Neji did not linger outside. Riding the Thunder Roc, he returned to the Land of Hot Water base. Since it was daytime, and he did not want to attract attention, he had the Thunder Roc land in a secluded spot outside the city before making his way back to the base on foot.
Before he even reached the base, Neji heard a burst of commotion. It seemed someone was causing trouble at his base!
Since he had used the Transformation Jutsu, he did not need to worry about anyone recognizing him as a rogue ninja. He strode forward, ready to see who was so blind as to pick a fight.
After only a few steps, he reached the manor entrance. At a glance, Neji recognized them as subordinates of the Hizumi Society, one of Spring City's four major powers. The Hizumi Society required uniform attire, and its insignia was highly recognizable, so even someone like Neji, who rarely moved about Spring City, could identify them at once.
Quite a few people had come, around thirty or forty in all. Leading them was a Jonin, along with five or six Chunin. The rest were Genin and ordinary samurai, with several civilians mixed in as well.
At that moment, Zuo Mu-Duanlong was negotiating with the Jonin. Since Zuo Mu-Duanlong was also a Jonin, the other party remained fairly polite and did not immediately start making demands.
The commotion from earlier had been caused by those lackeys. With so many people, there were always a few troublemakers, and since they had come looking for trouble in the first place, their leader did not bother restraining them much.
The troublemakers began arguing with some of their people.
Fortunately, their leader was still somewhat restrained and did not attack outright. Otherwise, Neji would have returned