"Dango… you owe me dango!"
Neji's voice rang out as he looked at the tricolor dango scattered across the ground. Without hesitation, the little boy darted forward, wrapped his small arms around Samui's long, elegant legs, and began crying dramatically. His tears were exaggerated, but his act was convincing enough to draw attention.
The nearby Hidden Leaf ninja stiffened at the sight. His brows furrowed as he barked, "Kid, don't cause trouble here. Get away from them at once!"
Samui's companion, a purple-haired man with a stern face and a towering frame, turned his gaze toward the boy. But rather than scolding him, the man's eyes softened when they landed on Neji's innocent white Byakugan. His tone was unexpectedly gentle.
"Samui, you bumped into him," the man said, voice calm but firm. "You should apologize. Better yet, take this child out and buy him dango. Make amends properly."
Samui blinked in surprise but quickly composed herself. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes, disappearing as quickly as it appeared. She gave a slight nod, her expression calm as always.
"Understood."
The Hidden Leaf ninja standing beside them let out a quiet sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted was tension between Konoha and Kumogakure over such a trivial matter. With the peace treaty on the line, even the smallest conflict could snowball into disaster. Seeing that the Kumogakure ninjas weren't offended, he silently thanked his luck.
"Lord Troy, please, this way. I'll guide you to the residence," the Leaf ninja said respectfully.
"No problem."
With that, Troy followed the Leaf shinobi away, leaving Samui and Neji alone in the bustling street.
Neji tilted his head up, but his line of sight was blocked by Samui's snow-white chest. His face turned a faint shade of red as he swallowed hard. He couldn't see her face, only the dizzying curve of her figure towering above him.
Samui crouched slightly, her golden hair brushing over her shoulders as she leaned down. Her tone was nonchalant, yet it carried a trace of warmth.
"Little one," she said, "how about your big sister takes you out to eat dango?"
As she spoke, a snowflake drifted from the sky, landing gently on the soft hills of her chest, trembling faintly with each shallow breath.
Neji's gaze followed the snowflake until it disappeared, then he quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts. Focus. Don't get distracted.
"Thank you, sister," Neji said politely, forcing his voice to sound as childish as possible.
Samui thought she heard him swallow again, but she brushed it off. To her, he was just a hungry child, nothing more.
"Come along then," she said, giving his head a light pat.
---
The Dango Shop
The sweet, mouthwatering scent of freshly grilled dango filled the small shop. The warmth of the charcoal fire contrasted with the crisp chill outside. Neji sat across from Samui, who guided him to the innermost seat, away from prying eyes.
"So, what's your name?" Samui asked casually.
"Hyuga Neji," he replied without hesitation.
Samui's eyes widened slightly. She reached out and ruffled his hair with mild surprise. "So you're from the Hyuga Clan. That explains your eyes. I'm Samui."
The waiter approached, balancing a tray laden with ten skewers of tricolor dango and two cups of warm tea.
Neji's eyes lit up immediately. "Big sister, I'll start!" He grabbed a skewer, stuffing his mouth with enthusiasm. His cheeks bulged like a chipmunk as he chewed.
"Slow down," Samui chuckled, sipping her tea. "No one's going to steal it from you."
Neji paused, then smiled sweetly. "Sister, you should eat too." He held a skewer up toward her with small hands sticky from syrup.
"I don't eat sweets," she said, pushing it back gently. "They're all yours."
For a moment, her gaze lingered on his bright white eyes, filled with an innocent sparkle. Then curiosity tugged at her. "Neji, is there anything special about your eyes?"
Neji lowered his skewer. He met her gaze directly, his childish face suddenly serious.
"Of course," he said proudly. "I can see things up to a kilometer away, see through walls, trace chakra flow, and even view the human circulatory system. Ordinary eyes can't do that."
Samui blinked, genuinely impressed. "Incredible…" Her eyes softened, but then she studied his smooth forehead and teased, "You must be from the main family then, right?"
"Not yet," Neji said, straightening his back with pride. "But Hiashi-sama will give me main family status soon."
Samui raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"My father is the head of the branch family," Neji explained, puffing out his chest. "By rule, I should be branch as well. But I awakened the Byakugan at age three—earlier than anyone in Hyuga history! Hiashi-sama will surely make an exception for me."
Samui's lips curved into a faint smile. Awakened the Byakugan at three years old? That's beyond prodigy.
