Neji thought for a moment, his brows furrowing in deep concentration, before asking,
"What's the method of contact?"
Tsuchida let out a heavy sigh. His face carried a trace of helplessness, the corners of his mouth tugging into a wry smile.
"That's where the true difficulty of this mission lies," he explained. "We don't have a proper contact method. That mole was always the one to reach out to us first. But ever since Troy's death, he seems to have vanished into thin air. Our spies in Konoha have repeatedly attempted to make contact using secret signals, but every effort has ended in failure."
Yugito crossed her arms and tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Could it be," she asked, "that the mole was exposed? Maybe Konoha secretly executed him after the envoy incident?"
Tsuchida shook his head firmly.
"No. That mole has always been deeply hidden. It's not so easy for even Konoha to uncover and eliminate him."
At that moment, the heavy door of the secret chamber creaked open. Fourth Raikage Ay emerged, his towering figure casting a shadow across the dimly lit room. In his hand, he carried a yellowed, ancient book bound in cracked leather. He walked over and handed it solemnly to Neji.
"Neji, take a look at this first."
Neji received it with both hands, surprised by the weight. The old volume bore the crest of the Yotsuki Clan. It was their clan history, a record stretching back to the turbulent Sengoku Era more than three centuries ago.
The Fourth Raikage's voice carried a note of reverence as he explained,
"This book records the deeds of Yotsuki Ungaikyō, the clan head during that time. He was a pioneer who developed the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, laying the very foundation for the Yotsuki Clan's dominance in the Land of Lightning."
Neji flipped through the fragile pages carefully, eyes scanning the faded ink. As he read, his expression grew more serious. Finally, his gaze fell on a small section of nearly illegible text. The moment he deciphered the words, his pupils shrank sharply.
"Hyuga Ichizoku, carrying a giant 'eye,' entered a mysterious spatial passage and disappeared from the Ninja World. Several days later, meteorites fell from the sky. The Hyuga Clan then announced that Hyuga Ichizoku had succumbed to a serious illness."
Neji inhaled deeply, his mind racing.
He had never expected to find such a record—proof that the Hyuga Clan and the Yotsuki Clan shared connections as far back as the Sengoku Era.
Based on his knowledge of the original history of this world, if what was written here was true, then—
That so-called "giant eye" Hyuga Ichizoku carried must have been none other than the Giant Tenseigan.
And the "mysterious spatial passage" surely referred to the hidden corridor linking the Ninja World to the moon.
Neji's heart tightened as pieces of long-buried history aligned in his mind.
The Ōtsutsuki Clan that resided on the moon had long misinterpreted the will of Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. Their internal strife had split them apart—moderates in the main family versus radicals in the branch family. In the end, the radicals seized control of the Giant Tenseigan and wiped out the main family, leaving themselves as rulers of the moon.
From that time on, they plotted the destruction of the Ninja World.
But something had stopped them.
Neji had always thought it strange. During the Sengoku Era, if the Ōtsutsuki truly controlled the moon and intended to bring it crashing down onto the world, who could have stopped them? Why had their plan been delayed?
Perhaps, he speculated, they lacked the necessary power to fully control the Giant Tenseigan… or perhaps something else had interfered.
The mention of meteorites falling from the sky in the Yotsuki Clan's history sent a shiver through Neji's spine. Boldly, he pieced together the puzzle:
Over three hundred years ago, the Ōtsutsuki Clan had indeed attempted to destroy the world.
But their plan had been thwarted—by Hyuga Ichizoku.
Still, mysteries remained. Why did Ichizoku possess a Giant Tenseigan in the first place? And why, before his death, had he hidden it away? Where could it possibly be now?
There were no answers.
Three centuries had blurred all traces of truth. The river of history had washed away the details, leaving only cryptic fragments.
Neji unconsciously raised a hand to his forehead, feeling the smooth skin above his brow. A dreadful thought crossed his mind:
Could the Caged Bird Seal of the Hyuga Branch Family have originated from the power of that same Giant Tenseigan?
The possibility was chilling.
After all, the Caged Bird Seal was no ordinary curse mark. It could restrain spiritual bodies, even binding souls after death. Even shinobi revived by Edo Tensei were helpless under its hold. Such a formidable sealing technique was far beyond the Hyuga Clan's natural expertise.
So where had it come from?
The only plausible answer was the Giant Tenseigan.
Fourth Raikage Ay broke Neji's silence with a sigh of admiration.
"Every era births its geniuses. Hyuga Ichizoku was one such figure, dominating his age. The giant eye he wielded… it does remind me of this Tenseigan you speak of. Unfortunately, our Yotsuki Clan's history lacks the crucial details. If we want the full truth, the Hyuga Clan's own records in Konoha will surely have more answers."
Neji nodded slowly, recovering from his thoughts.
"I understand. Raikage-sama, are you hoping to use that mole to find the Giant Tenseigan?"
The Raikage chuckled, stroking his chin.
"'Giant Tenseigan,' hmm? That name fits well. You've got a sharp tongue, Neji." He then added more seriously, "But yes, that's part of it. The second part is that if we can, I'd like to win the mole over to our side. The Village needs talent like his."
Neji closed the book, his confidence unwavering.
"I think I already have a guess about his identity. Contacting him shouldn't be too difficult."
Tsuchida, however, cut in with a stern look.
"Neji, don't be overconfident. This mission is delicate."
Yet despite his cautioning words, a sense of relief washed over him as he noted the young Hyuga's resolve.
