Does This Count as Keeping a Beauty in a Golden House?

After another long silence, Uchiha Izumi seemed to be digesting the information, weighing it over in her mind before asking again.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Experiments. Be my assistant."

"Experiments? Assistant?"

"Mm."

Neji finished assembling the parts in his hands. It was a strange helmet. He turned to face Izumi.

He helped her sit up and placed the device over her head.

"Try injecting Chakra into it."

Though weakened and unclear about what he intended to do, Izumi still mobilized the Chakra within her body and attempted to pour it in.

Neji activated his Byakugan, observing the flow of Chakra within her body as he guided her.

"Direct your Chakra toward your temples. You should be able to sense something there that you can inject Chakra into."

With a thought, Uchiha Izumi guided her Chakra toward her temples.

This was not difficult for her. Activating the Sharingan also required Chakra; it was just that one involved sending it into her eyes, while this involved sending it to both sides of her head.

A faint light appeared before her "eyes." No—more accurately, it appeared within her mind.

The strange helmet on her head transmitted certain information into her mind through the flow of Chakra.

"It seems like there's light..."

"Light?"

Neji made another slight adjustment to the helmet. With every adjustment, Uchiha Izumi seemed to feel the light before her becoming much clearer.

"I think... I can see some blurry images now..."

Uchiha Izumi was startled. This was...

"Continue reporting the situation."

Neji's calm voice interrupted Izumi's speculation. He continued adjusting it, his tone showing little fluctuation.

"What about now?"

"It's clear, then blurry again..."

Uchiha Izumi continuously reported what she experienced, feeling the reality of being able to "see."

Yet she was somewhat astonished. He had actually created a ninja tool that could provide vision. It was unbelievable.

He had mentioned experiments?

Was this what they were for?

Using me, someone who has lost her eyes, to test his creation and provide data, ultimately making "eyes" that he himself could use?

Uchiha Izumi did not know that Neji was no longer blind, but this was the only conclusion she could draw.

"Done!"

At Uchiha Izumi's cry, Neji stopped adjusting the device and sat back down.

Without Neji's body blocking her view, her full field of vision flooded completely into Uchiha Izumi's mind.

Dressed in white, wearing a white blindfold over his head, his long hair falling behind him, he had a calm yet somewhat youthful face.

So this was Neji Hyuga?

Then her attention shifted elsewhere. Her head felt heavy, and she had no strength to turn it, so she gave up.

Still, she could see that this was a fairly bright room, illuminated entirely by lamps. There were no windows, only a staircase leading upward, with a few rays of light filtering down.

It seemed to be some sort of basement.

"You can see things clearly now, right?"

"Mm."

"Can you focus?"

"Focus?"

Neji held up a sheet of paper and continued.

"Can you see what is written on this paper?"

"I can't see it clearly."

Expressionless, Neji moved the paper to another position, altered the words written on it, and placed it slightly farther away.

"What about now?"

"I can't see it."

Neji put the paper down and picked up a pen, recording something in his notebook.

Uchiha Izumi asked curiously, "Why did you write down the three words 'can't see clearly' and 'can't see'?"

Neji's writing paused, but he did not answer. He simply continued making his notes.

He couldn't exactly say it was just his own twisted sense of humor.

Izumi looked at the notes. She could "see" them clearly. It said that focusing was not an issue, while the maximum field of vision could not yet be tested...

The rest was obscured, so she could no longer make it out.

Uchiha Izumi did not have many thoughts about the experience of being blind and then regaining her sight.

After all, she had only been blind for a short while and had been lying down ever since. Although being surrounded by endless darkness was frightening, she had not thought about such things at the time.

Her mind had been filled with matters concerning the Uchiha Clan, and with what had happened to Itachi.

Had Itachi truly exterminated the Uchiha Clan? Why had he done it? And who was that one-eyed masked man?

Endless questions began circling through her mind, impossible to cast away.

She sat there blankly, lost in thought, until Neji finished his notes.

"Don't think so much. Focus on recovering. Itachi did indeed destroy the Uchiha Clan, together with that Masked Man."

Uchiha Izumi lightly bit her lip. Her pale face looked somewhat tragically beautiful, though the strange helmet on her head made her seem rather comical.

"Were you that Anbu from before?"

"Mm."

"Then you took a lot of Sharingan?"

"That's right."

In fact, several small bottles containing Sharingan had been placed not far away, and she could see them.

"Does that mean I won't be able to go outside anymore?"

"More or less. If you want to be killed again, you can go out too."

Killed?

Would you kill me, or would it be Konoha? Or someone else?

Uchiha Izumi gave a faint, bitter smile. She was already "dead," a wandering soul without an identity.

"Did your experiment succeed?"

"It's an initial success, I suppose. It's still too large. Once it can be condensed into an artificial eye, it'll barely count as usable."

Uchiha Izumi was momentarily speechless. Barely usable?

"Then what would success look like?"

"Mm, vision no worse than the Byakugan, the dynamic vision of the Sharingan, the ability to see Chakra flow, even assistance in examining smells and heat signatures, defense against Genjutsu..."

That was a whole lot to take in.

Uchiha Izumi understood every function he listed, but could such things really be done?

"What do you want me to do in the future?"

"Study."

"Study?"

"Study Medical Ninjutsu, study Earth Release, help me expand the underground area, and help me complete some experiments."

"I can guarantee that you'll regain your own Sharingan in the future. You may even have the chance to question Uchiha Itachi and that Masked Man face-to-face."

"I understand."

Uchiha Izumi said nothing more. She silently looked at Neji Hyuga, whom she had initially believed to be nothing more than a ruthless person.

She had not expected him to have this side to him. These experiments, as well as his goals, left her somewhat shaken.

Was this what a genius was?

Unfortunately, Neji did not know what she was thinking. Otherwise, he would certainly have said, That's right! This is what a genius is.

"Alright, I need to head back."

Neji stood up, put away several items in his inventory, and stored anything that might expose him.

Then he turned to Uchiha Izumi, pointed at a cabinet, then at a small room, and said,

"There's food in there, and that room is for taking care of private matters."

His blunt words made Uchiha Izumi feel embarrassed. She immediately thought of her wounds and who had changed her clothes.

If she had not lost so much blood, her pale little face might have turned completely red.

"After resting for about a day, you should regain your mobility. I suggest you don't leave this house. You can go upstairs, but don't touch anything randomly, and don't open the windows."

"People outside can't see in. This place is fairly secluded, but don't make too much noise."

Uchiha Izumi listened carefully. She understood her current circumstances as well and would not do anything unnecessary.

"Mm."

"Alright, I'm heading back. I still have school tomorrow."

Uchiha Izumi suddenly felt something strange as she looked at Neji's youthful face.

That was right.

He was still a student at the Ninja Academy.

Seeing Izumi agree, Neji left. If she went out recklessly, there were plenty of excuses he could use. After all, his background was impeccable, so he had nothing to fear.

Did this count as keeping a beauty in a golden house?

The thought flashed through Neji's mind before he headed toward the Hyuga Compound.

Blacksmith Linus: Treat equipment the way you treat a lover.