Chapter 91: Uchiha Izumi
After finishing the records, Neji-kun's mind was racing.
He hadn't found any clues about the Totsuka Blade or Yata Mirror, but he had stumbled upon an unexpected treasure trove of information.
Over three hundred years ago, Hyūga Tenjin had appeared, dominating an entire era with the power of the Giant Tenseigan. He had even fought the allied forces of the Senju and Uchiha to a standstill in a Great Ninja War.
Although the clan history contained only brief mentions of Tenjin, it gave Neji-kun an idea. Other clans from that era must have their own records. By consulting their histories, he might be able to piece together the truth of that war and locate the Giant Tenseigan.
The mention of Uchiha Hikari was even more surprising. Neji-kun hadn't expected her to be a real figure from the Warring States period. Her parents died in the war, and consumed by grief, she awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Later, she was cultivated by the Uchiha clan head into the 'Ultimate Weapon.' Feared for her immense power, she was eventually sealed away by the combined forces of the Senju and Sarutobi clans.
Right now, Uchiha Hikari was still slumbering in some unknown ruin.
After leaving the Uchiha Shrine, Neji-kun walked slowly towards Mikoto's house. Searching for the divine weapons and Uchiha Hikari would be time-consuming. Neji-kun couldn't do it all himself; entrusting it to Mikoto was the safest bet. Besides, as an Uchiha, her chances of success were much higher than his.
Neji-kun narrowed his eyes. "The immediate priority is securing the Dragon Vein. It seems I'll have to leave the village for a while and take a trip to the Land of Wind."
Soon, Neji-kun arrived at Mikoto's residence. He didn't use the main entrance but slipped in through the back door.
Knock, knock, knock.
He knocked lightly three times. "Mikoto-san," he called out in a drawn-out tone, "open up."
The door opened, a hand reached out, pulled him inside, and shut the door with lightning speed.
"Neji-kun, why did you suddenly come here?" Mikoto tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her beautiful eyes scanning him with confusion. She had asked him to send a ninja cat ahead before visiting. His unannounced arrival had startled her.
"Because I missed you, Mikoto-san," Neji-kun said with a calm smile.
"Smooth talker," Mikoto rolled her eyes prettily.
"Besides that, I've run into a problem and need your help."
This surprised Mikoto. "You need my help? With what?"
Neji-kun explained about the Totsuka Blade and Uchiha Hikari.
Mikoto tapped her chin and nodded. "I see."
"So you agree?"
A sly look appeared in Mikoto's eyes. "I can help you, but you have to help me with something too, Neji-kun."
"What is it?"
"In a little while, Sasuke will be graduating from the Academy." Mikoto paused, then continued, "I want him to become Killer Bee's apprentice. Can you help connect them?"
Killer Bee's status in Kumo needed no explanation. He ignored politics, ran around all day, and was often away from the village. He seemed irresponsible, but not having to worry about missions, doing whatever he wanted whenever he wanted—that was true freedom.
Neji-kun suddenly recalled the scene from the original story where Sasuke got utterly destroyed by Bee, and his mouth twitched. Bee was eccentric; Sasuke was cold and arrogant. What kind of sparks would fly when those two were put together?
Although he had already made up his mind, Neji-kun put on a troubled expression. "Mikoto-san, that's a bit difficult."
Mikoto rolled her eyes again and gently pinched his waist. "Neji-kun, what do I have to do for you to help?" she asked, feigning annoyance.
"It's about dinner time. Let me taste your cooking, Mikoto-san."
"Is that all?" Mikoto looked at him, surprised.
Neji-kun said seriously, "Don't celebrate just yet, Mikoto-san. The dishes I want aren't simple."
"What do you want to eat?"
"Stir-fried wood ear mushrooms, white jade steamed buns, and... scallop mimosa."
The next day.
Neji-kun went to the Raikage Tower to request permission to travel. It was common for shinobi to travel to broaden their horizons. Killer Bee from Kumo, Jiraiya and Tsunade from Konoha—they were away from their villages for years at a time. The official explanation was always 'traveling.'
