Ay, the Fourth Raikage, sat behind his desk in the Raikage's Office, his massive arms folded across his chest. His sharp eyes were fixed on the small boy standing before him—Hyuga Neji. What surprised Neji was not that the Raikage had accepted him, but rather the degree of generosity he was being offered.
Most children in his situation would have been treated as little more than a "breeder"—locked away, used only to preserve bloodlines, and denied freedom. That would have cost Kumogakure almost nothing, yet it would still strengthen the village in the long run. On the other hand, training him as a true Kumogakure shinobi meant spending vast resources, time, and attention. If he failed, if he died before realizing his potential, it would all be wasted.
To Neji, merely being accepted into Kumogakure as a normal ninja had already felt like the best possible outcome. But this—being given access to all the resources of the village, treated like an elite before even lifting a kunai—was something beyond his wildest expectations.
All resources? All secret techniques? Unconditionally open to me?
This was a privilege that even many high-ranking Hidden Cloud officials couldn't dream of. Where did this come from? Did his words truly move the Raikage? Or was there something else?
Tsuchida, the one-eyed elder who stood silently nearby, finally spoke up, his voice cautious.
"Raikage-sama, isn't this… inappropriate?"
But Ay only glanced sideways at him, his tone firm and unshakable.
"Tsuchida, I have made my decision."
Tsuchida hesitated, the corners of his mouth twitching. Normally, he was quick to argue, but Ay's expression was as solid as iron. The Fourth Raikage was known for two things: the ability to listen with humility, and the stubbornness to never turn back once he had made up his mind. Even ten oxen could not drag him from a chosen path.
In the end, Tsuchida only gave a small sigh and folded his arms in silence.
Neji, however, could no longer suppress the flicker of relief and gratitude that surged inside him. For the first time since entering the office, a faint smile broke through his usually composed features. He fell to one knee.
"Thank you, Raikage-sama!"
Ay's stern face softened briefly. But then, as if reminded of something, his expression grew serious again. He pulled open a drawer, retrieved a folded letter, and held it out.
"Neji. This is the will of your father, Hyuga Hizashi. He sacrificed himself in the place of his brother, Hyuga Hiashi. These were his last words."
Neji stared at the envelope in silence. Slowly, he reached out, his small fingers taking the will. But he did not open it. Without hesitation, he tore the paper into shreds and let them scatter onto the floor.
Ay blinked in shock.
"Why are you doing this?"
Tears welled in Neji's pale eyes, though his voice was steady, sharpened by anger.
"From the moment the Caged Bird Seal was placed on my father's forehead, his life was no longer his own. He lived like a prisoner, never for himself. He lost the freedom to speak in life—and now, even in death, he is denied the freedom of silence. His every word is chained by that cursed seal, even from the grave. I will not let those words bind me. The Hyuga clan, Konoha—they owe him a debt. And I will collect that debt, one piece at a time."
For a long moment, silence filled the office. Even Tsuchida, whose stern face rarely softened, exhaled deeply. This child… this four-year-old child… is already burdened with vengeance. He is walking a thorn-covered path.
The Raikage suddenly reached out his massive hand, gripping Neji's shoulder and lifting him into the air as if he were nothing more than a kitten. He studied the boy's face for a moment, then spoke with warmth.
"Neji. From now on, Kumogakure will be your new home. Think of this village as your family."
Tsuchida allowed himself the faintest of smiles.
"Kid, you'll find that we're all your family now. You'll come to love this place sooner than you think."
Ay then turned toward the blonde kunoichi standing by the door.
"Samui. This child is now under your protection."
Samui bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Raikage-sama."
She stepped forward, her arms wrapping gently around Neji. His small body disappeared against her tall, snow-pale frame. As she carried him out, the boy's eyes flickered with determination.
When the door closed behind them, Tsuchida finally spoke again, unable to contain himself.
"Raikage-sama… why? Why go so far for this boy?"
Ay turned back to the wall, his eyes falling on the portrait of the Third Raikage that hung there. His voice dropped into a low rumble.
