Naruto, be my son.

Neji's home was very deserted, and he was the only one in the huge house. His mother died when he was born, and his father also died for the clan four years ago.

It was already late at night, but Neji couldn't sleep.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, with a scroll placed in front of his knees. The scroll has not been opened by him yet.

The words of the Hyuga clan elder echoed in his mind.

Neji had been sitting here for several hours.

He didn't know what he was thinking.

The thoughts in his brain were very confusing.

"The Zong family...divided the family..."

"Caged bird……"

Neji knew very well that as long as he used the Caged Bird Curse Seal in the scroll, he could make the once aloof eldest lady of the clan become the same fate as Hyuga Neji.

But such a behavior just shows that fate is indeed man-made and can indeed be changed by people.

What exactly is Hinata's fate?

All in one thought.

"..." Neci was silent for a long time. He didn't even eat a bite of food tonight, and he didn't have the time to practice Rouquan. He had maintained this posture for a long time.

Do you resent Hinata?

Very angry indeed.

If she hadn't been abducted by Yunyin Village four years ago, the head of the Zong family would not have killed the Yunyin messenger, and his father would not have been a scapegoat for the head of the Zong family.

But if you extend your thoughts a little further forward.

What is the real contradiction of hatred?

Is it really Hinata?

Neji was a little confused.

"Maybe... tomorrow, we can see that guy again."

Neji felt that although Shiro was only a year or two older than him, he was more mature than him.

The other party's perspective on things is also very unique, and perhaps the other party will have different views in this regard.

Moreover, Neji also felt vaguely like he was being used.

So he was hesitant.

Although the bird in the cage finds it difficult to break free from the shackles of fate.

But I don’t want to become a pawn in the hands of just anyone.

……

At the same time, the Whitebeard Pirates had their temporary base in Konoha.

Tonight's party lasted several hours.

The white-bearded man leaned against the wall, still holding a half-drunk bottle of strong liquor in his hand, with a hint of drunkenness on his face. He had been asleep for more than half an hour.

There was Naruto lying at Whitebeard's feet. Naruto's belly was stretched out. It was obvious that he had eaten a lot at the banquet today.

"Hiccup... hiccup... hiccup... hiccup... hiccup..."

Naruto was also fast asleep, hiccupping while sleeping.

The two girls, Xianglan and Hinata, lay on the other side of Whitebeard, holding Whitebeard's thighs and fell asleep like this.

Uzumaki Feng was patiently clearing the table.

Bai was helping from the side.

"This is the atmosphere of the Whitebeard Pirates! Are you still used to it?" Kisame was holding a wine bowl in his hand. He was also a little drunk tonight. What he said was right for Shisui.

Although Shisui could not see anything, he did not see the joyful smiles of his family members during tonight's banquet. But this does not mean that Shisui is unhappy. He has not felt the warmth and enthusiasm of this kind of "home" for a long, long time.

"It's... I'm still used to it!" Zhisui also drank a lot tonight, and he was a bit tongue-tied when he spoke.

"Ha!" Kisame grinned: "You don't have a good drinking capacity. You've only drunk half a kilogram of wine and you're already so confused. As a pirate, how can you have such a bad drinking capacity?"

Zhisui responded helplessly: "I don't usually drink much. I only have a small drink at some feasts."

"But it feels pretty good."

Shisui smiled drunkenly and said: "Drinking with your family and drinking alone are two completely different feelings. Personally, I prefer the former."

Shisui also understood that this banquet allowed him to truly integrate into the Whitebeard Pirates.

And the Whitebeard Pirates did not disillusion him.

It was indeed the kind of family atmosphere he had come to expect.

This is why Shisui has always envied the Whitebeard Pirates.

Now he can finally join the family.

Thinking about it.

Shisui couldn't stand the dullness and sleepiness caused by alcohol, so he fell asleep here in a daze.

When he was a Jounin of Konoha.

Shisui would never fall asleep so easily, because this meant that once danger struck, it would be difficult for him to react quickly.

But, the situation is different now.

He was no longer a Jounin of Konoha.

There is no need to be arrogant.

"Hey, it's really boring to have such a bad drinking capacity." Kisame pouted, then he looked at Shiro who was helping to clean up, and asked curiously: "You said... you want to bring in another member of the Hyuga clan. Whitebeard Pirates?"

"Yes." Bai smiled and said: "That is a person named Hyuga Neji. According to the relationship between the Hyuga clan... he is Hinata's cousin! He is a very good potential stock."

"Not only do I think so, but even Naruto feels the same." Shiro continued: "But if you want him to join the Whitebeard Pirates, I'm afraid he has to untie that knot in his heart."

"Oh? Heart knot?" Kisame said with great interest: "Tell me about it? It shouldn't be some secret that can't be told between ghosts, right?"

"It's not a secret." Bai Jiang explained some of Neji's situation in relatively brief sentences.

He once again explained the differences between the clan and branch families of the Hyuga clan.

Only then did he roughly explain Neji's current situation.

Kisame's brows furrowed tightly upon hearing this.

