Lady Hinata!
Are you all right, Neji?
My eyes have recovered considerably,
but I still have a lot of blind spots.
Please rest assured!
Until your eyes heal completely, I'll protect you, Neji.
Like you protected me back then.
I protected you?
Lady Tsunade had just become the Hokage…
And Sasuke was still in the village.
HYUGA
Lady Hinata…
N-Neji…
I will be your training partner.
Huh? But this is the start of Senbon Sparring.
I'm aware of that.
Senbon Sparring is an important ritual of the main family.
During the summer of one's 13th year,
one must drill daily until a thousand spars are achieved.
Then the head of the family takes over as your sparring partner,
and passes on secrets of the jutsu.
That's why today, Father and I…
Lord Hiashi has gone away on business regarding Lady Hanabi.
Huh?
The earliest he will return will be a month from now.
I was told to be your training partner.
That's so…
Are you dissatisfied with me?
N-No… I didn't mean it that way…
Let's begin.
R-Right!
One!
Right!
Two!
Right!
Next!
Right!
Ten!
Right!
23!
Right!
36!
Right!
54!
Right!
HYUGA
75!
HYUGA Right!
93!
Hinata!
Are you all right?
I didn't hit that hard.
I'm kind of bruised all over.
What are all those bruises?
Oh, I was training…
Are you training that hard?
I've been training with Neji for a clan ritual.
Is that so? It's tough growing up in a noble family, huh?
If you're training so hard, I guess maybe you can't join us.
You know about the fireworks display this coming weekend?
A fireworks display?
Yes! To honor Lady Tsunade on becoming the Fifth Hokage!
I was thinking of going and wanted to ask if you'd join me.
Truth be told,
I was planning to sneak Sasuke out of the hospital,
and go, just the two of us.
But that guy insists on coming.
Hey, Hinata!
Naruto…?
You know. Unless there's a partner for him,
I won't have any time alone with Sasuke.
A-A fireworks display with Naruto?
Hey, Hinata! Are you going to come or not!
A-Absolutely. I'm coming…
What's with her? Did something happen?
838!
What's the matter?!
Your chakra flow is all over the place!
Sorry!
You're too hung up on each individual jutsu!
And on jutsu accuracy.
It makes no sense if the overall flow is bad!
Right!
You respond, but are you really listening?
Your side!
Elbow!
I juggled my schedule around to make time for you.
I'm sorry, Neji…
Stand up!
Don't waste any more of my time.
Yes!
839!
Gentle Fist!
8 Trigrams! 2 Palm! 4 Palm! 8 Palm! 16 Palm!
32 Palm!
8 Trigrams!
64 Palms!
Lady Hinata?
Lady Hinata!
The Heart's Eye
It's eyestrain.
Probably due to sudden and excessive use of her eyes.
Will she recover?
Of course. The Byakugan is not weak like that.
With time, her eyes will recover on their own.
Don't you have any idea?
I don't have a clue!
Hey!
Hey, Neji!
Hi!
Excuse me, Neji.
Have you seen Hinata?
I haven't seen her around for a couple of days.
You would know, right, Neji?
I'm not Lady Hinata's bodyguard.
We didn't say you were!
We're just asking what's up with Hinata!
Am I obligated to answer your questions?
Oh yeah? Is that so?! Fine!
Let's just go to Hinata's house, Sakura.
Don't! Lady Hinata's recuperating!
Recuperating?
Did Hinata get hurt or something?
She did tell me that
you were helping her train for a clan ritual…
Don't tell me…
Did you injure Hinata?
It was due to Lady Hinata's lack of skill. It wasn't my fault.
You…!
Naruto!
You too, Neji. That's no way to talk!
That means she won't be able to go to the fireworks display.
Fireworks display?
Huh? Don't you know?
We're honoring Granny Tsunade this weekend with a fireworks show.
So anyhow, on that day…
I'm going on a date with Sakura—!
Like I would go on a date with you!
Hinata seemed really excited about it.
Ridiculous!
Sheesh!
He's so inconsiderate.
Huh? Sakura?
Huh?
Hey, Sakura, wait up!
What am I going to do with him?
Sakura!
HYUGA
Is someone there?
I guess I'm just imagining it.
It's going to take more time.
How much more time?
Don't be impatient. The main thing is that you rest.
I see…
Please wait, Doctor!
That's Neji.
Hide!
Why are we hiding?
It just seems like the right thing to do.
Lady Hinata's eyes must heal by this weekend!
Did Hinata injure her eyes?
Lady Hinata was looking forward to the fireworks display.
I want her to go, whatever it takes!
Yes, but something like this is…
If I only had some Eyebright…
Eyebright? What is that?
It's a rare medicinal plant and
is said to be very effective for eyestrain.
Eyebright only grows in secluded areas
and is extremely difficult to find.
That's right.
