Neji Is Dead, Searching for the Rinkaichū

Neji was dead!

The news shook many people in Konoha.

Might Guy, the Jonin who had led his team, his teammates Rock Lee and Tenten, Shikamaru, Kiba Inuzuka, and members of the Hyuga Clan, including Hyuga Hiashi, all came to his funeral.

Sadly, nothing remained of Neji's body. Word was that a surviving follower of Kazahana Dōtō had ambushed him, and they had fallen into the sea together.

As a member of the Main Family, Hyuga Hiashi's greatest concern was that Neji had defected. But the Main Family had long had a way to deal with that.

Through the Caged Bird Seal on every Branch Family Ninja's forehead, the Main Family could use a special technique to sense them faintly.

Neji's Caged Bird Seal could no longer be sensed.

Naruto stood among the mourners, holding Hinata's trembling hand and comforting her.

Hinata wasn't grieving. She was frightened because she was bad at lying.

She, Naruto, Yukie, and Sandayu were the only ones who knew what had really happened.

"Hinata, pull yourself together. You wouldn't want Neji to spend his whole life living in the shadows, would you?"

Naruto spoke gently to her.

"Mm, mm!" Hinata nodded obediently, and her trembling gradually stopped.

The funeral was simple and brief. Talented as Neji had been, he was only a Chunin and a member of the Hyuga Branch Family.

The crowd gradually dispersed. Before long, they would probably forget Neji altogether.

Sakura, for instance, spent her days either studying Medical Ninjutsu or missing Sasuke.

Somehow, she had heard about the Rinkaichū from Shino and started pestering her current teacher, Tsunade, to look for them.

The Rinkaichū was also known as the Dream Bug.

"Didn't those bugs go extinct a long time ago?" Tsunade asked, looking at Shino and Sakura in confusion.

"No. The