The fusion of Kekkei Genkai, when combined with the Kiyomi Jutsu, required not only the merging of flesh but also of the spirit. This made the procedure far more dangerous than Neji originally anticipated. While physical rejection could be eased with White Zetsu's remarkable cellular compatibility, spiritual rejection was beyond White Zetsu's ability to solve.
And when it came to the soul, the complexity increased beyond measure.
Neji stared at the research documents scattered across the laboratory table, rubbing his temples. This is normal, he thought. The Kiyomi Jutsu was a forbidden technique—one that openly defied fate itself. Hoping for it to be perfect was unrealistic. For now, all he could do was let Hiruko continue experimenting. Hiruko had volunteered—eager, even—to serve as the guinea pig.
But Neji needed to know how severe the problem of spiritual rejection truly was.
After leaving the Hidden Cloud's underground facility, Hiruko traveled to Amegakure's central tower. Under Konan's silent guidance, he soon arrived before the Deva Path. When Hiruko met the gaze of those cold, ripple-patterned eyes, his own expression softened with genuine admiration.
Among the entire Akatsuki, Hiruko respected only one person sincerely—the Deva Path.
Part of it was because Deva Path had supported his Kiyomi Jutsu research, satisfying Hiruko's prideful heart. But more than that, those eyes—the legendary Rinnegan—were enough to command his absolute reverence.
"Hiruko," Deva Path said calmly, "when will the Kekkei Genkai fusion be ready?"
Hiruko bowed slightly. "On the ninth day of next month, a celestial phenomenon resembling an annular eclipse will occur over the Land of Rain. Performing the fusion during that time will greatly increase the chance of success."
Deva Path gave a faint nod. "Do not disappoint me. You may go."
After Hiruko left, Konan turned to the Deva Path, her voice low. "Nagato, do you really think Hiruko's experiment will succeed?"
"This is nothing but a child's game," Deva Path replied indifferently. "Let him amuse himself."
Possessing the Rinnegan had carved arrogance deep into Nagato's bones. Even the Five Kage did not occupy his thoughts—why would a minor experiment matter?
If the Akatsuki were not short on manpower, Nagato would never have lent Hiruko any support at all.
Konan hesitated for a moment, then spoke again. "Madara failed repeatedly in his attempts. I can only imagine how fierce the resistance will be when we start collecting the Tailed Beasts."
Deva Path's tone remained unwavering. "It does not matter. The Rinnegan is invincible."
Konan frowned slightly. "Nagato… something about Uchiha Madara bothers me. His power aside, he is a relic from the Warring States Era. The fact that he's alive at all is already unnatural. But more importantly… his presence doesn't feel like the Shura of the shinobi world."
Silence filled the tower.
"If not for him," Deva Path finally said, "I would never have learned the Six Paths techniques."
"Perhaps I'm thinking too much…" Konan murmured. She had no evidence—only intuition. Without something concrete, she had no choice but to set aside her suspicions. Meanwhile, Nagato remained unshakably confident. "Even if he is hiding something, I can handle it. For now, our interests align."
---
Hidden Cloud Village – Land of Lightning
"Oh-ho!"
The Fourth Raikage cleared his throat loudly, sweeping his gaze across the bustling conference hall. His deep voice filled the chamber. "Since everyone has arrived, let's begin. The first item on the agenda concerns rewards for achievements made during the war. First… Hyuga Neji."
A respectful silence fell over the room. Many high-ranking Cloud shinobi looked at Neji, who stood beside the Raikage, their expressions warm and approving.
The Hidden Cloud didn't have Konoha's overly complicated political structure. Here, strength spoke loudest. The strong earned respect; the weak deserved only scorn and suppression.
Neji remained calm, a faint smile on his lips. Still, he was curious—how exactly would the Raikage reward him?
He had captured the Six-Tails' Jinchuriki alive.
Forced Hidden Mist and Hidden Sand into unequal treaties.
Launched the surprise assault on Kikyo Castle.
Crushed Konoha's forces and secured victory in the Land of Hot Springs.
Executed a decapitation mission and personally killed two Kazekage.
And later, dismantled the entire Sand Village army without moving a single Cloud shinobi into danger.
These achievements were enough to qualify him for the title of Raikage.
But Neji knew that was unrealistic—for now.
He was only thirteen. No village had ever had a Raikage that young. And the Fourth Raikage was still in his prime, undefeated, and loved by the people. Neji could only succeed him after he stepped down.
Not that Neji truly wanted the Raikage's seat.
He imagined a mountain of bureaucratic paperwork every day. The image of Naruto buried under documents flashed through his mind—Hinata practically living like a widow. Neji shuddered.
The Fourth Raikage continued, "I won't repeat Neji's accomplishments. Those curious can ask Mabui. But let me say this—"
His lips curved into a grin.
"Hyuga Neji will be heavily rewarded."
He turned directly to the boy. "Neji, from this moment forward, you are the youngest Raikage Assistant in our village's history."
Neji blinked.
Raikage… Assistant?
He looked toward Tsuchida, the current assistant. Only one person could hold the position at a time. Before he could speak, Tsuchida raised a hand.
"Neji-kun, I've served as Raikage's Assistant for decades. I'm exhausted. If not for the village's lack of personnel, I would've resigned ages ago."
Neji fell silent.
Just like that, Tsuchida stepped down, and Neji rose.
In truth, Tsuchida had been the one carrying most administrative burdens, since the Raikage often avoided paperwork. In many ways, Tsuchida had been the real Raikage in government affairs.
And now that role fell to Neji.
He exhaled sharply. So that's Ay's plan… dumping all the troublesome work on me.
One person doing two jobs.
