Naruto: Reborn as Neji Hyuga After Dying in One Piece-Chapter 42. She Wants It Too?!

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As flowers bloomed and withered, half a year quietly passed. Hinata and her classmates were nearing graduation, and Neji had reached level 39.

And still no word from "Aunt Snake."

At this point, Neji had basically forgotten about it.

In the meantime, his lab had accumulated quite a few newly harvested [Byakugan] but not enough to begin fusions. He had held off.

He had spent the past few months fully immersed in learning [Sealing Techniques]. Compared to medical ninjutsu, this field was vast, layered, and addictive. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

It felt strangely... intimate like he was unraveling some esoteric secret.

Neji shook his head, dispelling the thought. He dispelled a [Shadow Clone] and pinched his brow as the wave of mental exhaustion hit.

Lying sideways on the island-style sofa in his meditation room, he set down the book he'd been studying.

"There's just so much material on [Sealing Techniques]... Did someone copy the Uzumaki Clan's entire library into Konoha?"

He was joking, but not entirely.

After the Uzumaki Clan's fall, most surviving sealing techniques ended up in Konoha's vaults thanks to their long-standing alliance.

There weren't many advanced techniques, but the foundational knowledge was comprehensive.

"Then there's [Barrier Techniques] too..."

Although the Byakugan couldn't directly see barriers, Neji could still detect their presence using [Observation Haki].

That's how he had been mapping the barrier network around Konoha for years now. (Yes, this was retconned earlier.)

He had even figured out how to get past them thanks to a certain Hokage's favorite mole: Root operatives.

Hiruzen's dogs never stopped sneaking around at night, and every time they did, Neji used [Chakra Perception] and [Observation Haki] to track and analyze the barrier's flow.

Eventually, despite some structural changes, he had memorized the pattern, weak spots, and rotating exit nodes.

After ten years of observation and some field testing, he could now bypass Konoha's barrier a feat rarely portrayed in the anime, even though characters like Obito or Orochimaru walked through like it was nothing.

Of course, they cheated.

Obito phased through space. Orochimaru was a Sannin and probably had the passcode. Other small-time intruders didn't stand a chance.

That's why Neji had been so thorough. He wanted to be ready for anything.

He drummed his fingers on the soft island couch, which had excellent bounce, as his mind drifted toward the future.

Sticking to canon wasn't a bad thing. It often led to useful opportunities.

Still... he wasn't interested in the whole Naruto graduation drama. That "forbidden scroll" bit? Probably orchestrated by Hiruzen himself.

And those jutsu? Definitely pre-selected for Naruto. What the kid chose was up to him.

The real top-tier stuff? Hiruzen had locked away tightly. No way would he just leave that lying around.

Neji's gaze sharpened.

The Land of Waves arc is coming up.

"Zabuza and Haku, huh..."

That arc wasn't just about them. The entire country was a potential opportunity.

Glancing through his inventory, his eyes lingered on a vial of [Estrogen Hormone].

Of course, He wasn't planning to use it on himself, but it could prove useful... if he ever recruited "unofficial personnel."

"Too bad I don't have much of a choice right now."

Stretching lazily, he made a decision.

Call it a night. I'll start preparing tomorrow.

---

As expected, a few days later, Naruto passed his graduation exam.

No one brought up what happened that night. Classic Hiruzen.

Naturally, Neji celebrated with his little sisters. As for Hiashi well, that stiff old man wouldn't show up even if he were proud. Not worth worrying about.

A month passed.

Then came the mission.

---

That same day, at Training Ground Seven...

"Sorry, Guy-sensei," Neji said, "I've made a breakthrough in my research. I'd like to withdraw from missions temporarily."

He made sure the excuse sounded solid this was a critical moment in his study.

Guy nodded with exaggerated seriousness. "Then you're officially off-duty. Lee, Tenten you two okay with that?"

Both nodded without hesitation. They already knew what was going on.

Then, Guy's teeth sparkled.

"Neji, research with confidence! Our youthful passion will always support you we're your unshakable shield!"

Neji's eyelid twitched beneath his blindfold. He was used to Guy and Lee's antics..., but sometimes, they still got through his defenses.

"No thanks," he said flatly.

"Tenten, don't learn from them."

"Got it," Tenten replied seriously.

Guy's face crumbled in anguish as he turned and clung to Lee for comfort.

"This is betrayal! My own student has rejected my burning soul!"

"You still have me, Guy-sensei! I'll never abandon you! Together we'll turn YOUTH into sweat and spread it across the training grounds!"

"Let's Show this ground our YOUTH!"

"Yeah!"

Moved to tears, the two embraced as dramatic music seemed to play in the background.

Tenten covered her face.

"Let's go. Just leave them."

"Yeah..."

Neji and Tenten walked away, leaving their eccentric teacher and teammate locked in a teary-eyed embrace.

---

On the way back...

Tenten glanced sideways. "Neji, are you really close to finishing that technique you mentioned?"

"You mean the one that can preserve youth?" Neji replied. "Absolutely."

He sounded confident because he had already tested it on Izumi. The results were excellent. He had even optimized it.

"Seriously?" Tenten's eyes lit up.

"Seriously," Neji said with a nod.

"But it'll take at least another week. Maybe more. I want to be cautious."

He didn't want to promise too soon experiments were never predictable.

"I'll be laying low to focus. Let the others know I won't be around much."

"No problem!"

Tenten hesitated, then looked toward him again, biting her lip slightly.

Her eyes lingered on the blindfold covering his face.

'He can't see... so maybe it's fine?'

'No. Still... male and female boundaries, right?'

But Tenten wasn't one to back down once she made up her mind.

"I want one too," she said firmly. "When it's done can I get one?"

Neji paused.

"...Of course."

Internally, however—

She wants it too?! It's gonna kill me!

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