The convoy stretched across the road like a long, winding snake, each cart following the next in steady rhythm. Grain supplies filled every wagon, their combined length spanning nearly six hundred meters. At the very rear stood Yugito, her golden eyes narrowing as she scanned the horizon. From her position, the front of the convoy was hidden behind dust and distance.
After a moment's thought, she formed hand seals, her chakra flaring softly. Shadow Clone Technique. A second Yugito appeared beside her, identical in every way except for the faint shimmer that betrayed its nature.
"Neji," she called calmly, "use your Byakugan to keep watch on the front. I'll remain here at the rear with the main force. My clone will stay in the middle to provide flexible support if something happens."
Neji inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Understood."
He moved swiftly toward the head of the convoy where Tokugawa Takahara, the commander overseeing the mission, awaited his word. After informing him that they were ready to depart, Neji settled on the roof of the lead wagon. With a thought, his pale eyes transformed—the veins at his temples bulged as his Byakugan activated, opening his vision in every direction.
The road stretched out before them, the tall gates of the Hidden Cloud Village slowly fading into the distance. Trees crowded closer to the roadside as they advanced, branches rustling gently in the mountain winds.
This was Neji's first truly long journey beyond the village. Though his expression remained calm, he couldn't deny the flicker of curiosity inside. The ninja world was vast, and he had only glimpsed fragments of it. Now, he had the chance to study it with his own eyes.
His gaze, enhanced by the Byakugan, swept through a radius of nearly three miles. Every detail, from the fluttering of birds between branches to the subtle footprints of deer across a distant clearing, fell within his perception. At first, the constant stream of information fascinated him. But after hours passed, the endless monochrome world of black and white began to weigh heavily on his eyes. Unlike ordinary vision, the Byakugan lacked depth of color, turning beauty into sterile patterns. Fatigue crept in.
Neji exhaled softly. Perhaps Yugito had the right idea. He formed hand seals, creating a shadow clone to keep watch while he took a short break. The clone crouched with alert vigilance, its Byakugan still active, while Neji lay back on the wagon roof. From his pouch, he drew out a slim notebook bound in worn leather—records left behind by the Third Raikage himself.
The pages contained insights on lightning chakra cultivation, each line filled with the wisdom of generations of Cloud shinobi. Neji opened it carefully, his eyes scanning the dense script. His thoughts turned inward.
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Neji's Three Goals
In his research on Lightning Release, Neji had set himself three goals.
First—mastery of Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the very technique that turned the Raikage into a living fortress. By cloaking his body in lightning, a shinobi could achieve speeds and strength rivaling even the fastest tailed beasts. Neji had already reached this milestone. Within the entire Cloud Village, only a handful of elites could surpass him in this domain.
Second—the development of devastating Lightning Release ninjutsu. He aspired to techniques such as Kirin, which embodied overwhelming natural force, or the legendary Black Lightning and Purple Lightning, the purest forms of chakra nature transformation. He believed that by studying Kakashi's Chidori Current and Sasuke's refinement of it, he could carve his own path.
Third—his most ambitious aim: the creation of a Lightning Release Bloodline Limit. Unlike ordinary techniques, bloodline limits fused elemental chakras into something entirely new. Darui's Storm Release, for instance, was one such rarity. Whether Storm Release had been inherited through blood or developed by individual genius remained a mystery. If it were the latter, then perhaps Neji too could reach that level.
These goals seemed impossibly distant, yet strangely within reach.
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Black Lightning
His attention lingered on the passages about Black Lightning. Unlike ordinary lightning, this technique infused Yang Release into its very core, transforming its destructive potential. The Third Raikage had pioneered it, but his work rested upon the foundation of countless predecessors.
Kakashi, however, Neji thought, achieved something similar entirely on his own.
Purple Lightning, born in Konoha, emerged not from clan secrets or national treasures, but from one man's persistence and ingenuity. That difference impressed Neji deeply. Kakashi lacked the bloodline advantages others took for granted, yet his achievements rivaled the strongest of shinobi. If only he had been born into a clan like the Hyuga or Uchiha, his power might have shaken the entire ninja world.
