Neji's Reply

The last rays of the setting sun bathed the Konoha in a warm orange-red hue. Under the eaves of the shopping street, Neji and Tenten walked side by side, their shadows stretching long across the stone pavement.

Tenten carried several paper bags—some contained freshly bought dumplings, a hairpin Neji had casually picked out for her, and a roll of handkerchiefs printed with cute patterns. She glanced at Neji every now and then, unable to hide the smile on her lips. The afternoon passed too quickly, so quickly that she wished the sun would never set.

"I'm so happy today," Tenten said softly, her voice drifting away in the evening breeze.

Neji nodded, his long white hair gleaming softly in the setting sun. "Mm."

It was a simple response, but Tenten could feel the sincerity in it. Although she didn't know what Neji had gone through in the three years since he left, nor did she know what level Neji had reached, the person walking beside her now... was just a boy who would accompany her shopping, try out dango, and give her serious advice when she tried on hairpins.

This alone made her heart race.

Reaching the edge of the Hyuga Clan Compound, Tenten's house was not far ahead. It was a two-story building with a "Weapon Shop" sign hanging at the entrance; the living quarters were upstairs. It was already dark, and warm light shone from the windows— Tenten's parents should already be home preparing dinner.

The two stopped at the door. The evening breeze blew, ruffling Tenten's hair and Neji's clothes.

"Then... I'm going in." Tenten Tian looked down at her toes, her fingers unconsciously twisting the drawstring of the paper bag.

"Okay, see you tomorrow," Neji said.

Tenten looked up, gazing at Neji's face, still clearly visible in the twilight. His Tenseigan glowed a faint blue in the dim light, both mysterious and gentle. Her heart pounded, a surge of emotion welling up within her—

She tiptoed and quickly kissed Neji on the cheek.

A very light kiss, like a butterfly fluttering across a petal. The touch was warm and soft, carrying the unique fragrance of a young girl.

Then she sprang away like a startled deer, her cheeks as red as ripe apples, and rushed into the house without looking back, slamming the door shut.

Neji stood there, stunned.

The soft touch seemed to linger on his cheek where he had been kissed, and a strange, unfamiliar warmth spread from there, quickly throughout his body. He raised his hand to touch his cheek, and only when his fingertips touched his skin did he realize that his face was also burning.

The Tenseigan can see through the flow of Chakra, analyze the structure of matter, and sense spatial fluctuations... but at this moment, it cannot analyze this sudden, heart-pounding sensation.

Neji stood there for a long time, until the lanterns on the street corner lit up one by one, before turning around and walking back to his residence. His steps were slower than usual, his mind still replaying the scene from just now— Tenten's flushed face, her sparkling eyes, and that sudden kiss.

"This is..." he murmured to himself, a smile unconsciously curving his lips, "Love?"

It felt strange. Like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples. All those calculations about the Shinobi World, the game of chess, and Madara Uchiha temporarily retreated into the corners of my consciousness at this moment.

He was just a seventeen-year-old boy who had just been kissed on the cheek by the girl he liked.

But this relaxed feeling came to an abrupt end when they reached their own front door.

Neji stopped in his tracks. His Tenseigan had already sensed three Chakra fluctuations inside the room—calm yet anxious, powerful yet weary. It was Tsunade, Shikaku, and... Kakashi had just undergone eye transplant surgery.

He Gate of Opening. In the entryway, three pairs of shoes were neatly arranged. In the living room, Tsunade sat in the main seat, Shikaku stood by the window, Kakashi sat on a chair to the side, and Itachi's eyes were still wrapped in gauze, his left eye calmly looking at the doorway.

"The three of you are rare guests," Neji said casually, as if he were merely greeting ordinary visitors. "Please, have a seat. Would you like some tea?"

He walked into the living room, and without waiting for a reply, went straight to the tea cabinet, took out the tea set, and began to boil water, warm the cups, and take out tea leaves. His movements were fluid and unhurried, as if the people sitting opposite him were not Konoha's top decision-makers, but three neighbors who happened to be passing by.

Tsunade frowned even more as she looked at him. She had many questions to ask and many things to say, but Neji's aura of complete control made her momentarily at a loss for words.

