Leaving Konoha

"Lord Hokage, Princess Tsunade stormed into the Hyuga Main Estate, saying she had taken a liking to Hyuga Neji's talent and wanted to take him as her disciple. She caused a huge scene at the Hyuga Main Estate. The Hyuga Clan's Great Elder was severely injured, and several Jonin were sent to the hospital. She has now left Konoha with them. The guards could not stop them and had no choice but to let them leave. How should this be handled? Please instruct us, Lord Hokage."

An ANBU suddenly appeared before Hiruzen Sarutobi, bringing news that left everyone utterly stunned.

"Tsunade? Hyuga Neji? How did those two get involved with each other?"

The Third Hokage froze for a moment, then asked in disbelief.

"ANBU does not know either. A few days ago, Lady Tsunade encountered Hyuga Neji on the street and subsequently took him back to the Senju Clan Compound. Hyuga Neji did not leave until the next day. ANBU did not dare get too close during that time, so we do not know what happened."

"Why was this not reported sooner?"

Hiruzen's expression darkened as he shouted sternly.

"This... Hyuga Neji is only from the Branch House, and Lord Hokage, you said we did not need to pay too much attention to Princess Tsunade. We were to satisfy her requests whenever possible, so..."

Though the kneeling ANBU's mask hid his face, the tremble that ran through his body betrayed his panic. He could only do his best to explain himself.

Hiruzen paused at that, then took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "If I remember correctly, Hyuga Neji is the most outstanding student among the recent batches at the Ninja Academy."

"Yes, Lord Hokage. Hyuga Neji is exceptionally gifted. Even Main House disciples are no match for him. It is said that Neji created a new Gentle Fist technique before even entering the academy. According to the latest intelligence, he has even mastered the Main House's Gentle Fist secret art, Rotation, on his own!"

The ANBU hurriedly relayed everything he knew.

"What? Then even the title of genius is beneath him. Is he another monster? What a pity he is from the Branch House!"

"Is he Hizashi's son? Hiashi's younger brother Hizashi?"

The Third Hokage suddenly recalled something and asked again.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

"Hizashi's son! Tsunade! Hiashi! Kosuke Hyuga? What connection is there between all this? It should not be possible. Why would Tsunade take a Branch House disciple of the Hyuga Clan as her student?"

The Third Hokage muttered to himself, one answer after another surfacing in his mind before he dismissed each one.

"Is the Hyuga Clan trying to curry favor with Tsunade? Then they should have sent a Main House disciple. No matter what, it should not have been someone from the Branch House!"

The Third Hokage spoke to himself.

"Let them go. Keep watch on their movements at all times."

Unable to find an answer, the Third Hokage spoke helplessly. He felt guilty toward Tsunade and blamed himself. Given Tsunade's current circumstances, he did not want to fall out with his own disciple again.

"Yes!"

Having received his orders, the ANBU hurriedly withdrew.

Meanwhile, Neji was following behind Tsunade and Shizune, with Xiao Xi keeping close at his side.

While Tsunade had been displaying her might, Neji's Inner Qi had circulated through his body, slowly mending his internal injuries. In the end, Tsunade truly had not torn down the Main House Shrine. If she had, it would have become a fight to the death. At that point, even Hiashi would not have been able to protect him, because all of this had begun because of him!

But it did not matter. Hiashi could not protect him anyway. It was more reliable to find a powerful backer for himself!

After Tsunade had threatened to tear down the shrine, the Main House had been forced to agree to a series of conditions, including but not limited to Neji's relative freedom and the formal gifts for taking a disciple. From those gifts, Neji could see that Hiashi had some thoughts of his own. In any case, Neji had seen Tsunade smiling as brightly as a chrysanthemum.

In the end, Neji struggled to his feet. After simply treating his external wounds, he changed into a clean robe so Xiao Xi would not worry again when she saw him. Then, ignoring the fire-spewing gazes of the Great Elder's faction, he bowed to Hiashi and took his leave. Hiashi seemed to want to say something, opening his mouth, but in the end, nothing came out.

Just like that, Tsunade brazenly led them out of Konoha by force.

Xiao Xi anxiously glanced around from time to time, still unable to recover from the day's sudden changes.

She recalled her young master's instructions that morning, telling her to find Lady Tsunade and inform her that circumstances might change. Later, after returning to the clan compound, she had gone alone to the small courtyard to pack according to her young master's instructions. Not long after, a tremendous crash had suddenly come from the Main House, and Lady Tsunade had returned with her young master. Though he had tried hard to conceal it, how could she, after caring for him for so long, fail to recognize the signs that he was injured?

