Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 92

Hyuga Neji sat against the wall, his head bowed, his white training clothes covered in dust, making him look somewhat disheveled.

His face was expressionless, but his clenched fists and slightly trembling shoulders betrayed the intense turmoil within him.

Naruto's words were like heavy hammer blows, slamming into his heart, which had been frozen by "fate" and "hatred" for more than a decade.

The sense of defeat at having his hopes dashed was far less painful than the bewilderment he felt when his beliefs were shaken.

Just then, the door to the cubicle was silently opened.

A figure dressed in the traditional attire of the Hyuga main family, with a dignified face but also a hint of weariness that was hard to conceal, walked in.

The visitor was none other than the current head of the Hyuga clan—Hyuga Hiashi.

His gaze fell on Neji, his expression complex and difficult to decipher, containing concern, guilt, scrutiny, and a hint of relief.

Neji abruptly raised his head, and the moment he saw Hiashi, the lingering confusion in his eyes was instantly replaced by cold vigilance and deep-seated resentment.

He instinctively tensed his body, like a hedgehog facing an enemy.

"What are you doing here?" Neji's voice was as cold as ice. "Have you come to see the jokes of the failed branch family members? Head of the main family."

Hiashi didn't notice the hostility in Neji's words.

He slowly walked up to Neji, but did not sit down; he simply stood there quietly.

His gaze was heavy as he stared at the Caged Bird Seal on Neji's forehead, which was covered by bandages, as if he could see the shadow of another person through it.

Silence spread through the small space, so heavy it almost suffocated anyone who wanted to breathe.

After a long silence, Hiashi took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and spoke in a low, hoarse voice:

"Neji...about your father, Hizashi..."

Upon hearing the word "father," Neji's body jolted violently.

The suppressed hatred in his eyes burned like poisonous fire!

He stared intently at Hiashi, his teeth grinding together.

Hiashi seemed oblivious to the surging hatred in Neji's eyes, or perhaps he chose to bear it.

He continued, his voice carrying the weariness and deep sorrow of a hero nearing the end of his life:

"Back then... the leader of the Kumogakure delegation kidnapped Hinata with the intention of seizing the Byakugan. The incident happened suddenly and the situation was critical. Kumogakure threatened war and demanded that Konoha hand over the culprit... and the 'culprit' identified at the time was me."

Neji's pupils suddenly contracted!

This version... is completely different from what he was told since childhood that "his father voluntarily sacrificed himself to protect the bloodline of the main family!"

"To protect Konoha, and to prevent the Hyuga clan from being drawn into the vortex of war..."

Hiashi's voice was filled with immense pain and struggle: "The village's higher-ups... have chosen to compromise. They need a 'murderer' to quell the anger of Kumogakure. And the one most suitable to bear the blame for this 'murderer' and die is... only a member of the Hyuga main family."

“So… Father…” Neji’s voice was dry and hoarse, trembling with disbelief.

"It was not a voluntary sacrifice."

Hiashi closed his eyes, and it was as if he could see his younger brother's face, which was exactly the same as his own, and his eyes, which were filled with resoluteness, determination and...deep love at the moment of parting.

"If I had been more assertive back then... if I had been more persistent... Hizashi wouldn't have had to take my place at all..."

Like being struck by lightning, Neji felt his mind go completely blank!

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, oblivious to the blood seeping out.

The pillar of hatred that sustained him for over a decade—

He hated the main family and hated Hiashi for forcing his father to die in his place.

It all collapsed at that moment! The truth was so cruel and absurd!

Father… was actually pushed out to his death by his own brother?!

"Why...why him?!"

Neji's voice was filled with tearing pain and rage. He suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Hiashi: "Why not you?! Aren't you the head of the main clan?! Isn't your life more 'precious' than my father's?!"

Faced with Neji's hysterical questioning, Hiashi's face showed no anger, only unfathomable grief and self-blame.

He slowly took out a small cloth bag carefully wrapped in pure white silk from his bosom, his movements solemn and slow, as if he were holding the most fragile treasure in the world.

Hiashi's voice choked, and for the first time, tears welled up in his eyes: "Your father... he loved this family more than anyone else, and he loved his brother more than anyone else."

"He knew that if I died, the Hyuga clan would descend into chaos. Hinata and Hanabi were still young, and the clan would lose its leader. As for him... as a member of the branch family, his death could both quell the unrest and, to the greatest extent possible, preserve the stability of the main family and the entire Hyuga clan..."

Hiashi, with trembling hands, handed the small silk package to Neji.

"This is what he... left for you."

Neji seemed frozen in place, his gaze fixed intently on the small cloth bag.

After a long while, he stiffly reached out like a puppet and took the light yet incredibly heavy package.

He trembled as he untied the silk, revealing a slightly yellowed letter inside.

On the envelope was his father Hizashi's familiar, strong handwriting: "To my son Neji."

Neji's fingers trembled so much that he could barely hold the letter.

