"Who killed Ao?"
"Neiki?!"
Listening to the shaken voices of the surrounding Kirigakure ninjas as they retold the battle, Mei Terumi frowned. Her expression grew cold and heavy.
Since the outbreak of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Neiki—the one who ignited everything—had become infamous across the entire shinobi world.
Every surviving witness from Konoha had spread tales of him far and wide.
Some said he was fearless, daring to hold the entire village hostage with explosive tags.
Some said he was heartless, capable of slaughtering his own Hyuga kin.
Some said he was calculating, using the Uchiha rebellion and the Nine-Tails as nothing more than smoke and mirrors—meticulously setting up the perfect chain of events that left Konoha without any room to retaliate.
His grand schemes, deep intelligence, and chilling resolve made him the most dangerous type of man—
A visionary with the ability to execute.
Mei truly didn't understand why Neiki had appeared now, fighting both Konoha and Kirigakure at the same time.
Was he really so confident just because he had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique?
No matter the reason, Ao's death weighed heavily on her.
Ao was an elite jōnin, a veteran, and one of her most trusted subordinates. His death would not be dismissed quietly upon her return to the village.
This mission had accomplished nothing and had resulted in tremendous losses. As the architect of the operation, she would shoulder the blame.
At that thought, Mei Terumi's anger flared.
"Should we avenge Ao-sama?"
A timid voice rose from the crowd.
It was Chojuro, still just a genin. Remembering how Ao had always guided him, his eyes reddened as he gathered his courage and looked up.
Mei glanced at him, but she didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she continued to stare at Konoha's distant formation.
"What do you think Konoha plans to do now?" she asked.
"They're probably going after Neiki as well," answered Hoshigaki, voice low.
"Hmm…"
Mei pondered it seriously.
Retreating now would be shameful.
Utter humiliation.
But… if she returned to Kirigakure with the Byakugan that their village coveted more than anything else…
Her standing could be salvaged.
Her eyes drifted back to the young Chojuro. She gave him a warm, reassuring smile.
His face flushed instantly.
Softly, she asked:
"Chojuro… do you want to avenge Ao?"
"Yes!" he nodded fiercely.
Mei Terumi smiled.
"Then go tell the Konoha forces over there—
Kirigakure will cooperate from the outside to hunt down Neiki together."
Chojuro's eyes lit up.
"Yes, ma'am!"
He sprinted toward Konoha with all the sincerity of a boy too pure for politics.
Behind him, Hoshigaki frowned.
"Will Tsunade really agree?"
Mei waved a hand.
"No."
Then she turned toward her troops.
"Everyone, prepare for battle."
Kirigakure and Konoha had stopped fighting—but only temporarily.
Thirty minutes ago, they had been tearing each other apart.
Hatred didn't vanish just because Neiki existed.
Cooperate?
Don't be ridiculous.
Mei knew Tsunade wouldn't trust Kirigakure.
And Tsunade would know that Mei had no intention of abiding by whatever response she received.
Both sides would assume the other was scheming.
That was precisely why Mei sent Chojuro.
He was simple, earnest, and harmless.
Even if Tsunade became furious, she wouldn't kill him.
Contrary to Mei's expectations…
Tsunade did not order anyone to attack Kirigakure.
Nor did she scold Chojuro.
Instead, carrying the bodies of their fallen comrades, the Konoha forces silently marched toward the original battlefield—
a grim, grief-stricken procession.
Halfway across the forest, Tsunade suddenly stopped.
"Where's Neji?"
"There," said Shikajuno, pointing toward the rear.
Neji's shackles were gone.
He was carrying an injured ninja with broken legs on his back.
Tsunade scowled.
That ninja—Miyamoto Zawa—was the special jōnin she had assigned to monitor (and protect) Neji.
"Was this Neiki's doing?"
"No," Shikajuno said, his round face wobbling as he shook his head.
"It happened during the fight with Kirigakure."
"They were hit by a genjutsu and separated from the main group. A Mist ninja ambushed them. Zawa took the attack to protect Neji. Neji then killed the enemy ninja."
"Zawa's legs were crushed. He won't be able to serve as a shinobi anymore…"
Tsunade's gaze softened.
Neji walked slowly, speaking gently to the injured Zawa on his back—occasionally even laughing.
It was the pure laughter of someone who had just brushed against death and rediscovered the warmth of life.
He had found value in survival.
He had felt the weight of comradeship.
How familiar it was.
A faint smile tugged at Tsunade's lips.
In this young boy, she saw the shadow of another Konoha shinobi—
Kakashi Hatake.
"Should we keep monitoring—protecting—him?" Shizune asked.
"No need," Tsunade said softly.
"He's already learned what he needed to. He can protect others—and himself."
"And the upcoming fight with Neiki?" Shizune asked.
Tsunade's expression hardened.
"The Hyuga corpses all had their eyes removed. Neiki collects Byakugan."
"He didn't spare Neji out of affection—Neji's Byakugan simply isn't fully matured yet."
Just like Hinata.
"He should stay in the rear. He cannot meet Neiki."
Tsunade stepped forward—
Then froze.
The smell hit her first.
Thick.
Overwhelming.
Metallic.
Blood.
Tsunade's heart clenched.
She broke into a run, leaving the others behind as she rushed toward the battlefield.
The moment she arrived—
She froze.
The world stopped.
Before her eyes—
Neiki, drenched in blood, stood alone in a clearing.
His pitch-black blade was buried in Hayama Byakumo's chest.
He pulled it free.
Blood sprayed into the air like crimson rain.
Raindrops mixed with blood, turning the once-green forest into a hellish red swamp.
Severed limbs lay everywhere.
Jutsu scars carved out massive trenches in the landscape.
Some bodies were neatly beheaded.
Some were split clean down the middle.
Some were simply… gone—
nothing left but a charred outline and the faint scent of explosive tags.
Just a few steps away from Tsunade—
lay Nara Suzaku.
A clean sword wound ran through his skull.
His eyes were still open—
still filled with confusion.
As Hayama's body fell lifelessly to the ground—
Tsunade scanned the field.
Hundreds of corpses.
Not one Konoha ninja alive.
Only a single figure remained standing.
Neiki.
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