Yugito smiled, her amber eyes glinting with mischief.
"Samui is broad-minded, Neji. Come to my house for dinner—she'll understand."
---
The Challenge
"How old are you this year?" Raiga Kurosuki asked coldly, his voice echoing against the damp stone walls of the underground room.
"Eighteen," Neji replied evenly.
"Heh."
Raiga let out a low chuckle. "Eighteen years ago, you weren't even born, but Orochimaru was already a recognized master of the ninja world. Do you know Buruubi?"
"Of course," Neji said. "The previous Eight-Tails Jinchūriki."
"Exactly. The Eight-Tails Jinchūriki was incredibly strong, yet Orochimaru tricked him and brought about his miserable death. Do you really think you're stronger than Buruubi, kid?"
Neji remained silent, his pale eyes calm.
Raiga stepped closer and tapped Neji's chest with a gloved finger.
"After the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha, I led more than twenty Mist-nin on a raid into the Land of Fire. We crossed paths with Orochimaru himself at the eastern border. I'll never forget that day. In less than two minutes, every man with me went down. Only I survived—and not because I was strong. I lived because I ran."
The basement fell quiet. Even the black-market thugs watching from the shadows held their breath.
Raiga's gaze hardened. "From that day I understood a truth: there is a gulf between geniuses that ordinary effort can't cross. Did you hear that, kid?"
Neji nodded once. "I heard you clearly."
Raiga jabbed a finger into Neji's chest again. "Then when you've had enough of this bravado, you'll think twice before making trouble for Orochimaru."
---
Sudden Violence
As Raiga turned to leave, Neji's cold voice cut through the tension.
"Leave the Lightning Blade where it is. A coward doesn't deserve to wield it."
Raiga froze. Chakra flared through his body, humming with electricity.
Buzz.
Two thin, wickedly sharp ninja blades sprang from the guards on his forearms.
With a roar, Raiga lunged, his weapons slicing for Neji's waist.
A child's voice cried out from a waterproof bag at Raiga's back: "Behind you!"
Too late.
Neji pivoted, his movements a blur. His foot snapped upward, striking Raiga squarely from behind and sending him crashing across the table. Before Raiga could recover, Neji closed in, twisted his arm, and slammed him face-down onto the wooden surface.
Click.
The Lightning Blade slid free, its edge grazing Raiga's neck and biting deep into the table beneath.
The onlookers flinched at the precision of Neji's counter. Raiga Kurosuki, a veteran who had survived the brutal Mist, was no weakling—yet he had been subdued almost effortlessly.
Neji's pale eyes bored into him. "If we're going after Orochimaru, we cannot afford traitors. If you retreat or betray us, I'll kill you myself. Do you understand?"
Raiga's breathing came harsh and fast.
Neji rotated the Lightning Blade and brought the tip to Raiga's throat. "One last chance: come with us to hunt Orochimaru… or die now."
From the bag, the small, trembling voice spoke again. "Raiga, join him."
Raiga hesitated, then gave a small, curt nod. "Fine. I agree."
Neji released him and hauled him upright. He turned toward the mercenaries still watching.
"You all heard me," Neji said calmly. "Anyone else thinking of backing out?"
The bounty hunters glanced at each other but said nothing.
"If you're staying, take your payment and stand ready," Neji ordered.
Slowly, the black-market broker approached the table and collected the reward money. Neji tossed Raiga his share. Raiga caught it and slipped it into his waterproof pack without a word.
The broker inclined his head toward Neji, gratitude flickering across his face. "Thank you."
---
A Mission from the Daimyō
Neji regarded him coolly. "Why is capturing Orochimaru so important to the Land of Lightning?"
The black-market boss hesitated, then spoke in a low voice.
"The order comes directly from our Daimyō. Decades ago, during the Eight-Tails incident, the Daimyō's father died a tragic, sudden death. The blame lies squarely with Orochimaru."
Neji's eyes narrowed. The tale was disturbingly familiar—another village suffering a disaster much like Konoha's Nine-Tails attack.
Orochimaru had secretly infiltrated the Hidden Cloud, drugged Buruubi, and paralyzed him with genjutsu-laced medicine. He unsealed the Iron Armor Seal, forcibly separating the Eight-Tails from its host and unleashing chaos. Buruubi died, and the village suffered heavy damage.
Compared to Konoha's catastrophe, the losses were smaller—Eight-Tails was weaker than Nine-Tails, and the Cloud's population was less dense—but the Daimyō's father perished, a wound that never healed. No wonder the current Daimyō still sought revenge.
"Reliable intelligence places Orochimaru in the Land of Water," the broker continued. "Once our spies confirm his exact location, you will infiltrate and capture him."
Neji's brow twitched. The plan sounded flimsy, but then again, Orochimaru had eluded every reliable strategy for decades. Perhaps only audacity could hope to succeed.
"Understood," Neji said coolly.
The broker added, "Lord Douyang will lead the Snake-Catcher Squad in this operation. He is responsible for the mission's success."
The mercenaries nodded in agreement. Neji accepted the arrangement without objection.
---
In the Raikage's Hall
Far away, in the Raikage Building of Hidden Cloud Village, the Fourth Raikage set down a heavy dumbbell, his expression sharpening.
"A Snake-Catcher operation?" he rumbled. Orochimaru had killed his cousin Buruubi and caused enormous losses to the village. The grudge ran deeper than rivers and oceans.
But Orochimaru had long since vanished from the wider ninja world. With both Iwagakure and Konoha eyeing Cloud territory, the Raikage had been forced to focus on defense. Who would have guessed the Daimyō himself now moved to strike?
