The Shifted Wheel of Time

In the deepest classified conference room of the Hokage Building, the air had frozen solid like a block of lead.

Scrolls, documents, encrypted intelligence, and notes left behind by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, covered the long table. Tsunade sat at the head, her hands clasped beneath her chin, green eyes sweeping over everyone present: Jiraiya, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Kakashi standing in the shadows.

"The intelligence has been verified," Kakashi's voice rang through the silence. "The last information Itachi Uchiha sent before the Third Hokage was killed matches seventy percent of what Orochimaru provided. Especially the codename 'Tobi'—Itachi's report did mention an Akatsuki member wearing a Spiral Mask who called himself Tobi. His behavior was strange, and his authority was extremely high."

Utatane Koharu flipped through the notes left by the Third Hokage, her aged fingers trembling over the yellowed pages. "Here... the Third recorded that on the night the Uchiha Clan was exterminated, aside from Itachi's chakra traces, there was another unfamiliar chakra signature—one that also carried Uchiha blood. At the time, everyone believed it belonged to Itachi's accomplice or was part of a disguise..."

"Now it seems that was Tobi," Mitokado Homura continued, his voice heavy. "To take part in a massacre of that level, and even force Itachi to cooperate in concealing it... Tobi's strength is likely no less than Itachi's."

Jiraiya leaned back in his chair, his expression more grave than ever before. "The Rinnegan... Pain... Nagato..."

"You're sure it's Nagato?" Tsunade looked at him.

"I'm not." Jiraiya shook his head, his white hair dim beneath the lights. "But among the three students I taught, only Nagato possessed the Rinnegan. If Akatsuki's leader truly is a Rinnegan wielder, then Nagato is the most likely candidate. It's just..."

He paused, and a trace of pain entered his voice. "I once thought they would take a gentler path... How had they become this? Collecting tailed beasts, creating deterrence through such extreme methods?"

"People change," Tsunade said coldly. "Especially after experiencing despair. And Orochimaru's intelligence says that's only their 'public objective'—collecting tailed beasts to end war is merely an excuse for outsiders. Their true goal... is probably far more terrifying."

She pulled up another file, containing scattered intelligence ANBU had gathered along the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Rain. "Over the past six months, at least seven shinobi with Kekkei Genkai and three Jinchuriki guards have disappeared at the border. The methods were clean and efficient, with almost no signs of battle at the scenes. In the entire Shinobi World, no more than five organizations could accomplish that."

"Akatsuki isn't merely collecting tailed beasts," Kakashi added. "They're also gathering Kekkei Genkai, forbidden techniques, and even people with special physiques. This doesn't seem like preparation for simple deterrence... It seems more like they're preparing some massive ritual, or... creating something."

The conference room fell into an even deeper silence.

The two advisors exchanged a glance, and both saw fear in the other's eyes. If Akatsuki truly possessed two Mangekyō Sharingan users, one Rinnegan wielder, and all those elusive members... that force was already enough to overturn the balance of the entire Shinobi World.

"The intelligence must be shared." Tsunade finally made her decision. "Not out of goodwill, but self-preservation. If Akatsuki's target is truly all the tailed beasts, then the other villages will become targets sooner or later. Rather than wait for them to be defeated one by one, we should lay everything out now and make everyone raise their guard."

"Gaara is already preparing to take over as Kazekage in the Sand Village. They should take it seriously," Jiraiya said. "Killer B of the Cloud Village is a perfect Jinchuriki and extremely powerful, but they still can't afford to lower their guard. As for the Rock Village and Mist Village... they may need more direct evidence."

"Then give them evidence." Tsunade took a copied version of Orochimaru's intelligence scroll from her robes. "Make seven copies. Send one each to the four great nations, as well as the leaders of the Land of Iron, Land of Hot Water, and Land of Grass. Let them verify it themselves."

"What about Naruto?" Jiraiya suddenly asked, urgency in his voice. "He's the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He's one of Akatsuki's primary targets."

That question was like a stone tossed into still water, sending ripples across the room.

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya, her gaze complicated. "Your training plan... needs to end early. Naruto must return to Konoha and continue training in a safer environment."

"No." Jiraiya objected immediately. "Tsunade, you know Naruto's current condition. His chakra control, tactical thinking, even his initial guidance of Nine-Tails Chakra, have all been honed through real combat. If you lock him inside the village, his progress will slow by more than three times."