Neji's eyes narrowed as he reached a key passage. "So, Black Lightning isn't just nature transformation of lightning chakra—it carries traces of Yang Release…"
He paused. The words stirred something deep within him.
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Yin and Yang
From the age of myth, it was said the Sage of Six Paths had used Yin–Yang Release to shape the tailed beasts from raw chakra.
Yin represented the spiritual power that birthed imagination and gave form to the formless.
Yang represented the physical energy that breathed life into form.
Every human possessed both, yet not all could wield them as true oscillations of creation and life.
The Hyuga clan was traditionally rooted in Yin. Their Byakugan and gentle fist drew upon spiritual precision, not raw vitality. They lacked Yang in their bloodline.
But Neji was different. Through two years of experimental medicine and training, his body had changed. He now held a faint spark of Yang Release, rare among his clan.
He remembered once testing his chakra with a special paper: Yin dominated, followed by Fire, Water, Earth, then Lightning, with Yang trailing as the faintest spark. Yet even the smallest ember could ignite a wildfire.
"If theory proves it possible," he whispered to himself, "even if there's only one chance in ten thousand, I will master it."
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Training Begins
Resolute, Neji sat cross-legged atop the wagon, his hands forming seals. Lightning gathered at his fingertips—bluish-white sparks arcing wildly, then settling into a steady current. Some bursts flared like storms, others softened to gentle pulses. Crew members below glanced up in awe, whispering to each other.
"That boy… is he already wielding Black Lightning?"
"Not yet, but look at the aura—he's no ordinary ninja."
Systematic attempts followed.
[You attempted to infuse Yang Release into Lightning Release Chakra but failed. Related insights have been improved.]
[You attempted to add Lightning Release to Yang Release Chakra but failed. Related insights have been improved.]
Failure after failure. Yet Neji's eyes only burned brighter. Each setback sharpened his understanding.
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the forest in shades of crimson and gold, the convoy halted to make camp. One hundred grain wagons formed a protective circle, tents sprouting within like mushrooms after rain. Traps were set along the perimeter, ensuring no intruder could slip through unnoticed.
Neji settled by the campfire, lightning still dancing faintly along his fingertips. Every attempt brought him closer to understanding. He calculated that within two more days, he would succeed in producing a stable form of Black Lightning. Combat would refine it further until mastery was inevitable.
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A Conversation Under the Moon
"Still training?"
The voice drew him from his concentration. Yugito appeared at his side, a rice ball in hand. She lowered herself onto the grass, her posture casual, her golden eyes reflecting the firelight.
Neji gave no answer, merely continuing to channel chakra through his system.
She watched him for a moment, then shrugged lightly and bit into her rice ball. "Most of the time, relentless training doesn't work. Sweat counts for ninety-nine percent, but sometimes it's that single spark of inspiration that creates a breakthrough. Still…" she trailed off, unwilling to dampen his determination.
Instead, her tone shifted, serious now. "Within the Land of Lightning, public order is strong. Bandits won't dare to move against us here. But once we leave its borders, things change. Our route will take us through the Land of Iron, the Land of Frost, and finally the Land of Grass before reaching the Land of Waterfalls. Small nations… chaotic, unstable, full of mercenaries and rogue shinobi."
Neji nodded slightly. "I considered that before we departed."
The Five Great Nations prided themselves on security, but banditry could never be completely eradicated. Compared to smaller countries, however, they remained bastions of order. Few rogue shinobi risked stepping into such territories unless forced. In weak nations, however, lawless ninja thrived.
Yugito stretched out on her back, crossing her legs as she chewed. "Good. As long as you're aware."
Her gaze drifted to the sky. The silver moon hung high, serene and untouchable. After a moment, she nudged Neji lightly with her foot.
"Tell me," she said suddenly, "have you ever heard the story that there wasn't always a moon in the ninja world? The elders of the village say the one we see now… was artificially created."
Neji turned, arching an eyebrow at her. A faint, rare smile tugged at his lips. "Do you actually believe that?"
"Wha—? Who said I believe it?" she retorted quickly, flustered. "I never said that!"
Neji chuckled under his breath, the sparks of lightning still dancing between his fingers as the fire crackled and the convoy rested under the mysterious, man-made moon.
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