The starlight of the late evening slanted through the window lattice into the room. Neji looked up at it. Those stars had existed in the heavens since time immemorial—or rather, in the universe.
The little town gradually quieted down. Due to the scarcity of supplies, there were no countless lights here. The residents still kept the traditional routine of working at sunrise and resting at sunset.
Neji gazed at the tea leaves floating in his cup. The touch of emerald green slowly unfurled in the amber tea, much like his own gradually calming emotions.
"All things in this world have their own way."
Neji suddenly spoke. His voice was as light as a fallen leaf drifting into a pond, yet it carried an impossible-to-ignore weight. "The fall of the Uchiha Clan and Konoha's decay are merely links in the operation of the Great Dao. All we can do is follow the current and carve out our own path through chaos."
Tsunade's fingers paused slightly around her wine cup, her golden eyes flashing with complicated emotions beneath the setting sun. She tipped back her head and drained the remaining wine, letting out an inscrutable snort. "You're not that old, kid, but you sure know how to talk."
Shizune lowered her head thoughtfully as she sorted the scattered medical scrolls. Xiao Xi blinked her clear Byakugan eyes and looked at Neji with a half-understanding expression.
For a time, the room fell silent, broken only by the occasional soft crackle of the oil lamp's wick.
Neji gently set down his teacup, porcelain clicking crisply against the wooden table. He turned to Tsunade and smoothly changed the subject. "Teacher, I actually went out this time to acquire the Crystal Release Bloodline Limit."
"Crystal Release?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow and casually set her empty wine