"Because, Tsuchida, that child is worth it."
Tsuchida frowned, suspicion sharpening his one good eye.
"Worth it? Are you suggesting that Neji has the potential… to stand among legends?"
Ay didn't look away from the portrait.
"The potential of ordinary shinobi is set from the day they are born. No matter how much they train, they will never reach the height of Kage. To most, the Hokage or the Raikage is the ultimate summit. But in truth… even a Hokage is an ant when compared to true power."
Tsuchida's chest tightened. Those words carried weight. If the Raikage called even himself and his predecessors "ants," then the "true power" he referred to could only mean two names whispered with awe and fear across the world—Senju Hashirama, the God of Shinobi, and Uchiha Madara, his eternal rival.
"Yes," Ay continued, his eyes narrowing. "Among shinobi, there are differences. But between ordinary Kage and those two titans… the gap is like heaven and earth."
Tsuchida spoke cautiously, his disbelief clear.
"Raikage-sama… you don't mean to suggest that this child Neji has the potential to become like Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara, do you?"
Ay finally turned, his massive fists clenching as he spoke with unshakable conviction.
"Tsuchida, mark my words. That boy will bring me a surprise that will shake the world."
The elder shook his head.
"It's too soon to say such things. Have you truly been swayed by the wild claims that boy made about the Tenseigan and his so-called ancestor, Hyuga Ichizoku?"
Ay slammed his palm onto the desk, shaking the room.
"No, Tsuchida. The Tenseigan and Hyuga Ichizoku—no matter how impossible they sound—they are real."
Tsuchida's single eye widened.
"Real? On what grounds do you make such a claim?"
Ay's gaze drifted to the clouds drifting lazily beyond the window. His deep voice carried both memory and warning.
"The feud between the Yotsuki clan and the Hyuga clan goes back to the Sengoku era, more than two centuries ago. Back then, a genius of the Yotsuki clan, Yotsuki Ungaikyo, rose to prominence. His mastery of Lightning Release was unmatched. After years of refinement, he forged a technique that became the pinnacle of our village's strength—the Lightning Release Chakra Mode."
Tsuchida's brow furrowed. He knew of this tale.
Ay went on, his tone heavy.
"Ungaikyo, filled with ambition, crushed rival clans with his newfound power. But he wasn't satisfied. He set his eyes on the strongest man of that age—the one known as Hyuga Takumi."
"Hyuga Takumi?" Tsuchida repeated.
Ay nodded.
"The same man Neji called 'Hyuga Ichizoku.' Takumi was his true name, but 'Ichizoku' was the title of respect bestowed by the Hyuga clan. He was recognized across the shinobi world as the most powerful ninja of his time."
Tsuchida's face darkened. The strongest of the era? Titles like "strongest Hokage" or "strongest Kazekage" were often nothing more than propaganda within their own villages. But if the Hyuga patriarch was acknowledged across the entire shinobi world, then he must truly have been a master rivaling even Hashirama and Madara.
"And what happened?" Tsuchida asked quietly.
Ay sighed.
"They fought. Ungaikyo challenged him—and was utterly crushed. He returned to his clan lands in humiliation, refining the Lightning Release Chakra Mode even further. Four years later, he perfected it. With renewed determination, he challenged Hyuga Ichizoku again. But this time, something strange happened."
Ay's eyes hardened, his voice low.
"Takumi abandoned the fight. He arranged his clan, left instructions for their survival… and then disappeared. Ungaikyo followed him in secret and witnessed the impossible. Hyuga Ichizoku held a colossal eye in his hands—a power unlike anything seen before. He stepped into a rift, a doorway in space itself, and vanished from the world."
Tsuchida's lips parted slightly, his disbelief plain.
"And then?"
"A few days later," Ay said grimly, "meteors rained down from the heavens. The Hyuga clan declared that Takumi had died of illness. But I do not believe it. That boy's words… the Tenseigan, the legacy of Hyuga Ichizoku… they are not mere fantasies."
---