Forgotten by his companions.
Swatted away.
It was utter humiliation.
"I… am a genius!"
Neji roared inwardly.
He was a once-in-a-century prodigy of the Hyūga Clan. How could he possibly accept playing such a stifled, powerless—even ridiculous—role in the future shown by the Heavenly Screen?
The burning shame and unwillingness surged within his chest like wildfire.
Neji stared fixedly at the small teddy bear lying abandoned in the dust, as if it embodied the fate of being overlooked and dismissed.
"A toy… memory interference…"
He forced himself to calm down, analyzing with the sharp mind befitting a genius.
"If something like this truly happens in the future… how do I counter it? How do I prevent myself from being completely erased from awareness by such an ability?"
No matter what—
Hyūga Neji would never again allow himself to become a silent, manipulable background prop like that.
Within the Heavenly Screen
The tension between the two sides shifted subtly after Light's blunt declaration.
Instead of immediately responding to her hatred of the Uchiha Clan and her threat to take Sasuke's life, Sakura redirected the discussion to an earlier suspicion.
Her eyes sharpened.
"You… are the one behind the 'Toy Kingdom,' aren't you?"
Light nodded calmly. The icy hatred receded somewhat, replaced by curiosity and longing.
"That town? I created it out of boredom. A little 'toy house' of mine."
She admitted it readily, as if it were no secret.
Then she looked at Sakura with burning intensity.
"Sakura… can you take me to see the outside world?"
The request surprised both Sasuke and Orochimaru.
Moments ago she had been radiating killing intent, vowing to kill Sasuke. Now she resembled a lonely soul filled with curiosity about the wider world.
Sakura frowned slightly but did not answer immediately.
"That decision isn't mine to make," she said after a moment. "But I can ask on your behalf. A Devil Fruit user… the chances are not low."
Light did not appear disappointed. Instead, she nodded understandingly.
"Of course. Rules are important."
"As long as I can go… I don't mind waiting."
Her cooperative attitude stood in stark contrast to her earlier reckless demeanor.
Seeing this, Sakura voiced another concern.
"Then why appear here? Was your purpose truly just to 'see' the outside world?"
Light spread her hands.
"At first? I simply noticed you."
She pointed at Sakura.
"The 'scent' on you felt… special. Not ordinary."
"So I placed a few 'little toys' on you—to observe."
She said it casually, as if surveillance were trivial.
"I didn't expect to hear the truth of this world from your own mouth. That part really surprised me."
Her eyes gleamed with excitement before she clicked her tongue slightly.
"Too bad you handed the dolls to three pieces of trash. That broke my line of sight."
"Which meant I couldn't observe you anymore."
"So…"
She smiled lightly.
"I had no choice but to come in person."
Her gaze turned eager again.
"More importantly, I wanted to ask you face-to-face… whether you can take me out of this 'small pond.'"
"Three pieces of trash?" Orochimaru raised a brow. "Aside from Sasuke and Naruto… who else?"
He certainly did not consider himself included—Sakura had given him nothing.
Sasuke's expression darkened.
"Who are you calling trash?"
Light blinked and smiled at Orochimaru.
"My mistake. Three dolls—given to two pieces of trash."
She cast Sasuke a look of disdain.
"Not just trash. A little cripple, too."
Sasuke: …
Orochimaru said nothing further, though the curiosity in his eyes deepened.
Sakura pondered briefly before asking,
"So your ability… is to create and control these dolls? That's your Devil Fruit power?"
Light nodded, this time offering more detail.
"Yes. You could call it… support-type."
She did not seem overly concerned about revealing partial information.
"I can use materials to craft various dolls. Through them, I can see and hear what happens around them. A different form of surveillance."
She smiled faintly, offering no explanation as to what "materials" meant.
"Oh, and if I encounter danger, I can directly teleport to any doll's location. Like just now."
"So if you're thinking of anything unpleasant, you'd better forget it."
"Unless I die instantly… no one can kill me."
Her explanation clarified her sudden appearance—she had not been lurking unseen, but had teleported via one of her dolls.
"Support-type?" Sakura repeated thoughtfully. "May I know its name?"
With so many layered effects, this hardly seemed like a mere auxiliary ability.
Light appeared intent on downplaying its threat.
"As for the fruit's name…"
She smiled mysteriously.
"It's nothing special. Even if I told you, you wouldn't know it. Let's just say… it's related to dolls. Call it the Doll Fruit."
She clearly withheld the true name—whether out of caution or because the name itself carried deeper meaning.
Outside the Heavenly Screen
The shinobi world buzzed with unease.
"She's the mastermind behind the Toy Kingdom!"
"That ability is ridiculously comprehensive—creation, control, surveillance, teleportation. That's not support. That's strategic-level!"
"She wants to leave this world… Is she bored of it already?"
"That's definitely not the fruit's real name. She's hiding something."
"Will Sakura really take her away? Sending someone that dangerous to another world… maybe that's actually for the best?"
The unease lingered.
Because if someone who could manipulate existence and perception like toys truly stepped beyond this "pond"—
What kind of chaos would follow?
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789