"Oh dear... look who's here."
Aoki Tsuki, watching Neji diligently practicing Gentle Fist in a courtyard, asked curiously, "How did you find this place?"
He only told the other party to come to the Land of Hot Water, but he didn't mention the name of the Jashin Cult.
"Have you forgotten that the Byakugan's greatest strength lies in intelligence gathering?" Neji replied.
After arriving in the Land of Hot Water, he quickly learned that this was the headquarters of the Jashin Cult and guessed that Aoki Tsuki was very likely a member of the Jashin Cult.
So they came looking for us.
"As expected of the Hyuga Clan's only genius, you're quite impressive."
Aoki Tsuki nodded in satisfaction. " Sasuke has defected to Orochimaru in pursuit of the power to avenge his brother."
He knew very well that staying in Konoha would prevent him from growing rapidly; only Sannin, one of the Orochimaru, could help him achieve his goal.
Konoha knew the real reason for the Uchiha Clan Massacre; how could they possibly raise a tiger that would become a threat?
Kakashi was only willing to teach Chidori because of his personal reasons.
"That's why I came to you; you said you could help me."
Neji was going all out; as a member of the Branch Family, he didn't need to worry about anyone gouging out his eyes.
Sasuke could defect, so why couldn't he?
If the Caged Bird Seal problem is truly solved, I'll go back and wipe out the Hyuga Clan to vent my hatred.
"Of course, I've met many geniuses, some of whom possess bloodline power no less than yours, and I don't believe in loyalty, only cooperation."
What do you want me to do? Gather intelligence?
"Haha... your value will soon come in handy. Now let me see your Cursed Seal."
With a healer on Nagato's side, his physical endurance problem is solved. With the Byakugan on his side, capturing Tailed Beast shouldn't be difficult.
This is the best solution we can think of right now. If it still fails, then he has nothing to say.
Aoki Tsuki extended her finger and tapped Neji's forehead.
Neji, but did not back down. Having taken this step, he had to be prepared for failure.
"Don't worry, I'm not interested in the Taijutsu of your Hyuga Clan. No one without the Byakugan can learn it anyway."
Aoki Tsuki's voice rang in Neji's mind. In reality, he was browsing Neji's memories, secretly learning the Hyuga Clan's secret techniques, including but not limited to methods of controlling Chakra points.
What adult doesn't lie? Only a child would believe such nonsense!
Neji is truly a genius. He figured out the Rotation on his own and has also mastered other basic Hyuga Taijutsu.
For example, the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm releases a high-density Chakra shockwave from a distance to attack remote targets, which may be a basic version of the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack.
It's a good thing that he could easily copy.
Eighty isn't enough! What about the Thousand-Hand Divine Vacuum Palm?! I wonder if it can withstand Six Paths level opponent.
In the Shinobi World, it seems that only Madara and Hashirama could fight against the Six Paths of Pain on their own, as these two represented the pinnacle of Yin and Yang Power, respectively.
Aoki Tsuki follows the path of ' Sage Power '.
He had long used the Thousand-Armed Kannon, a secret art he obtained from the Fire Temple, as a platform to further explore other attack methods.
Thousand-Hand Kill, Wrathful King, Vajra Dharma Lotus, Void Realm: Greedy Wolf, Buddha's Divine Palm, Thunder God Mode...
Aoki Tsuki has been dedicated to creating a comprehensive combat system, which allows him to control Chakra, Senjutsu Chakra, and Yin Release to deal with various complex combat environments.
Even without Kekkei Genkai, his ability to imitate others allows him to stand at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World despite being only human.
"It's really wrong to lie to children, but I can't help it; they're all good stuff."
While secretly absorbing the Hyuga Clan's hidden assets, Aoki Tsuki studied the Caged Bird Seal, which soon terrified him.
"Hiss...! That's too ruthless."
It's likely that the Hyuga Clan has spent the last thousand years focusing on controlling their Branch Family members, which explains why their Taijutsu hasn't improved much.
