Naruto: All depends on the Nine-tails Fox

"... The defeated must leave the arena."

As a disgruntled member of the Hyuga clan stepped back, filled with resentment, Neji Hyuga opened his eyes from a meditative state, waiting for the referee's announcement.

He and Hinata were set to face off in the final match.

Originally, there was supposed to be a discussion between the heads of the main and branch families beforehand.

But everyone in the Hyuga clan knew that Neji's father was the head of the branch family, and last year he had been humiliated into taking his own life, designated as an envoy to avoid angering the Cloud Village. Even his corpse had been taken away by the Cloud villagers, who sought the Hyuga clan's Byakugan.

This had become a disgrace for the family, so no one dared to mention it, nor would anyone tell Neji the truth.

If it weren't for the fact that young Neji's talent and performance were exceptional, making him the strongest genius of the Hyuga clan, the branch family would have long ago appointed a new head. Instead, they continued to revere the deceased Hizashi as their leader.

Despite his young age, Neji was more mature than most adults. As a student in the ninja academy, he understood that his performance would impact many things.

He couldn't afford to slack off for a moment.

"Main family, Hyuga Hinata."

At the sound of the referee's voice, a small figure emerged timidly from the crowd of main family members, lowering her head under the gaze of onlookers.

"Branch family, Hyuga Neji."

Neji stepped forward slowly, positioning himself opposite Hinata, adopting the initial stance of the Gentle Fist technique.

Seeing Neji's posture, Hinata hurriedly followed suit, raising her hands.

"Ugh, the heir of the main family seems unlikely to achieve greatness."

"She's just no match for Neji."

The whispers from the spectators, though quiet, reached Neji's ears.

To be honest, he didn't harbor any ill feelings toward his nominal sister, the actual heiress. However, he despised the main family. After learning of his father's tragic fate, he had grown to resent being a caged bird bound by the main family's will. In that context, all he could see was Hinata's identity as the main family's heiress.

No matter what dreams or expectations he had for the future, they felt irrelevant; his entire existence revolved around her.

Moreover, Hinata's excessively timid demeanor frustrated Neji.

It forced him to contemplate the meaning of his life, and the life of his father...

"Take your places…" The referee scrutinized both participants, preparing to signal the start.

"Go for it, Hinata-chan!"

Suddenly, a loud and inappropriate shout echoed over the Hyuga clan's courtyard.

Everyone, including the two contestants, turned to see the source of the voice.

There, atop the tall walls, stood Naruto Uzumaki, his blond hair shining brilliantly in the sunlight as he leaned against the wall, completely unfazed by the numerous Byakugan gazes from the Hyuga clan. He cheered for Hinata, "Don't be afraid, just do your best... Oh, and that guy, you too!"

Neji watched as the boy gave him a thumbs-up, instinctively responding, "Uh, thanks..."

However, he quickly realized that this was an internal match for the Hyuga clan—how could outsiders be allowed to spectate?

In the next instant, Naruto's enthusiastic cheer was cut short by the appearance of a branch family expert behind him, their expression stern, ready to seize Naruto.

These were the Hyuga clan's guards. Though unregistered as ninjas in the village, many members of the clan who had trained in Gentle Fist and Byakugan were far stronger than ordinary Konoha ninjas. Even middle-level ninjas would find it challenging to engage them in close combat.

Especially not a mere child like Naruto, who looked around four or five years old. The guard had never considered that he might fail.

But just as the guard's hand reached for Naruto, he suddenly felt a flash in his vision and found himself grasping at thin air.

"Hmm?" Instinctively activating his Byakugan, he quickly located Naruto, who had slipped off the wall and was now crouched on the ground behind him.

"Just lucky, huh? Slipped and avoided my grasp by accident?" The guard rationalized his failure, convincing himself it was merely a coincidence, rather than admitting a small child could outmaneuver him.

"Hinata-chan…" Hinata's face showed clear worry.

"That kid is... Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?" Hinata's father, Hiashi Hyuga, pondered the implications. As the leader of Konoha's oldest clan, he was privy to many of the village's secrets.

He knew Naruto's true identity as the son of the Fourth Hokage and a descendant of the Uzumaki clan... He also understood the Third Hokage's stance toward Naruto.

Both the Hyuga and Uchiha clans were ancient families, and it seemed the Third Hokage wouldn't want the Hyuga clan too closely involved with this child.

"Stop! Don't trouble him." With this thought in mind, Hiashi glanced at his daughter's concerned expression and Neji's focused demeanor, calling off the guard, "Just keep him out of the way. You all, check the surroundings for any other onlookers. Let the match continue."

Hearing their clan leader's command, the crowd turned their attention back to the match.

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing her father's words. She silently thanked Naruto for boosting her morale, allowing her to refocus.

Naruto's shout had significantly eased her inner tension.

Neji, however, couldn't help but feel curious about Naruto. Given how closed-off the clan was, he found it intriguing that the clan leader hadn't expressed any desire to confront the child about the disturbance.

Who exactly is that guy?

...

Yet, as a once-in-a-generation genius of the Hyuga clan, Neji quickly dismissed these distracting thoughts.

The two contestants soon redirected their focus to each other, and Hinata, no longer afraid, readied her stance once more.

"Now, take your positions." The referee looked at both participants, raising a hand to signal, "Begin!"

"Ha, kid, just get lost." Hearing the commotion, the Hyuga guard chuckled, looking down at Naruto from the wall.

"That old man just said I had to stay outside." Naruto wiped his nose and looked up defiantly, "If I can't watch, then I can't even hang out out here?"

"You little… huh?" The Hyuga guard's forehead bulged with veins as he prepared to teach the child a lesson. But then he noticed something—

This kid, if he just slid off the wall, how come he has no scratches on him at all?