Neji's Stance (Part 2)

Tsunade's gaze was sharp as a knife, piercing straight at Neji. She had wanted to ask this question for a long time, ever since Neji first appeared in the Hokage Office as "sake," ever since she learned that this Akatsuki member was actually Neji Hyuga, ever since she agreed to trade the Yin Seal with Orochimaru —she had been thinking about it constantly.

In the end, which side will this person stand on?

Is it to rid the Caged Bird of its ruthless missing-nin?

Is he an undercover agent with Konoha's heart but forced to remain hidden?

Or... a pure survivor who lives only for himself?

Neji met Tsunade's gaze.

Behind the glasses, his eyes were calm and expressionless, but Tsunade could sense an undercurrent of turmoil beneath. Three years had passed, and this boy—no, he could no longer be called a boy—had experienced far too much. Orochimaru's experiments, the Akatsuki's missions, the development of his Kekkei Genkai, the training of Senjutsu, the mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique...

He has changed.

He is no longer the Neji Hyuga who was hailed as a genius in Konoha, yet was Caged Bird Seal.

But it seems he hasn't completely become a different person.

"I will ambush Obito at the crucial moment," Neji said clearly, each word resounding, "To contribute my share to the Allied Forces."

There were no grand pronouncements, no vows or promises.

It was just a simple statement.

But that's enough.

Tsunade exhaled a long, slow breath.

Her tense shoulders relaxed a little, and her clenched fists loosened. She looked at Neji with a complex expression—a mixture of relief, guilt, and worry, but above all, trust.

"That's good," she said.

Two simple words, yet they carry immense weight.

The way the others in the office looked at Neji had also changed. Before, it was wariness, suspicion, and hostility towards the Akatsuki members. But now, although they didn't completely trust him, at least there was a hint of approval.

Gaara suddenly realized what was going on.

No wonder Konoha had such a thorough understanding of Akatsuki, no wonder they were able to make so many targeted preparations in advance, no wonder Tsunade was so confident at the Five Kage Summit...

It turns out there was an undercover agent, lurking in the heart of the enemy.

Moreover, he was an undercover agent with such great strength that he could freely enter and leave the Hokage Office, gain Obito's trust, and possess so many core secrets.

"I have one more piece of information," Neji spoke again, drawing everyone's attention back, "About Kirigakure."

"Mei Terumi?" Tsunade frowned.

"She wants to cooperate with Obito on a limited scale," Neji said. "To remain neutral, not to participate in the war, in exchange for post-war autonomy for Mist Village."

"Foolish!" Jiraiya scoffed. "How could someone like Obito tolerate neutrality?"

"That's impossible." Neji nodded. "Obito's plan didn't include the option of 'neutrality.' It's either join the Eye of the Moon or be destroyed. So Mist Village may seem safe now, but it's actually standing on the edge of a cliff."

He looked at Tsunade, then at Gaara.

"My suggestion is to use these three days to have Mei Terumi bring the elite troops of Mist Village to support the Allied Forces. Otherwise, after the war ends—regardless of which side wins— Mist Village will be purged. Obito will not tolerate opportunists, and the Allied Forces will not forgive an ally who backs down at a crucial moment."

This suggestion is harsh, but realistic.

There is no neutral zone in war. You are either fighting side by side or you are enemies.

"Wouldn't that..." Tsunade hesitated, "After all, it was Mist Village's own choice. Forcing them to participate in the war doesn't seem quite right..."

"Lord Hokage," Gaara interrupted her.

The young figure stepped forward, the childishness on his face completely gone, replaced by a maturity and decisiveness beyond his years.

"If Mist Village remains neutral and we achieve a Mist Village victory, will they take the opportunity to betray us and seize our spoils? If we suffer a crushing defeat, will Mist Village, in order to protect themselves, join Obito to attack our remnants?" Gaara's voice was calm, but every word struck Tsunade's heart. "One must always be wary of others. In this war, there can be no potential backstabbers. I think Sake is right."

Shikaku also spoke up, "From a tactical perspective, the participation of Mist Village can increase our forces by at least 10,000, and Mei Terumi herself is Kage Level shikigami with Dual Kekkei Genkai. More strength means a greater chance of victory."

Tsunade looked at them.

Looking at Gaara's resolute gaze, at Shikaku's rational analysis, and finally at Neji —the young man whose true expression was unreadable.

She knew they were right.

War is not child's play, nor is it a matter of personal relationships. It is a battle for life and death, where every decision could determine the lives of thousands and the future of the entire Shinobi World.

"Then I'll send a messenger to Mist Village again," Tsunade decided. "But this time it's not an invitation, it's an ultimatum."

