smiling at him, his eyes filled with expectation.
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a slight surge of joy upon seeing Hiashi Hyuga arrive with Neji. He knew that bringing Neji meant the Hyuga clan was changing their plans for Neji's future, no longer treating him like a caged bird, but hoping he could grow up like any other child and eventually become an excellent ninja. This would allow Neji to potentially develop deep bonds with other Konoha ninja, which might influence Kanan behind him, fostering a stronger sense of belonging and identification with Konoha. In this way, Hiruzen, as Hokage, wouldn't need to worry excessively about Kanan's lack of emotional attachment to Konoha, nor would he fear her ruthless attacks on the village.