007 Advanced Training

If Neji had to describe life in Otogakure with one phrase, he would say: 007 was truly a blessing.

At five in the morning, he was awakened by the laboratory alarm—not an alarm clock, but an actual alarm. A chakra monitoring device newly developed by Orochimaru would release a weak electric current to "gently" wake Neji whenever his sleep entered a deep stage.

"Early to bed and early to rise is beneficial for cellular activity," Orochimaru said.

The first training session: chakra control. Not tree-walking beside a tranquil lake, but forming a membrane of chakra over his body in a pool filled with corrosive liquid. The price of failure was rotting flesh—fortunately, Kabuto Yakushi's medical ninjutsu was reliable enough to haul him out and heal him before he completely fell apart.

"Pain is the best teacher," Kabuto said, pushing up his glasses.

In the morning came forbidden jutsu theory. Orochimaru's underground library held countless forbidden technique scrolls, from the Second Hokage's Water Release forbidden jutsu to the Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques, as well as research materials on all kinds of Kekkei Genkai. Neji had to memorize an entire scroll of complicated formulas within an hour, then recite it before Orochimaru.

"Memory is the vessel of knowledge." Orochimaru licked his lips. "And your brain is one of the finest vessels I have ever seen."

In the afternoon came combat training. Sometimes his opponents were Otogakure ninja in Curse Mark states, sometimes various modified creatures, and occasionally Orochimaru himself—though naturally, an Orochimaru who went easy on him. Even so, after every battle, Neji had to lie in a medical pod for half an hour of repairs.

"Actual combat is the sole criterion for testing truth," Kabuto said as he set Neji's bones.

At night came medical ninjutsu lessons. Neji had requested those himself. After suffering several severe injuries, he had deeply realized the importance of being able to save himself. Kabuto Yakushi truly deserved his reputation as Orochimaru's right-hand man; his mastery of medical ninjutsu was exceptional. From the basic Mystical Palm Technique to complex cellular regeneration and neural reconnection, he taught everything without holding back.

"The essence of medical ninjutsu is an ultimate understanding of life chakra." Kabuto demonstrated how to stitch severed tendons with chakra. "And the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan gives you a natural advantage in this regard."

At eleven at night, the final lesson ended. Neji dragged his nearly broken body back to that six-square-meter "dormitory"—which was really just a remodeled storage room. He collapsed onto the hard stone bed, not even wanting to move a finger.

But his mind was still working.

It had been three months. Exactly three months since he had come to the Hidden Sound Village. Over those ninety days, his strength had grown faster than it had during the previous three years in Konoha. Eight Trigrams Palm had broken through to one hundred and twenty-eight palms, the Eight Gates could now be stably opened to the Third Gate, his medical ninjutsu had reached the level of a Chunin medical unit, and he had learned the basic principles of seventeen forbidden techniques.

The price was thirty-seven permanent scars, two near-death experiences, and countless sleepless nights tormented by pain.

"Harder than college entrance exams, more exhausting than 996." Neji stared at the ceiling and smiled bitterly. But at least... there's hope.

He recalled the conversation he had had with Orochimaru two weeks ago.

"I cannot undo your Caged Bird for the time being." Orochimaru had shown a rare expression of frustration. "But I see another possibility in you—if it cannot be removed, then surpass it."

"Surpass it?"

"Become strong enough that the Curse Mark's restraints no longer matter." Madness gleamed in Orochimaru's golden eyes. "For example, reach the level of the Sage of Six Paths."

Neji had thought the old monster was insane at the time. But now that he considered it, this might be his only way out.

He rolled over and sat up, then took a specially made sheet of paper from a hidden compartment beneath the bedboard. It was experimental waste from Orochimaru's laboratory, and after being treated with a special solution, it could transmit information one way. The writing on it would disappear automatically after twenty-four hours.

Neji bit his finger and wrote on it with blood.

Intelligence One: Orochimaru has completed this body transfer. The next transfer is estimated to take place in three years, with Sasuke Uchiha as the suspected target.

Intelligence Two: Intelligence gathering on the Akatsuki is ongoing, with no breakthroughs yet. It is recommended that my defection be made public to lower Orochimaru's guard.

Intelligence Three: The threat from the Hyuga Main House requires attention. It is recommended that surveillance be strengthened.

He paused, thought for a moment, and added one more line: All is well. Do not worry.

After finishing, he rolled the paper into a thin strip and stuffed it into a hollow bone tube—something left behind by an Otogakure ninja who had died in battle. The bone tube had been fashioned into a wristguard and worn on Neji's left wrist. He had already sent this intelligence out in the second month. Although Orochimaru kept his training schedule packed, he still gave him one day off each month. After all, Orochimaru understood perfectly well that when the moon became full, it began to wane.