To keep her young master from worrying, she had pretended not to notice his injuries. At such a critical moment, she could not let him be distracted. So be strong, Xiao Xi. Xiao Xi held back her tears and encouraged herself.

Yet she had never expected that, in the blink of an eye, she would leave the Hyuga Clan with her young master, leave Konoha with him. It was the first time in her life that she had walked through Konoha's gates. Even now, her mind was still muddled, but whenever she looked at the side of her young master's face as he strode ahead, endless sweetness welled up in her heart.

"I can cultivate too now. Xiao Xi, you must protect Young Master Neji!" The girl silently encouraged herself as she hurried along, determined not to hold everyone back.

"Kid, you do not seem very surprised! Your injuries are strange too. You are recovering a little too quickly! Well, you really do have a lot of secrets. Forget it. I cannot be bothered to dig into them!"

Tsunade asked with a lazy sideways glance, then waved a hand as though she could not be bothered with it anymore. Yes, that was very Tsunade.

"Didn't Teacher give me the necklace the First Hokage left you? Teacher acknowledged me long ago, so I was not surprised at all when you appeared at the Hyuga Main Estate."

Neji replied with a smile.

"That is right. Lady Tsunade has been talking about you, her junior disciple, nonstop these past few days. I am almost jealous. How should junior disciple compensate me?"

Shizune said playfully. The little pig named Tonton in her arms also snorted twice in agreement.

"Senior Sister Shizune, please do not tease me." Neji smiled bashfully and continued, "In the future, whenever Senior Sister has need of me, Neji will brave death without hesitation!"

"Pah! Who wants you to die?"

Shizune's face flushed slightly. She stomped her foot and hid behind Tsunade.

"You are quite good at charming girls, kid. But I am telling you, do not get any ideas about Shizune!" Tsunade glanced at the delicate girl following beside Neji and warned him protectively.

"Teacher, you are joking. I am still just a child!"

Neji said helplessly.

"A child? A child could not do the things you have done. The Hyuga Clan has been in chaos these past few days, so do not tell me you had nothing to do with it. Besides, a child would not be able to injure a Hyuga Jonin!"

Tsunade looked at him as though he were trying to fool her.

"Teacher truly sees everything. Sigh, it is all tears when I speak of it. Everything Neji did was merely for self-preservation. Teacher should already know that I was assigned to the border. I learned that as long as I appeared there, they would make me disappear forever. That was why I had no choice but to strike first."

Neji calmly explained everything. He knew he could not hide it from Tsunade's eyes. After all, he had revealed quite a lot in front of her. Yet Neji was not afraid that Tsunade would do anything to him. It was a very peculiar instinct.

"Young Master Neji, how could this be? The Main House... how could the Main House do something so cruel?"

Xiao Xi had never expected so many things she did not know about to have happened over the past few days. Though the Main House had always ordered the Branch House around, she had never imagined that they wanted Young Master Neji dead. It was truly despicable.

"Sister Xiao Xi, you already know how the Main House treats the Branch House. Kosuke Hyuga resents me for defeating him. His mind has become twisted. Fortunately, it is all over now. You do not need to worry!"

Neji patted Xiao Xi's hand, which was tightly clutching his sleeve, and comforted her.

"But the Main House controls the Caged Bird. What if they harbor resentment and secretly activate the Caged Bird curse mark?"

Xiao Xi asked anxiously.

"They will not. Teacher Tsunade has publicly acknowledged me as her disciple. At a time like this, anyone who dared do such a thing would have to bear Teacher's unending wrath. Those pampered people in the Main House do not have that kind of nerve!"

Neji's certainty finally put Xiao Xi at ease.

"Uh... are things inside great clans really this brutal?"

Shizune stood beside them, utterly dumbfounded.

"Senior Sister, where there are people, there will be conflict. Across the Ninja World, suspicion, betrayal, and slaughter never cease for even a moment. All we can do is press forward bravely. Besides, holding the power of life and death over others breeds endless desire. I would not be surprised at all if someone from the Main House did such a thing. After all, it is not as though this has never happened before, right?"

Neji spoke meaningfully.

"Ah? Oh!" Shizune nodded in a daze, then said firmly, "It will not happen again. If anyone bullies you again, I... Lady Tsunade will deal with them."

"Then thank you, Senior Sister!" Neji immediately clasped his hands in gratitude.

"Hehehe, no problem, no problem!" Shizune said with a hand over her mouth as she laughed.

For a time, the group traveling down the road was filled with cheerful energy.