"No need to rush," Neji said. "Let's wait for A to arrive with the elite troops from Cloud Village and Iwagakure. When the four major ninja villages express their support simultaneously, Mei Terumi will understand the seriousness of the situation."

Tsunade gave Neji a deep look.

This kid's thoughts are even more comprehensive than she imagined. Letting Mist Village see the defeated Allied Forces, the Iwagakure without its Tsuchikage, and the Raikage in a sorry state is more persuasive than any other advice.

Fear can sometimes be a greater driving force than righteousness.

"Okay." Tsunade nodded. "We'll do it your way."

The tactical discussion in the office temporarily came to an end. The atmosphere remained heavy, but at least there was a clear direction—to wait for the remnants of the Allied forces to regroup, force the Mist Village Shadow to make a statement, and prepare for the final decisive battle.

Neji then turned to Jiraiya: "Lord Jiraiya, how is Naruto's mastery of the Nine-Tails' power?"

When his disciple was mentioned, Jiraiya's expression softened slightly. "After your guidance last time, that kid has improved rapidly. He's already mastered Nine-Tails Mode."

"That's good," Neji said. "When A led the remnants of the Allied Forces into the village, he had Naruto use his ability to sense malice to check each one. The White Zetsu army is best at disguise and infiltration; we absolutely cannot let them sneak into the village."

This suggestion surprised both Tsunade and Gaara.

They knew Naruto was strong, knew he was the Child of Prophecy, and knew he was key to this war. But sending Naruto to do "security checks"? Using his ability to sense malice to screen for spies?

"Naruto's sensory abilities are indeed extraordinary," Kakashi mused. "His sensory range during Senjutsu training far surpasses that of ordinary ninjas, and if Nine-Tails Mode can sense malice, Naruto should be able to detect White Zetsu disguised as Allied Shinobi who infiltrated the region."

"But wouldn't that be too much trouble for Naruto? And A might have objections, thinking we don't trust them." Tsunade hesitated.

"In times of war, trust must be built on a foundation of security." Neji's voice was cold. "Obito and Zetsu are both masters of intrigue. Sharingan White Zetsu's disguise. Once infiltrated, with inside help, Konoha's defenses will collapse from within. At that time, it won't just be a few people who die, but the entire village."

His words were very harsh.

But it is precisely because of its weight that it is impossible to refute.

"Furthermore," Neji added, "Assigning this task to Naruto will keep him occupied. Naruto is too impatient right now and needs to be tempered. Putting him in charge of important defensive work will both utilize his abilities and keep him in check."

This reason convinced Tsunade.

She recalled how Naruto had been pestering her for missions Tenten these past few days; the kid definitely needed something to distract himself from his excessive energy.

"It's settled then." Tsunade made the decision. "When the remnants of the Allied Forces arrive, Naruto will be in charge of screening them. Kakashi, keep an eye on him."

"Understood." Kakashi nodded.

At this point in the discussion, everything that needed to be said has been said, and most of the arrangements have been made.

Neji looked around at everyone in the office, his gaze finally settling on Tsunade.

"Three days," he said. "Obito will come in three days. Then, everything will be settled."

Tsunade looked at him, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just nodded.

Neji said no more.

He raised his hand, spread his fingers, and then clenched them— the Soundproof Barrier he had just set up vanished silently. The sounds from outside the window flooded back into the office, and the afternoon sun returned to its normal temperature.

Then he Hand Seals.

Flying Thunder God Technique.

There were no spatial Uzumaki, no distorted light, just a simple, almost imperceptible spatial fluctuation. The next second, the figure in the red cloud and black robe had vanished from the center of the office, as if he had never been there.

The office returned to silence.

But this silence is completely different from the silence before.

"He..." Gaara finally asked the question that had been lingering for so long, "Who is it?"

Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged a glance, then looked at Kakashi.

Kakashi was silent for a few seconds, then sighed softly.

"A genius trapped in a cage," he said, "A caged bird yearning to break free from the shackles of fate..."

The answer was vague, but Gaara understood it.

Because he too was once a caged bird—imprisoned by the Shukaku, feared by the villagers, and abandoned by his father.

So he stopped asking.

"Then," Gaara turned to Tsunade, his expression hardening again, "Let's begin preparations. Three days isn't a long time."

"It's not long, really." Tsunade stood up from her chair, walked to the window, and looked down at the empty streets of Konoha. "But it's enough for us to do a lot of things."

Enough to rearrange the defenses.

Enough to integrate the defeated coalition forces.

This is enough to force the Mist Village to make a choice.

That's enough... to let Naruto grow a little more, to let Sasuke get into the right shape, and to let Neji prepare for the final sneak attack.

That's enough to make everyone prepared to die.

Outside the window, the sunlight remained pale.

Three days to go, the countdown begins.