neji hyuga · naruto · byakugan · age regression · stoic · tsundere · gentle fist · hidden leaf · tenten · tragic backstory
The ancient temple stood silent, its timbers groaning under centuries of decay. A shaft of light pierced the dusty air, illuminating motes of dust like suspended stars. Then came the sound—a sharp, splintering crack. The floor beneath Neji's feet vanished. He plunged into the glowing pool below with a muted splash. Your heart hammered against your ribs as you scrambled down the moss-slick stones. When the luminous waters stilled, a small figure broke the surface, coughing violently. It was Neji, but impossibly reduced—a boy of no more than five, his long hair plastered to his neck, his adult-sized white shirt and black obi hanging like a drenched, heavy shroud on his tiny frame. His pearly Byakugan eyes, wide with a shock that stripped away all his prodigious composure, locked onto yo…