Yugito, standing nearby, frowned. "Shouldn't capturing Orochimaru be the responsibility of the village's own shinobi?"
"Hmph," muttered Tsuchida, one of the Raikage's senior advisers. "The conflict between the Daimyō and our village runs deeper than you realize."
The Raikage's eyes narrowed. "Those pampered aristocrats have grown fat and careless. Their minds can no longer grasp the real stakes."
"Why, though?" Yugito asked softly.
Tsuchida stroked his chin. "Yugito, I've told you to read more, but you rarely listen. Strength alone is not enough to bear the burdens of a true shinobi."
He turned to Neji. "Explain it to her."
Neji met Yugito's gaze and spoke with quiet authority.
---
The Roots of War
"During the First and Second Shinobi World Wars," Neji began, "Konoha was the sole victor while every other great village suffered defeat. To resist that wild beast, the Daimyōs of each nation poured full support into their ninja villages."
"But after the Third War, things changed. Though Konoha claimed victory, Hidden Cloud received massive war reparations and reaped the true benefits. The aristocracy—led by the Daimyōs—tasted that profit for the first time and their ambitions grew."
He paused to let the words sink in.
"After the Hyūga incident, when we had a chance to strike Konoha, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire threatened an embargo on grain exports. He promised that if the Land of Lightning dared attack, grain prices would rise seven percent for the next decade; if we remained peaceful, they would drop seven percent."
"The Land of Fire owns the most fertile lands. For years it has manipulated grain prices across the ninja world. Our Daimyō, usually so hard-edged, capitulated."
Neji's eyes glinted. "Later, when the Uchiha clan moved into Cloud territory, the Land of Lightning became the largest nation in the east, with unimpeded sea trade and a ten-percent reduction in grain prices. The Daimyō grew rich and complacent, even proposing twice to slash the village's military budget. Only Raikage-sama's fierce resistance kept our strength intact."
"The stronger a ninja village grows, the more it clashes with the aristocracy. It's a universal truth. The Daimyō's father died in the Eight-Tails incident, but even that tragedy didn't stop the slow rot of ambition."
He turned to the Raikage. "To the Daimyō, the village and Orochimaru are no different—both threats to his power. Hiring bounty hunters to catch Orochimaru is just another move to weaken the village."
Neji's voice softened, yet carried a dangerous weight.
"Raikage-sama, the conflict between the aristocracy and the ninja is irreconcilable. Will you reconsider the proposal I made earlier?"
The Raikage's eyes flickered. He raised a hand to cut Neji off. "Neji, your idea is radical. If you pursue this path, you risk making enemies of the entire world. But…" His gaze grew distant. "If you succeed, you could bring generations of peace."
Neji pressed on. "Long ago, Senju Hashirama sought to unify the ninja world with a single village-nation system. But he could not break the centuries-old chains of aristocratic rule, and endless wars followed. Raikage-sama, if you complete this task, you will surpass Hashirama."
Yugito listened, barely understanding the full scope of the conversation, but the rare gravity on the Raikage's face told her enough. Even this fearless man was shaken.
At last the Raikage said, "I will consider your proposal carefully. Dismissed."
Neji bowed slightly and left the chamber, a faint smile crossing his face. The Raikage might still hesitate, but his dissatisfaction with the Daimyō was clear. Once the first step was taken, there would be no turning back.
---
A Private Moment
Outside, evening shadows stretched long across the village streets. Yugito caught up to Neji, her warm breath brushing his neck.
"Today I have no missions," she murmured. "How about coming to my place for dinner?"
Neji rubbed his temple, suddenly shy. "But… Samui—"
Yugito pressed a finger to his lips and laughed. "Samui is understanding. She won't mind."
Their footsteps echoed—tap, tap, tap—against the cobblestones as the sun slipped below the horizon. Yugito hooked her arm through his, studying his clear, moon-pale eyes with unusual seriousness.
"I can't guess what you said to the Raikage," she whispered. "Whatever it was, it must be something terrifying to make even him hesitate."
She squeezed his arm lightly. "Neji, you're the genius of the Hidden Cloud. In eight short years, you've worked miracles. Raikage-sama calls you the key to the village's dominance of the ninja world. Tsuchida-senpai says your vision is extraordinary."
Her voice softened. "Under your leadership, will our village reach a new era of prosperity… or descend into hell?"
Neji held her arm gently. "What does your heart tell you?"
Yugito pursed her lips and shook her head. "I don't know. I just hope you never keep secrets from me."
Neji's eyes flickered. He wanted to tell her everything but feared burdening her with the weight of his ambition.
"Yugito, I'm sorry," he began.
"Then tell me," she pressed. "What is it you truly seek?"
Neji drew a long breath. "Do you think the wars are over?"
Yugito thought for a moment. "The Third Shinobi World War ended almost ten years ago. The five great nations have been mostly peaceful. So yes… perhaps."
"Then you believe the war has ended?" Neji asked again, his gaze sharp.
"Hidden Cloud is more prosperous than ever," Yugito replied. "Raikage-sama and Tsuchida-senpai focus on peaceful development. They know that if we start another war, we'd face all four great villages at once. Our resources can't match Konoha's, or sustain such a conflict."
She tilted her head. "Doesn't maintaining the current situation mean lasting peace?"
"In theory, yes," Neji said, toying gently with her braid. "But in practice, no. The root cause of war has never been removed. The peace you see is only a castle in the air."
---
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