The water boiled. Neji poured the hot water into the teapot, and the tea leaves unfurled, filling the air with a delicate fragrance. He poured four cups of tea, pushed three of them in front of the three people, picked up the last cup for himself, gently blew on it to cool it down, and took a leisurely sip.

Then, he closed his eyes, as if savoring the aroma of tea, or perhaps... ignoring the presence of the three people.

An eerie silence fell over the living room. Only the faint steam from the tea rose slowly, distorting and dissipating under the lamplight.

Tsunade finally lost her temper. She put down her teacup, the ceramic cup making a crisp sound as it collided with the wooden table.

"Neji," she began, her voice deliberately suppressing her emotions, "the Akatsuki claims that a more powerful being has appeared. Do you know who it is?"

Neji opened his eyes. His Tenseigan gleamed with a faint blue light under the lamp, and his gaze swept over the three of them, like a cold blade scraping against their skin.

"Didn't you all guess as expected?" he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Tsunade's heart skipped a beat. Neji's answer confirmed their suspicions—it really was Madara Uchiha. She wanted to ask more questions, but Neji didn't give her the chance.

"The problem with Madara Uchiha," Neji put down his teacup, his voice calm yet authoritative, "Requires Sasuke and Naruto to resolve together. I will intervene if necessary."

He paused, his gaze pressing down on Tsunade with an almost tangible intensity. "If you want me to take action right now, don't bother asking."

The words were direct and cold, completely shutting down any arguments Tsunade had prepared. She opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing; her expression simply turned extremely grim.

Shikaku observed quietly from the side. He noticed that when Neji spoke, there was no hesitation or wavering in his eyes, only an absolute, unquestionable certainty. It was as if the resurrection of Madara Uchiha and the crisis in the Shinobi World were merely part of a predetermined process in his eyes, and he... was the supervisor of this process, not a participant.

Neji stood up and walked to Kakashi. Kakashi instinctively tried to stand up, but an invisible pressure prevented him from moving.

"How are your eyes?" Neji asked, his tone neither showing concern nor revealing whether it was a routine inquiry.

"Lady Tsunade's surgery was a success," Kakashi replied calmly, "But she still needs time to adjust..."

Neji didn't finish listening. He stretched out his right hand and gently pressed it against Kakashi's bandaged right eye. The movement was very light, but Kakashi felt a warm and powerful force penetrate the gauze and act directly on his eyeball.

That was an energy completely different from Tsunade's medical Chakra. It didn't heal or repair, but rather... guided, activated, and transformed.

Kakashi felt his newly transplanted right eye begin to heat up, followed by a strange sense of connection—as if that eye had always been a part of his body, only temporarily dormant, and now being awakened. He subconsciously mobilized his Chakra, and then was shocked to find that the Sharingan in his right eye activated with his will, the Mitsudomoe slowly rotating, and his vision becoming incredibly clear.

He withdrew his Chakra, closed his eyes, and returned to normal.

The whole process was as natural as breathing, as responsive as an arm or finger.

But that wasn't all. Neji didn't remove his hand; the power continued to penetrate deeper, touching another newly formed energy node within Kakashi's body— the Chakra storage point described in the Yin Seal scroll Tsunade had given him that afternoon. Guided by Neji, that node began to frantically absorb the surrounding Natural Energy, rapidly filling up at a speed Kakashi couldn't comprehend.

A few minutes later, Neji withdrew his hand.

A delicate purple diamond-shaped mark appeared in the center of Kakashi's forehead, gleaming faintly under the light. It was the sign of mastering the Yin Seal: Strength of a Hundred, meaning that he had stored the equivalent of three years of normal training Chakra his body.

"The tea's gone cold." Neji turned and walked back to his seat, picking up the now-cold teacup. "I won't see you out."

The order to leave was given without any politeness.

Looking at Neji's calm face, Tsunade knew she couldn't get any more information out of him tonight. She took a deep breath and stood up. "Excuse me. Kakashi, Shikaku, let's go."

The three left. Neji sat in the living room, listening to the door close and fade into the distance before letting out a soft sigh.