---
The Raikage's tone shifted.
"Now then, what about the second mission—stealing the Scroll of Seals? Do you have the confidence for that one?"
Neji's face stiffened. His voice grew heavy.
"Uncle Tsuchida, that mission… is beyond me."
The Raikage's lips curled into a grin as he saw Neji's serious look.
The Scroll of Seals—kept under the tightest guard in Konoha, personally protected by Sarutobi Hiruzen. The Third Hokage might not have been the strongest in history, but his strength easily surpassed most of the shinobi world. To steal such an artifact from under his nose? It was madness.
In the original tale, Naruto had managed to "steal" the Scroll only because Hiruzen had allowed it for his own hidden purposes. Without such manipulation, no one could casually succeed in such a feat.
"If it were truly possible to steal the Scroll that easily," Neji thought grimly, "then Kumogakure would have already crushed Konoha long ago."
Seeing Neji's discomfort, both Raikage Ay and Tsuchida laughed heartily.
The Raikage clapped Neji on the shoulder with a hand as large as a boulder.
"Neji, don't take it so hard. If you can complete even one of these three missions, that will be enough. If not, don't push yourself too far."
Neji forced a faint smile.
"Then… Raikage-sama, what about the third mission?"
The Raikage's face hardened slightly. He lifted a cup of cold water, taking a slow sip before answering.
"The third mission is even more difficult. After the Nine-Tails' Attack, the Fourth Hokage and his wife perished. Our spies discovered that the Nine-Tails was sealed within a child named Uzumaki Naruto. Your mission is to bring that child safely to Kumogakure."
Neji's eyes widened in disbelief.
The three missions… each more impossible than the last. He had expected the third to involve the Uchiha Clan, not this.
Yugito frowned, her golden eyes narrowing.
"Uzumaki Naruto? The Uzumaki Clan is nearly extinct. Where did Konoha find this child? And Raikage-sama, did you just say he's still a child?"
Ay nodded gravely.
"Yes. Not even enrolled in the Academy yet. It's remarkable. Even stranger, despite bearing the Uzumaki name, he doesn't have the trademark red hair of that clan."
Tsuchida interjected, eye narrowing.
"But if he can contain the Nine-Tails, then his Uzumaki bloodline must be genuine. That much cannot be faked."
The Raikage agreed.
"Indeed. Our Village once tried to abduct the previous Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, but Minato Namikaze reclaimed them. Now, while this new Jinchūriki is still young and untrained, this may be our only chance."
Neji fell silent, his thoughts whirling.
Three missions, each near-impossible. Clearly, the Raikage didn't expect him to truly accomplish them.
Just as Ay was about to reassure him again, Neji raised his head. His eyes glimmered with unshakable resolve.
"I accept all three missions."
Then he paused—and added, with firm conviction:
"And add one more. I will turn the Uchiha Clan."
---
Everyone froze.
Even the Fourth Raikage, usually unflappable, blinked in shock.
To turn the Uchiha Clan?
The words sounded absurd, as though Neji had just declared he would pluck the moon from the sky.
Yugito ruffled Neji's hair, trying to lighten the mood.
"Neji, don't spout nonsense."
But Neji's gaze was steady, his tone earnest.
"I'm not joking, Yugito. I'm very serious."
Tsuchida frowned deeply.
"Neji, the Uchiha are one of the two great clans who founded Konoha. It's said even the title of Hokage—the 'Fire Shadow'—was named in part to honor their Fire Release. Do you really think they would ever betray their village as a whole?"
Neji countered calmly.
"Uncle Tsuchida, are you truly unaware of the Uchiha's plight? Ever since the Second Hokage's era, they've been pushed further from the political center. And after the Nine-Tails' Attack, their situation has worsened dramatically."
The room fell silent.
Tsuchida had indeed heard Kumogakure's intelligence reports: Danzo Shimura, using the pretext of city planning, had relocated the Uchiha to Konoha's outskirts, keeping them under constant surveillance.
It was excessive, yes—but was it enough to spark full betrayal?
The Uchiha were proud and powerful, but they had always been loyal pillars of the village. Destroying them outright would be madness… wouldn't it?
Yet Neji's words planted doubt.
The Raikage chuckled, shaking his head.
"This mission is even harder than the first three combined, Neji. You're reaching for the impossible."
But Neji merely smiled faintly.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps not."
---
When Neji and Yugito left the Raikage Building, the late autumn wind swept down from Amagumo Mountain, rustling the village below.
Yugito pressed her skirt down against the sudden gust.
"Damn this weather. Why's the wind so strong all of a sudden?"
Neji, however, looked up toward the mountain peaks, eyes shining.
He recited softly, almost to himself:
"Branches grow between trees and leaves. The wind of freedom sweeps across Amagumo Mountain. From here, I shall overturn the world."
Yugito stopped in her tracks, her heart thundering. The young man's profile, resolute against the backdrop of the setting sun, etched itself forever into her memory.
And in the days to come, whenever she leaned against his shoulder, this moment would return to her mind.
---
Elsewhere in the village, Darui sat lazily on a stone stool, white hair gleaming in the afternoon light, a lollipop in his mouth. He muttered,
"Hey, Karui, didn't we say to meet up? It's been ages. What do you think's going on with Yugito-sama and that kid?"
Karui, leaning against a tree, rolled her eyes.
"Hmph. You're asking me? Who should I ask then?"
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