"What a pedantic blood successor limited ninja." The smile on Kisame's face was full of ridicule, and his tone was even more unceremonious: "No wonder Hinata would rather give up her identity as the heir and join the Whitebeard Pirates. This is a better family. Who would want to stay in a ghost place like the Hyuga clan?"

If... someone asks him to die for someone else, it's not impossible. The premise is that it depends on who the other person is.

If the other party is a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, then Kisame Kisaki would be willing to be the scapegoat to save his family.

However, if the other party is a member of the Hyuga clan, relying on the so-called "family tradition" and "family separation obligations" to start from scratch...

Let him be such a scapegoat.

Kisame will choose to kill the Hyuga clan!

……

The next day.

early morning.

Neji, who had a scroll in his pocket, was very preoccupied. His eyes were always staring at his feet, and he didn't look forward while walking until he accidentally bumped into someone in front of him.

"Sorry." Neji calmed down his chaotic mind.

After apologizing to the other party, he looked up and looked forward.

The other party was wearing a robe with fire clouds and black bottoms, which made Neji stunned for a moment.

"Ouch!" A sharp and strange tone came into Ningci's ears: "This little brother, you have to watch the road when you walk! If these clothes are broken, that stingy woman will have to go back. You're nagging me about funding issues."

Neji's eyes moved upward again, and he was surprised to find that the person in front of him actually wore a strange mask on his face.

In his impression, there were only ANBU ninjas in Konoha Village...

That’s why you’re wandering around wearing a mask, right?

But this mask is a bit different from the mask of ANBU ninja.

This is an orange mask with swirly threads.

The other party only showed one eye.

"Brother, you dropped something!" The mysterious man wearing a mask bent down to pick it up on the ground, and picked up a scroll. He looked at it curiously: "It looks like a ninjutsu scroll. , what kind of strange ninjutsu is sealed here? Brother, do you mind letting me take a look?"

"Give it back to me!" Neji reached out to take the scroll back, but was dodged by the mysterious masked man.

"Oh my! Brother, don't be too excited. You finally came to Konoha Village, you have to let me have some fun, right?" The mysterious masked man actually opened the scroll directly.

"Huh? What is this?"

He actually looked at it carefully and analyzed it: "It doesn't look like an ordinary ninjutsu, it looks more like a curse seal. Such a profound curse seal! People don't know how to break it!"

"Asshole!" Neji said with a dark face. This time he quickly reached out his hand decisively, grabbed the scroll and pulled it back.

After putting the scroll away and stuffing it back into his pocket.

He looked at the mysterious masked man with caution: "Who the hell are you?!"

It is obvious at a glance that the bird in the cage is a seal used for a curse.

Neji didn't believe that this man was an ordinary person.

Not even an ordinary ninja.

"Me? Me?" The mysterious masked man didn't care at all about the vigilance and slight hostility on Neci's face. He still spoke in a very funny and sharp tone and scratched the back of his head: "I am... a long time ago People who are already 'dead'!"

"Hmph! You talk so eloquently... You must be a ninja from another village, right?"

Neji took a few steps back without leaving any trace: "What is the purpose of coming to Konoha? You dress up so mysteriously, you must not be an upright ninja, right?"

The mysterious masked man smiled: "Don't say it so harshly! Why am I not aboveboard? Am I not standing on the streets of Konoha openly?"

He opened his hands and completely ignored the passers-by: "Am I not exposed to everyone's eyes?"

"I can tell you a secret quietly——"

The mysterious masked man lowered his voice seriously: "I came to your Konoha Village to watch a big 'big show'. Brother, if you also want to watch it, try your best to watch it in the evenings these days. Don’t go to bed so early!”

Big drama? Neji's expression changed slightly.

He didn't think that the "big drama" coming from such a mysterious guy would be a good show.

"Oops! On a whim, I accidentally revealed something to a little brother! Every time I am in the mood, I can't help but burst out a little secret from my mouth. I don't know how to change this problem. Lose."

The mysterious masked man's tone was somewhat melancholy.

Finally, with some contemplation: "Do you think I should kill you and silence you?"

not good! ! !

Neji's pupils suddenly shrank.

Neji took action without hesitation, a little chakra lingered in his palms, and his eyes became sharper than ever before: "Soft Fist Technique·Eight Bagua Palms!"

The swift first palm hit the mysterious masked man's abdominal acupuncture point, and the next seven palms were struck in almost two seconds.

But what shocked Neji was that the other party didn't respond at all!

It was as if all eight of his palms were empty.

"Brother, didn't I remind you that if my clothes are damaged again, that woman will nag me?" The mysterious masked man smiled calmly.

"Damn it! You are definitely not an ordinary ninja!"

Neji quickly moved back, took out three shurikens from his ninja bag, and threw them directly at the mysterious masked man.

And he also turned around and evacuated behind him.

Just one face-to-face meeting made it clear to Neji that he was definitely no match for this masked man. Moreover, there are too many civilians here. If you fight this guy, it is easy to accidentally injure ordinary people.

He must evacuate this place quickly and inform the ninjas in the village that a very dangerous mysterious man has sneaked into the village.