A clean getaway

Before long, Neji, wearing a black cloak patterned with red clouds and a Tiger-Pattern Mask, encountered Aburame Ryoma.

Sensing someone approaching, Aburame Ryoma stopped. By the intermittent flashes of light overhead in the passage, he made out the person ahead.

"You!?" Aburame Ryoma wore sunglasses, but the shock on his face was unmistakable.

He had never imagined that, years later, he would encounter the mysterious man who called himself Madara Uchiha in Root's base.

Although the man's clothing had changed, there was no mistaking that mask.

"You seem to have mistaken me for someone else. Interesting! Have you met another member of our organization?" Neji altered his voice, speaking in a low tone.

Behind his sunglasses, Aburame Ryoma's pupils contracted. He sensed trouble. "You're not the same person?"

The atmosphere was unbearably oppressive. Despite all the trials Aburame Ryoma had weathered, he could not stop his heart from racing.

This masked man's presence was overwhelming. The powerful chakra he released without restraint seemed to bring even the air to a standstill.

This feeling... even Lord Danzo doesn't feel like this... I can't fight him head-on. I'll use my insects to hold him here, then surround him together with Root's forces when they arrive! Aburame Ryoma narrowed his eyes, forming a plan in moments.

"Oh? So you really have met him. Interesting. It seems he came here and did a few things back then..." Neji spoke unhurriedly. "You met him during the Uchiha Clan Massacre, didn't you?"

"Judging by that ugly look on your face, he must have killed quite a few of your people back then." Neji chuckled low in his throat.

Neji looked at him. "Are you planning to stall until your people arrive?"

"You won't get the chance!" Neji shook his head and barked, "Pressure!"

An immense, intangible oppressive force spread out from Neji in every direction.

Aburame Ryoma felt a strange, enormous force closing in from all sides, choking off his breathing. The insects on his body, along with those he had sent out, died one after another.

This was a mental intimidation ability that had emerged once Neji's Byakugan evolved to a certain level. Anyone whose mental prowess or eye power fell short of his could not even approach him under the Byakugan's pressure.

This is bad! The shock briefly left Aburame Ryoma dazed. By the time he recovered slightly, he saw Neji raising a hand.

All Aburame Ryoma heard was a low voice calmly saying, "Divine Vacuum Strike!"

In an instant, Aburame Ryoma burst apart. A surging chakra air cannon blasted his entire body to pieces.

A spray of blood and remains stained the entire passage red.

An enormous boom rang out, and Root's basement shook.

Even that was the result of Neji restricting the attack's range, lest he block the path ahead again.

Neji's figure flashed past without a single drop of blood touching him.

If he had enough chakra, Neji would certainly have fired a Divine Vacuum Strike down every passage in Root's base, helping them solve the problem of traffic flowing too smoothly.

Unfortunately, he did not have that much chakra. He had already used Divine Vacuum Strike several times to reach his destination as quickly as possible.

He did not have much chakra left now. He had to use it carefully and could not afford the slightest carelessness.

What a shame. If only I had as much chakra as Naruto, Neji suddenly thought.

Here they come! Beneath his mask, Neji used his Byakugan to spot a standard Root Ninja squad appearing ahead.

Without a word, the Root Ninja squad drew the short swords from their backs and charged.

Planning to tie me down in close combat? Unfortunately, you've taken the wrong approach, Neji thought.

"Pressure!" Intangible waves of mental eye power instantly radiated from Neji's Byakugan into his surroundings.

The three Root Ninja charging toward Neji with the Body Flicker Technique faltered, losing their balance outright. Their powerful slashes collapsed; they could no longer even hold their ninja swords steady, and the weapons fell from their hands.

After Neji's figure flashed three times through the passage, all three Root Ninja fell silent.

For Neji as he was now, ninja below a certain level could not even get close to him. That was especially true somewhere unsuited to large-scale offensive ninjutsu. Here, he reigned supreme.

After dealing with the three, Neji did not pause. He used the Body Flicker Technique to head straight for the nearest exit.

Root's ninja were clever. Two squads of Root Ninja, six people in total, were already guarding the nearest exit.

Neji could see their positions clearly with his Byakugan.

He glanced upward and immediately saw the situation on the streets outside.

Konoha has mobilized too? Even the Third Hokage is out here. I'd better hurry. As he thought this, Neji reached the entrance.

Facing the six Root Ninja standing ready, Neji raised a hand without hesitation and barked, "Divine Vacuum Strike!"

The six Root Ninja saw only a flash of dazzling white light before losing consciousness.

An explosive boom rang out. This time, not only did the Root Base shake, but the streets above trembled as well.

Delighted at the enormous breach he had blasted open, Neji ignored the thick clouds of dust and plunged straight through it.

Having made it this far, Neji knew that as long as he remained careful, he would be free to go wherever he pleased.

The sewers beneath Konoha connected in every direction. Once he entered them, finding him again would be extremely difficult.

As Neji moved away from the Root Base, he used his Byakugan to watch his surroundings, constantly taking care to avoid ninja from the Hyuga Clan.

By now, Konoha's ninja were entering the sewers one after another, joining the larger force pursuing him.

After weaving through the sewers, Neji used his Byakugan to find a deserted spot. He took off his black cloak patterned with red clouds and his Tiger-Pattern Mask, then retrieved his usual clothes from a Storage Scroll and put them on.

Once dressed, Neji took a deep breath. After confirming that the flames would not trigger an explosion, he formed hand seals. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique."

Neji drew a deep breath, then exhaled forcefully. An enormous fireball burned the discarded black cloak patterned with red clouds and the Tiger-Pattern Mask to ashes.

This was a ninjutsu Neji had learned from Sasuke.

It was not that the Hyuga Clan could not learn ninjutsu. They were perfectly capable of learning and using it. They refrained from using conventional ninjutsu because the Main Family believed the Gentle Fist was enough to handle any situation.

Looking at the few ashes left behind, Neji formed hand seals again. "Water Release: Water Flow!"

A streamlike torrent surged from beneath Neji's feet toward the ashes ahead, quickly washing the small pile into the sewer's main channel.

After these measures, it would be difficult for anyone to discover that he had been responsible.

After checking his surroundings with the Byakugan, Neji walked straight out of the sewers.