A silence fell. A koi leaped from the pond with a crisp splash. The setting sun gilded the water's surface, making it breathtakingly beautiful, yet no one appreciated it.
"Then what should we do?" Tetsusai finally broke the silence.
Just as Neji was about to answer, his entire body suddenly stiffened—the feeling of being watched had returned, clearer than before. He abruptly turned toward the bamboo grove across the pond, his pupils narrowing.
"What is it?" Old Akita asked warily.
"...Nothing. Just a night heron." Neji forced himself to relax, but alarm bells were already ringing in his mind. Though the chakra fluctuation in the bamboo grove had vanished in an instant, it had not escaped his senses. Someone had infiltrated his residence, and they were highly skilled.
Dinner ended in an atmosphere that seemed relaxed but was actually tense. Using fatigue as an excuse, Neji sent Akita and his son away early. Standing before the moon gate and watching their figures vanish into the night, his expression gradually turned cold.
Returning to the main hall, Neji waved the maids away and stood alone in the dark room. Moonlight filtered through the lattice windows, casting mottled shadows across the floor. He closed his eyes and began receiving the memories his Shadow Clone had accumulated throughout the day.
In an instant, countless scenes flooded into his mind like a tide—the Shadow Clone attending noble banquets, receiving flattery from merchants of every sort, even the sensation of a maid massaging his body... Neji suddenly opened his eyes, cold sweat beading on his forehead. These fragments of extravagant living felt both unfamiliar and familiar, as though he had glimpsed another version of himself.
"I actually..." Neji murmured, overcome by self-doubt. A Shadow Clone was a duplicate formed from chakra; in theory, it would