Half a month passed quietly in the Hidden Cloud Village.
Inside the Raikage's Building, the atmosphere was both solemn and heavy. The wide chamber, lined with polished stone and towering windows, overlooked the bustling village below. Papers and scrolls were scattered across the Raikage's desk, but at this moment, his attention was focused entirely on the boy standing before him.
"Neji," Ay, the Fourth Raikage, said with uncharacteristic nostalgia in his voice. "As your elder, there are some things I must tell you."
Neji straightened his posture. His sharp Byakugan eyes reflected not childish innocence but a calm determination, unusual for someone his age.
"It's an honor for me, Raikage-sama," he answered firmly.
Ay folded his arms, gazing at the young prodigy. "When you officially become a ninja, your true life will begin. That path… will not be filled with warmth. Once you step into this world of missions, blades, and blood, you may look back and realize these last few years—your childhood—were the happiest memories you will ever know."
For a moment, silence filled the room. The words carried weight, as if they contained the condensed experiences of generations of shinobi.
Neji closed his eyes briefly, letting the thought settle. Then he opened them again, his gaze resolute.
"Raikage-sama, perhaps I am an exception," he said evenly. "I've already prepared myself for that future."
Ay's lips twitched into the faintest of smiles. He reached for the polished forehead protector on his desk, engraved with the Hidden Cloud symbol, and extended it to the boy.
"Then embrace your new destiny."
Neji received it with both hands, treating the headband as if it were a sacred relic. He tied it firmly around his forehead, the cloth fitting snugly behind his head. The weight of it was symbolic—he was no longer just a student, but a shinobi of Kumogakure.
The Raikage pointed upward with his thick finger. "Go. Your Jōnin team leader is waiting for you on the roof."
Neji gave a slight nod and left without hesitation. His sandals tapped lightly on the polished floor as he ascended the building until he reached the rooftop.
---
The Meeting on the Roof
The cool mountain breeze swept across the rooftop of the Raikage Building. From here, the entire Hidden Cloud Village could be seen, its streets winding around the base of Amagumo Mountain.
There sat a woman, her arms folded across her chest, her long tea-colored hair braided neatly down her back. She was tall, around one hundred seventy centimeters, with features elegant enough to be mistaken for royalty. Her pale, jade-like skin stood out in a village known for rough warriors, and her presence exuded a heroic aura tempered by a warm liveliness in her eyes.
She was none other than Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.
After years of harsh training at the Cloud-Lightning Gate, Yugito had finally made progress with her inner beast. She could communicate with Matatabi, the Two-Tailed Cat, and even partially transform into a half–tailed beast state. Though her path was long and difficult, her perseverance had begun to bear fruit.
"Five years," she whispered to herself, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Five whole years, and finally, I've made some progress."
The sound of steady footsteps approached. Yugito turned her head, her eyes immediately locking onto the pale-eyed youth walking toward her.
Neji bowed slightly. "Excuse me, are you the Jōnin team leader assigned by Raikage-sama?" He looked around but saw no one else.
Yugito stood and studied him with quiet curiosity. The pale Byakugan glowed faintly under the sun, making him look both mysterious and intimidating.
"If the Hidden Cloud doesn't have another Byakugan user," she said with a smile, "then yes, that must be me."
Neji blinked, momentarily surprised. He hadn't expected his team leader to be the village's Jinchūriki.
A Jinchūriki wasn't just a shinobi—they were considered living weapons of war. In Konoha, for example, Kushina Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails' host, lived under constant surveillance, restricted in her movements, her freedom taken away for the sake of the village.
Yet in Kumogakure, things were different. Not only did Yugito have freedom, but she was also entrusted with the role of a Jōnin leader. It was bold… perhaps reckless.
"Raikage-sama's generosity really knows no limits," Neji thought silently.
Yugito continued to watch him closely, as if she could see through his heart. Neji shifted slightly, puzzled by her silence.
