Sasuke's Financial Sponsorship

When Neji finished speaking, Sasuke, despite his pride and desire to retort, couldn't utter a word. The fact was that Neji had easily defeated him while he was in peak condition. This undeniable truth plunged Sasuke into self-doubt, constantly questioning himself: Haven't I done enough? Am I truly wasting my time? Can I still get revenge?

Seeing Sasuke trembling and muttering to himself, Neji felt a touch of helplessness. These Uchiha are truly obsessive, always going to extremes.

Not letting Sasuke wallow in self-doubt, Neji let out a soft "Hmph," startling Sasuke out of his introspection. He then said in a deep voice, "I can make you stronger, faster than anyone. I'm confident that no one my age can match me."

These simple words were like a ray of light in Sasuke's darkness, instantly filling him with hope.

Regaining his spirit, Sasuke eagerly asked, "What do I need to do? I'll do anything to defeat that man! Anything!"

Neji gestured for the now-excited Sasuke to sit down and said gravely, "I can help you get stronger, but I need a lot of funding!"

Hearing that only funds were needed, Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. Since the Uchiha clan had been wiped out, Sasuke, as the sole survivor, had legally inherited all of their assets. Although the total was undoubtedly diminished, the amount was still considerable. He had nearly five hundred million Ryo in cash and over 1.7 billion Ryo in fixed assets. For an individual, this sum made him one of the wealthiest people in Konoha, perhaps even the wealthiest.

Neji was also taken aback by the amount Sasuke revealed. This is a golden opportunity!

Immediately, Neji began to expound on his theories and practices of training, and then sincerely invited Sasuke to his residence for sparring sessions. He promised to provide targeted assistance for Sasuke's improvement and guaranteed that in one year, Sasuke's strength would be more than ten times what it was now.

The price? A mere two "small targets"!

To further convince Sasuke, Neji even took off his training clothes, letting Sasuke feel their weight.

The training clothes, already adjusted to 1500KG, were a challenge even for an average Chunin, let alone Sasuke. Neji didn't explain this, merely smiling as he watched Sasuke's face turn red, then his eyes begin to water, and said calmly, "This money will be well spent!"

After paying the training fees, Sasuke officially began his training under Neji. Neji held nothing back, sharing his knowledge of medicinal baths, energy-rich food, the Akimichi clan's secret techniques, gravity training clothes, and meridian expansion.

Since Sasuke's Chakra level was only 8 units, he couldn't use Shadow Clones. Neji even created a Shadow Clone to attend school for Sasuke, showing him meticulous care.

Sasuke's gaze towards Neji grew increasingly peculiar. The Neji at school was clearly a fake. Just how strong is this guy? Is he really only a year older than me? Is he a monster?

However, feeling his own Chakra and strength steadily increasing, Sasuke became revitalized, training with all his might! All for the day he would finally defeat that man!

Ultimately, Neji couldn't resist the allure of money and quietly began to change Sasuke's destiny.

With the funds from Sasuke, many previously impossible or slow-moving projects could now be properly planned. First, Neji sent a message to Sakumo-Tatsuryu, requesting the prompt purchase of the experimental equipment he needed, thus accelerating the "Natural Energy Purification Plan."

Next, Neji hired ten professional researchers at a high salary to assist his Shadow Clones in advancing the "Shennong Encyclopedia" project. This plan did not violate Konoha's principles, so it was carried out openly, not in secret. However, the "Gene Completion Plan" was being accelerated behind the scenes.

Finally, the "Nest Building Plan" was initiated. Once Neji completed his gene completion and broke free from the Caged Bird's restrictions, he would inevitably break ties with the Hyuga Clan and Konoha. At that time, Neji would need a new place to reside, which was the core purpose of the "Nest Building Plan."

If he had enough strength when breaking free from the Caged Bird, it wouldn't matter where he established his new home. But if his strength was insufficient, he would have to choose a remote location. A secluded island overseas was a viable option.

Without further hesitation, leaving behind a Shadow Clone with ample Chakra, Neji disguised himself and left the village.

This time, with his Chakra at Jonin level and the experience gained from his last real combat, his movements were much quicker. He found the black market and purchased information on the distribution of bandits and rogue ninja in the region east of Konoha.

After sifting through the intelligence, he selected four bandit and rogue ninja groups with at least Chunin-level members. Without any encumbrance, Neji found the first bandit group's hideout in just three hours.

This was partly due to the accuracy of the black market's information, but more importantly, Neji's Byakugan could now observe objects nearly five kilometers away, making his search capabilities incredibly potent. With a sweep of his Byakugan, no hidden enemy could escape his sight.

The first bandit group was small, with only about thirty members. Among them, only five possessed Chakra: one Chunin and four Genin.

The enemy was too weak to warrant caution. Neji moved at high speed directly towards them, and they didn't notice him until he was within two hundred meters.

As the bandits prepared to shout threats, Neji was already within a hundred meters and had activated the Eight Trigrams Formation, enveloping everyone.

From his previous combat experience, Neji had discovered the Eight Trigrams Formation's remarkable effectiveness. Over the past two months, he had diligently studied it further, enhancing its power. Those within the formation, let alone ordinary people, even the sole Chunin, were trembling, finding it difficult to even raise their hands, let alone launch an attack!

Neji pointed his finger in the air, firing several Chakra beams that subdued the five ninja. He then deactivated the Eight Trigrams Formation and said sternly, "All civilians, leave immediately!"

The twenty-odd civilians, feeling as if they had just escaped death, didn't hesitate. They bolted, wishing they had more legs.

The five subdued ninja were filled with despair, realizing their situation was hopeless.

Neji didn't waste words. He proceeded to place his Chakra Mark on each of them. With these marks, Neji could sense them within a radius of about a hundred kilometers, so he wasn't worried about them escaping.

After marking everyone, Neji stated gravely, "Serve me for five years, and after five years, you will regain your freedom. Agree, and live. Disagree, and die. You have five breaths to consider."