Ordinary shinobi needed permission to travel, otherwise, it was considered defection. Of course, if your background was strong enough, you didn't need to worry. Tsunade was the prime example. She hadn't even returned to Konoha after Hiruzen's death. Strictly speaking, her actions constituted defection, but with her background and strength, Konoha couldn't say anything.
The Fourth Raikage, lifting his dumbbell, asked curiously, "Traveling the world isn't out of the question, but why the sudden desire to leave?"
Neji-kun gave his prepared answer: "I wish to find a powerful summoning beast."
It was a solid reason. A strong summon significantly boosted a ninja's overall combat power. Before the Uchiha joined, Kumo had almost no decent summons. Konoha was the only village that had contracts with giant summons and entire beast clans. This alone showed the depth of Konoha's foundation.
After a moment, the Raikage said, "I'm not comfortable with you going alone."
Neji-kun raised an eyebrow. "Lord Raikage means...?"
The Raikage handed him a file. "A talented young kunoichi has emerged among the Uchiha. She awakened her Sharingan at a young age and achieved three tomoe before turning thirteen. She has the potential to awaken the Mangekyō. So, I thought the two of you..."
He trailed off, a rare look of awkwardness on his usually boisterous face.
A flicker of amusement crossed Neji-kun's face. He took the file, opened it, and his gaze fell on the photo on the first page. A young woman with long black hair, a beauty mark under her right eye, and a gentle, kind look in her eyes.
Uchiha Izumi.
Her father was an outsider; her mother was Uchiha Hazuki. After her father died during the Nine-Tails attack, Izumi and her mother moved back to the Uchiha clan. Grief-stricken, she soon awakened her Sharingan.
In Uchiha history, Izumi was among the youngest to awaken the Sharingan. In the original story, during the Uchiha Massacre, she was only thirteen but already had three tomoe.
Neji-kun pondered for a moment. "What's the Uchiha's stance on this?"
The Raikage grinned. "This was Shisui's idea."
Hearing this, Neji-kun readily agreed. As he grew older, the village's desire for the Byakugan bloodline intensified. Even with the Raikage's authority, turning a blind eye as he had before would invite criticism. And the Raikage, knowing Neji-kun had awakened the Tenseigan, likely coveted the Byakugan bloodline more than anyone. Refusing now would be rude.
"Uchiha... Izumi?"
Neji-kun studied the girl in the purple sleeveless coat standing before him. Most Uchiha women tended toward the gentle wife and mother type, like Mikoto. Izumi was no exception. At eighteen, she still had traces of baby fat on her face, and her dark eyes were gentle and dignified.
Izumi, five years his senior, nervously clutched her pants, looking up at Neji-kun, who was half a head taller and looked nothing like a thirteen-year-old boy.
"Yes, Neji... senpai."
"Senpai?" Neji-kun smiled. "You're five years older than me. Technically, I should be calling you senpai."
"I wouldn't dare," Izumi said softly.
"Just call me Neji-kun. May I call you Izumi-san?"
"Mm."
Neji-kun took out a map, preparing to explain their trip, when he suddenly caught a sweet scent. It was 8:30 in the morning. Sparrows chirped on the power lines. The cool air was invigorating. Neji-kun followed the scent and saw a dessert shop next to them. The owner had opened early and was making sweets.
"Neji-kun, please take care of me," Izumi said, also smelling the aroma and swallowing unconsciously.
"Craving some?" Neji-kun smiled.
A blush spread across Izumi's face. She shook her head. "Um... Neji-kun, about the trip..."
"Freshly made dango are the best." Neji-kun walked towards the shop, talking to himself. "And once we leave Kumo, we won't be able to taste dango this good for a while... so might as well eat plenty now as a reward..."
Neji-kun was only thirteen, an age where cravings were strong. Plus, he was the team leader. It would be rude to object. After a moment's hesitation, Izumi followed him into the shop.
