Yozuki A's expression was resolute as he spoke with conviction.
Neji froze for a moment. He wasn't surprised that Yozuki A had accepted him; he simply hadn't expected such generous treatment.
If they raised him as a breeding stud, the cost would be almost nothing, and in twenty years they could build an elite Hyuga Clan.
If they raised him as a Cloud ninja, the resources spent would be the least of their concerns. If he died before then, they would lose everything.
So, in Neji's eyes, successfully integrating into Kumogakure and becoming an ordinary Cloud ninja was already more than he could have hoped for.
He had never expected to enjoy so many privileges.
All resources and secret techniques would be available to him without restriction?
That was a privilege enjoyed by only a handful of Kumogakure's senior officials.
Why?
Had the grand vision he'd painted made Yozuki A reconsider?
"Lord Raikage, this doesn't seem appropriate," Dodai said, just as bewildered.
"Dodai, I've made up my mind!"
Yozuki A glanced at Dodai, his expression firm.
Dodai wanted to argue, but when he saw Yozuki A's resolute expression, he held his tongue.
The Fourth Raikage was an excellent leader who knew how to make the best use of people and listen humbly to advice. But once he made a decision, not even ten oxen could drag him away from it.
Dodai gave a helpless smile and said no more.
"Thank you, Lord Raikage!"
Seeing that Yozuki A wasn't joking, Neji's solemn face broke into a smile for the first time. He knelt and bowed.
Yozuki A suddenly seemed to remember something. His smile faded, and his expression grew grave.
He took out Hizashi Hyuga's last words and handed them to Neji with a sigh.
"Neji, your father, Hizashi Hyuga, sacrificed himself in place of Hyuga Hiashi. These are the last words he left behind."
Neji took the envelope without even looking at it and tore it to shreds.
"Why did you do that?" Yozuki A asked in confusion.
Tears welled in Neji's eyes as he said bitterly,
"From the day my father was branded with the Caged Bird, he was no longer a free man. His life was confined by a cage, and not once did he get to live for himself."
"While he was alive, he lost the freedom to speak. Even after he died, he lost the freedom to remain silent."
"I'll collect every debt the Hyuga and Konoha owe him, one by one."
Dodai watched Neji weep and sighed inwardly.
This four-year-old boy was a avenger, destined to walk a path strewn with thorns.
Yozuki A's broad hand closed around Neji's shoulder, lifting him as easily as if he were a cat.
"Neji, from now on, you can think of Kumogakure as your new home."
Even the usually stern Dodai managed a faint smile. "Kid, we're all family now. I'm sure you'll come to like it here soon."
Then Yozuki A handed Neji to Samui and instructed her, "Samui, I'm entrusting this child to your care from now on."
"Yes, Lord Raikage."
Neji's face disappeared into a soft, snowy expanse as Samui carried him out of the meeting room.
Once they had left, Dodai hurriedly asked, "Lord Raikage, why?"
He had already guessed that Yozuki A would probably raise Neji as a Cloud ninja, but he'd never imagined that Neji would be given the highest level of treatment.
"There's no other reason. That child deserves it."
"?"
Dodai furrowed his brows.
Yozuki A looked at the portrait of the Third Raikage on the wall and said gravely, "Dodai, an ordinary ninja's potential is set from birth. No matter how hard they work, they'll never reach the level of a Kage in their entire life."
"'Kage' is the endpoint for countless shinobi."
"Yet before true power, a 'Kage' is as weak as an ant."
Dodai narrowed his eyes.
The "Kage" Yozuki A spoke of included himself—and even every Raikage who had come before him.
The strongest of the Raikage was undoubtedly the Third Raikage, who had fought the Eight-Tails and battled tens of thousands of Iwa ninja.
If the Third Raikage was as weak as an ant, then the "true power" Yozuki A meant had to belong to the legendary duo of the Shinobi World, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
There were gaps between shinobi, too.
But the gap between the legendary duo and a "Kage" might be just as vast as the gap between a "Kage" and an ordinary ninja.
According to the stories passed down by the village elders, Uchiha Madara, though slightly weaker, had the power to stand against the Five Kage.
Senju Hashirama, hailed by countless shinobi as the "God of Shinobi," was even more extraordinary.
The strongest of the Nine Tailed Beasts, the Nine-Tails, was like a little chick in front of Senju Hashirama.
Thinking of this, Dodai asked in disbelief, "Lord Raikage, don't tell me you think that kid Neji has the potential to become a shinobi like Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara?"
Yozuki A nodded, certain of himself. "Dodai, I firmly believe Neji will give me a huge surprise in the future."
"It's too soon to say."
Dodai shook his head, clearly unconvinced.
"Lord Raikage, could it be that you believed all that nonsense Neji said?"
"Haah!"
Yozuki A walked over to his desk, poured Dodai a cup of water, then spoke earnestly.
"Dodai, the Tenseigan and Hyuga Tenin may sound incredible, but they truly exist."
"Lord Raikage, what evidence do you have for that conclusion?"
Yozuki A gazed out the window at the drifting clouds and spoke slowly.
"Come to think of it, the feud between my Yozuki clan and the Hyuga clan goes all the way back to the Warring States Period."
"More than two hundred years ago, a genius ninja named Yozuki Yunjian was born into the Yozuki clan. He had an extraordinary talent for Lightning Release. After more than ten years of painstaking training, he developed the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, greatly increasing his strength."
"Yozuki Yunjian used his strength to subdue several small ninja clans and was full of ambition."
"Then he began challenging Hyuga Tatsu, recognized throughout the Shinobi World as the strongest ninja."
"This Hyuga Tatsu was the 'Tenin' Neji spoke of. 'Tatsu' was his real name, while 'Tenin' was the title of respect given to him by the Hyuga clan."
At this point, Yozuki A paused and took a long drink of water.
Dodai frowned.
The strongest ninja, recognized by all?
The Third Hokage of Konoha was hailed as the Strongest Hokage in History.
The Third Kazekage of Sunagakure was hailed as the Strongest Kazekage in History.
Both villages loved using political propaganda to turn their leaders into objects of faith for the villagers.
But the other three shinobi villages scoffed at such claims.
If Hyuga Tenin was recognized as the strongest ninja, that meant he had earned the approval of both the Senju and the Uchiha. He was a peerless master in every sense.
"Lord Raikage, what happened next?" Dodai asked.
"Yozuki Yunjian lost, and lost badly."
Yozuki A sighed. "After returning to his clan's territory, Yozuki Yunjian reflected deeply and continued studying the Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Four years later, he mastered it and challenged Hyuga Tenin again."
"But Hyuga Tenin no longer wanted to fight. After making arrangements for his clan, he left the Hyuga clan alone."
"Curious, Yozuki Yunjian followed him."
"Then he saw Hyuga Tenin holding a gigantic 'eye' in both hands. Through a mysterious space-time passage, he vanished from the Shinobi World."
"Several days later, meteorites rained from the sky. The Hyuga clan announced that Hyuga Tenin had fallen seriously ill and died despite treatment."
In the original story, the Third Raikage developed the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
There are two side stories from the Warring States Period that I need to write.
One is about Hyuga Tenin, and the other is about Uchiha Hikari.
So I'm giving the Lightning Release Chakra Mode to Yozuki Yunjian.
Before you continue