I heard that someone saw it in the Valley of Judgment.
The Valley of Judgment…
Hey, don't even think about going to look for it.
Even jonin get lost in the Valley of Judgment.
If you go, you won't be able to return.
If she rests quietly, she will recover.
She just needs to be patient for a week or so.
But one week is…!
I figured you'd show up soon!
Naruto… Sakura…
You're going to the Valley of Judgment, aren't you?
So you do have a soft spot, Neji!
We didn't mean to eavesdrop, but…
Right?
Yeah, but we were right in front of Hinata's house
and happened to hear everything.
We'll come with you to get some Eyebright!
No thanks!
Do as you please!
But don't expect me to help if you lag behind!
As if! Damn it!
Sheesh! Do something about that personality of yours!
If you didn't go, we would've gone anyway.
I want Hinata to see the pretty fireworks.
I'm going to make her see,
so that she can come and keep Naruto out of my way!
What is this place?
This awful mist.
Will we even be able to find the medicinal plant in a place like this?
Even jonin get lost in the Valley of Judgment.
You two stay here.
Since you two don't have the Byakugan, you'll just hinder me.
Neji!
Hey, what are you doing?
Tying us up together so that we don't get separated in the mist.
It's our red string…
of destiny!
Why you…!
Okay, Sakura! Let's go!
Does that medicinal plant really grow here?
If I didn't have my Byakugan, I couldn't even walk through here.
Huh?!
No way… This is supposed to be a demilitarized zone.
It must be someone very skilled to move through the mist so freely.
Or is it someone adept with Visual Jutsu
like the Byakugan or Sharingan?
Naruto! Sakura!
It's a nuisance! This string is a pain in the butt!
Hurry and cut it off, Naruto!
I'm never gonna let them cut the red string that ties us together, Sakura!
Idiot, that's not what I meant!
Oh no!
8 Palms!
Rotation!
Neji!
You saved us!
It's too soon to celebrate.
There's even more of the enemy now.
No! The red string of destiny that binds me to Sakura!
Neji, damn you!
Isn't destiny something you reach for with your own hands?
Huh?
Naruto, you're the one who told me that.
Don't tell me you're putting your faith on a piece of string?
All right then!
I'm going to reach for destiny with my own hands!
That destiny will never happen.
Sakura, punch Naruto!
Cha!
Naruto! Put out your fist to the left!
All right!
It's the first time my fist made contact with the enemy!
I see… So that's it.
I can't ward them off!
Stop the fighting right there!
Bushier Brow Sensei!
Leaf! Hurricane Whirlwind!
Lightning Blade!
Kakashi Sensei!
What are you two doing here?
Huh? Surveillance.
Surveillance?
Well, it was a false alarm, so I guess it's okay to tell you.
It's said that a medicinal plant that works well on eyestrain
is found here in the Valley of Judgment.
That's why we're—
And Orochimaru could be after it too.
Did you say Orochimaru?!
Where? Where the hell is he?!
Like I said, it was a false alarm.
Huh? Alarm?
Idiot! False. It was a false alarm.
What they were worried about didn't happen!
Oh, is that all?
You know that Orochimaru is fixated on Visual Jutsu…
especially the Sharingan.
This medicinal plant would be extremely helpful
in Visual Jutsu research…
This came up at our meeting,
so Guy and I came here for surveillance.
And? What about you guys?
Youth! Ah, this is what youth is all about!
Your passionate devotion to your comrade!
That is true friendship!
I'm totally impressed with you!
Bushier Brow Sensei…
Your actions don't fit your words.
Huh?
Oh well, I guess we'll take our leave.
But…
Neji, you saw what they looked like, didn't you?
What do you mean?
Oh…
They didn't…have eyes.
It's said that fish that live in a world without light
stop relying on sight, and discard their eyes.
How long do you think it would take humans…
to reach that point?
A hundred years? A thousand?
In any case, they adapted to this valley and have thrived.
They probably can't survive outside this valley.
You know whose valley this is, don't you, Neji?
Yes.
Fighting a futile battle to obtain medicine that will heal her eyes
won't make Hinata happy at all.
Back then, before the fireworks show,
Naruto and Sakura came to tell me…
what you went through to try to help me.
So you knew.
I've always wanted to say this.
I've wanted to tell you…
Thank you, Neji!
Okay, let's go, Neji!
Compared to the Senbon Sparring, this is nothing!
Sounds good!
Show me just how much you have progressed since then!
Until Naruto comes,
we'll do everything we can to protect this place.
You're Kabuto Yakushi.
Are you still an enemy of the Leaf?
Right now, you're on the same side as me.
You're a pawn that I resurrected.
Just…what am I?
I would say, the body count has increased by now.
It will soon be your turn.
Next time on Naruto Shippuden: "Fade into the Moonlight"
FADE INTO THE MOONLIGHT This is…war.
Tune in again!