Uchiha Clan In One Piece

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Akira's thoughts returned to the system message he had received but hadn't had time to fully investigate.

"System, what was the issue before?" he asked.

The system's calm yet mechanical voice resonated in his mind.

[Host, during the attempted departure from the Ninja World with Naruto, a mysterious power interfered, attempting to halt the travel. To ensure safe passage, the system was forced to sacrifice a significant portion of its Origin Power.]

Akira's expression darkened as he processed the revelation. "A mysterious power?" he muttered, his thoughts immediately drifting to the Sage of Six Paths. "Could it have been the old man? Or something else tied to the world's balance?"

The notion unsettled him, but he pushed it aside for now. There were more pressing matters to handle. Still, the incident confirmed what he had long suspected: meddling in the worlds wouldn't come without resistance.

He leaned back, briefly smiling. "Speaking of Naruto… I wonder how are those kids doing now?"

---

Meanwhile, in Akira's house...

Just after Akira left with Neji, Hinata stirred awake, blinking as her surroundings came into focus.

 "Ah… where am I?" she mumbled.

Her gaze settled on Naruto, who was sitting nearby, munching loudly on an apple. The moment she saw him, her face turned beet red. "N-Naruto-kun!" she squeaked before fainting again, her head hitting the pillow with a soft thud.

Naruto's eyes widened as he nearly choked on the apple. "Ahhh! Not again! What do I do?!" He jumped up, waving his arms around frantically. "Hinataaa! Wake up!"

After a tense moment, Hinata's eyelids fluttered open. Her cheeks were still flushed, but she managed to sit up, avoiding his concerned gaze.

"S-sorry…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Naruto sighed in relief, plopping back down. "Phew! I thought you were out for good!" He grinned at her, his usual bright energy returning. "You okay now?"

"Y-yes…" Hinata stammered, twiddling her fingers. "Th-thank you, Naruto-kun…"

Naruto tilted his head. "What for? I didn't do anything."

Hinata shook her head quickly. "You… You stayed by my side. That's very k-kind…"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "Aw, it's no big deal. Akira-nii told me to watch over you, so I'm just doing my job!" He puffed out his chest proudly. "Mission success!"

Hinata smiled shyly, her fingers still poking together nervously. "Y-you're so brave, Naruto-kun… I admire you."

Naruto blinked, staring at her. "Huh? Admire me? Nobody ever says that to me!" He scratched his cheek, laughing awkwardly. "Usually people just call me loud or annoying."

"N-no!" Hinata said quickly, her voice barely a whisper. "You're… amazing."

Naruto blinked again, his face turning a little red. "Huh? Uh… thanks?" He grinned, trying to act cool. "Well, of course! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the future coolest man alive!"

Before the blushing Hinata could respond, a sudden new voice filled the room.

"What are you doing?

Neji appeared in the room after Akira had sent him away, his Byakugan active and his expression sharp.

His gaze swept over the scene—Naruto sitting cross-legged on the bed, Hinata blushing furiously and looking weak.

"This..." Neji was stunned for a moment but quickly calmed himself. "What... is going on here? Hinata, did he bully you?" Neji asked coldly.

Hinata froze, her blush deepening. "N-Neji-niisan! I-it's not what it looks like!"

Naruto stood up, frowning. "Hey, who's this guy? I thought Akira-nii took him to jail or something."

Neji's eyes narrowed, focusing on Naruto. "Who are you, brat, to sit so casually near Hinata-sama? Explain yourself! And don't think calling Lord Akira your brother will save you."

Naruto crossed his arms, puffing out his chest. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! And I'm looking after Hinata, so back off, bushy-eyes!"

Neji's eyebrow twitched. "What did you call me?"

"Bushy-eyes!" Naruto repeated, pointing at Neji's face. "You're all 'vein-y' or whatever! Is that supposed to be scary?"

Neji took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Hinata-sama, don't worry. I'll handle this… troublemaker."

"N-no, Neji-niisan!" Hinata stammered, waving her hands in panic. "Naruto-kun has been very kind… t-to me!"

Naruto smirked, pointing a thumb at himself. "See? She said I'm kind! Not like you, Mr. Grumpy-eyes!"

Neji pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stay calm, muttering, "This... is ridiculous." He turned to Hinata. "Hinata-sama, you need rest. This... annoyance... isn't helping."

"Annoyance?!" Naruto shouted, glaring at Neji. "You're the one who barged in all grumpy! We were fine before you showed up!"

"You call this fine?" Neji asked, gesturing at Hinata, who was redder than a tomato and starting to sway.

"Y-yes… Naruto-kun is—" Hinata began, but Naruto leaned in close to check her face, and with a soft "eep!" she fainted again.

Naruto's jaw dropped. "Hinata! Not again!" He crouched down, shaking her gently. "Wake up, Hinata!"

Neji's eyes twitched. It didn't take a genius to figure out why Hinata fainted. His shock was visible for a moment, but he quickly composed himself. "Enough. I'll handle this from now on. Clearly, you're making things worse."

"Making things worse?!" Naruto snapped. "I didn't do anything except talk to her! Maybe you're the problem!"

Neji began seriously considering knocking Naruto out, but before he could make a move, a calm voice spoke from the doorway.

"Am I interrupting?"

Neji froze. He hadn't even noticed someone approaching. He turned to see a man standing there, smiling gently.

"I'm Uchiha Shisui," the man said casually. "Akira asked me to come and manage things here until he gets back."

Neji straightened up, his earlier confidence dimming slightly. "I see… welcome, Shisui-sama."

Shisui looked at Hinata and sighed. "Looks like she's already asleep. You two should pick your rooms and settle down for the night. This house has plenty of space." He gestured for them to follow. "Go on, find a room."

Neji threw a sharp glance at Naruto as he walked past. "Uzumaki, don't test my patience. One day, I'll make sure you regret every word you've said to me."

Naruto waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, bushy-eyes." He smirked. "Jealous I'm cooler than you?"

Neji ignored him, picking a room near Hinata and slamming the door.

Naruto scratched his head. "Man, what's his deal?" Then he grinned. "He's just mad because he's not as awesome as me!" He finally picked a room after peeking into several.

Shisui stood in the hallway, watching them. "Huh. That was easier than I expected. I thought I'd have trouble."

He glanced toward the window, his expression softening. "Still, I hope Akira-nii finishes his business soon and comes back."

---

Empress Palace

Meanwhile, at the Empress Palace, Akira was lying comfortably on a luxurious bed, with Hancock clinging to him like a koala. She looked utterly exhausted, her face peaceful in sleep as she snuggled closer.

Akira stared at the ceiling, smirking. "Sorry, Shisui, but how could I leave the Empress's warmth just to take care of kids?!"

He glanced out at the dark sky, the stars twinkling above. "Anyway, I'm sure you've got it handled. Soon, everything will be sorted."

Satisfied with his reasoning, Akira shifted his focus back to Hancock, a playful grin spreading across his face. He let out a soft chuckle. "Even though I don't need to sleep… this is just amazing."

With that, Akira wrapped an arm around Hancock, closing his eyes—not to rest, but simply to enjoy the moment.

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