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Sasuko clenched her fists in frustration.
Kimimaro had left Orochimaru's side and spent three years training under Neji yet now his power utterly eclipsed hers.
When Neji had once said he couldn't teach her… she had believed him. Believed that he lacked the resources or time to guide her properly.
But seeing Kimimaro now, radiating terrifying strength born of Neji's instruction, the excuse felt like a lie.
She was no weakling. She carried the blood of the Uchiha, had awakened the [Mangekyō Sharingan], and mastered both its ocular arts and [Susanoo].
And yet—she lost.
That truth gnawed at her pride like acid.
As she glared at the distant crater where the battle had ended, now being repaired by Neji's automated puppets, she noticed a hand reaching out toward her.
Or rather, a hand wrapped entirely in pale bone armor.
Kimimaro extended it silently. Sasuko hesitated, then accepted it and rose to her feet.
"You're strong," she admitted, her voice sharp. "Did Neji train you to reach this level?"
Kimimaro nodded. Most of his secret arts had indeed been refined under Neji's direct supervision.
The bone armor that once merely protected his torso had evolved over the past half year into a full-bodied, living exosuit thanks to Neji's designs and Scorpion's upgrades.
Even the base itself had undergone a transformation beyond recognition during that time.
"I knew it…" Sasuko muttered through gritted teeth, her tone carrying both awe and resentment.
Kimimaro tilted his head slightly, as if unsure what she was angry about.
"This spar ends here," Sasuko declared coldly. "There's someone I need to talk to."
Without another word, she turned and walked away.
Kimimaro watched her retreating back, calm eyes glinting with faint confusion.
From her comm, [Scorpion]'s voice echoed, clinical and precise:
"Kimimaro, I've uploaded several new configurations. Test them when ready."
Her eyes flickered with projected data. At once, the bone plating resealed across her body as she began another round of structural calibration.
Neji's words echoed in her mind This is your top-priority mission.
---
Meanwhile, Sasuko stormed through the corridors of Neji's research base.
After checking with the AI system [Lilith] for his location, she entered Lab Zero.
The doors hissed open.
Neji turned from his workstation, a holographic model of chakra pathways floating before him.
"Oh? Sasuko," he said, mildly surprised. "Shouldn't you be focusing on refining your [Mangekyō]? Are you having vision issues already?"
With a flick of his finger, a chair rose smoothly from the floor. "Sit."
Sasuko sat, staring at him with an unreadable, almost wounded expression that made Neji raise an eyebrow.
"What's wrong?"
"I just sparred with Kimimaro," she said flatly. "Used [Susanoo], both eyes' abilities… and still lost."
Neji blinked, then shrugged.
"That's normal."
His casual reply hit like a slap.
Sasuko slammed her palms onto the table. "Normal?! It's a big problem!"
Neji folded his hands, thoughtful. "Alright then, tell me what kind of problem. I'm listening. Professionally."
Sasuko took a deep breath, fixing her eyes on him.
"I used [Susanoo]—and Kimimaro still beat me!"
Neji inhaled slowly, then said in the same calm tone, "Still sounds normal to me."
Bang!
Sasuko's fist cracked the desk. "How did you make him that strong?! I want that strength too!"
Neji sighed, realizing what this was really about.
"Oh, that's what you mean."
He leaned back. "Then switch eyes."
Sasuko blinked. "What?"
"Switch them," Neji repeated. "Replace your current ones."
Her brows furrowed. Deep down, she despised the idea of relying on shortcuts like transplants.
"Isn't there another way?"
Neji gave a weary smile. "That's why I once told you I couldn't guide you. Your potential surpasses Kimimaro's, but your path is different and far more limited. The Uchiha bloodline is powerful, yes but it's also cursed. Your eyes grant strength only by consuming your sight, binding you to the same tragedy as your ancestors."
He gestured to the wall's projection, displaying the lineage of chakra through the world's history.
"This world runs on blood. Without Kaguya's lineage, there wouldn't even be chakra. These eyes these gifts were never meant for mortals."
Sasuko sat silently, absorbing his words. Then, with a steely gaze, she said,
"Fine. I'll do it."
She placed a sealed container on the table the eyes she'd brought from a fallen clansman.
Neji nodded. "You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
With no hesitation, Neji opened the container, lifted his hand and darkness consumed Sasuko's world.
She felt no pain, only the cool touch of chakra sealing her sockets. Moments later, he wrapped her eyes with soft bandages.
"For the next three days," Neji instructed, "don't use your eyes. Feed them chakra. Let them synchronize. When they awaken, you'll have new sight and power that won't fade."
"…Got it."
Her fingers brushed the bandages. Beneath them, she could feel the strange chill slowly warming.
Energy began to pulse behind her eyelids, merging with her own chakra. A new, alien awareness bloomed.
Then Neji spoke again, breaking the silence.
"Oh, right—Sasuko. Your old eyes… can I run a small test?"
She turned, suspicious. "What kind of test?"
He held the pair of [Mangekyō Sharingan] in his palm, their scarlet pinwheels still faintly glowing.
"Consumption," he said.
"Consumption?" she repeated, wary. "As in…?"
"I want to eat them," Neji said with perfect seriousness. "Physically ingest them."
Sasuko blinked. "You mean—you're going to eat my eyes?"
"Exactly."
Her jaw dropped. "…You're serious?"
"Very."
She stared at him for a long moment, half-horrified, half-amused. "You're insane."
"Maybe," he admitted. "But if the Ōtsutsuki can evolve by devouring dōjutsu then perhaps… I can too."
There was a long pause.
Finally, Sasuko sighed. "Do I still need them?"
"No. You'll never use those again."
"…Fine," she said, grimacing. "Just… don't describe it."
Neji smiled faintly. "Thank you."
He looked at the eyes in his palm—still warm, radiating chakra and felt a strange hunger stir deep within.
It wasn't physical; it was instinctual. Ancient.
He remembered what he'd learned of the Ōtsutsuki—how they devoured the eyes of the Byakugan to awaken the [Rinnegan].
Perhaps the truth of evolution lies not in heritage but in consumption.
Then—
Gulp.
The sound made Sasuko freeze. "…Did you actually—"
Neji wiped his mouth, utterly calm. "For science."
Sasuko blinked, speechless.
He really had eaten them.
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