"But it's too dangerous out there!"

"It's precisely because it's dangerous that he needs to become stronger!" Jiraiya slammed his hand onto the table and rose. "Akatsuki won't spare Naruto just because we hide him away. They'll come for him sooner or later. When that happens, if Naruto doesn't have enough power to protect himself, are we old fools supposed to protect him for the rest of his life?"

Their gazes collided in the air like two clashing blades.

Kakashi spoke at the right moment. "Lord Jiraiya has a point. But the Hokage's concerns are also valid. Perhaps... we can compromise."

"How?" Tsunade asked.

"Shorten the journey, but increase the level of protection." Kakashi pulled up a map. "Lord Jiraiya is taking Naruto to train mainly to gather intelligence and temper him through battle. We can designate a relatively safe area—such as the eastern coast of the Land of Fire. It's far from both the Mist Village and Cloud Village, and Akatsuki activity there has been scarce. We can also assign an elite ANBU squad to protect them in secret. If anything unusual happens, they withdraw immediately."

Jiraiya frowned. "ANBU following us will interfere with the training."

"Then have them keep their distance," Kakashi said. "They'll only handle surveillance and intelligence, without interfering in the training. Besides... with ANBU present, Akatsuki will hesitate if they truly intend to strike—they won't want to expose all their strength too soon."

Tsunade pondered for a long time before finally nodding. "One year. Jiraiya, I'll give you one more year. After that, regardless of his progress, Naruto must return to Konoha. And during that year, ANBU will rotate on guard twenty-four hours a day. If the assessed risk exceeds the threshold, I reserve the right to recall him at any time."

Jiraiya gritted his teeth, but ultimately conceded. "Deal."

He knew this was the greatest concession Tsunade could make. The Hokage's duty was to protect the village and the Jinchuriki. Giving him a year was already a consideration for his sake and Naruto's unique circumstances.

"Then next..." Tsunade stood, her Hokage cloak spreading behind her. "Activate the S-rank alert protocol. Strengthen border patrols. Raise the priority of all intelligence related to tailed beasts to the highest level. Also..."

She looked out the window. Konoha beneath the night sky was brightly lit, peaceful as though nothing had happened.

"Create a separate file for Neji Hyuga's intelligence. Classify him as a 'high-risk variable' and maintain continuous surveillance. Though he is currently with Orochimaru, no one can guarantee... that he won't become the third Uchiha-level threat we have to worry about."

The meeting ended.

When Jiraiya stepped out of the Hokage Building, the night wind carried a chill. He looked up at the stars and remembered what Nagato had been like as a child, Yahiko's ideals, and the paper flowers Konan had folded.

"Child of prophecy..." he murmured. "The Great Toad Sage said the Child of Prophecy would bring change to the world, but this change... would it bring salvation or destruction?"

Meanwhile, inside the conference room, Tsunade stood alone before the window, holding an encrypted report—the ANBU's detailed assessment of the events at Boundary Marker Number Thirty-Seven on the Land of Grass border that night.

The final line of the report read:

"Neji Hyuga. Strength assessment: Quasi-Kage Level (in Sage Mode). Growth rate: abnormal. Threat level: A+. Recommendation: if confirmed beyond recovery, prioritize elimination."

She closed her eyes and crumpled the report into a ball. Chakra surged, and the paper turned to ash.

"Elimination..." she murmured. "If it truly comes to that, could I do it?"

The night wind blew through the window, carrying away the last traces of ash.

Sound Village Underground Base, Seventh Laboratory.

Neji sat cross-legged at the center of a complex formation, his upper body bare. The formation was made of runes in five different colors, corresponding to the five basic chakra natures. At that moment, the cyan runes representing Lightning Release shone with blinding light. Electric chakra coursed through the formation, emitting a low hum.

Two months had passed.

A full two months since he had obtained the Strength of a Hundred.

Over those sixty days, Neji's life had become a mechanical cycle measured down to the second: waking at four in the morning to use the Strength of a Hundred to store chakra naturally produced overnight; beginning Lightning Release conversion experiments at six while using Shadow Clones for theoretical simulations; resting for an hour at noon while continuing to store chakra; resuming experiments in the afternoon until ten at night; then four hours of Sage Arts meditation before sleeping at two in the morning.

Two hours of sleep a day, relying on Sage Art Chakra to maintain his body's functions.