He walked to the window, watching the three figures disappear into the night, a complex light flashing in his Tenseigan.

"It'll be over soon..." he whispered, "Almost finished."

The Hokage Office was brightly lit.

Tsunade slumped heavily into her chair, wearily rubbing her temples. Shikaku stood before his desk, arms crossed, lost in thought. Kakashi stood before the mirror, staring blankly at the purple diamond-shaped mark on his forehead and the Sharingan he could now freely control beneath the Sharingan.

"Did you see that?" Teuchi the silence, her voice filled with suppressed anger. "That attitude... it was as if we were all just pawns on his chessboard, not even qualified to ask questions!"

Shikaku raised his head, his gaze calm. "Lady Tsunade, calm down. At least... we have the answer."

"Answer? What answer?" Tsunade sneered, "'I will intervene when necessary'—when will that be necessary? When Madara Uchiha arrives at Konoha's gates? When Naruto and Sasuke are both dead? When he's had his fun?"

"No." Shikaku shook his head, walked to his desk, and traced invisible lines on the surface with his finger. "There's a deeper meaning in Neji's words. Think about it carefully—he said before the Fourth Shinobi World War that Naruto was the Child of Prophecy, the key to ending the war. But our tactical arrangements prevented Naruto from appearing on the front lines."

He paused, then continued his analysis, "And considering the timing of Sasuke's appearance, if Naruto appeared on the battlefield, Sasuke would definitely appear as well. What does this mean? It means that in Neji's vision, the end of that war should be both Naruto and Sasuke."

Tsunade and Kakashi exchanged a glance, both seeing a sudden realization in each other's eyes.

"And tonight," Shikaku continued, "Neji reiterated that 'the problem of Madara Uchiha needs to be solved by Sasuke and Naruto together.' This wasn't an excuse, but a definite prophecy—he was certain that only Sasuke and Naruto could solve Madara Uchiha. He would only intervene if they failed or if an uncontrollable accident occurred."

Kakashi touched the Yin Seal mark on his forehead and said, "So he helped me fully master the Sharingan and the Yin Seal... so that I would be able to assist Naruto and Sasuke?"

"Very likely." Shikaku nodded. "Neji is providing us with tools and assistance, but he won't do it himself. It's like... a teacher assigning homework; they'll guide us and even provide reference materials, but they'll never do the writing for us."

This analogy deepened Tsunade's complex emotions. She leaned back in her chair, gazing up at the ceiling. "So, is the future of the Shinobi World really going to be entrusted to two sixteen-year-olds? Facing Madara Uchiha, facing that legendary man..."

Her voice was filled with helplessness.

Shikaku was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke up, "Lady Tsunade, what if we look at it from a different perspective? Currently, Madara Uchiha's target is Naruto, and without Neji's intervention, neither Konoha nor any other ninja village can stop him. But what if... we actively let Naruto and Sasuke leave Konoha?"

"What?" Tsunade sat up abruptly.

"What I mean is, instead of passively defending and waiting for Madara Uchiha to attack, we should take the initiative." Shikaku's eyes flashed with the calm brilliance unique to a strategist. "Let Naruto and Sasuke—along with the necessary support teams—actively search for Madara Uchiha. This way, Madara's attention will be completely drawn, and he won't attack other ninja villages. And with Neji in Konoha, he would never dare to come."

The more he spoke, the clearer his thinking became, "At the same time, the accusations and questions from other ninja villages against Konoha will disappear—because we are not standing idly by, but actively attacking the Akatsuki. Konoha's status in the Shinobi World will actually rise."

Kakashi frowned. "But this plan is too risky. What if Naruto and Sasuke fail..."

"If we fail, Neji will step in," Shikaku said. "That's his promise for tonight. But before that, what we need to do is trust those two children and... offer them all possible help."

He looked at Kakashi: "Isn't this why Neji helped you gain power?"

Silence fell over the office again. Tsunade's fingers tapped unconsciously on the desk, a habitual gesture she made when contemplating important decisions. After a long while, she looked up, her eyes sharp and resolute.

