1 Year Later

Back home, Neji reclaimed his Shadow Clone's memories. Nothing noteworthy had happened over the past few days.

After collecting himself, he arranged for Haku to stay in one of the rooms in his house. Then, together with Sasuke, who was already training, Neji began the day's training regimen.

Ever since Sasuke had witnessed Neji's strength and accepted Neji's training philosophy, he had never gone back to the Ninja Academy. Like Neji, he considered it a place where children played house. As an avenger, he would never go there. A real man should train from morning until night!

The results were equally remarkable. After barely more than ten days of intensive training, Sasuke's Chakra had risen from 8 Ka to 11 Ka. This improvement, which he could feel for himself, deeply intoxicated someone as hungry for power as Sasuke. Like an addict, he crazily immersed himself in it.

This was a good thing, so Neji let him be.

Driven by Sasuke's madness, Neji himself gradually became immersed in training as well.

Only Haku, who lived under the same roof, remained as quiet as ever. In his spare time between training, he liked to quietly read nearby or work with the researchers Neji had hired to compile and improve the "Shennong Encyclopedia"!

Just like that, another year passed!

This year, Neji was over ten and nearing eleven. He had grown to 162 centimeters tall. Without a close look, he was no different from a slightly shorter adult.

This year, Neji's Chakra had reached around 1,400 Ka. He was not far from the 2,000 Ka required for an Elite Jonin, but still some distance from the 5,000 Ka threshold of Kage-level.

His physical abilities had all improved compared to last year, his ninjutsu had grown stronger, and he had developed several powerful new techniques. Unfortunately, he had never found an opportunity to test them in actual combat.

His various plans were also progressing steadily. The "Shennong Encyclopedia" project, with multiple people working simultaneously and money being thrown at it, had already recorded nearly eight thousand substances. These included three substances capable of assisting with gene decomposition and two that could promote assisted gene recombination. Due to limitations in conditions, however, no further experiments had been conducted.

Meanwhile, the "Natural Energy Purification Plan" had completed the purchase of experimental equipment and the construction of a laboratory. All that remained was for Neji to make time to conduct the experiments.

Under Zabuza's supervision, the "Nest Building Plan" was also progressing smoothly. With around thirty ninja serving as the main force and more than a hundred newly hired laborers working together, Neji's palace dream had already completed its infrastructure. Construction on the main structure was about to begin, and the entire project was expected to be completed within three years.

Along with various other trivial matters, Neji always felt that his start had gone a little too smoothly!!

But those who liked stirring up trouble—such as the King of Pots, Shimura Danzō; the Cold Lord, Orochimaru; and the world's number one terrorist organization, Akatsuki—would not even spare a glance for a minor figure from the Hyuga Clan's Branch Family like him.

As for taking the initiative to provoke them, forget it. He still wanted to live a few more years. The more I lie low, the happier I am!

This year, Sasuke, who trained alongside him, had also improved by leaps and bounds. With the support of the Akimichi Clan's secret techniques and his own thirst for power and strength, Sasuke trained desperately every day. In just one year, his Chakra had reached 180 Ka, and he was about to attain Chunin level.

He had not neglected taijutsu training either. His training clothes now weighed 200 kilograms, and his speed and strength were incomparable to what they had once been. Sasuke was confident that he could raise his strength to Jonin level before graduation.

There had been a rather amusing incident during this time. The delivery boy had worn out several carriages just delivering food to Neji and the others. There was simply too much food, and they ate four or five meals a day, forcing the delivery boy to switch to carriages for transport. Over time, the carriages had been modified to become bigger and bigger, or they would not have been able to hold everything.

Of the massive amount of food, Haku and the ten researchers ate only a small portion. Most of it went into Neji and Sasuke's stomachs.

If Sasuke had not paid so much in tuition, Neji truly might not have been able to afford that much food every day.

As for Haku, aside from becoming stronger and growing increasingly proficient with the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, not much else had changed. He was still as quiet as ever.

Now that he possessed sufficient strength, Neji planned to find time to visit the Summoning Realm. It was time to find himself a Summoning Beast.

Neji was more interested in a flying Summoning Beast. Combat strength could come later; being able to fly was what truly mattered. It would make traveling easier. After all, with the power system collapsing in the later stages of Naruto, Summoning Beasts would not be of much use and would be rather pointless!

At the current stage, however, a flying Summoning Beast could reduce the time he spent traveling, making it far more useful!

Having made up his mind, Neji prepared to set off tomorrow for the entrance to the Summoning Realm, located in the eastern part of the Land of Fire.

As usual, he left behind a Shadow Clone while he quietly departed Konoha alone.

After leaving Konoha, unburdened by anything, Neji sped all the way toward the entrance to the Summoning Realm. Covering nearly five hundred kilometers took him just over four hours. Neji was now faster than an ordinary sports car from his previous life. After all, a sports car could not carry a two-thousand-kilogram load, while Neji wore his training clothes throughout his entire training sessions. Now that he had taken them off for this mission, how could he not fly along!

Because he was moving too quickly, nothing happened along the way. Bandits who had intended to block the road and rob him had not even seen what was happening before Neji appeared behind them. By the time a sharp-eyed bandit tried to warn his companions, Neji was already a hundred meters away!

Neji maintained this speed—terrifying to ordinary people and even average Genin—for more than four hours. Only when he saw the entrance to the Summoning Realm did he stop and rest briefly.

The gate to the Summoning Realm was not some sci-fi or fantasy teleportation portal, but a valley. Once one entered the valley, one entered the Summoning Realm.

Standing before the valley, Neji stepped inside without much hesitation.

The moment he entered the valley, Neji, whose senses had reached Kage-level, clearly felt that the Natural Energy in the air was far denser than in the Shinobi World. Even so, it was still difficult to grasp that Natural Energy, let alone absorb it!

This might be why the animals and plants of the Summoning Realm generally grew so enormous, and why many species had evolved intelligence and learned methods of self-cultivation. It was surely connected to the dense Natural Energy.

Writing a new book isn't easy. Please bookmark and recommend it. Thank you!