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In a quiet corner of the Hidden Cloud, Neji held his hand loosely before him. Suspended in midair, a Cloud jōnin thrashed helplessly, his arms locked by invisible force.
"Y–you… who are you?" the man choked out, his voice strained under the crushing pressure around his throat.
Neji's cold gaze settled on him. A slight squeeze of his fingers and the man's eyes went wide.
Crack!
His neck snapped cleanly. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as the light faded from his eyes.
Thud!
The body hit the ground, lifeless.
"The last one," Neji murmured. "Of the group from back then, almost none lived this long."
From the jōnin's memories, he had learned they'd been high-value bounties on the black market likely the Hyūga Clan's doing.
Over the years, assassinations and "accidents" had thinned their numbers to nearly nothing.
Only a handful of the stronger ones had survived into old age by staying inside the Cloud. Now, even they were gone.
"Time to leave," Neji said. "Didn't expect the Raikage himself to come hunting me. I'm flattered… and it suits my plan just fine."
As his figure vanished, the door behind him exploded inward. The Fourth Raikage's muscles bulging, dark skin gleaming, stormed in.
His eyes locked on the corpse, fury flaring. "Damn it… too late!"
Who was it?
Akatsuki?
Few in the shinobi world could infiltrate Kumogakure so brazenly and still evade detection.
In moments, several more shadows arrived. An attack this blatant had already thrown the entire village on alert.
"Lord Raikage!"
"Search every corner," Raikage barked. "Find him no matter what!" His fist slammed into a wall, the stone cracking under the force.
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Elsewhere, Yugito Nii paused mid-training, her instincts prickling. She spun and hurled a kunai toward the source.
"Good reflexes," came the voice.
A gloved hand caught the kunai and crushed it. Yugito's pupils narrowed this man's strength was monstrous.
He wore a dark suit, a distinctive mask, and a tilted fedora. Etched into the mask's temple was a single character: Chakra.
"D-Organization's Chakra," she said coldly.
"So you've heard of me," Neji replied evenly.
He wasn't surprised. He'd clashed with Akatsuki twice before enough to get noticed. Any group hunting Tailed Beasts would draw the attention of the Five Great Nations, especially with Konoha sharing intelligence.
"I've heard rumors about two groups after the Tailed Beasts," Yugito said. "Didn't expect you to show up first. Akatsuki can't be far behind."
"They're slower," Neji said. "At least three or four days away."
Yugito's brow furrowed. "You're awfully confident, thinking you can take me alone."
The blue chakra of the Two-Tails stirred faintly around her she was already on guard.
According to the reports, Akatsuki operated in pairs, but D-Organization moved solo. That meant this man's strength was far greater than she'd assumed.
"You misunderstand," Neji said with a faint smile, stepping forward.
She immediately retreated, hands flashing into seals.
"You'll come with me willingly," he said. "Believe it or not."
"I don't."
"Then you'll learn," Neji replied, his voice calm. "You'd survive if you came with me. If Akatsuki gets here first… You won't."
"I only trust myself," Yugito snapped.
Blue chakra surged around her, her long blonde braid unraveling. A single tail rose behind her.
Fire Mouse Bomb!
A flaming, rodent-shaped projectile burst from her mouth then split into a swarm of blue fireballs, arcing toward Neji from all sides.
Chakra Aura Guard: Defense.
Three spheres of condensed chakra spun into existence around him, orbiting like satellites. They intercepted each fireball in a blur, the sky lighting up with small explosions.
Yugito's eyes narrowed. 'What is that technique?'
The minor assault had barely scratched him. Fine time to get serious.
Blue fire roared higher, strange markings rippling across her chakra cloak. She was no perfect jinchūriki, but she was one of the rare few who could partially transform by will alone.
Her body expanded, and a feline roar split the air. The ground beneath them scorched black as her massive claw slammed down where Neji had stood an instant before.
Neji hopped back lightly, grinning. "What a cute little pussy. Bet you're fun to pet… and probably have plenty of experience."
Compared to a fully transformed Tailed Beast, this form was "small" only a few meters high, a dozen long.
Boom!
A fireball swelled in the Two-Tails' mouth, heat distorting the air.
"Going for a beam struggle?" Neji smirked.
Charged Chakra Cannon!
Lightning flared in his palm as raw chakra condensed into a single, short-range, high-power shot. He thrust it forward—
Flame and lightning collided, the blast wave ripping the clearing apart. Scattered blue fire burned where it fell, stubborn and unquenchable. Bolts of lightning carved black gouges into the earth.
"Looks like it's my turn to bring out the cat," Neji said, his eyes glinting. "No need for full awakening. A Level 45 move will do."
Chakra Beast: Earth-Shaking Tiger!
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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