After reading the ancient texts, Neji felt a rush of excitement.
Though he found no clues about the legendary Sword of Totsuka or the Yata Mirror, he uncovered an unexpected revelation: more than three centuries ago, a Hyuga prodigy named Hyuga Ichizoku awakened the Giant Tenseigan and fought the combined Senju–Uchiha alliance to a standstill during the great Ninja World War.
The Hyuga clan's own records offered little detail, but the discovery gave Neji an idea.
If his own clan's history held such power, perhaps other great families of that era recorded similar secrets.
By gathering their accounts, he might reconstruct the true history of the ancient war—and ultimately locate the Giant Tenseigan itself.
Even more surprising was mention of Uchiha Hikari.
Neji hadn't expected such a figure to have existed in the Sengoku period.
Hikari's parents died tragically during the war, awakening his grief-fueled Mangekyō Sharingan.
Trained as the Uchiha clan's ultimate weapon, Hikari became so feared that the Senju and Sarutobi joined forces to seal him away.
Legend claimed he still slept somewhere in unknown ruins.
---
A Visit to Mikoto
Leaving the Uchiha Shrine, Neji walked toward Mikoto's home, deciding that searching for the ancient artifacts and Hikari would be a monumental task—one better shared.
Mikoto, being Uchiha herself, had a far better chance of success.
The Dragon Veins come first, he thought.
I'll need to leave the village and head to the Land of Wind.
Instead of using the front door, Neji slipped quietly through the back and tapped three times.
"Mrs. Mikoto, it's me," he called softly.
The door cracked open, and a hand darted out, pulling him inside.
"Neji? You didn't send your ninja cat ahead. What's the sudden visit?"
Mikoto brushed a strand of dark hair behind her ear, surprise glinting in her eyes.
"Because I missed you," Neji replied with a calm smile.
"Suave," she teased, rolling her eyes. "What's the real reason?"
Neji chuckled and explained the legends of the Sword of Totsuka and Uchiha Hikari.
Mikoto listened intently, then nodded. "I understand."
"Will you help?"
A cunning light danced in her eyes. "I can, but you must help me as well."
"What do you need?"
"Sasuke will graduate soon. I want him to apprentice under Killer Bee.
Can you arrange that meeting?"
Neji's mouth twitched, recalling how, in another timeline, Sasuke had been thoroughly humiliated by the flamboyant jinchūriki.
Killer Bee's carefree, unpredictable nature clashed perfectly with Sasuke's cold seriousness—an encounter worth witnessing.
"That might be… difficult," Neji admitted.
Mikoto playfully pinched his waist. "Neji, what must I do to persuade you?"
"Dinner would be a good start," he said with mock gravity.
"Is that all?"
"Not quite. I'm craving fried wood mushrooms, white-jade steamed buns, and scallop mimosa."
Mikoto laughed. "You have expensive taste."
---
Permission to Travel
The next morning, Neji reported to the Fourth Raikage to request permission to travel.
Though ninjas often left their villages for training, formal approval was required to avoid charges of desertion.
The Raikage, curling a dumbbell with one arm, raised an eyebrow.
"Traveling the world isn't forbidden, but why so sudden?"
"I want to find a powerful summoning beast," Neji answered smoothly.
A strong summoning creature would greatly enhance his combat power, and the explanation satisfied the Raikage.
Still, the Raikage frowned. "I dislike the idea of you traveling alone."
He handed Neji a folder. "Consider taking a companion. A talented girl from the Uchiha awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan before thirteen. She may soon awaken the Mangekyō. Uchiha Shisui recommended her."
Neji opened the file and paused.
A photo revealed a young woman with long black hair, a teardrop-shaped beauty mark beneath one gentle eye: Uchiha Izumi.
Her story was tragic.
Her father, a foreigner, died during the Nine-Tails' attack, after which Izumi and her mother returned to the Uchiha clan.
Grief awakened her Sharingan at an unusually early age.
The Raikage's lips quirked. "So? Will you take her?"
Neji nodded. "I accept."
---
Meeting Uchiha Izumi
When Neji finally met her, Izumi was waiting in a sleeveless purple jacket.
Despite being five years older, she looked at him nervously, clutching the hem of her pants.
"Neji-senior," she greeted softly.
"Senior?" Neji smiled. "You're five years older; shouldn't I be calling you that?"
"I wouldn't dare. Just call me Izumi."
"Then call me Neji."
They stepped into the sunny street, where the scent of fresh sweets drifted from a nearby shop.
Neji's eyes lit up. "Fresh dango in the morning—perfect before a journey."
Izumi hesitated, clearly tempted.
Neji simply walked inside and ordered six skewers of tricolor dango and two cups of strong tea.
When he looked down after a sip, only three skewers remained.
Across the table, Izumi's cheeks were adorably puffed, her lips dusted with sugar crystals like a guilty hamster.
Neji chuckled and signaled the vendor. "Boss, ten more skewers!"
Blushing, Izumi reached for another skewer, her embarrassment melting into a shy smile as sunlight dappled across the table.
---
Planning the Route
Unfolding a map, Neji circled their destination.
"The Land of Wind," he explained. "Konoha and Iwagakure are hostile, and the Land of Water is too chaotic. Smaller countries offer little challenge. Only the Wind Country will do."
"I'll follow your lead," Izumi said with quiet determination.
Neji outlined his skills—mastery of taijutsu, ninjutsu, and a bit of genjutsu—while Izumi described her strengths in fire release, genjutsu, and expert shuriken techniques.
"If we meet an enemy we can't handle," she said seriously, "you can abandon me."
Neji studied her, sensing the courage behind her modesty. "Then obey my commands exactly. Agreed?"
"No problem."
---
First Battle
Days later, deep within the forests of the Land of Waterfall, danger struck.
Two ropes shot from the undergrowth, binding the figure of Neji in an instant.
Shurikens rained from above toward Izumi, and two shadowy ninjas leapt forward, blades aimed for Neji's heart.
Steel pierced the target—only for the body to vanish in a puff of white smoke.
"Shadow Clone?" one attacker gasped.
From behind a tree, the real Neji stepped out just as Izumi launched herself skyward.
With a swift mid-air kick, she smashed both ambushers to the ground, her foot pressing against their masks.
"Neji, what now?" she asked coolly.
"How else? Finish it."
Without hesitation, Izumi twisted their necks with two sharp cracks.
Neji searched the bodies and found a bounty poster.
His eyes narrowed at the figure beneath his likeness: 70 million ryō.
"A generous price," he mused. "Either Konoha's elders or the Hyuga clan wants me dead. Perhaps both."
Izumi listened silently, her gaze steady despite the violent encounter.
For a moment, only the rustling leaves and distant rush of a waterfall broke the quiet.
---
Neji tucked the bounty poster away, his mind already plotting their next move.
The road to the Land of Wind stretched far ahead, filled with hidden dangers and the promise of power.
But with Uchiha Izumi at his side, he felt a rare flicker of anticipation—an alliance of Byakugan and Sharingan that might just rewrite the fate of the ninja world.
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