Naruto: Reborn as Neji Hyuga After Dying in One Piece-Chapter 77. You Don’t Know Pain Until You’ve Lived It

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"You want his life?"

Neji's voice was calm, but ice-cold. The air in the hospital room shifted.

Gaara narrowed his eyes.

Interesting.

That invisible pressure... it stirred something deep in him. Not fear, but excitement.

Back during the exams, Neji had walked past Gaara without triggering even the slightest reaction from his sensory instincts.

That mystery made Gaara want to taste his blood even more.

"Shikamaru," Neji said evenly. "Let him go. I don't want to hurt you by mistake."

Shikamaru hesitated. His [Shadow Possession Jutsu] held firm.

"I can't do that," he said. "If you fight now, this could become a diplomatic disaster. A spark between two Hidden Villages."

He was right. If Neji struck now, it could lead to war. And Shikamaru wasn't letting that happen.

Neji's eyes shifted to Gaara again. "You sure you want his life?"

Gaara didn't flinch. "You're strong. I may not be able to kill you, but the others?"

His gaze flicked to Naruto and Shikamaru.

It was a raw, unfiltered threat.

Naruto immediately bristled. "You wanna go, sand freak?! Try me!"

Shikamaru sighed. Great. He's triggered again.

Still, he smiled faintly. "We saw your match, Gaara. You're no joke. But don't think we're weak either."

"You're lucky Lee survived," he continued. "If he hadn't... Neji would've already taken you out."

He wasn't wrong.

If Gaara had succeeded, and if Shikamaru hadn't been there to restrain things... Neji would've ended it. Without hesitation.

Some lines can't be crossed.

"Hmph."

Gaara snorted, eyes filled with disdain. That alone was enough to make Naruto charge forward—

Only for Shikamaru to yank him back again.

"You think you can kill me?!"

"Stop talking like a kid," Shikamaru muttered. "You know that guy's a monster."

But Naruto grinned. "I've got a monster of my own."

Everyone turned.

Even Gaara looked interested.

Neji glanced toward Naruto. So... he's already met Jiraiya? Has he learned about the Nine-Tails?

"A monster, huh?" Gaara muttered. "Then we're the same."

"I was born cursed. The day I came into this world... my mother died. My father tried to have me assassinated. Again and again."

"I was the village's mistake. A monster. A burden. I didn't understand why I even existed."

Gaara's voice grew quieter. "But I found a purpose. To kill. That's all I have."

Shikamaru looked confused. But Naruto froze.

He understood.

Gaara... was just like him.

They shared the same pain. The same emptiness. But Naruto had found light in Iruka-sensei. Friends.

Gaara... had lost his. The only one who'd ever cared, his uncle Yashamaru, had been taken away.

Now all that remained was blood and sand.

A twisted mirror of what Naruto could've become.

Gaara's gourd began to rattle. Sand swirled into the air behind him.

"Come on... let me feel something again."

Neji's eyes hardened.

One palm swept forward.

"That's enough."

A blur entered the room.

All heads turned.

Green vest. Bowl-cut hair.

Guy.

"Neji," he said sternly. "No need to rush. The Chunin Exams begin tomorrow."

He turned to Gaara. "Or do you really want to be in this hospital bed before your match?"

Gaara stared at him.

Slowly, the sand receded back into the gourd.

Before leaving, he paused.

"You'll all die by my hands eventually. Just wait."

Naruto clenched his fists but said nothing.

After hearing Gaara's story... he couldn't bring himself to hate him.

As Gaara exited the hallway, a sudden crack appeared across his face. He blinked.

My sand armor...?

It was damaged.

He turned slightly, eyes narrowing.

That masked Hyuga. Was it his doing?

Had that one palm strike... broken his defenses?

Blood rushed through Gaara's veins. A twisted excitement surged within him.

"Tomorrow... I'll know for sure."

He grinned. Quiet. Distorted.

---

Back in the Hospital Room

Shikamaru scratched his head, then looked at Neji apologetically.

"Sorry about that."

Neji just shook his head.

"After the exams," he said calmly, "report to me. Every day. For two weeks."

Like thunder, it struck Shikamaru's soul.

"W-Wait... every day?! Two weeks?!"

Neji didn't answer.

Shikamaru shuffled out in a daze, ignoring Naruto calling after him.

Guy approached Neji, clapping a hand on his shoulder. He didn't say much, but the look in his eyes said everything.

Some things are your duty to stop. But others? You let it play out.

"Neji, I came to tell you the reward for the S-rank mission has been approved," Guy said with a small smile. "The Third has granted your request."

"You'll be given access to space-time ninjutsu scrolls. You can begin reviewing them as early as next week."

They had already asked Lee.

Lee had laughed. "I've got the [Healing Seal], what else do I need?"

He said Tenten needed the reward more. That settled it.

Guy had passed it along. The Hokage had agreed.

"Thank you, Guy-sensei."

"No need. What matters now... is how you perform in tomorrow's exams."

This time, Guy wasn't joking or striking a pose. No loud proclamations. Just a steady, solemn teacher.

Neji nodded.

Tomorrow... Gaara.

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