Return to Base Two

Neji's Shadow Clone carefully examined and questioned Haku. Discovering that the Konoha side had done nothing to Haku, Neji then directed Little Gold to fly towards Neji's main body.

After both sides reunited, Neji's main body dispelled the Shadow Clone and learned that everything had gone smoothly. He then released the restraints on the captured ninja. Neji didn't want to antagonize Konoha too much; being relentlessly pursued by a major power would be a headache.

Not to mention losing his place in the Ninja World, constantly being on the run wouldn't be easy either.

Ignoring the Konoha ninja who had regained their freedom below, Neji took Haku and jumped onto the Black-Winged Thunder Roc, soaring directly upwards. After leaving Konoha's sphere of influence, he flew towards their second base, which he hadn't visited in a year or two. He wondered what Zabuza and the others had done with the base.

Shortly after Neji flew away, Jiraiya arrived with his men at the location where the second group of people were held. Seeing that all the ninja were alive, Jiraiya secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, that kid Neji hadn't gone too far.

However, upon seeing Kakashi with one eye missing, he became angry again. "You're a member of the Hyuga Clan, you have the Byakugan, why would you steal Kakashi's Sharingan?" Jiraiya grumbled to himself.

Still, Jiraiya didn't dwell on it too much. It was just one Sharingan. He hadn't seen Kakashi's strength improve because of it over the years; instead, he always looked… weak, unlike Jiraiya's own virility, might, and stamina!

Unable to bear seeing the descendant of his old friend so dejected, Jiraiya approached Kakashi, patted his numb and self-doubting friend, and said with a lecherous grin, "My latest novel is about to be released. Interested in being my first internal reader?"

This simple sentence elicited a slight reaction from the increasingly numb Kakashi.

So, Jiraiya increased the temptation: "A collector's edition of the Icha Icha Paradise series! This is the culmination of my travels across the Ninja World for over a decade, collecting material from various countries and styles!"

Perhaps Jiraiya's words moved Kakashi, or perhaps not!

Kakashi's remaining right eye gradually regained its spirit. He muttered to himself, "Don't people who are down on their luck immerse themselves in these books? Immerse themselves in the spiritual world they've constructed! Perhaps everything I desire is in these books!"

His spirited gaze then turned wicked, before being covered by a lecherous facade!

What Kakashi didn't realize was that his body, suppressed by the Sharingan, or more accurately, the Mangekyo Sharingan, began to slowly recover after Neji dug out the Mangekyo Sharingan. The previously obscure, difficult-to-mobilize Chakra gradually became active and agile, and the amount of Chakra, which hadn't increased in a long time, was quietly growing.

Perhaps Kakashi, freed from the suppression of the Sharingan, would overcome his weakness and find his own style. Whether that was good or bad, who knew? It was up to fate!

After confirming no one was following, Neji quickly flew above his Base Two on the Black-Winged Thunder Roc. Neji pondered for a moment. Calling it Base Two all the time felt unnatural. From now on, he would call it Peach Blossom Island.

He'd have Zabuza get some peach trees later. Being an island lord sounded pretty good, Neji daydreamed!

He guided the Thunder Roc to land on the plaza in front of the nearly completed small castle. Neji was quite satisfied with the European-style castle, though it didn't quite match the name he had just given the island.

As he was thinking, he had already landed smoothly. Seeing the welcoming group of subordinates, Neji happily greeted everyone. In his heart, however, he wondered how much of their deference was genuine, considering he had brought them here as laborers.

Regardless of what his subordinates thought, once their five-year term was up, he would do his best to give them some opportunities.

Dismissing his subordinates, Neji called Zabuza and Haku and entered their nearly completed new home together.

The above-ground portion of the new home was about 2000 square meters, spanning three floors. The overall style was predominantly European with a touch of modern minimalist design, giving a feeling of freshness and nobility, which Neji liked.

The new home was also fully functional, with 10 guest rooms, 2 master suites, three living rooms, a card room, bathrooms, a study, a swimming pool, a dining room, a kitchen, an ice cellar, a terrace, and more. It was fully equipped and richly furnished.

The basement of the new home was equally extraordinary!

The basement area was even larger than the above-ground portion, with two levels. The first basement level, approximately 2000 square meters, was designated for experimental use. It had been divided into many different areas according to usage needs to complete various experiments. Now, all that was needed was the setup of experimental equipment and the arrival of experimental personnel.

The second basement level, approximately 1000 square meters, was divided into six areas—one large and five small. The concentration of Natural Energy varied in different areas, intended to assist Neji and his subordinates in Sage Mode training.

Led by Zabuza, Neji meticulously toured his palace from top to bottom.

To Neji's surprise, Zabuza actually had a talent for being a foreman. Due to his training, Neji hadn't visited this Base Two for some time. However, under Zabuza's supervision and command, the construction of Base Two, or Peach Blossom Island, had not deviated from his vision. In fact, many details were even better than he had imagined.

For example, the smoothness of the floors, the inlay work, the overall integrity of the walls, and the artistic treatment of certain areas clearly showed the effort put in by the management and construction personnel.

It had to be said, Zabuza was indeed a talent. If he hadn't been born into the bloody environment of Kirigakure, he might have truly become an excellent architect.

Neji didn't hold back his praise, which greatly pleased Zabuza, especially seeing Haku return early.

Haku was also very happy to be back with Zabuza and didn't say much, quietly following behind Zabuza and Neji.

After discussing the details of the new home further with Zabuza and making some requests, Neji's expression turned serious. "Mr. Zabuza, after the new home is completed, would you be willing to stay on the island and build a home for yourself and Haku as well?"

Neji's sudden question caught Zabuza off guard. He hadn't properly considered what he wanted to do with his future. Since defecting from Kirigakure, he had prepared himself to live a life on the run.

However, since meeting Haku, his heart had slowly begun to change. He was no longer so cold and ruthless, no longer enjoyed killing as much. Moreover, during the three years spent building the island, Zabuza suddenly realized that besides fighting and killing, construction was also quite an interesting endeavor.

Especially when he could incorporate his own ideas, combining different materials to create finished products of various styles. When the final results were revealed, he would feel an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

As Zabuza was lost in thought, Neji spoke again, "Mr. Zabuza, you don't need to reply immediately. I have a few pieces of news to tell you."

"The first is that I have also defected from my village. Just a few days ago, I left Konohagakure. Before I left, I blew up the Hokage's office. Today, in order to take Haku away, I've thoroughly offended the entire Konoha village once again, completely severing ties with them."

Ignoring Zabuza's surprised expression, Neji continued, "The second is that I have developed a preliminary method for Sage Art cultivation, which can allow ordinary ninja to practice it. Even if they can't ultimately cultivate Sage Art, it can still strengthen their bodies."

"The third is that there is a huge dark force lurking in the Ninja World, expected to surface in the next few years. At that time, if one doesn't have sufficient strength to protect themselves, they can only lie down and pray for a savior to appear."

"The last point is that I actually don't have much ill will towards Haku and Mr. Zabuza. Your choices were simply made out of necessity for survival." After saying this, Neji didn't expect an immediate reply from Zabuza. He continued, "I will be leaving here again in a few days. If Mr. Zabuza is interested, after my palace is built, you can choose a plot of land to build your own residence."

Finally, Neji emphasized, "You'll have to pay for it yourself."

"Thank you 'I have stories, do you have wine?' for the reward! Thank you, big shot, for your support!"