The rewards for that insane pace had been obvious—seven days earlier, he had successfully completed the conversion from neutral chakra to Lightning Release. Now, his chakra system possessed a complete and stable Lightning Release pathway. Though the quantity was still limited, its quality was pure enough for him to directly perform B-rank Lightning Release ninjutsu.

The cost was that his body had nearly reached its limit.

Faint arcs of electricity flickered beneath his skin, signs that the Lightning Release chakra had yet to be fully tamed. Several unnatural silver-white strands had appeared in his hair—the result of vitality being drained by the excessive strain on his chakra system. Most noticeably, even in his normal state, cyan sparks occasionally flashed around the pupils of his Byakugan.

"Continue today." Orochimaru stood before the observation window of the laboratory, his voice coming through the communication device. "Attempt Fire Release conversion. Start at the lowest output."

Neji nodded and formed hand seals.

The red runes in the formation lit up as energy representing Fire Release began entering his body. At first, everything went smoothly. The searing sensation of Fire Release spread through his chakra pathways, forming a subtle balance with Lightning Release—lightning and fire nourished one another, and in theory, they were the most compatible elemental combination.

But when the conversion reached thirty-seven percent, an abrupt change occurred.

The Lightning Release chakra suddenly went berserk!

The previously stable cyan currents became enraged venomous snakes, madly crashing into the Fire Release energy. The two utterly different chakras slaughtered, tangled, and annihilated each other within his chakra pathways. Intense pain swept through his body in an instant. Neji let out a muffled groan, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"Stop!" Orochimaru's voice rang out.

The formation ceased operating, but the chaos within Neji's body continued. The Lightning Release and Fire Release chakra were like two crazed beasts, rampaging through him. He gritted his teeth and forcibly mobilized Sage Art Chakra, using the stronger Natural Energy to suppress and guide them.

The process lasted a full ten minutes.

When everything finally settled, Neji was drenched in cold sweat, and his skin was covered in tiny beads of blood—the result of capillaries rupturing under the chakra's impact. He panted, and even the view through his Byakugan wavered.

"The rejection is stronger than expected." Orochimaru entered the laboratory, holding the real-time monitoring data. "Lightning Release has completely seized dominance over your chakra system. It sees the conversion of other natures as an 'invasion' and instinctively rejects them. Fire Release is still manageable. If it were Water Release... the reaction would be even more severe."

Neji spoke with difficulty. "Is there... a way?"

"There is, but it requires time." Orochimaru brought up a three-dimensional projection showing a simulation of Neji's chakra system. "You need to make Lightning Release 'acknowledge' the existence of the other natures. There are two methods. First, slowly permeate it over a longer period and let Lightning Release adapt gradually. Second, find a 'medium' capable of harmonizing multiple natures."

"A medium?"

"For example, Yin-Yang Release." Scholar-like light flickered in Orochimaru's golden eyes. "Yang Release gives form, while Yin Release gives spirit. If chakra natures are regarded as 'forms,' then Yin-Yang Release is the 'spirit.' Using Yin-Yang Release as a framework to contain different natures could theoretically avoid rejection."

Neji closed his eyes. Yin-Yang Release again... the most fundamental, yet most inaccessible power in the Naruto World.

"In my current condition... can I continue the experiments?"

"You can, but the efficiency will keep declining." Orochimaru spoke frankly. "The more dominant Lightning Release becomes, the stronger the rejection will be. According to the current data model, completing Fire Release conversion will take at least another four months. And that's with the Strength of a Hundred and Shadow Clones accelerating the process."

Four months. Then water, earth, wind—each nature would take even longer. By the time he completed them all, perhaps three years would have passed.

Time... there was never enough time.

"Continue." Neji opened his eyes, and there was no hesitation in them. "Try three more times today. Adjust the angle and speed of the Fire Release injection. Find the path where Lightning Release resists the least."

Orochimaru looked at him for a long time before smiling. "What insane perseverance. But Neji, have you ever considered... perhaps you don't need to complete conversion for every nature."

"What do you mean?"

"You have Lightning Release, Sage Arts, the Eight Gates, and Gentle Fist." Orochimaru slowly walked to the experimental table and brought up another set of data. "If you develop these existing powers to their limits, you can still stand at the peak of the Shinobi World. Why cling to that vague and elusive path of the Six Paths?"

Neji fell silent for a moment before answering, "Because only that path can give me true freedom."