But none of the high-ranking shinobi were surprised. Neji had achieved enough to be Raikage outright. Making him Assistant was the Raikage's way of preparing to pass on his authority once Neji reached a more appropriate age.
Under the witness of Cloud Village's officials and clan leaders, the once ordinary Chunin—Hyuga Neji—became the Raikage's Assistant, effectively placing the entire administrative power of the Hidden Cloud Village in his hands.
---
Three Days of Celebration
The village erupted into festivities. From the daimyo down to the common villagers, everyone celebrated victory. Restaurants overflowed. People drank until dawn. The streets were filled with laughter and staggering drunkards.
On the morning of the fourth day, Neji was sleeping soundly—only to be shaken awake.
"Wake up."
Samui's voice cut through his dreams like a kunai.
Neji groaned. "Still sleepy…"
Samui crossed her arms, her expression cold. "Would you have slept until noon? Today is your first day of work. Pull yourself together."
Neji forced his eyes open, yawning as he glanced at the peacefully sleeping Yugito. Envy pricked at his chest. The jinchuriki of the Cloud were practically royalty. Killer B ran around freely every day, and Yugito barely had to work at all.
Meanwhile, he had been dragged into the world of paperwork.
"I know, I know…" Neji muttered, rubbing his lower back like an old man.
Samui sighed inwardly at Neji's lack of enthusiasm, but she still helped him get dressed properly.
When they arrived at the Raikage Building, Neji immediately splashed cold water on his face before heading into the conference room.
"Mornin— Ah, Neji-kun!"
A woman with white hair, dressed in the formal outfit of a secretary, greeted him with a smile—Mabui.
"Oh? Mabui?" Neji blinked.
Still half-asleep, he dropped into the chair. Mabui brought him a cup of extremely strong tea—one so bitter that Neji almost winced.
But the effect was immediate. His mind cleared, sharp and alert.
Neji coughed lightly, straightened his posture, and put on his official demeanor. "Mabui, I'll be counting on you from now on."
Neji had power and political vision, but absolutely no experience with administrative affairs. Mabui, who had served the Raikage for years, was an irreplaceable asset.
And since the Raikage had essentially run away from responsibility—his final instruction being Don't bother me with such trivial matters anymore—Neji had taken Mabui directly from Ay's side.
She smiled softly. "Raikage-sama has ordered me to help cultivate you into a capable leader within three years. I look forward to working with you, Neji-kun."
"Three years? That fast?" Neji slumped back, expression pained. "Is it too late to resign?"
Mabui walked behind him and gently massaged his temples. Her voice lowered slightly.
"Neji-kun, Raikage-sama knows that true leadership requires more than raw strength. That is why he gave up his authority early. The entire village is depending on you now. You cannot run away."
"But I'm thirteen! I have zero motivation for this!"
"Motivation?" Mabui chuckled softly.
She turned toward the door. "You two, come in."
Neji raised an eyebrow. "Two? Who else is here?"
Two young women entered—both in formal office uniforms.
One had short black hair and wore fitted black trousers that emphasized her long legs. The other was tall with striking features and pineapple-shaped golden hair.
Neji nearly choked. Kurotsuchi? And Temari?
Kurotsuchi gave a polite bow. "Neji-kun, I'm Kurotsuchi of Iwagakure. Please take care of me."
"Temari of Sunagakure," the other introduced herself with bold, fearless eyes. "I look forward to working with you."
Mabui poured Neji another cup of water. "Both of them achieved outstanding political theory scores in their respective academies. They will assist you in official duties."
Neji stared blankly.
Cloud Village rarely taught such subjects at the academy. Physical training, chakra control, and basic ninja knowledge—those were the priorities. Politics was barely touched.
And now he suddenly had two foreign secretaries.
Mabui's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Well then, Neji, do you have motivation now?"
"…Yes," Neji said, sitting up straighter and drinking his tea in one gulp. "Let's begin."
He had no time for laziness. There was still a twisted world waiting for change.
---
Neji's First Order – Bandit Suppression
"Bandit suppression?" Mabui repeated, surprised.
Neji nodded. "Yes. Although the major villages didn't invade the Land of Lightning directly during the war, internal security has deteriorated. Remote villages have been suffering attacks from bandits. Look at these low-rank mission requests—almost all from terrified villagers. We need to eliminate the bandits quickly."
He spread out a map marked with red dots—over a hundred locations affected by bandit groups.
Kurotsuchi frowned. "Neji-kun, suppressing bandits is feasible. But Kumogakure's recent victory made us famous worldwide. We're receiving huge numbers of missions from Konoha, Iwagakure, and even smaller nations. The workload is overflowing. Bandit suppression may have to be postponed."
Temari added, "Nobles offer the biggest rewards. Prioritizing their requests provides the most profit."
Neji raised an eyebrow. "So whoever pays more, we serve them first?"
The two secretaries exchanged uncertain glances.
"…Is that not how it works?" Kurotsuchi murmured.
"Is there a problem?" Temari asked.
Neji shook his head slowly. "If we do that, shinobi will forever be nothing more than tools—slaves to money."
All three women froze.
Shinobi did not farm. They produced nothing. Their only means of survival was completing missions for clients who provided resources.
To question this system—to call it "enslavement"—left them speechless.
Concern flickered in Mabui's eyes. She looked at the other two secretaries. "You two, draft an official notice from the Raikage's Office. Prepare a mission directive for large-scale bandit suppression."
"Understood."
They bowed and left quickly.
Once the door closed, Mabui locked it and stepped forward. She leaned over the table, meeting Neji's gaze directly.
"Neji… you're too eager about suppressing bandits. This isn't only about helping the common people. What exactly are you planning by placing the civilians' needs above the nobles'?"
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