C1 The Pain That Was Not Sad

Wang Yang sat blankly in front of the mirror, his reflection showing a young boy, about four or five years old, with "white cataracts" clouding his eyes and a green pattern on his forehead.

Despite Wang Yang feeling no sorrow, tears streamed down his reflection's face like an unstoppable flood.

With the memories he had just received, Wang Yang understood that he was now Hyuga Neji, and today marked the anniversary of his father's death.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The sound of knocking snapped Neji out of his reverie. Instinctively, his eyes shifted toward the door just as it swung open to reveal Hyuga Hiashi. Neji quickly rose to his feet and respectfully bowed.

"Hiashi-sama!"

Hyuga Hiashi crouched before Neji, tenderly wiping away the tears streaking his face, his own expression filled with remorse.

"Neji, I heard you fainted earlier. Are you feeling better now? Don't worry, I'll look after you from now on."

Neji looked up, his gaze piercing as he met Hiashi's eyes. In that moment, Hiashi felt as though he wasn't looking at a child, but rather an adult.

"Hiashi-sama, no, Uncle, I wish to live on my own from now on."

"Neji, you're still very young. If you don't want me to care for you, I can arrange for a nanny."

"Uncle, the love of a family I've lost only deepens my sorrow. Please, let me live by myself."

Hiashi's eyes shimmered with emotion as he gazed at Neji, ultimately releasing a resigned sigh.

"Well then, I'll provide you with a monthly allowance. If you need anything else, be sure to tell me. I have to report to the Third Hokage now, so I'll leave you to rest."

With those words, Hiashi stood and exited the room. Outside, a man in his thirties stood guard. Upon seeing Hiashi emerge, he promptly bowed.

"Patriarch, how is Neji doing?"

Hiashi glanced back at the door and shook his head slightly, a silent gesture of concern.

"Neji will be living on his own from now on. Togashi, I'm entrusting you with the task of secretly protecting him."

Togashi's face paled as he blurted out in alarm, "What? Patriarch, Neji is still so young. How can you..."

Hyuga Hiashi shook his head, cutting Togashi off mid-sentence.

"Exactly, he is young, and that's precisely why I need you. I owe Neji a great deal and couldn't bring myself to deny his request. So, I'm counting on you."

After Hyuga Hiashi departed, Neji heaved a deep sigh, flipped onto his back on the bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling, murmuring to himself.

"So, I'm really the first to die among the Twelve Young Shinobi? Sigh~ Even as an orphan, I wish I could have been Naruto, or even Sasuke."

Neji's mind was a jumble of three distinct sets of memories. One set belonged to four-year-old Neji, which was quite sparse since a child his age had few memories to begin with. The majority were the memories of Wang Yang from Earth.

Wang Yang, an Earthling and a recluse, perished in a fire. That should have been the end of his story, but now all of Wang Yang's memories had merged with Neji's. The smallest fragment, however, was a mysterious set of memories with unknown origins.

"Touching someone who cannot resist to receive a card, which randomly grants one of the target's current abilities, and each target can only be used once? Can such a thing truly exist?"

Neji whispered to himself. Following the guidance in his memories, he gently clenched his right hand in front of him. Tiny blue lights converged in his palm, quickly materializing into a card.

In the upper left corner of the card, the words "Ninjutsu Card: Eight Trigrams 128 Palms" were inscribed. Dominating the center was a circular Tai Chi symbol, and beneath it, a lengthy note read:

"Upon activation, the card allows the user to deliver 128 palms within a two-meter square radius around the target. Once used, the card shatters, with a ten-minute cooldown. Chakra can be used to expedite the recovery process."

This card came into Neji's possession while he was being comforted by Hyuga Hiashi, who wiped away his tears. Initially, Neji couldn't fathom such an absurd event actually happening, so he paid no mind to the memory. Yet now, the card lay in his hands.

"Knock knock knock!"

The sound of knocking jolted Neji from his reverie. Instinctively, he released the card, which, upon slipping from his grasp, transformed into a speck of light and vanished.

Neji paused a moment, expecting the door to swing open as it had before, but it remained closed. He nonchalantly tied the bandana around his forehead to conceal the caged bird emblem, then swung his legs off the bed and made his way to the door, opening it.

Hyuga Togashi stood on the other side. Upon seeing Neji, Togashi's face broke into a warm smile.

"Neji, feeling any better? You have a visitor."

"A visitor?"

Neji blinked in surprise, craning his neck to peer past Togashi. There stood a little girl, roughly his height, dressed in a kimono with her hair up in a bun—it was Tenten.

"Tenten, what brings you here?"

Caught off guard by Neji's direct question, Tenten shyly cast her eyes downward.

"Well, I heard Neji was unwell, and I was worried, so..."

"Oh, I'm all better now, thanks for your concern."

Neji offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile, but Tenten bit her lip, a clear look of disappointment flashing in her eyes, leaving Neji perplexed.

Hyuga Togashi leaned in, still smiling, and gave Neji's head a gentle pat.

"So, Neji, why not go out and spend some time with your friend? She seems quite concerned about you. You two are good friends, aren't you?"

"Uh, well..."

Togashi's grin grew even more radiant as he produced a thick envelope from his pocket and pressed it into Neji's hand.

"Here's your allowance for the month. Make sure to enjoy your time with your friend."

"I..."

Before Neji could respond, Togashi vanished in a puff of white smoke, leaving Neji and Tenten alone. Suddenly at a loss, Neji, the homebody, wasn't sure what to do next.

"Uh... Tenten, how about I treat you to some dumplings? I just came into a bit of money."

Tenten's eyes, which had been tinged with disappointment, instantly brightened, and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Then I'll take Neji out for some barbecue. My mom gave me two thousand taels for spending money today!"

As they walked, Neji tore open the envelope and found five thousand taels inside. It made him realize just how wealthy Tenten's family truly was.