A surge of green Chakra erupted from Neji's body.
It was pure, vigorous, brimming with vitality.
Neji froze.
His pupils trembled violently—
and then, for the first time in his life—
Pulsation.
His Byakugan contracted sharply. The blind spot in his field of vision vanished completely, and at the same time, a brand-new sensation flooded his mind.
An ability.
Absorption.
Neji stared at his own hand, then instinctively reached toward Hiashi.
Hiashi's expression changed instantly.
He felt his Chakra draining away.
Startled, Hiashi grabbed Neji's wrist at once. The sensation of loss vanished the moment contact was broken, leaving Hiashi staring at his nephew in shock.
"…What did you just do?"
It was the first time he had ever witnessed such an ability.
Neji shook his head, equally confused. "I don't know…"
Meanwhile, Uchiha Ran, who had silently activated his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, had seen everything clearly.
"So this is the first pulsation of the Byakugan," Ran said softly, a smile forming. "Interesting."
"The first pulsation…?" Hiashi's breath caught.
"Ran—are you saying…!"
"Our Hyuga Clan's Byakugan can evolve?!"
His voice trembled with excitement.
"That's it—this must be it! The reason our ancestor could stand alongside the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara… it must have been because of this!"
Hiashi was so agitated his words became incoherent.
Ran understood his reaction.
Although the Byakugan was said to rival the Sharingan, everyone knew the truth—
its combat potential lagged behind.
No one said it openly, but whispers always existed.
Now, Neji's pulsation revealed an entirely new path.
"Your guess is correct," Ran said calmly.
"The Byakugan has three pulsations. Each grants a unique ability."
"After the third, techniques like Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion and Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion become possible."
He chuckled lightly.
"It's said the Golden Wheel can split the moon in half."
Hiashi shuddered.
Excitement surged through him—then vanished in an instant.
Without hesitation, he stepped in front of Neji, assuming a guarded stance.
Ran immediately understood and shook his head with a faint smile.
"Relax. True powerhouses don't lay hands on children."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Besides, I'm only ten years old. Do you really think I won't grow stronger in the future?"
Hiashi stiffened.
Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui finally realized—
Hiashi feared Neji might be eliminated for his potential.
And honestly, it wasn't an unreasonable fear.
Just then, Hinata spoke up softly.
"Father… I don't think Brother Ran would ever hurt Brother Neji."
She leaned her head against Ran's shoulder, blinking her large eyes.
"After all, it was Brother Ran who asked you to remove Neji's Caged Bird Seal."
Hiashi froze.
Then realization hit him like a wave.
He bowed deeply.
"My apologies, Ran. Please forgive my disrespect."
"It's fine," Ran replied lightly.
"If this were the only genius to stabilize the Hyuga Clan for the next sixty years, I'd act the same way."
He glanced at Neji, then casually continued teasing Hinata.
Her face turned bright red—but she didn't move away.
Neji suddenly stepped forward.
Then—
Thud.
He dropped to both knees and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Ran-kun," he said hoarsely.
"If not for you… I might never have known my own worth."
"I might have died resenting my uncle… my father… even…"
His gaze drifted toward Hinata in Ran's arms, guilt filling his eyes.
"…her."
He raised his hand solemnly.
"I swear—Neji will follow you for the rest of his life, Brother Ran!"
Ran's expression softened.
"Get up, Neji."
"From the beginning, I knew you were a genius who never belonged in a cage."
"You're an eagle," he said quietly.
"You should soar the skies—not rot as a caged bird."
Neji's eyes burned red.
At that moment, Ran became his mentor.
His guide.
The person who freed him.
Ran gently set Hinata down, then helped Neji to his feet.
"Train hard. I'll check your progress every month."
"And now that your Byakugan has awakened, try absorbing more Chakra to widen your meridians."
"It'll hurt. A lot."
"Can you endure it?"
Neji smiled through tears.
"I can. No matter how painful."
Ran nodded. "Good."
"One day, you'll help me conquer the world."
The room fell silent.
"It's late," Ran said. "Time for bed."
He patted Hinata's head. "Off you go."
She pouted. "…Okay."
Hiashi watched everything with complicated emotions.
Ran's presence was overwhelming—reassuring, commanding, and magnetic.
In just a few words, he had won both Neji's loyalty and his daughter's trust.
As Hinata kept looking back every few steps, Hiashi felt his heart ache.
He shut the door behind them.
Shisui and Itachi stepped beside Ran.
"Aren't you worried," Shisui asked quietly, "about such a genius appearing in the Hyuga Clan?"
Itachi didn't speak—but his gaze lingered on Neji.
Ran laughed softly.
"Politics isn't about killing."
"It's about people."
"Fewer enemies. More allies."
"If you only know how to strike first, no one will ever stand beside you."
He looked toward the window, eyes calm and far-seeing.
"The Uchiha don't exist for themselves alone."
"Our vision must encompass all of Konoha."