As he lay back down, Neji thought of his companions in Konoha. Might Guy must be searching for him like mad, right? What about Tenten and Rock Lee? What expressions would they make when they saw the missing-nin announcement?

And Hinata... would that always-timid cousin cry when she heard that he had defected?

"I'm sorry," Neji said to the darkness. "But I had no choice."

The next day, training continued.

Orochimaru assigned him a new project: a deep-development experiment for the Byakugan.

"The Hyuga Clan's Byakugan can theoretically see chakra pathways and even see through objects." Orochimaru secured Neji to a complex instrument. "But I suspect what you have developed is only the tip of the iceberg."

The machine activated, and Neji felt electric currents pierce his temples. His Byakugan vision was forcibly activated, continuously magnified and deepened. He saw things he had never seen before—the flow of chakra at the cellular level, the distribution of energy nodes within the chakra pathways, and even...

"Ah—!" A violent headache struck, and Neji screamed.

"Endure it." Orochimaru stared at the data on the display, his eyes glowing. "I see it... deep within the Byakugan, there is another layer of structure!"

The experiment lasted three hours. By the end, Neji was bleeding from all seven orifices and nearly collapsed. But Orochimaru was as excited as if he had discovered a new continent.

"Your Byakugan has the potential to evolve!" The hand clutching his experimental records trembled. "Though it is very faint, it truly exists! Neji Hyuga, you may be the first member of the Hyuga Clan in centuries to have a chance of evolving the Byakugan!"

Even as Kabuto dragged him to the medical room, Neji's mind was still muddled.

Byakugan evolution? Tenseigan? Wasn't that something from the movie? No one in the Hyuga Clan had ever awakened the Tenseigan in the original story.

"What Lord Orochimaru said is true." Kabuto treated him as he spoke. "The structure of your Byakugan differs from that of ordinary Hyuga Clan members. Behind the retina, there are remnants of what appear to be degenerated organs."

"What does that mean?"

"It means..." Kabuto pushed up his glasses. "Your ancestors may have been closer to the bloodline of the Ōtsutsuki Clan than the present-day Hyuga Clan."

Neji froze.

If that were true, did that mean the Six Paths Sage Realm... was not beyond reach?

After treatment ended, Neji did not return to his dormitory. Dragging his exhausted body, he went to the training ground at the deepest level of the underground base. Usually, only Orochimaru and Sasuke used this place.

Sure enough, Sasuke was there.

The black-haired youth was practicing Chidori, lightning shrieking in his hand. His movements were swift as lightning, his gaze cold as ice. Compared to three months ago, Sasuke's temperament had changed dramatically—colder, sharper, more... like his brother.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke stopped training and looked at Neji coldly.

"Training." Neji answered briefly, walked to the other side of the training ground, and began practicing Eight Trigrams Palm.

The two trained separately, without interfering with one another. Yet Neji could feel Sasuke's peripheral gaze watching him the entire time.

Half an hour later, Sasuke suddenly spoke. "Why did you join Orochimaru?"

Neji's movements paused. "Like you, for strength."

"Strength?" Sasuke sneered. "A genius of the Hyuga Clan cannot gain strength in Konoha?"

"Konoha cannot give me what I want." Neji continued practicing. "The same goes for you, doesn't it?"

Sasuke fell silent. After a long while, he said, "Orochimaru said your Byakugan might be able to evolve."

"It is only a possibility."

"Then evolve it for me to see." Sasuke turned around, his scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan lighting up in the darkness. "Let me see where the Hyuga Clan's limit lies."

Neji stopped and looked at Sasuke.

The gazes of the two youths collided in the air, one cold as a blade, the other calm as water.

"That day will come," Neji said.

When he returned to his dormitory that night, Neji added another note to the bone tube.

Additional Intelligence: Sasuke Uchiha is growing rapidly. He has mastered Chidori, and his Sharingan has developed to the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. It is recommended that Konoha prepare countermeasures.

After finishing, he lay back down and stared at the ceiling.

In three months, he had become a missing-nin, an experimental subject, and one of Orochimaru's key observation targets. The road ahead had grown narrower, but it had also become clearer.

Six Paths Sage Realm... Byakugan evolution... Tenseigan...

These terms that had once existed only in reference books had now become his goals for survival.

"Then I'll keep walking." Neji closed his eyes. "Until I can't walk any farther."

Meanwhile, in the laboratory, Orochimaru looked over today's data records, excitement gleaming in his golden eyes.

"Neji Hyuga, Sasuke Uchiha... what kind of surprises will you two bring me?"

His long tongue swept across his lips as he wrote in the experiment log:

Test subject 'White': Byakugan evolution probability 17%. Test subject 'Sharingan': Sharingan evolution probability 42%. Body transfer in three years; vessel candidates under reassessment.

Outside the window, the moon cast its cold light over the Hidden Sound Village's eerie underground base.

The gears of a double life were turning silently.