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"Sasuke! You—!"
Neji barely finished speaking before several shurikens sliced through the air toward him.
He side-stepped smoothly, eyes narrowing. So this was how it was going to be?
If she wasn't going to listen, then he'd have to knock some sense into her.
"Damn it… [Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique]!"
Sasuko's low voice echoed as chakra threads followed the arc of the shuriken, tightening midair as she yanked her fingers.
Neji cut through the nearly invisible wires with a sharp palm swipe and swatted the shuriken away effortlessly.
"You know these tricks won't work on me, Sasuke."
His voice was calm, almost tired. "If you want me to show my real power… you'll have to do better than that."
Sasuko didn't answer. Her fingers blurred through hand signs.
"[Fire release: Great Fireball Jutsu]!"
A blazing inferno burst from her mouth, roaring across the training ground and lighting up the forest.
Compared to that random Uchiha boy back in the day, this fireball was a stadium-sized upgrade.
Still, Neji hated these kinds of jutsu the most—messy, flashy, and loud.
"Tch… always with the fire-breathing theatrics."
Sparks shimmered around his palm as electricity began to crackle.
He couldn't just blast it randomly; the fireball could ignite the forest.
25th-level skill: [Thunder Palm].
Though downgraded temporarily, its strength was still ridiculous.
He raised his hand—
A massive lightning-charged palm materialized in the air, formed entirely of condensed electricity.
It struck.
Boom.
The fireball collapsed under the electric assault, exploding backward with searing wind.
A scorched crater formed behind it but Sasuko wasn't there.
"[Chidori]!"
The high-pitched chirping of a thousand birds echoed from above.
She had used the fireball as cover.
Before Neji could fully register it, Sasuko dove from the treetops, lightning lancing from her palm.
She was serious.
Was she trying to kill him?
"Damn…"
He caught her wrist mid-strike. The air buzzed with static.
Sasuko's eyes widened, stunned.
Neji's voice was quiet: "…He caught you the same way back then, didn't he?"
She froze.
Then—
She laughed.
Dark, broken laughter that quickly turned into a choked cry.
"Again… I got caught again. I'm that weak, huh?"
Her chakra flickered. The [Chidori] fizzled out.
"…Tell me, Neji-senpai. Am I really that useless?"
Her voice cracked as she dropped to her knees, tears streaking silently down her face.
"You're weaker than him, sure," Neji said quietly. "But compared to the rest, you've already surpassed them."
He paused, then added, "But that's not what you want to hear. You just want the strength to avenge your clan. To surpass him."
Sasuko looked up.
That look in her eyes he understood it.
She didn't need comfort.
She needed answers.
Neji pulled her up, tore open the collar of her shirt, and placed his hand on the cursed seal.
"...You've already adapted to it completely."
He let go. She stumbled back, clutching her neck and glaring at him.
"You win," she whispered. "But I never even saw how."
"You don't get it, do you?" she muttered bitterly. "I've always been grateful for your help. For your training. It's the only reason I've gotten this far…"
"But I thought—once I mastered [Chidori], I could reach you. I could reach him."
She looked up at him, eyes hollow. "…I was wrong."
"Gaara's monster was crushed by you like it was nothing. That's when I realized…"
"You've never shown us your full strength. Not once."
"You were always holding back."
"And now, you stopped my [Chidori] the same way he did…"
Neji turned away, letting out a long breath. "I know what you're planning."
Sasuko blinked. Then smirked bitterly.
"…You're going to stop me?"
"You already made your choice."
Neji didn't look back. "Do what you must. But remember… live with it."
And with that, he left.
Sasuko stood in the night, clutching her collar, eyes shining with a resolve that refused to fade.
If Konoha couldn't give her what she needed…
Then Orochimaru would.
She would heal. She would become stronger. And she would walk this path alone.
Only he could offer what she truly desired.
---
Neji walked through the silent woods, emotions tangled.
Part of him… wanted her to leave.
Because honestly, Konoha had nothing left to offer her.
Kakashi had nothing new to teach her.
No one powerful enough would take her as a student.
But Orochimaru?
He had both knowledge and resources.
So…
Forgive me, Sasuke.
A strange weight pressed on his chest.
Was this guilt?
He opened his system panel Within the black void, a glowing fragment shimmered faintly.
If his experience in the One Piece world meant anything, then his next targets were clear:
The Tailed Beasts.
Their chakra would yield fragments the key to unlocking his next interface.
With Sasuke's defection, the next major event was fast approaching.
He had three years.
Three years before the Akatsuki began hunting Jinchuriki.
But he couldn't move too soon…
If they were provoked early, it could all spiral out of control.
He needed time.
Level 45 minimum to hold his own.
Level 50… for certainty.
Three years.
It would be enough.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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