He took a deep breath, and with an almost self-destructive resolve, unfolded the suicide note that had been sealed away for more than a decade.

The handwriting in the letter was still clear, carrying the father's unique fortitude, yet filled with unprecedented tenderness and reluctance.

Hijiri did not complain about the injustice of fate, nor did he express his resentment at being forced to die.

He calmly recounted the truth of the incident, expressing his boundless guilt and concern for Neji.

He told Neji that his choice to die in place of his brother was not out of obedience to the main family's orders, but out of love and responsibility for his brother and the entire Hyuga clan.

He didn't ask Neji to let go of his hatred, he just hoped that Neji could understand his choice and live well in his place, protect himself, and... protect Hinata.

At the end of the letter were the father's final words:

"Neji, my child. Fate may have given us different starting points, but it cannot determine the height of your soul. Do not let hatred blind you, do not let the shackles of the 'divided family' bind your heart. Use your eyes to see the truth of this world, and walk your own path. Your father will always love you."

Tears, like a flood bursting its banks, instantly blurred Neji's vision.

That cold, hate-forged barrier completely crumbled in the face of his father's belated, loving last words!

He gripped the letter tightly, his body trembling violently, suppressing the pain, grievances, confusion, and deep-seated longing for his father's love that he had held back for over a decade.

It erupted like a torrent at that moment! He could no longer hold on and collapsed to his knees with a thud.

He buried his face in the suicide note in his hands and let out a heart-wrenching cry like a wounded cub!

"Father...Father—!!!"

The cries were filled with indescribable grief, relief, and belated filial piety.

The sound penetrated the well-insulated lounge, moving even the ninjas passing by outside.

Hiashi looked at his nephew, who was kneeling and weeping, a child who had borne too much pain that he shouldn't have to bear. His eyes also welled up with tears.

He reached out as if to pat Neji on the shoulder, but in the end he just sighed heavily, turned around and left the cubicle silently.

He knew that at this moment, Neji needed to face this belated truth and the surging emotions alone.

This confession and the truth, though heavy and painful, may be... the only key to unlocking Neji's inner knot and allowing him to truly break free from the shackles of "fate".

Chapter 106 Losing the game, winning in life

In the center of the martial arts altar, the giant electronic screen shimmered with light, finally settling on a single image:

Match 2: Nara Shikamaru vs. Temari!

The murmurs in the audience instantly rose, filled with a buzz of anticipation.

A spirited female ninja from Sunagakure faces off against a genius from the Nara clan in Konoha, known for her aversion to trouble and exceptionally high intelligence.

The highlight of this match is undoubtedly the clash of strategies and wits.

Shikamaru yawned deeply, his eyelids drooping, as if being dragged along by an invisible weight, and slowly moved into the arena.

He glanced at Temari, who was carrying a huge Samsung fan and swinging her ponytail with a heroic air, across from him.

He muttered to himself, "Ugh... the worst opponent... that incredibly troublesome woman... her Wind Release technique has such a wide range, hiding is exhausting, and winning might just make things worse..."

Even as he walked towards his starting position, his steps unconsciously veered towards the players' tunnel on the sidelines.

They looked like they wanted to disappear into the void immediately.

Temari strode to a stop, her three-star fan slamming onto the ground with a thud, raising a cloud of dust.

She looked at Shikamaru's boneless, lazy appearance.

Especially that muttering "winning would be even more troublesome," it made me furious.

Her eyebrows shot up, and she snapped without any politeness, "Hey! Lazybones from Konoha! Stop looking so pathetic! If you don't want to fight, just admit defeat and get lost. Don't waste my time! The ninjas of Sunagakure don't have time to waste with you!"

Upon hearing this, Shikamaru's eyes lit up, as if he had found a savior: "Ah? Is that okay? That's wonderful!"

He immediately raised his hand with a sigh of relief, turned towards the direction of Moonlight Gale, and said in a light tone as if he had been lifted from a heavy burden: "Referee, I admit defeat..."

"I'll acknowledge you my foot, Shikamaru!"

A thunderous roar erupted from the front row of the audience!

Naruto suddenly sprang up from his seat like a rocket, bracing himself against the railing with both hands.

To everyone's astonishment, he used amazing agility and brute force to vault over the audience railing!

Like a golden whirlwind, he rushed behind Shikamaru before Shikamaru could even finish uttering the word "I surrender."

"Go back and beat him up, you bastard!"

Naruto didn't give Shikamaru any chance to react at all.

He grabbed Shikamaru by the back of his collar and belt with both hands, his core strength exploding instantly, executing a standard over-the-shoulder throw—

"Whoa—!! Naruto, you big idiot—!!!"

Shikamaru felt dizzy and disoriented, as if he were a sack being thrown by a catapult.

Screaming and cursing, it drew a pathetic arc in the air.

With a loud thud, he crashed back into the center of the field, landing just a dozen meters in front of Temari, his mouth full of dust.