Six years later, on the far eastern side of the continent lay the Hidden Mist Village, one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries. Surrounded by endless ocean and heavy fog, it enjoyed a natural defense unlike any other village.
Despite suffering repeated defeats over the last sixty years, the Mist's foundation remained solid. No shinobi from the other great nations had ever managed to set foot on the Land of Water. Even after the Second Great Ninja War, when Konoha's steadfast ally Uzushiogakure was annihilated, no other village in the eastern sea could challenge the Hidden Mist.
During the Third Great Ninja War, the Mist even used the Whirlpool Country as a springboard for a daring assault on the Land of Fire.
After the war, Yagura—Fourth Mizukage—launched sweeping reforms to rebuild and strengthen the village. But his plans were interrupted.
Obito Uchiha did not give Yagura the time to succeed. In the chaos following the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha, Obito slipped into the Land of Water. Taking advantage of the residual influence of Madara's Three-Tails, he easily overwhelmed Yagura and bound him in a powerful genjutsu.
Eleven years passed under this shadow.
---
A Village Drenched in Blood
Heavy footsteps echoed in the dim corridor. Kisame Hoshigaki, Samehada strapped across his back, strode toward the Mizukage's office.
Two months earlier, Raiga Kurosuki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, had finally acted on long-held doubts. Gathering loyal followers, he attempted to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage. The attempt failed, and Yagura responded with ruthless efficiency.
Instead of a measured hunt, Yagura began a new wave of bloody purges. Anyone with even the slightest tie to Raiga suffered. The stench of blood now hung thick in the ever-present mist; the village's waters ran red.
Although Kisame had not fled, he was no fool. He already knew the truth: Yagura was a puppet dancing to the strings of someone calling himself "Uchiha Madara." Yet Kisame sensed something was off. The man behind the mask lacked the legendary Madara's overwhelming aura.
When this supposed Madara first arrived, he'd unleashed reckless massacres on bloodline-limit clans, terrorizing the village like a madman. The carnage eventually eased, but the atmosphere in the Mist remained grim and tense.
Kisame pushed open the Mizukage's office door. Yagura stood motionless in the corner, a statue of silent control. Across from him sat a man in an orange mask.
Kisame's eyes narrowed. "What do you want from me?"
"The village will soon declare war on Kumogakure," the masked man said smoothly. "Be ready."
Kisame froze, doubt flickering in his shark-like eyes.
During the early purges, entire bloodline-limit families—the Yuki, the Kaguya, even elders of the founding clans—had been wiped out. After six years of slow recovery, the Mist was still far from the strength it had shown during the Third Great War.
And Kumogakure? With the Uchiha's power now bolstering it, the Hidden Cloud had become the strongest of the Five Great Villages. Starting a war with them was suicide.
But Kisame only inclined his head. "Understood."
He was long past caring. Killing Cloud shinobi was easier than slaughtering more of his own people. This world was a farce, and if it burned to ashes tomorrow, he would feel no sorrow.
---
Neji's Ambition
Far away in the Hidden Cloud Village, Hyuga Neji lounged on a sun-warmed boulder. A translucent blue panel hovered before his eyes:
Name: Hyuga Neji
Talent: Hard Work Pays Off
Age: 13
Chakra: Kage Level
Chakra Natures: Yin, Yang, Fire, Earth, Water, Lightning, Wind
Nature Transformation: Yin Lv8, Yang Lv3, Fire Lv3, Earth Lv3, Water Lv3, Lightning Lv8, Wind Lv3
Form Transformation: Lv7
Bloodline Limit: Tenseigan Lv8
Abilities: Curse Wheel Heart Sealing Technique, Tenseigan Chakra Mode, Chakra Rosary, Gravity Manipulation, Repulsion, Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion, Gold Wheel Reincarnation Explosion, Summon—Hamura's Golem, Soul Absorption Technique
Taijutsu: Godly Air Palm Lv7, Eight Gates Formation Lv7 (Wonderful Gate)
"The Tenseigan has advanced well," Neji murmured, his pale eyes gleaming. "Each step forward now brings double the reward for half the effort."
With his current strength, defeating Pain—or even Nagato's Six Paths—would be trivial. Yet the true Six Paths level remained a distant summit.
Those who reached that realm transcended humanity itself. Ordinary methods could not kill them. Even the legendary Uchiha Madara, when empowered by the Six Paths, could regenerate from being cleaved in half. Neji, still mortal, would not survive such wounds.
"My chakra volume is still lacking," he reflected. "I need Sage Mode—and more importantly, a stronger bloodline."
Even if his chakra rivaled a Tailed Beast's and Sage Mode perfectly harmonized with the Tenseigan, Godly Air Palm, and Eight Gates, it was doubtful he could defeat a Six Paths Madara—let alone Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
Kaguya was on an entirely different level. Her space-time ninjutsu, Amenominaka, allowed her to reshape entire dimensions. She wielded the devastating Expanding Truth-Seeking Orb, unleashed the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack in taijutsu, and ensnared worlds with the Infinite Tsukuyomi. She was a flawless warrior-goddess, limited only by her inexperience in direct combat.
