In the forest outside Konoha.
“You did a splendid job,” Shikaku said, genuinely praising Neiki as he watched him.
Neiki had brought Hanabi out of his house. When this happened, all the knowledgeable higher-ups in Konoha realized that Neiki’s so-called search for Hanabi, under the orders of the Hyuga clan head, was just an excuse for him to move around Konoha and sow discord.
Neiki had known from the start that Hanabi was hidden in his house. He might have even been the one to hide her there himself.
Ten minutes wasn’t enough for Konoha to evacuate tens of thousands of people. Still, it was enough for Neiki to spread the truth and shake the authority of Konoha’s leadership, creating the first rift in the village’s internal unity.
“You’re too kind,” Neiki said, tossing the remote control to Hanabi and motioning her to take it to Shikaku.
“Hanabi, do you know what great deeds your brother Neiki has done?” Shikaku asked, receiving the remote and carefully sealing it, then looking at the adorable long-haired girl before him.
“I don’t know,” Hanabi shook her head, confused.
Shikaku glanced at Neiki, asking, “Can I tell her?”
Neiki didn’t speak, but his lips curled into a slight smile.
Shikaku took this as consent and revealed to Hanabi, “He killed your parents, as well as many of your relatives and friends. Most of your clan died by his hand.”
The girl opened her mouth slightly, looking at Shikaku, then back at Neiki. She seemed to realize something and angrily retorted, “It wasn’t Neiki’s fault! He did it to protect me!”
Shikaku was so shocked he couldn’t speak.
What does that mean?
Do you think your parents and relatives are some kind of monsters? So Neiki killing them was to save you?
He couldn’t comprehend the logic. He only frowned, realizing Neiki’s brainwashing methods were unique.
Hanabi tried to return to Neiki’s side, but Anbu held her back.
“Do you have any other means to activate the explosive tags?” Shikaku asked.
Neiki smiled at him without saying a word.
Standard explosive tags are triggered by forming seals, and the remote control trigger was a modification Neiki made to increase the sense of threat.
So—of course, he had other ways.
Shikaku narrowed his eyes, realizing it.
This guy had planned everything meticulously; how could he not have a backup plan?
Confirming it wasn’t wise to act rashly, Shikaku eventually let Hanabi return to Neiki’s side.
The remote control would have been useless if Neiki had had other means to activate the explosive tags.
They couldn’t trust Neiki.
So, they still needed to evacuate civilians and neutralize the explosive tags before they could eliminate Neiki’s threat.
“We need to monitor you for a while,” Shikaku suggested a solution.
As long as Neiki was far enough from the explosive tags, even if he pulled out another remote, it would have no signal.
Neiki shook his head and refused, “That wasn’t part of the agreement.”
“And I, Neiki, always play by the rules. As long as you don’t attack me, I won’t activate the explosive tags.”
Shikaku nodded slightly, recalling the two explosions after Neiki was attacked. In the end, those explosions were triggered because Neiki was attacked.
Though…
If entrapment is counted as playing by the rules,
“Let’s hope so,” Shikaku said coldly.
With the deal done, Neiki smiled and looked at Hanabi, “Let’s go,” under the cold gaze of many Konoha ninjas.
“Okay.”
Like boarding a train for the first time, Hanabi didn’t fully grasp the meaning of this departure. She just followed Neiki, slightly bewildered.
But before they could take two steps.
“Neiki—” A furious shout startled many birds in the forest.
Neiki turned to see a figure cloaked in blue light, weaving through obstacles with agility, dodging Shikaku’s shadow jutsu, and striking at him with an air-piercing palm.
Gentle Fist · Lion’s Fang!
The young man roared.
“You—die!”
Using my technique against me?
Neiki shook his head, unsure whether he was disappointed or relieved.
He drew the long sword from his back, striking like a hunting lion.
“Eight Trigrams Sword · Lion’s Fang!”
The sword and the palm technique clashed. In the young man’s incredulous eyes, his technique shattered instantly under Neiki’s sword, crumbling without resistance.
Boom!
The young man was sent flying.
Several Anbu quickly restrained him.
“What are you doing, Neji?” Shikaku asked sternly.
Attacking Neiki could give him an excuse to detonate the explosive tags in the village, which was why Shikaku was both surprised and angry when he saw Neji’s attack. He almost thought Neji’s appearance was another one of Neiki’s schemes.
Relieved that there had been no explosion in the village, Shikaku saw that Neji wasn’t severely injured and realized something. He cast a complex glance at Neiki, who stood nearby with his sword drawn.
Was it because the attacker was his brother, Neji?
Neiki could have used the attack as an excuse to trigger another explosion, but whatever part of the village exploded next, the affected group would surely blame Neji for it.
Neji being Neiki’s brother meant his position in Konoha would become even more precarious.
“This is… the true face of Lion’s Fang?” Neji struggled against the Anbu, who held him and shouted at Neiki.
During their brief clash, Neji realized that the Lion’s Fang technique Neiki taught him wasn’t a gentle fist technique.
It was a sword technique.
Only as a sword technique could Lion’s Fang reach its full potential.
Neji only understood this today.
So, this is the true face of Lion’s Fang?
Is this your true face?
“Why are you doing this?” Neji’s question seemed to ask why Neiki taught him a flawed technique or something else entirely.
Tears flowed from his eyes to his nose, mouth, and chin, finally dripping onto the ground, moistening the earth.
Neiki glanced at Shikaku, who frowned but let Neji go.
“Do you really want to know?”
Neiki’s gentle voice brought back memories of peaceful afternoons. Neji looked up, seeing countless overlapping images of Neiki in his mind.
False?
Real?
He couldn’t discern.
But after hearing the news about Neiki, escaping his cell, evading capture, and seizing the last chance to reach the forest and confront this enigmatic man, wasn’t he here to understand, to seek the truth?
Do you want to know?
Neji nodded.
I want to know… but he didn’t get to say it.
Thud.
After he nodded, a sword pierced his stomach.
Pain shot from his abdomen to his brain. Neji looked down, seeing blood oozing from the wound and the gap around the sword.
He looked up.
Neiki, who stabbed him, wore a warm and bright smile.
The Anbu rushed in, and Neiki quickly retreated. The surroundings were noisy and chaotic.
Before losing consciousness, Neji heard Neiki say:
“Then strive to survive.”
“Ask me when we meet again…”
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