"Um…" he began cautiously, "I heard that when a ninja team is formed, everyone usually introduces themselves first. Is that… what we're supposed to do?"
Yugito blinked, momentarily stunned. Then she laughed softly, a little embarrassed. "Ah, that's right. This is my first time leading a team. What exactly am I supposed to say?"
Neji rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well… probably your name, your skills, what you like, what you dislike, and maybe your dream for the future."
Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Interesting. Why don't you go first?"
Neji let out a quiet sigh. His new Jōnin leader was powerful, but clearly inexperienced when it came to team building. Still, he obliged.
"My name is Hyuga Neji," he began. "I didn't attend the Academy like the other Genin—I debuted directly. But my power is strong, very strong. Don't treat me like a child." His tone was calm but unwavering, carrying a weight of confidence that was unusual for someone so young.
"I like hot baths, sleeping, and being lazy from time to time. What I dislike… is having other people's will forced onto me." His Byakugan narrowed slightly. "As for my dream for the future…"
His voice grew colder.
"There are many. To bury the decayed Hyuga Clan of Konoha. To build a new Hyuga Clan here in the Hidden Cloud. And finally, to help Kumogakure rise and dominate the shinobi world."
Yugito's eyes widened slightly. She hadn't expected such bold, world-shaking ambitions from a boy barely past childhood.
"This child…" she thought, studying him more carefully.
Then, smiling mischievously, she mimicked his tone and said, "My name is Yugito. I'm the Two-Tails Jinchūriki. I've been training for years, but this is my first time as a Jōnin leader, so I don't have much experience. I like raising cats and eating papayas. I dislike Xiong Da's wife. My dream is to become the first perfect host of the Two-Tails."
"That's a beautiful dream," Neji said earnestly, clapping his hands with a faint smile. "Now, Team Yugito is ready—"
"Wait," Yugito suddenly cut him off, a sly grin spreading across her lips. "I have one more question."
Neji tilted his head. "Eh?"
Yugito leaned closer, her eyes narrowing playfully. "Tell me, Neji… what's your XP?"
Neji froze, his face blank.
"…Excuse me?"
Her gaze didn't waver.
Inside his head, Neji groaned. What kind of question is that?
"Yugito-sensei," he said carefully, "if this were coming from the owner of a brothel conducting customer research, I wouldn't be so surprised. But from you…"
Yugito's expression hardened, her queenly aura returning. "Are you mocking your sensei?"
"Not at all!" Neji quickly shook his head. After a brief pause, he sighed and answered honestly. "Yukiko, slim waists, long legs, stockings, uniforms, glasses…"
He didn't even finish before Yugito flicked his forehead with her finger, looking down at him in disdain.
The rest of the day, Neji endured Yugito's sharp, almost predatory gaze. She looked at him as if she could end his life in an instant, and he couldn't help but feel wronged.
I'm still a child. I only answered because you asked me… Why are you angry now?
---
Missions Begin
Under Yugito's leadership, Neji's first month as a shinobi consisted of D-rank missions.
At first glance, they seemed meaningless—helping villagers move belongings, finding lost cats, escorting an old woman to her relative's home. These were tasks that even ordinary civilians could handle.
What most didn't know was that these missions were a necessary stepping stone. The village itself often lost money on them, because each mission required subsidies from the Hidden Cloud or the Land of Lightning to cover costs. But they were essential for new Genin to grow accustomed to the mission system and learn responsibility.
By the end of the month, Neji had mastered the procedures. Yugito decided it was time to move on.
One afternoon, she dragged him to the mission hall. "We're ready for C-rank," she declared.
Neji scanned the mission scrolls carefully, flipping through them with his usual sharp eye. Most of them didn't interest him—chasing away bandits, clearing out wild boars, or patrolling the outskirts of the village. The tasks felt too small, too close to home.
What he wanted was something challenging. Something dangerous. Something that would take him far from Kumogakure.
Then his gaze landed on one scroll. His pale eyes lit up.
"An escort mission… to the Land of Grass."
---