Konoha - Hyuga Clan Compound
Ning Ci jolted awake with a sharp gasp, clutching his aching head.
"Ugh, my head..."
His fingers brushed against something cold and metallic on his forehead.
"Huh? What's this?"
With a wince, he pulled the hard object off and brought it in front of his eyes. In his hand was a forehead protector one emblazoned with the stylized leaf insignia.
"This is..."
As an avid anime fan, he knew exactly what this was.
A Konoha forehead protector the unmistakable mark of a ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village!
His expression shifted. Instinctively, he looked around, scanning his surroundings.
Unfamiliar. Completely unfamiliar.
Still unwilling to believe it, he stumbled toward a nearby mirror.
And what he saw stunned him.
A boy with white eyes stared back at him those signature Hyuga eyes that betrayed no emotion.
Then, a searing pain tore through his skull as a flood of foreign memories invaded his mind.
After a moment of disoriented silence, he realized the truth.
He had transmigrated.
And not just anywhere he had become Neji Hyuga from Naruto.
According to Neji's last memories, he had been trying to rebel against the cursed seal of the Hyuga branch family. In a reckless attempt, he attempted to shatter it using his chakra.
The seal remained unbroken but he had passed out cold.
That's when Ning Ci crossed over into his body.
Wonderful. He'd been slotted into the role like a perfectly cut puzzle piece.
All because his real-world name was also "Ning Ci"? Seriously?
This made absolutely zero sense.
Back in his original world, he was just a regular guy a fresh-faced intern who'd barely stepped into society.
Like most interns, he scraped by on a meager monthly salary of 2,300 yuan, grinding away day and night.
Up before the rooster, asleep after the dogs.
Ate worse than a pig, worked harder than a mule.
And now, he'd somehow transmigrated into Naruto.
Sure, he'd become a genius from a noble clan, but Ning Ci felt zero joy.
Anyone who's watched Naruto knew Neji Hyuga was a tragic figure.
Orphaned young, bound by the cruel curse of the Hyuga branch family. He fought tooth and nail to control his own destiny, only to end up dying anyway.
"Oh, come on! If I had to transmigrate, why him? Why such a miserable character?"
He stared up at the ceiling, at a loss for words.
This was the Naruto world brutal and merciless. Political conspiracies, clashing interests, death lurking in every shadow. One misstep and you'd be erased without even knowing how or why.
Sure, Neji was a genius, but in this world, talent was common.
By the later stages of the series, almost everyone was a walking cheat code.
Talent? Naruto had more geniuses than ramen shops but how many actually made it to Kage level? Even elite jōnin were rare.
And even if he reached Kage-level? Pfft. At best, he'd be cannon fodder in the next big war.
Holy hell...
His future looked nothing short of miserable.
Ning Ci slumped onto a bench, brooding as the memories of this world continued to integrate into his mind.
Thinking back to Neji's reckless stunt made his lips twitch.
A genin challenging a seal that even Kage-levels couldn't crack? What gave him that kind of confidence?
Now, thanks to that bright idea, both of them were stuck here.
From Neji's memories, he also recalled that the Chūnin Exams were coming up.
Wonderful. Just what he needed another layer of anxiety.
Because during the Chūnin Exams, Orochimaru would launch the "Konoha Crush" operation.
And from that moment, the village's decline would begin.
He walked to the window and glanced in the direction of the Hokage's office before returning to lie on the bed, lost in thought.
Should he try to warn the Third Hokage? Change the fate of the village?
Yeah, no. That wasn't going to happen.
Any Naruto fan knew that Konoha was already rotting from the inside.
Even four hundred horses couldn't drag it back.
Rather than spilling his blood for Konoha, he'd be better off figuring out how to survive.
Besides, who knew if the higher-ups would start keeping tabs on him?
Just thinking about Danzo's slimy, manipulative ways sent shivers down his spine.
"Well, it is what it is."
"I've got a second chance, I'm not going to waste it becoming some disposable side character."
"If I want to survive in this world, I need to get stronger. Fast."
After a short moment of reflection, he collected himself and walked out of the room.
He wasn't the type to sit around once a decision was made.
Stepping deeper into the Hyuga compound, Ning Ci began experimenting with chakra.
In this world, chakra was the source of all ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu.
Only after drawing chakra could one perform techniques through hand seals.
Neji specialized in taijutsu, but even that needed chakra to unleash its full power.
For the Hyuga clan, taijutsu was even more important than ninjutsu.
First, it required less chakra, allowing for extended combat.
Second, their Byakugan and Gentle Fist made them unmatched in close-range combat.
So rather than wasting time on flashy techniques, it was smarter to double down on their taijutsu mastery.
As Ning Ci was getting into the rhythm of his training, a soft, timid voice interrupted him from behind.
"Ni-Neji-niisan…"
He turned and froze.
Standing before him was none other than Hinata Hyuga, the shy princess of the Hyuga clan.
He had only ever seen her on screen before. In person, she was even more delicate and beautiful.
Maybe this transmigration wasn't all bad after all.
Just as he was about to smile and greet her, he remembered he was Neji now.
And Neji hated the main branch of the clan. There was no way he'd act friendly toward Hinata.
Until he gained the strength to protect himself, he had to keep up appearances.
Seeing him remain silent, Hinata's eyes dimmed with disappointment.
"I guess… Neji-niisan will just walk away like before…"
"What do you want?" he asked coldly.
Just hearing him respond made Hinata blush furiously. She was still incredibly shy at this age.
Her exaggerated reaction took Ning Ci by surprise.
What he didn't realize was that Neji had never acknowledged her before.
Even a curt reply was enough to make Hinata's heart race.
"Neji-niisan, a-are you training?" she asked in a soft, syrupy voice.
"Yes," he replied flatly.
"C-can I… train with you?" she asked, mustering all her courage.
"Suit yourself."
"Th-thank you, Neji-niisan!" she said, bowing deeply.
But as she did, she lost her balance and tumbled forward straight into his chest.
"Ah!"
Silence.
Hinata, blushing furiously, lay frozen against him. Steam practically poured from her head and she passed out cold.
Just then, a strange mechanical voice echoed in Ning Ci's mind.
"Activation condition met. System initializing..."
'Sister-Spoiling System' successfully activated.
"Binding host: Hyuga Neji."
"Binding complete."