The Root base was as dark and cold as ever. Its master detested sunlight. The flickering candlelight cast restless shadows, filling the air with an eerie atmosphere.
Cries of agony were a constant presence here. Atrocities unfolded daily. At this moment, Shimura Danzō sat rigidly upon his throne. Officially, he had been stripped of his authority as Root's leader, but in truth, Root still answered to him.
During the clash with Kumogakure, Sarutobi Hiruzen, as expected, chose the path of compromise. But it wasn't the Aburame clan who shouldered the blame—it was Danzō.
Unlike the Hyūga clan's past confrontation with Kumogakure, the Aburame had long pledged their loyalty to the Hokage's faction. Worse still, Aburame Torune's body had fallen into Kumogakure's hands. It was likely that the nano-sized venomous insects had been seized as well. There was no way Hiruzen would allow the Aburame to surrender their secret techniques.
Thus, the task of taking the fall was left to Danzō—after all, Torune had originally been a member of Root.
Danzō was forced to shoulder the entire burden. Dispatching Torune to attack Kumogakure was framed as a rogue action on Danzō's part, having nothing to do with Konoha or the Aburame clan. The Third Hokage formally abolished all of Danzō's powers and placed him under house arrest—a token gesture meant to appease Kumogakure.
On the surface, the matter seemed to end anticlimactically. The "explanation" Konoha offered was almost laughably insincere, more a gesture than an actual apology. But beneath the surface, the struggle continued unabated.
Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't a fool—he had ruled for decades with cunning and ruthlessness. When Kumogakure pressed in relentlessly, he struck back by launching a plague straight at their homeland.
The nano-sized venomous insects were the Aburame's secret weapon. Although few clan members could truly master them, it was easy enough to cultivate the insects and unleash an uncontrollable swarm.
Hiruzen didn't concern himself with the specifics. He simply conveyed his intentions to the Aburame through Danzō. Now, with Kumogakure battling an insect infestation, they had no energy left for blackmail. In fact, they might soon be forced to come crawling to Konoha for help.
There was some gossip in the aftermath, of course, but the higher-ups quickly silenced any dissent. The scandal had nearly been traced back to Neji—fortunately, he managed to throw the trail onto Hyūga Hiashi just in time.
...
Within the Hyūga compound, a flicker of resentment crossed Neji's face.
"My apologies, Ancestor-sama. I underestimated the Third Hokage's methods. He's not as easy to deal with as he looks. If he were truly the soft and gentle man he pretends to be, he would've been toppled from his seat long ago."
The strange spectral figure—who claimed to be an ancestor of the Hyūga branch family—sat calmly across from Neji, speaking in an even tone.
"You are still young. To have accomplished this much already is impressive."
"Uchiha Sasuke wishes to meet with me, doesn't he?" Neji mused. "Fine. Let's meet. Perhaps there's room for cooperation."
Truthfully, Neji had little interest in Sasuke. He didn't know him well. In his mind, Sasuke was just another privileged heir, no different from Hyūga Hinata—a spoiled second-generation shinobi.
The Uchiha Clan's annihilation might stir some fleeting sympathy in him, but that was all. In Neji's eyes, Sasuke was nothing more than a young cub stripped of protection, flailing about and desperate to prove his strength to mask his inner fear.
Neji knew the feeling all too well. He had once been the same.
Although he didn't particularly care for Sasuke, since Ancestor-sama had taken an interest, Neji would follow his lead.
Thus, the two young heirs of great dōjutsu clans "coincidentally" crossed paths.
...
One afternoon, after school, Sasuke passed by a ninja tools shop and spotted two figures leaving.
One was a pretty girl with her hair tied up in two buns—Tenten.
The other was a tall boy with long hair, a bandage tied around his forehead, and pale, featureless eyes.
"Neji, your custom ninja tools will be ready soon," Tenten promised brightly.
"No rush, Tenten. And thanks for offering me a discount."
"Of course!"
Seeing an opening, Sasuke walked up and greeted them.
"Good afternoon, senpai, senpai!"
Neji turned, looking a little surprised. "You're... Uchiha?"
Tenten chimed in with a smile.
"Neji, this is Uchiha Sasuke. He's a year below us and the top of his class. They say he's quite the prodigy."
Sasuke gave a polite nod. "Neji-senpai, I've heard you're very skilled. I was hoping to ask you for some advice."
Neji barely spared him a glance.
"I'm not interested," he said coolly, turning away without hesitation.
Sasuke, undeterred, gave Tenten a bright smile.
"Tenten-senpai, I'll be going ahead."
With that, he quickly followed after Neji.
Watching their backs disappear into the distance, Tenten smiled warmly.
"Neji really needs more friends."
...
Somehow, Sasuke managed to strike up a conversation with Neji. Before long, the two were heading toward a training ground together, as if Neji had reluctantly agreed to a sparring match.
It all seemed perfectly natural.
In truth, however, Neji had activated his Byakugan the moment Sasuke approached, scanning for any hidden surveillance—whether it be kikaichū, ninken, or spies.
Once the area was clear, the two headed off to train for real—and exchanged genuine blows.
...
"Senpai," Sasuke panted, "your techniques... they don't seem like Hyūga Clan's Gentle Fist."
Neji casually rubbed his chin.
"And what about you? Where's the Sharingan? Where's the Fire Style?"
They fought each other seriously, but neither of them showed any real emotion. Deep down, both boys had accepted a certain untrustworthy power into their lives. Both understood that the shadowy figure manipulating them had ulterior motives.
Yet neither was willing to submit. To break the chains of fate, sometimes you had to use a bit of borrowed strength.
Sasuke didn't want to be brainwashed into becoming Konoha's "guardian." Neji had no intention of sacrificing himself for others.
...
After the spar, Sasuke invited Neji to his house.
Despite being just two boys, their conversation felt more like a meeting between two weary old soldiers.
At some point, Neji suddenly asked a question.
"What do you think 'sacrifice' really means? Why do people keep talking about 'necessary sacrifices' like it's some noble thing?"
Sasuke thought about it for a moment, then said frankly,
"I don't know what 'sacrifice' really is. I just know—I'm perfectly fine with other people being sacrificed. But if it's my turn? No way. I'd never accept it."
Neji chuckled. "At least you're honest. Honestly, I think that's how most people feel. The few who are truly willing to sacrifice themselves... probably ended up as cold names carved onto the Memorial Stone a long time ago."
...
The setting sun dyed the sky a deep red.
Sasuke looked out into the courtyard and muttered,
"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns... The Third Hokage is already over sixty, isn't he? Quite the long life."
Neji replied with a faint smirk, his words almost deliberately off-topic.
"Well, he is the strongest Hokage. After everything he's done for the village, living a long life is the least he deserves."
Only those who understood could hear the hidden meaning.
...
Sasuke tried to dominate their conversation, eager to seize the upper hand—but he soon found himself frustrated.
It didn't take long for him to realize: the mysterious figure who had approached them treated Neji far better.
Neji had received more knowledge, more guidance.
For Neji, this was simply the natural order of things. As he explained calmly, anyone willing to cooperate would find that their "benefactor" could be astonishingly generous.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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