"In that case..." She took a deep breath. "Shikaku, immediately draft a formal document to reply to the four great ninja villages, informing them that Konoha will take the initiative to send troops to encircle and suppress the Akatsuki, and asking them to strengthen their defenses and be ready to provide support at any time."

"Yes."

"Kakashi," Tsunade turned to him, "Get ready. The day after tomorrow morning, take the entire Team 7 — Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura —to the border of the Land of Rivers. That's where the Land of Rain, the Land of Grass, and the Land of Rivers meet. According to intelligence analysis, the Akatsuki's new base is very likely in that area."

Kakashi nodded, but hesitated for a moment. "Lady Tsunade, if we only take Team 7, won't our fighting strength be..."

"I'll have Guy lead Team 3 to support you," Tsunade said. "Rock Lee, Tenten, Shinan Hyuga, and Guy—that should be enough."

Upon hearing the name "Tenten," Shikaku's expression changed slightly. He hesitated for a moment before speaking up, "Lady Tsunade, Tenten is in Team 3, but her combat strength... is probably not very effective against an enemy of Madara Uchiha's caliber. And..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear— Neji and Tenten were dating, and if Tenten were to carry out such a dangerous mission, and something happened, Konoha 'Neji wrath.

Kakashi chimed in, "We can have Guy and I lead Team 7 together. Quality over quantity. Sending ordinary ninjas to deal with Madara Uchiha would just be suicide."

Tsunade looked at the two of them, understanding their concerns. She had indeed harbored ulterior motives in sending Team 3 — with Tenten there, Neji would definitely keep an eye on things, thus providing an extra layer of security for the people of Konoha. But she also knew that this was exploiting Neji's feelings for Tenten, playing with fire.

Shikaku noticed Tsunade's hesitation, sighed, and decided to reveal another, more important reason.

"Lady Tsunade," his voice deepened, "During the post-battle debriefing, I analyzed the details of the battlefield and discovered a suspicious point."

What's suspicious?

"Why would someone as arrogant Obito Uchiha be so determined to attack Lord Jiraiya?" Shikaku said slowly. "The technique Lord Jiraiya prepared at the time was probably Sage Art: Toad Song. Once that technique was completed, even Nagato, who possessed Dual Rinnegan, would be temporarily controlled. So Obito? Under those circumstances, he could very well have been affected as well."

He paused, his gaze deepening. "And in the brief moment Obito was controlled, with Neji's speed and strength, he had every opportunity to kill him in one fell swoop. But the reality was... Lord Jiraiya was killed by Obito during the casting of his technique."

Shikaku didn't continue, but the implication was crystal clear.

The temperature in the office seemed to plummet. Tsunade's face turned extremely pale, and Kakashi's breathing became rapid.

At that moment, they understood— Neji had other opportunities to save Jiraiya, and might even have had a chance to end the war sooner. But he didn't. Like the most composed hunter, he waited for the best opportunity, for the appearance of the Incomplete Ten-Tails, and for himself to seize that power and reach the Six Paths Tier.

As for who will die or who will sacrifice themselves in the process... he doesn't care.

"So," Shikaku said finally, his voice as soft as a sigh, "If we try to use Tenten to restrain Neji, try to outsmart him... Konoha might disappear from the Shinobi World before Madara Uchiha even makes a move."

Tsunade closed her eyes, and after a long while, slowly opened them. Her eyes held no more hope, no more probing, only the resolute determination of Hokage.

"I understand," she said, her voice regaining its usual composure. "Then let's do as Kakashi said: only Team 7 and Guy/ Team 3 will stay in Konoha to strengthen the village's security."

She looked out the window; the night was deep, and the lights of Konoha flickered in the darkness, like an undying hope.

"We've already made this move," Tsunade said softly, speaking both to Shikaku and Kakashi, and also to herself. "No matter what, we must continue. For Konoha, and for... the future of the Shinobi World."

Outside the window, the moon peeks out from behind the clouds, casting its cool, clear light.

Meanwhile, at Neji's residence, he stood by the window, his Tenseigan piercing the night as he gazed towards the Hokage Office Building. A faint smile played on his lips. Neji murmured to himself, "The Nara Clan is just too clever for their own good."