The Cursed Seal not only exists in the brain, but also extends along the optic nerve into the Byakugan, and even the meridians around the eyes are permeated with runes.
Even if you roll your Byakugan when the Branch Family members aren't paying attention, it won't work; the self-destruct mechanism inside will still be activated.
When a member of the Branch Family dies, a destruction mechanism will be activated before the Cursed Seal is automatically removed. In short, these eyes are not going to be safe.
"It's impossible to handle, absolutely impossible."
Aoki Tsuki thought that with his subtle control over mental power, performing a mental surgery would be no problem. It seems he overestimated himself.
Byakugan's insight is several levels higher than his; after so many years of research, what situation wouldn't he figure out?
If he dares to touch any of the runes on the Cursed Seal, it will trigger a chain reaction and initiate the self-destruct program.
" Neji is beyond saving; we can only try anything as a last resort."
Aoki Tsuki's solution was to first help Neji replenish Hamura's bloodline, and then use that power to break through the Cursed Seal's binding force from within.
If that doesn't work, then consider injecting Hashirama Cells into Neji's body to achieve a second reversion to his ancestral form.
This plan has a 20-30% chance of success; if anything goes wrong, Neji will die on the spot.
It sounds complicated, but it's actually super simple: just inject cell fluid twice in a row.
Now all we need to do is go to the moon and get the blood tissue from the Toneri.
Toneri inherited his ancestors' will to monitor the Shinobi World and is also considering destroying the world created by the Sage of Six Paths. They share a common goal and the same philosophy of 'destruction is rebirth'.
They can definitely unite.
Unite all forces that want to destroy the Shinobi World and pull off a big heist.
Thinking this, Aoki Tsuki withdrew his mental energy and said, "Listen, kid, I've examined your situation carefully, and it's impossible to overcome it using conventional methods."
Neji nodded. If it were that easy, the family wouldn't have silently endured it for so many years after the Branch Family.
"What about unconventional methods?"
"Hehe... This is the Jashin Cult. We specialize in evil paths, and it's necessary to tell you about the risks beforehand."
I have no way out.
In his pure white eyes, there was no fear, only the determination to overcome all obstacles.
"Alright, let me tell you about the history of the Hyuga Clan first, so you can understand why we did this..."
He gave a general account of the origins of the Hyuga Clan and the lineage on the moon, including Aoki Tsuki's own speculations. Neji listened in silence for a long time.
I never imagined that the Hyuga had a branch.
"You mean that as long as you can fuse with the Chakra of another lineage, you can replenish the power of your ancestors?"
This is the first time returning to the ancestral homeland.
"That's right. If one has enough talent, one can even awaken the Tenseigan, which is a power comparable to the Rinnegan. With this power, one can break through the Caged Bird Seal."
If that doesn't work, I have a second plan, depending on how well the first one works.
Aoki Tsuki didn't plan to tell Neji about the second plan for the time being; he wanted to keep a backup plan in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
Neji has been tortured for so many years and is not even afraid of death. Once he obtains great power, he will probably become arrogant and domineering. You can refer to Sasuke the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan for this reason.
Even dogs passing by on the street get hit by an Amaterasu.
The fusion of powers is not something that can be achieved overnight. Madara only awakened the Rinnegan many years after obtaining Hashirama's cells and integrating them into his body.
This is the time when Neji can demonstrate his value.
They were exploiting the time difference, taking advantage of Neji's Byakugan to help gather intelligence and capture the Tailed Beast.
The ninja world is full of evil; what loyalty is there? Betrayal is the norm, and mutual exploitation is the only acceptable way for both sides.
" Neji, look at how the other branch Branch Family reacted to the injustice of fate? They sacrificed the lives of all the Branch Family members and destroyed the Main Family as well."
That's what magnanimity is all about. I've emphasized this point to you repeatedly. Look at your Hyuga Branch Family; you crave freedom but are afraid of sacrifice.
The suffering you have endured is commensurate with your awakening.
Continuous psychological pressure is necessary, and Aoki Tsuki, who works as a spy, does it with ease.
