The Sin of Arrogance

The night was as dark as ink, without stars or moon.

Whoosh!

Inside a dilapidated wooden hut, the stove burned brightly, bringing warmth to the cold, dark night.

Two Kusagakure ninja lay on their beds, fast asleep, their nostrils emitting faint snores. Two other figures were stationed by the window, keeping watch.

A young Kusagakure ninja picked up the sake pot from the stove and poured a large bowl of liquor.

As steam rose, the refreshing aroma of the sake filled the air.

"Good sake!"

Impatiently, the young Kusagakure ninja took a big gulp of the liquor, closed his eyes, and wore an expression of bliss.

"This is top-grade sake from the Land of Earth. It's expensive for a reason," another middle-aged Kusagakure ninja said with a smile, taking a small sip.

Ninja had three prohibitions: wealth, lust, and alcohol. These three corrupting influences were not to be touched.

Who knew who came up with that.

It simply didn't align with reality.

Ninja were also human, and they carried much greater mental pressure than ordinary people due to their constant missions.

Many ninja indulged in at least one of these three things.

The strongest Hokage in history from Konoha was once a notorious womanizer.

His three disciples were even more so.

A tough guy like the Fourth Raikage, who abstained from alcohol and lust, spending all his time lifting weights, was truly rare.

If ninja from the great villages were like this, let alone those from smaller villages.

The night watch ninja were secretly drinking.

Had Kusagakure already decayed and degenerated to this extent?

"It's late, drink less!" The middle-aged Kusagakure ninja put down his porcelain bowl and spoke.

"There's still half a pot left, I'll finish it."

The young Kusagakure ninja was indifferent.

The harsh material life and the monotonous daily tasks made him weary of everything in Kusagakure.

Without alcohol, he wouldn't have lasted this long.

Hearing this, the middle-aged Kusagakure ninja sighed lightly. He didn't say anything else and turned his gaze back to the deep, dark night.

Drip! Drip!

The middle-aged Kusagakure ninja frowned.

This sound wasn't from pouring wine; it sounded like raindrops falling from the eaves to the ground.

Where was it raining?!

A hint of doubt arose in the middle-aged Kusagakure ninja's mind. He subconsciously looked back.

With a thud.

He saw the young Kusagakure ninja fall to the ground, his head rolling off, leaving a long bloody streak. A satisfied smile still lingered on his lips.

A cold wind had begun to blow through the wooden hut at some point.

The pungent smell of blood spread with the cold wind.

Enemy attack!

It was only then that a thought suddenly flashed through the middle-aged Kusagakure ninja's mind.

He wanted to shout, but it was too late.

Swoosh!

A streak of black lightning flashed rapidly. In the dim wooden hut, warm blood splattered on the walls.

Carrying a katana, without a forehead protector, wearing a tight black outfit that covered his entire body, only a pair of Byakugan were exposed. Hyuga Neji stood on the ceiling, his clasped fingers continuously spitting out black electricity.

[You have used Black Lightning, related comprehension increased, EXP +1]

Neji exerted force at his waist, falling from the ceiling and landing lightly on the ground without making a sound.

"So slow!"

"If all Kusagakure ninja were like this, they would have been wiped out long ago."

"Strange!"

Although Neji found it a bit too easy, he didn't overthink it.

He glanced at the two Kusagakure ninja lying on their beds, deep in slumber.

They had sweet smiles on their faces, their throats pierced by Black Lightning, dying in their sleep.

Neji slowly raised his palm, the pure white eyes flickering with faint blue light. A small amount of Tenseigan chakra condensed in his palm, forming a small blue orb.

With a flick of his finger, it flew into the chest of the middle-aged Kusagakure ninja.

Curse Seal: Heart Sealing Eye!

This was the only ninjutsu the Tenseigan could currently use.

By sending the blue orb into another person's body, he could read memories and even alter their will.

In terms of control, it wasn't as effective as Kotoamatsukami.

However, its advantage was a much shorter cooldown. Besides controlling humans, it could also manipulate puppets.

If the Tenseigan chakra was strong enough, it could even grant puppets a degree of intelligence.

Neji's current chakra was limited, allowing him to control only ten people at a time.

Not many, but it was enough.

He gave the deceased middle-aged Kusagakure ninja his orders, telling him to continue standing guard.

Then, Neji darted out of the wooden hut like a nimble cat, melting into the darkness.

He now needed to control a high-ranking Kusagakure official, read their memories, and see if he could find the Box of Paradise.

At this point in time, the Box of Paradise was most likely in Ghostly Prison.

But what if it wasn't?

As he passed through a large clearing, Neji suddenly stopped, an inexplicable sense of unease washing over him.

There were no sentries around, it was pitch black, and too quiet.

His Byakugan narrowed slightly, and he glanced at the ground.

The next moment, the ground beneath his feet suddenly split open.

"Earth Style: Decapitation Technique!"

Boom!

Two hands emerged from the ground, each holding a kunai, which they fiercely thrust towards Neji's calves.

Azure lightning surged from his mind, covering his legs below the knee before he stomped down hard.

Gush!

The head of the ambushing Kusagakure ninja was crushed by Neji's stomp, splattering red and white gore.

It was at this moment that several searchlights suddenly illuminated the surroundings, turning the clearing as bright as day.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!

Dozens of Kusagakure ninja descended from the sky, some with their hands behind their backs, others standing on treetops, or perched on utility poles, all glaring at Neji with hostile expressions.

Immediately after, a tall Kusagakure ninja appeared before Neji using the Body Flicker Technique.

"During the day, I sensed a faint feeling of being spied on multiple times. I figured someone would pay us a visit tonight."

"As expected, you've come."

Neji frowned, realizing he had made a mistake during this infiltration.

His biggest mistake was succumbing to arrogance.

Possessing the Tenseigan and mastering abilities like the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Godly Blow, and Black Lightning had made him look down on ninjas from smaller nations.

Upon reflection, Kusagakure, as a tiny village, had managed to survive in the ninja world for so long, and should not have been underestimated.

Secondly, he had relied too much on his Byakugan.

When using the Byakugan, depending on the strength of the chakra, there would be varying degrees of chakra reaction.

Ordinary ninjas might not notice it, but for sensory ninja, this chakra reaction was quite noticeable.

It was precisely because of this that the Hyuga clan could maintain its position in Konohagakure for so long.

If they could spy without restraint and without being detected, the Hyuga clan's treatment would have been even worse than the Uchiha's.

No one could tolerate an outsider prying into their secrets.

Merely possessing the ability to spy wasn't enough.

Neji glanced at the leading Kusagakure ninja.

The chakra within this person was incredibly powerful; he was an elite Jonin.

If the infiltration failed, the best course of action would be to escape.

But if he retreated now, the Fourth Raikage would be disappointed, and Neji himself would be disappointed.

Ever since he put on his forehead protector and became a true ninja, he couldn't accept failure.

After a moment of thought, Neji spoke in a hoarse voice, "How about it, what else can you do?"

Such provocative words angered the elite Kusagakure Jonin, but he quickly noticed Neji's pure white eyes, his pupils constricting.

"Byakugan? The Hyuga clan, are you from Konoha?"

"Idiot, you finally figured it out? Konoha can destroy your tiny village overnight."