He raised a hand and pointed to the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead. "Sage Arts can suppress it, but not remove it. The Eight Gates can let me erupt for a short time, but they can't last. Only Six Paths Tier power can rewrite the soul imprint of this Curse Mark at its root. And..."

He paused, his voice growing lower. "And if Akatsuki really is collecting tailed beasts, if someone can truly create the Ten-Tails... then the monsters standing against me in the future may be at that level. By then, half-baked power will only make me die faster."

Orochimaru did not try to persuade him further. He merely nodded and restarted the formation.

The experiment continued.

This time, Neji adjusted his strategy. Rather than directly injecting Fire Release chakra, he first used Sage Art Chakra to construct a layer of "buffer membrane" inside his chakra pathways, then allowed Fire Release energy to seep in at an extremely slow pace. At the same time, he deliberately mobilized Lightning Release chakra and guided it into contact with the Fire Release—not to fight, but to "communicate" tentatively.

The progress was slow, as slow as a snail crawling. After three hours, the conversion rate had only increased by two percent.

But at least there was no rejection.

"Effective." Orochimaru recorded the data. "The efficiency is low, but it's safe. At this speed, Fire Release conversion may take half a year, but at least it won't kill you."

Neji nodded. Sweat dripped from his chin, spreading dark marks across the formation's runes.

Half a year... too long. But he had no choice.

The experiment continued until late at night. By the end, Neji did not even have the strength to stand. Orochimaru had to use chakra threads to drag him back to the six-square-meter stone room.

Lying on the bed, every inch of his body screamed in pain. Lightning Release chakra still jumped restlessly within him, while the searing sensation of Fire Release was like a red-hot needle buried deep in his chakra pathways. Sage Art Chakra automatically repaired the damage, but the process itself was torture—newly regenerated cells were more sensitive and more fragile.

Neji did not sleep immediately. He raised his hand and looked at his palm.

With a thought, cyan lightning flickered and hissed at his fingertips. With another, the lightning transformed into blazing flames—weak and unstable, but undeniably fire.

Two months ago, he had merely been someone with no elemental nature, capable of fighting only through the most basic chakra shape transformation. Now, he had mastered two natures. Though still unskilled, he had already undergone a qualitative leap.

"Still not enough..." he murmured.

Far from enough.

He remembered Tsunade's final look at him that night by the boundary marker—not the look she would give a rogue ninja, but the look she would give a dangerous variable. Then there was Kakashi, that always-lazy Jonin. When Neji activated Sage Mode, shock and vigilance had filled Kakashi's Sharingan.

And Garaga's meaningful remark: "That former Hokage senior of yours won't be sleeping tonight."

Yes. No one could sleep.

Because he, a Hyuga Branch Family member who should have died, who should have been ordinary, who should have been bound by the Caged Bird for life, had suddenly leaped off the chessboard and become an unpredictable variable.

"Then I'll keep changing." Neji closed his eyes and activated the Strength of a Hundred, beginning to store the remaining chakra from that day. "I'll become stronger, more unpredictable, become... someone everyone has no choice but to face."

Before his consciousness sank into darkness, he remembered the Neji from the original story, who had died in the Fourth Shinobi World War.

He had protected Naruto and Hinata, only for the Ten-Tails' Wood-Splitting Technique to pierce through his chest.

This time, it won't happen, he told himself. This time, I'll survive. And I'll live... freer than anyone.

Meanwhile, in the laboratory, Orochimaru studied all of that day's experimental data. Complex light flickered in his golden eyes beneath the glow of the screens.

He pulled up another file—one concerning Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke's growth rate was also rapid. His Curse Mark development was progressing smoothly, and he had made headway in combining Lightning Release and Fire Release. At this pace, within three years, Sasuke's body would reach the perfect state for reincarnation.

But Neji...

"All-nature conversion, Sage Arts, the Eight Gates, and that terrifying perseverance..." Orochimaru murmured. "If he truly succeeds, would that body... be worth more than Uchiha blood?"

He shut off the screen, walked to the window, and looked toward the depths of the base where Sasuke was training.

"It seems I'll have to prepare two plans."

The night was deep. The Sound Village Underground Base was like a massive beast lying dormant, breathing slowly in the darkness.

Within the belly of that beast, two boys were racing down their own paths—one for revenge, the other for freedom.

Their shadows had already quietly fallen over the future of the entire Shinobi World.