She licked her lips absentmindedly. The Byakugan was one of Konoha's two most famous kekkei genkai, alongside the Sharingan. Among the Uchiha, there was Itachi, a genius who awakened his Sharingan at age eight. But this little Hyuga boy had surpassed even that.
"Remarkable," she murmured.
"Right? One day, I'll even become Hokage!" Neji declared boldly.
Samui chuckled, patting his head again. "That's quite the dream, little one." Then, with a tilt of her head, she asked, "Tell me, Neji, is there a difference between the Byakugan of the main family and that of the branch family?"
Neji blinked. For a brief second, his expression stiffened. He shook his head quickly. "No. As long as the Caged Bird Seal isn't applied, there's no difference at all."
Of course, he couldn't say more. The moment the seal was placed, branch members would lose part of their vision and gain a fatal weakness—a blind spot behind the spine. But at only four years old, he couldn't reveal such secrets to outsiders.
"Good boy," Samui said softly, pinching his cheek.
By then, Neji had already devoured every skewer. His lips glistened with syrup as he licked them clean.
"Big sister, I want more!" he said eagerly.
Samui raised her hand and called out, "Boss, ten more skewers!"
---
Night in the Kumogakure Residence
Later that evening, inside the Kumogakure delegation's temporary residence, Troy stood alone in the courtyard. His massive frame was bathed in pale moonlight, his face expressionless.
"You're here," he muttered. "Did you bring what I asked for?"
A harsh, distorted voice answered from the shadows without warning. It was grating, like metal scraping against metal—neither distinctly male nor female.
"Do you even realize how much risk I take meeting you here?"
Troy didn't flinch. He stared into the darkness calmly. "There's no need to worry. Konoha fully trusts Kumogakure's sincerity. No ANBU would dare lurk around right now."
The voice paused briefly before asking, "Have you decided?"
"My determination is absolute," Troy replied firmly.
"Then understand this," the voice said coldly. "No matter success or failure, once you take this step, there will be no turning back. Your life will be forfeit."
Troy's eyes narrowed, but he didn't argue. "Is the thing I requested ready?"
A moment of silence passed. Then a scroll landed silently before him, as if dropped by the night itself.
He picked it up and unrolled it, his eyes widening slightly. It was a detailed map of the Hyuga Clan compound—its buildings, intersecting paths, and even the positions of guards, both visible and hidden.
Such intelligence was priceless. Even someone as powerful as Senju Hashirama himself would struggle to infiltrate the Hyuga unnoticed. Yet here it was, laid bare on parchment.
Troy studied it carefully. "For you to have such a map… are you from the Hyuga Clan yourself?"
The voice went quiet, then whispered, dripping with venom. "I am a ghost not yet fully dead. My only purpose is to bury the decaying Hyuga. For that, I'll risk everything."
The hatred in the tone was raw and unmistakable.
Troy's gaze sharpened. "If things go wrong, you could always flee to Kumogakure. We would take you in."
"No," the voice hissed. "Not until the Hyuga are buried will I leave Konoha. But know this—my actions, succeed or fail, will benefit you greatly."
Troy inclined his head. "Then I wish you luck."
"One final thing," Troy added cautiously. "Tell me—the difference between the main family's Byakugan and the branch family's?"
The voice gave a hollow laugh. "There is no difference. Only the cursed seal separates the noble from the lowly. The Caged Bird is the chain that binds us."
And then, silence.
---
Restless Night
Late into the night, Neji tossed and turned on his futon, unable to sleep. His meeting with Samui played over in his mind, and his little scheme to use Kumogakure's ambitions gnawed at him. It had been seven days since that encounter, yet the Kumogakure delegation had made no move.
Will they really come for me? Or am I waiting in vain?
Frustration built in his chest. If they delayed too long, he might have no choice but to risk everything and flee on his own.
Just as he sank deeper into these thoughts, Neji's sensitive ears picked up faint footsteps—soft, deliberate, almost ghostlike.
Instantly, his Byakugan flared to life. Through the walls of his small room, he spotted two shadowy figures slipping silently into the Hyuga compound.
They're here. Finally, they're here.
Excitement surged through him, his tiny body trembling. He quickly deactivated his Byakugan, forcing himself to remain still on his futon, pretending to sleep.
The next moment, a blinding field of feathers filled his vision—white, endless, drifting like snow.
Nirvana Temple Technique!
His eyelids grew unbearably heavy, his body sinking into an ocean of exhaustion. Consciousness slipped away despite his struggles.
Neji's last thought before darkness consumed him was a strange mixture of fear and exhilaration.
The plan… has begun.
---