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The sun dipped low behind the smokestacks, casting Gennosuke's office in gold and shadow. He sat alone, a single candle burning beside an untouched ink brush.
What am I getting involved in...? he pondered. But even that question was rhetorical. He already knew the answer.
He recalled the power in that crimson gaze. The way his finest shinobi crumbled like leaves. The weight of the scrolls in his safe.
And the opportunity.
"Not all fires burn. Some illuminate. Some... forge."
He stood, smoothed his robes, and turned to the fresh scrolls prepared by his legal scribe.
"If the Uchiha want secrecy, then we will become shadows. If they want resources, then we will become their river."
He dipped his brush and began writing: New transaction contracts. Cryptographic ciphers. Transport maps with false routes. Payment ledgers hidden beneath legitimate exports.
The Mugen Company would adapt. And as the flame of his candle flickered with the wind, so too did the first tendrils of alliance begin to grow... fueled by ryo, sealed in blood, and veiled in red silk.
--
Neji Hyūga, now operating under the alias Yamato Shion, sat alone in his dimly lit quarters. The soft glow of a single lantern cast long shadows across the room, mirroring the turmoil within his mind. Before him lay a collection of documents: intercepted communications, transaction records, and intelligence reports. Each piece pointed towards a disturbing revelation... the Uchiha clan was amassing weapons and resources, possibly preparing for a coup against Konoha.
Neji's investigation had led him to the Hidden Flames, a seemingly innocuous gambling establishment. However, beneath its facade, it served as a hub for clandestine activities. The red ring scrolls, marked with a distinctive crimson seal, were being circulated here. These scrolls, Aya & Riku discovered, were orders for large quantities of kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags and where to deliver and who to deliver. Tracing the supply chain, he found that the Mugen Company, led by the ambitious Gennosuke Mugen (G.M.), was fulfilling these orders.
Piecing together the information, Neji deduced that the Uchiha were using the Hidden Flames and the Mugen Company to discreetly arm themselves. The assassination attempt on Yugo, GM's son who was digging deeper into recent profits of mugen compnay, further corroborated the theory that the GM and Uchiha were eliminating potential threats to their plan, each for their on purpose. Neji's Byakugan had confirmed the presence of Uchiha operatives in the vicinity of these activities, their chakra signatures unmistakable.
Neji grappled with a profound dilemma. As a member of the Hyūga clan, he understood the weight of clan loyalty and the pain of subjugation. He empathized with the Uchiha's desire for autonomy and recognition. However, he also recognized the catastrophic consequences a civil war would have on Konoha. His position lacked the political clout to influence decisions, and his strength alone was insufficient to alter the course of events.
Faced with limited options, Neji resolved to act within his means. He would continue to gather intelligence, at the very least, mitigate the impending conflict's impact. His allegiance remained with Konoha, for now, but his heart ached for the Uchiha, understanding that their path, though fraught with peril, stemmed from a place of deep-seated anguish and a yearning for justice.
As dawn approached, Neji stood by his window, watching the first light of day break over the village. The burden of his knowledge pressed heavily upon him. He knew that the days ahead would test his convictions and that the choices he made could alter the fate of many. But for now, he steeled himself for the challenges to come.
Aya and Riku stood in the doorway, faces shadowed by exhaustion but eyes burning with purpose.
"You asked for us," Aya said, stepping in.
Neji looked up from the scroll he was reviewing. His expression softened at the sight of them.
"Yes," he said quietly. "You've both done exceptionally well. Better than I expected."
Aya and Riku exchanged glances. Despite all they'd uncovered... the red ring scrolls, the Hidden Flames gambling house, and the mysterious figure of Gennosuke Mugen... they were still just civilians who had stumbled into something far greater than themselves.
"I want to tell you something important," Neji continued, his voice low but steady. "The world you've stepped into... it's dangerous. Merciless. Once you've taken a step into the shadows, there's no going back."
Riku nodded. "We figured that out a few nights ago, when we were nearly caught tailing that warehouse guard."
"And we want to keep going," Aya added. "Whatever this is, we're in it now."
Neji stood and walked to the window. The lanterns of the city below glimmered like stars against the dark earth. "Then I must prepare you."
He turned to them, the light catching just enough of his eyes to show a glint of something deeper... something war-born.
"You must walk the path of a ninja."
--
A/N: Neji chooses to save uchiha... albeit discreetly. He would stop, he feels Aya & Riku will be further danger. There is still uchiha boss... who has seen aya & riku...