She Had Her to Thank for That

Didn't beating her with just one percent of his power mean Neji could take her on ten times over if he went all out?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

Neji didn't argue.

He took a deep breath, chakra surging through him as he instantly entered Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

Bright blue lightning wrapped tightly around Neji's body. The powerful aura radiating from him left Yozuki Rei stunned.

"Lightning Release Chakra Mode... You actually learned it?"

"Not just Lightning Release Chakra Mode. I also learned Black Lightning, developed by the Third Raikage."

Neji's gaze sharpened. Black lightning surged from his palm, whipping about like a vicious serpent.

"..."

Yozuki Rei's eyes widened.

If Neji had used Lightning Release Chakra Mode or Black Lightning from the start, she had no doubt she wouldn't have stood a chance.

At the thought, Yozuki Rei said dejectedly, "No wonder you look down on the Yozuki clan."

He had real skill, so he didn't think much of her. Could she really blame him for acting superior?

That wasn't how the world worked.

Neji explained, "You've got it wrong. I don't mean to look down on the Yozuki clan."

"But earlier..." Yozuki Rei trailed off.

Neji thought for a moment, then said plainly, "I understand what the clan leader was thinking. I refused because it wouldn't be fair to me, or to you."

In the twenty-first century, anyone with an independent mind would refuse something like that.

If they compromised, it could only be for the sake of personal gain.

"Is that really the only reason?"

Yozuki Rei stared at Neji in disbelief.

Neji glanced at the bewildered look in Yozuki Rei's eyes and sighed helplessly to himself.

A painfully thick wall stood between them.

The essence of a ninja was to be a tool, with missions above all else.

That principle had been passed down from one generation to the next until it had become common sense to every ninja.

The First's Will of Fire had been the first to treat ninjas as people.

Unfortunately, it had become corrupted over time.

Neji took two scrolls from his storage scroll and handed them to her. "Yozuki Rei, these are my notes on training in Lightning Release Chakra Mode and Black Lightning. They might help you."

Yozuki Rei said awkwardly, "You're giving me something this precious?"

Neji saw Yozuki Rei's shy, embarrassed expression, and his face stiffened slightly.

There was another very practical, rather painful reason he hadn't mentioned.

The women of the Yozuki clan weren't his type.

If that was the case, why force himself?

Before long, a group hurried over.

Samui came up to Neji and asked with concern, "Neji, are you all right?"

"Did you win, boss?"

Yozuki Rei's companions were just as eager to ask.

Neji rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "I didn't win, but I didn't lose either. It was a draw."

Yozuki Rei looked a little uncomfortable. Following Neji's lead, she said, "Neither of us won."

"No way. Boss didn't win?"

"But she didn't lose, either."

"Still, that kid's only six."

"True."

Several Yozuki clan girls whispered among themselves in front of everyone, their words cutting.

Yozuki Rei was ten years older than Neji. If she challenged him to a spar, winning would be only natural. Losing would make her look utterly useless and could even turn her into a laughingstock in the Yozuki clan.

Neji said they'd drawn. He had nothing to lose, and he could save Yozuki Rei's face. Why not?

"Yozuki Rei, let's put this behind us. See you around."

Samui let out a sigh of relief, took Neji's hand, and hurried away.

Yozuki Rei rose onto her toes and watched Neji's retreating figure grow hazy in the distance. Rubbing her fingers over the two scrolls, she murmured, "When that kid isn't being annoying, he's actually pretty cute."

Elsewhere, Samui said with some surprise, "You managed to draw with Yozuki Rei. Not bad."

Neji rubbed Samui's palm with his thumb. "I have you to thank for that, big sis."

A faint smile appeared on Samui's lips. Then she put on a stern expression. "Neji, I never taught you to flatter people. Did you learn that from Yugito?"

Neji broke into a sweat and went along with it. "Yeah, she taught me."

Before long, the two of them arrived at a quiet, deserted reservoir.

Neji looked at the waterfall cascading down the cliff and the trees that had been planted nearby.

Kumogakure was on a plateau, so scenery like this was rare.

They took a tarp, a groundsheet, and other camping supplies from their storage scrolls. Before long, they'd set up a small campsite.

Afterward, Neji waved the fishing rod in his hand. "Come on, let's go fishing."

Samui took the rod, looking a little nervous. "Neji, just so you know, I can't fish."

She could spear fish, catch them by hand, and even blast them out of the water. Fishing was the one thing she couldn't do.

"It's easy. Put on some bait, toss the line into the water, and wait for a fish to bite."

Neji led Samui to the reservoir, then took a bench out of his storage scroll.

It was a bench, but he'd gone out of his way to find a short one.

It was a tight fit for two people, just the way Neji wanted.

Samui didn't think much of it and squeezed onto the bench beside Neji.

She put on the bait as Neji had shown her, cast her line into the reservoir, and waited for a fish to bite.

A few minutes later, Neji had already caught three fish.

Samui, meanwhile, had lost her bait three times.

She lost patience, tossed the fishing rod onto the ground, and said crossly, "Is my bait rotten or something? I'm done."

"Are you giving up?"

Neji nudged Samui with his knee and grinned.

"Giving up? We're not even competing."

Samui looked confused.

"When you're an angler, the competition starts the moment you pick up a fishing rod."

Neji delivered his nonsense with a perfectly straight face.

Samui saw how serious Neji looked and chuckled. "So what do you want to do?"

"Losers get punished."

Neji perked up.

"A punishment? What did you have in mind?"

Samui asked curiously.

"Switch to a softer seat."

As soon as he finished speaking, Neji sat down in Samui's lap.

Samui froze. She tried to push Neji away, but when her hand rested on his waist, somehow she changed her mind and pulled him into a hug instead.

Feeling Neji's warmth so close, Samui suddenly felt her cheeks grow hot.

A few minutes later, she suddenly laughed. "Giving up already? Since switching to the soft seat, you haven't caught a single fish."

"It's not my fault."

Neji took a deep breath and grumbled, "You're distracting me."

"The fishing rod's in your hands. How am I distracting you?"

"You're the one who can't hack it, and now you're blaming me?"

Samui teased him with a grin.

I can't hack it?

Neji flew into a rage.

Then he silently recited the Ice Heart Technique and focused intently on fishing.

Before long, Samui stared in amazement at the fish in the bucket.

"That many?"

The fish in the reservoir seemed to have lost their minds, biting like crazy. Neji caught seven in less than two minutes.

Neji gave his head a shake and asked proudly, "Impressive, right?"

Samui couldn't help laughing.

What a weird competitive streak.