Neji lowered his head, clenching his fists tightly. He was determined to fight to the end and lead the Branch Family to completely overthrow the Main Family.
Having built up the atmosphere sufficiently, Aoki Tsuki then extended an olive branch:
"Let's completely reject the Main Family and the Will of Fire! People must learn to fulfill themselves. Join us in overthrowing this damned ninja world."
"I'll join you," Neji replied in a deep voice.
"Haha... as Might Guy's student, you are trustworthy."
Do you know my teacher?
"I've fought him before. That guy can take me down when he goes berserk." Aoki Tsuki smiled and extended his right hand, "Then... it'll be a pleasure doing business with him!"
The two hands, one big and one small, clasped each other's.
Neji knew full well that his strength was too insignificant, and that he was destined to be the weaker party in this seemingly fair cooperation, with no way to avoid suffering losses.
'I need power, Sasuke Uchiha. Perhaps only I can understand your choice.'
The Main Family can remotely control the lives of the Branch Family members using the Caged Bird Seal; no one knows exactly how far that distance is.
Aoki Tsuki arranged for Neji to stay in the Jashin Cult for the time being to train.
The Jashin Cult was a mixed bag, with an extremely high mortality rate. He himself didn't understand the situation and didn't care.
Fortunately, Haku has grown up and is now a qualified member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist of the Mist, wielding Nuibari, serving as the face of the Jashin Cult alongside Zabuza.
That's enough to deter petty thieves.
Because they were burdened with "knife debts," the two became "knife slaves," spending the whole year busy completing tasks to pay off their debts.
There was neither the time nor the inclination to start from scratch. When Aoki Tsuki last saw Zabuza, the guy's eyes had already lost their light.
That's the kind of partner you can trust.
After arranging Neji's affairs, Aoki Tsuki hurriedly went to talk to Kikuno Momo, explaining that if he wanted the peach tree to bear fruit sooner, he had to water it diligently.
Otherwise, someone else might steal your peaches.
Rock-a-bye... rock-a-bye until we reach the Peach Blossom Spring.
The two are highly compatible; one has a strong foundation, and the other has abundant resources.
"Sister Mimoto, you're unusually enthusiastic today. Is something wrong?" Aoki Tsuki asked warily.
There's no way around it; he considers himself the new generation's Shinobi of Darkness. He's wary even of his bedmate, and he wouldn't truly trust anyone, not even Lady Angel throwing themselves at him.
Kikuno Momo worriedly said, "I'm afraid that when I get old, you'll lose interest."
"You're overthinking it. I can enjoy a single peach for a long time, and I'm quite sentimental. Have you heard about the Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade?"
She's over fifty, but still incredibly charming.
How can I compare to her?
"You are younger and prettier than her. As a member of the Uchiha, on par with the Senju, don't underestimate yourself. I think the most important thing right now is to continue the clan's bloodline."
Kikuno Momo said speechlessly, "Why are you more concerned about the Uchiha's legacy than I am?"
"Heaven cherishes life; how could it bear to let a race perish? After destruction comes rebirth."
"Whatever, I can't argue with you."
Kikuno Momo had no choice but to compromise. This guy was born to be a con artist; no wonder he became the leader of Jashin Cult.
Actually, she received intelligence about Danzo's assassination. She knew about the relationship between Aoki Tsuki and Orochimaru, and she happened to be on a mission at that time.
Based on the information I have gathered, it's highly likely that Aoki Tsuki killed his former employer.
This could be considered as indirectly avenging the Uchiha Clan. She was grateful and took the initiative to repay the favor, but this guy ended up explaining clan reproduction to her.
I'm speechless.
Aoki Tsuki had a different idea. Danzo's right eye was in his hands, but the problem was that the eye's power had been completely depleted.
How to recover is the question.
He hadn't considered replacing his eyes or absorbing Hashirama Cells; that wasn't the path he wanted to take.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have left the Sharingan behind during the Uchiha incident.
What if Kikuno Momo betrays him if he gives her the message?
'I understand the Lady Angel's struggle a bit now; she probably feels the same way about me.'