Naruto: Shadows of the Divine Flame

D-rank missions were exactly as boring as I expected.

Naruto complained constantly, Sasuke barely spoke, and I just did what was necessary to get them over with. Chasing lost cats, pulling weeds, carrying groceries—it was all pointless, but it was part of the system.

By the third day, I was already losing patience.

"I swear, if I have to catch another cat, I'm letting it run away," I muttered as we walked out of the Hokage's office.

Naruto groaned, stretching his arms. "Ugh! This sucks! We're ninja! We should be fighting bandits or something!"

Kakashi, who had barely broken a sweat during all of this, was flipping through his book again. "All missions are important, Naruto. Even the ones you find boring."

Naruto pouted. "Then why is it always us doing these stupid chores?!"

"Because you're still Genin," Kakashi replied lazily.

Naruto scowled but didn't argue.

As we walked through the village, I caught sight of Hinata training in a secluded courtyard. She was striking at a wooden post, her movements precise but hesitant.

She wasn't alone.

Neji stood nearby, watching her with cold, calculating eyes.

I stopped, observing from a distance. Hinata's movements were refined, but I could tell—she lacked the confidence to fully commit to each strike.

Neji finally spoke. "Hesitation leads to weakness."

Hinata flinched slightly but nodded. "Y-Yes, Neji-nii-san."

Neji's gaze darkened. "You're still too soft."

Hinata swallowed, lowering her hands.

Naruto, oblivious to the tension, waved. "Yo, Hinata!"

Hinata stiffened before slowly turning to us. "N-Naruto-kun!"

Neji glanced at us but didn't react much.

Sasuke kept walking, uninterested, but I stayed where I was.

Neji's gaze flickered to me. "Uchiha."

"Hyūga," I greeted neutrally.

Neji studied me for a moment before returning his attention to Hinata. "Your training is over. You're wasting energy."

Hinata hesitated, then nodded. "O-Okay."

As she turned to leave, she gave me a small glance—almost uncertain.

I met her eyes briefly before she hurried away.

Neji started walking off as well, but before he disappeared, he looked at me again. "...You're different from the other Uchiha."

I didn't react. "And you're different from the other Hyūga."

He narrowed his eyes slightly before turning and vanishing into the compound.

Naruto crossed his arms. "Man, I really don't like that guy."

I exhaled. Neji was strong. But he was blind in other ways.

For now, it wasn't my concern.