The night was quiet, almost deceptively calm, after the chaos of the previous battle. The moon cast a silvery glow over the clearing, illuminating broken carts, scattered supplies, and the fallen bodies of guards who had given their lives defending the convoy. The air was thick with the scent of blood and earth, and the sound of distant birds seemed unusually loud, as if nature itself had taken note of the carnage.
Tokugawa Takahara sat on a stump, his hands clasped tightly together. The usually confident merchant looked uncharacteristically vulnerable. Fear and fatigue etched lines across his face.
"There are many people in the Tokugawa Family who desire the position of Family Head," he said in a low, trembling voice. "They would never want my youngest son to return to Hidden Grass Village unharmed. I kept his presence a secret because I thought fewer people knowing would make it safer. I never imagined the news would leak anyway."
He sighed deeply, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. For once, luck had been on his side. If not for the intervention of a powerful ninja force, neither he nor his youngest son would have survived the ambush by the Iwagakure Rogue Ninja.
Yugito, her golden eyes sharp and discerning, nodded slowly as she absorbed his explanation. After a brief glance at Neji, she stepped forward to address Tokugawa Takahara.
"Mr. Tokugawa," she said firmly, "you have two choices. First, we can end the mission here, go our separate ways, and return to our respective villages. Or second, if you add an additional two hundred thousand ryo to the reward, we will continue escorting you and your son safely back to Hidden Grass Village."
Takahara's face twisted in thought, and after a long pause, he gave a pained nod. "Alright… I will entrust you with this task."
The original reward had been seventy thousand ryo. With the additional sum, the total now amounted to a staggering two hundred and seventy thousand ryo—a fortune for any ninja team. Although the Tokugawa Family's annual trading profit was less than two million ryo, Takahara knew the investment was necessary. No price could match the safety of his youngest son.
---
Recovering the Battlefield
The surviving guards began gathering the scattered horses and supplies while the more severely wounded were tended to. More than fifty had fallen or been gravely injured during the fight. Tokugawa Takahara's gaze lingered on their lifeless forms, his expression a mixture of sorrow and calculation.
These men were loyal servants, trained and supported by the Tokugawa Family. Their deaths were tragic but expected, and in a way, reduced future internal competition within the household. Each loss was a reminder of the brutal realities of the ninja world.
Neji approached, his expression calm but authoritative. "Everyone is exhausted after this battle. Both mentally and physically. They should rest tonight. We will depart at noon tomorrow."
Takahara groaned, striking his forehead in frustration. "I can't stop thinking about the losses. Very well—let the orders be given immediately." He commanded the supply team to euthanize the wounded horses and recover the remaining provisions before nightfall.
As darkness fully settled, a shadow moved cautiously from the supply tent into the nearby dense forest. In the dim moonlight, it reached a pigeon's nest, carefully taking out the carrier pigeon and releasing it into the sky.
The bird flapped its wings, climbing into the night sky, but as it cleared the treetops, a piercing scream echoed through the forest. The figure fell to the ground with a heavy thud, clutching at something.
A sudden realization froze him in place. Panic overtook caution. He couldn't return to the supply team—he darted deeper into the forest, hoping to escape. But his flight was short-lived. His leg caught a nearly invisible steel wire hidden in the grass. Two kunai shot from the shadows, striking him instantly. He collapsed, dead before he could even cry out.
Neji and Tokugawa Takahara emerged silently from the darkness. Takahara's eyes widened as he surveyed the fallen figure.
"Neji… was he the mole?" he asked in disbelief.
The rogue ninja's rapid strike toward the cart carrying Meizhi and her child could only have been possible with insider knowledge.
"If not him, then who?" Neji replied casually as he began disarming the trap set for the intruder.
By the time Neji had finished, Takahara examined the corpse in silence. His face turned pale.
"You already know who hired the Iwagakure Rogue Ninja group, don't you?" Neji asked quietly.
"That… that's me…" Takahara muttered, drenched in sweat.
Neji waved his hand, cutting him off. The details of the Tokugawa Family's internal power struggles were clear. The mastermind had to be one of the influential figures within the household.
"Mr. Tokugawa," Neji said, his tone calm but firm, "you may need to prepare another two hundred thousand ryo for this mission's success."
Takahara frowned. "Neji… what do you mean?"
---
The True Employer
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed nearby. Another Neji clone, formed using Lightning Release, dashed from the dense forest carrying a heavy sack over his shoulder.
"Good work," the real Neji said with a small smile, acknowledging his clone.
"You can trust me," the clone replied confidently. "I can handle anything."
The clone dissipated, leaving Neji with the flood of memories it had absorbed. His expression remained unchanged as he opened the sack, revealing a body inside.
"Mr. Tokugawa, do you think this man's life is worth two hundred thousand ryo?" Neji asked coldly.
"Is… is it really him?!" Takahara gasped.
Hours earlier, in a hidden valley in the Land of Frost, the rogue ninja's supply team had been attacked. But the true employer had stayed behind, observing.
He was no stranger—Tokugawa Masaharu, Takahara's cousin. Nearly fifty years old, Masaharu had been plotting behind the scenes. With Takahara's eldest son dead, several influential family members wanted to force him to step down as family head. Masaharu had hoped that the Rogue Ninja would succeed in eliminating Takahara's youngest son.
As night fell, Masaharu paced anxiously, watching the valley entrance and wishing for the success of the rogue ninja team. Then, hurried footsteps approached. Masaharu's excitement rose as he stepped out to greet them.
Only one figure emerged from the chaos of the valley. Out of the ten rogue ninja sent on the mission, only the captain had survived.
Masaharu's face twisted in confusion. "Why are you the only one returning?"
The rogue ninja captain smirked cruelly. "Everyone else is dead. That brat truly destroyed us."
"Everyone… dead?" Masaharu whispered, disbelief etched on his face.
The captain spat, a dark glint in his eyes. "Do you want to know a piece of advice? Never hire a rogue ninja again."
A sudden clap echoed through the valley. Neji's clone appeared, applauding with a gleeful expression. "Sounds reasonable to me."
Masaharu's joy evaporated when he turned to face the valley entrance. Neji emerged from the shadows, a kunai in hand, its edge glowing faintly with lightning chakra.
The rogue ninja's eyes widened. This boy… he actually followed me here?!
There was no time to hesitate. Both charged at each other with lethal intent.
The clone moved with lightning speed, forming hand seals with one hand and gripping a kunai in the other. It hurled the kunai at the rogue ninja, who met it with a rock-hard fist. The collision rang sharply, arcs of blue electricity jumping across their weapons.
The clone's lightning chakra matched the rogue ninja's strength almost perfectly, but its speed and elemental mastery gave Neji the advantage. The rock fist cracked under the force, and the rogue ninja screamed as electricity coursed through his body, paralyzing him completely.
Before he could recover, the clone struck again, slashing the kunai across his throat. He collapsed, lifeless, a warning to anyone who dared betray or underestimate the Hyuga prodigy.
---
The forest fell silent once more. Only the rustle of leaves and the faint hum of residual chakra remained. Neji stood with calm authority, surveying the scene. The Tokugawa Family's internal treachery had been revealed, their enemy neutralized, and the path ahead cleared—though the danger of power struggles and ambition still loomed like shadows in the night.
Tomorrow, the escort mission would continue. But tonight, lessons had been learned: never hire traitorous ninjas, and never underestimate the Hyuga clan's might.
---