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Leaving the village outskirts behind, Neji raced toward the direction where Shikamaru and the others had gone.
His pale silhouette flickered through the rain-drenched forest like a phantom, parting the curtain of falling water wherever he passed.
Neji felt no particular sentiment about saving Asuma. Fate was what it was if there was even a sliver of hope for survival, then he would see it through.
Both sides closed in on each other, and soon enough Neji's Byakugan caught sight of their location.
By now the protective barrier placed on Asuma's body was faint, its glow weakening rapidly. Shikamaru was already preparing to trigger another charm.
---
The steady patter of rain filled the forest. Three drenched figures darted across the clearing when, suddenly, a white silhouette appeared in front of them.
Ino's eyes widened at the sight, and she called out excitedly to the boy beside her:
"Shikamaru! It's Neji—Neji's here!"
Clutching the protective charm in his hand, Shikamaru looked up through the sheets of rain. Relief washed over his face the moment he spotted Neji approaching.
"Choji, Ino—down here!"
The three landed with Asuma in a clearing, where Neji quickly joined them.
Choji wasted no time; with the [Expansion Jutsu] he enlarged his body and shielded them beneath his massive hand, blocking the rain and wind with surprising care.
Ino knelt down, wiped off a flat stone, and gestured for Shikamaru to lay Asuma gently upon it.
Neji pressed his glowing hand against Asuma's chest, green light spilling forth as he began his diagnosis.
The three hovered anxiously nearby, their hearts tight with dread. They had never experienced the agony of seeing someone so close to death before.
Especially not someone like Asuma the teacher who had guided them since their Academy graduation.
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After a quick but thorough check, Neji's face grew serious. Asuma was critically weak, unconscious, and his breathing was shallow, fragile as paper.
Shikamaru's voice wavered. "Neji… is there still a chance?"
Regret gnawed at him. He cursed his own lack of strength. If only he had been stronger, none of this would've happened.
At the same time, he felt a strange gratitude that Neji had been there to lead them and grow alongside them.
Neji spread a dome of chakra, the [Chakra Barrier], around them, signaling Choji to release his [Expansion Jutsu].
"His heart was pierced close to the edge. If the wound had gone even a little deeper, not even that charm could've saved him."
His tone hardened. "The heart is still injured. I'll need complete focus to heal him. Guard the perimeter."
The three nodded and immediately took positions, while Neji pressed his glowing palm tighter against Asuma's chest.
The treatment was painstakingly slow. The damage to the heart required delicate control. Time stretched into an hour, the rain finally easing as the skies cleared.
At last, Neji withdrew his hand, exhaling.
"It's done."
The relief was instant. Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji dropped their guard and rushed to Asuma's side. His breathing had steadied, his body calm in sleep.
Death had nearly taken him and they had stood on the edge of that abyss, helpless.
Even as shinobi were accustomed to danger, when it was someone they loved, the pain was crushing. Kakashi and Obito had both carried scars like these, scars deep enough to awaken their Mangekyō Sharingan.
Neji could feel their silent guilt. He sighed.
"Enough blaming yourselves. Let this be a lesson. Next time be stronger."
Shikamaru looked up at him, voice thick.
"…Thank you, Neji."
The others echoed the sentiment, but Neji frowned.
"Don't thank me. We're comrades. That's all that matters."
Still, he had to give them the truth. "There's something you should know. Asuma won't be able to fight as a shinobi again."
"What!?"
Shock rippled through the three.
Neji explained, calm but firm. "His heart can't take strain anymore. Any high-intensity battle could kill him instantly. I've kept him alive, but the days of fighting on the front lines are over. Even Tsunade-sama might not be able to reverse it."
Shikamaru's hands trembled, but he forced a small smile. "That's… already more than we could have hoped for. As long as he's alive, that's enough."
Choji and Ino nodded in firm agreement.
Ino added softly, "If it weren't for your charm, we'd never have lasted until you arrived. We owe you everything."
They had once joked that Neji's charms were pointless trinkets. Now it was the only reason Asuma still breathed.
Neji smirked. "So you don't think it's ugly anymore?"
Ino flushed, waving her hands. "No way! Not ugly at all!"
The mood lightened for the first time.
Choji thumped his chest. "I'll carry Asuma-sensei the rest of the way. Leave it to me!"
Neji teased, patting Choji's stomach. "Perfect built-in cushion. Just what he needs."
Choji chuckled, unfazed by the jab.
Carefully, they secured Asuma on Choji's back. Shikamaru and Ino gave extra reminders to move gently, and Choji nodded solemnly.
Together they set off toward Konoha.
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By the time they reached the village gates, Naruto was already pacing nervously outside. Kakashi, Yamato, Sakura, and a squad of medical-nin stood ready.
The moment he spotted them, Naruto shouted, sprinting forward. "Shikamaru! Choji! Ino! You're all okay?!"
He grabbed at them frantically until Neji stopped him, pointing toward the unconscious figure on Choji's back.
Naruto's expression froze, his voice falling quiet.
Under Sakura's sharp orders, the medical team transferred Asuma to a stretcher and rushed him toward the hospital.
For now… Asuma had been saved.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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