Even Naruto and Sasuke had not truly defeated her; they merely sealed her away.
Without transcending his mortal bloodline, Neji knew he could never match such a being. Kaguya had eaten the Chakra Fruit and ascended beyond humanity, becoming a true god.
"Bloodline limits are the only path," he whispered. "Only a bloodline can counter a bloodline. To defeat Kaguya, I must obtain a power that surpasses all known limits."
The so-called Bloodline Limit was said to form when three chakra natures merged. Seven natures in one body? Impossible. Even the Ōtsutsuki had never achieved it without consuming the Chakra Fruit.
But Neji's pale eyes glimmered with stubborn resolve. "If there's even a one-in-a-billion chance, I will reach it. I only fear the Hyuga bloodline may not endure the strain."
---
An Invitation
An elegant shadow dropped from the sky.
"Thinking deep thoughts again?" Yugito Nii teased, landing lightly beside him. She tapped his forehead with a playful finger. "The biggest black market in the Land of Lightning is holding a special meeting tonight. Interested?"
Neji raised an eyebrow. For six years he had taken countless covert missions, occasionally moving through the black market under different aliases. But he had never received a direct invitation.
"Who runs the black market?" he asked.
Yugito arched an eyebrow, her feline grace evident. "You're clever. Why not guess?"
Neji considered it. "The black market siphons mission requests from the village, yet the Raikage turns a blind eye. Only someone powerful enough to sway him could manage that."
He reached out, tracing gentle, precise motions along Yugito's back with the Gentle Fist's subtle pressure. She shivered as a controlled current of chakra danced across her nerves.
"My guess," Neji said quietly, "is the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning."
Yugito's cheeks flushed, but she nodded. "Smart as always. Raikage wants you to investigate their latest scheme. There are spies inside, but none high-ranking enough to learn the truth."
Neji rose, stretching. "Then I'll go."
---
The Black Market Gathering
Night fell over Pingyuan Town. An unremarkable three-story inn stood in eerie silence. Its first floor served food, the second housed travelers, but tonight all was still.
Below, in a hidden basement, more than thirty figures sat around a long table. Masks concealed their faces; black scarves and mismatched clothing disguised their forms. But every one of them radiated the deadly confidence of an elite bounty hunter.
Their collective gaze fixed on a large object draped in red at the table's center. The room was so silent a falling pin would echo like thunder.
At last the door opened. A portly man with the smug air of wealth entered—the black market boss himself.
"Everyone who needs to be here is present," he announced.
He swept away the red cloth, revealing neat stacks of gleaming banknotes. A million ryo for each hunter. Eyes lit with quiet greed. Bounty ninja had no use for ideals—only money mattered.
"Take one million each," the boss said with a thin smile.
One by one, the hunters stepped forward, each pocketing their share before resuming their seats. But one stack remained untouched.
The boss's gaze landed on a lone masked figure in the corner. "Not interested?"
The figure—Neji, hidden behind an alias—chuckled softly. "I'm interested. But money that easy usually burns the hand."
The boss tilted his head. "Meaning?"
"I don't know yet why you're paying so much," Neji replied.
A faint smirk curved the boss's lips. "Complete the mission and you'll each receive two million more."
A murmur rippled through the room. Three million per person—over a hundred million in total. An extravagant sum that made even hardened killers glance at one another.
Finally, a green-haired man with thick eyebrows and bandaged torso broke the silence. "What's the mission?"
"To capture someone," the boss said evenly.
"Thirty of us, to catch one person?" another bounty hunter asked, incredulous.
"Yes," the boss replied. "This target is far from ordinary."
The room seemed to tighten. Then the boss uttered the name: "One of the Legendary Sannin—Orochimaru."
Shock flickered across every face.
In the corner, Neji exhaled silently. Orochimaru. Interesting. He had intended to cross paths with that snake eventually. To perfect his own bloodline and strengthen his body for the ultimate power, he needed knowledge—perhaps even the Chimera Technique of Hiruko. Orochimaru's forbidden science was a step along that path.
The green-haired man shook his head, his voice hard. "I became a bounty ninja to make money, not to die. You expect us to capture Orochimaru?"
The boss only watched him, eyes cold.
One by one, some hunters placed their million-ryo payments back on the table.
But Neji rose smoothly, scooping up his payment. "I'll take the job."
The green-haired man stared. "You're serious?"
Neji's eyes met his through the mask. "Name's Touya. And you are?"
"Kurosuki Raiga," the man said flatly.
"Ah," Neji replied lightly, "the Lightning Fang of the Seven Swordsmen. I've heard of you."
Raiga snorted. "Never heard of you."
"That's fine," Neji said with a faint smile. "I'm just an ordinary man. But tell me, Raiga, why give the money back? Aren't you in this for profit?"
"I'd rather live than chase a death wish," Raiga retorted.
"No one is killing you," Neji said calmly. "Orochimaru is the only one who'll regret tonight."
Raiga blinked, as if Neji had told the world's strangest joke. "Say that again?"
"I said," Neji repeated, his tone like sharpened steel, "Orochimaru is the one who will be unlucky."
patreon (Obito_uchiha)
Last one day for participate Giveaway