After they sat down, Neji-kun ordered six skewers of three-colored dango and, considering their sweetness, two cups of strong tea. The dango arrived on small white plates, translucent and glistening, sprinkled with sugar that sparkled invitingly in the sunlight.
Neji-kun took a sip of tea and set his cup down, ready to eat, only to find three skewers already missing. He rubbed his eyes, confirmed he wasn't seeing things, and looked at Izumi. Her fair cheeks were puffed out like a stuffed hamster's, her moist lips dusted with sugar. Her large eyes crinkled into crescents, radiating the satisfaction of a cat that had stolen a fish.
Neji-kun chuckled, pushed the plate towards her, and called out, "Boss, ten more skewers!"
Izumi's face flushed red, but her slender fingers quickly snatched another skewer. Sunlight streamed through the window, dappling her with light.
The dango was sweet. The tea was fragrant.
After satisfying his craving, Neji-kun contentedly put down his teacup. Izumi happily rubbed her stomach.
Then, Neji-kun opened the map of the shinobi world, drew a circle, and said, "This is our destination."
"The Land of Wind?" Izumi looked surprised.
"Unexpected?"
"No... it just seems far." Izumi clutched her pants nervously.
"It is a bit far," Neji-kun agreed. "Konoha and Iwa have blood feuds with us, so the Land of Fire and Land of Earth are out. The Land of Water is chaotic and dangerous, so that's out too. The smaller countries won't provide much of a challenge for training. That only leaves the Land of Wind."
"I'll follow your arrangements." Hearing his analysis, Izumi's doubts vanished, and she nodded firmly.
Neji-kun folded the map. "Since this is our first time teaming up, I'll tell you my abilities. I specialize in taijutsu and ninjutsu, and know a little genjutsu. My strength is... quite considerable. But the main goal of this trip is to gain experience, so we should avoid conflict if possible."
Izumi introduced herself seriously. "I specialize in Fire Style, genjutsu, and shurikenjutsu. I have enough strength to protect myself. If we encounter an overwhelmingly strong enemy, Neji-kun can abandon me at any time."
Although she hadn't interacted with Neji-kun before, she had heard many legends about him: the hope of Kumo, a natural leader, an extraordinary thinker. She was a talented Uchiha, but she still had much to learn from this boy. Perhaps the Clan Head had considered this when he requested this precious opportunity from the Raikage?
"In that case, will you follow my orders completely during this trip?"
"No problem." Izumi nodded.
Several days later, Land of Waterfalls.
Neji-kun and Izumi were passing through a dense forest. Suddenly, two ropes shot out from the grass, binding Neji-kun, who was walking in front.
Swish, swish, swish!
A rain of shuriken descended from the sky towards Izumi. At the same time, two figures darted out from Neji-kun's sides, plunging long swords into his body.
Only then did one of the attackers say coldly, "Success."
Seeing the killing blow land, the other ninja sneered, "The Star of the Cloud? Nothing special!"
The words had barely left his mouth when Neji-kun's fatally wounded body vanished in a puff of white smoke.
"A Shadow Clone?"
"When did he...?"
The two attackers paled. Just then, Izumi leaped into the air, kicking both of them hard, slamming them to the ground. She planted her feet on their faces, looked at Neji-kun emerging from behind a tree, and asked, "Neji-kun, these two are likely bounty hunters. How should we... deal with them?"
"How else? Deal with them... permanently!"
"Understood." Izumi gave them no chance to beg, twisting her feet sharply. With two sickening cracks, she snapped their necks.
Neji-kun walked over to the bodies and searched them, finding a bounty poster. He looked at the picture, then counted the zeros underneath. His eyebrows rose. "Seventy million?"
Beside him, Izumi gasped. For a ninja, a massive bounty in the black market was a sign of status and strength. Most ninja weren't even worthy of having a bounty placed on them.
"Seventy million... quite a sum. Was the client Konoha's leadership, or the Hyūga?"
Thinking about who wanted him dead, Neji-kun could only narrow it down to those two. Compared to Konoha's leadership, the Hyūga clan seemed more likely.