The wedding celebrations went on for more than ten days.
The entire village of Konoha, along with many invited guests from outside, was immersed in this joyful atmosphere.
The powerful figures who had arrived hailed from various factions—some even lifelong enemies—and had, unusually, agreed to a temporary truce. Not because of Konoha's strength, but simply because the occasion was far too ridiculous to miss.
Someone even joked: if Konoha keeps pulling off these outrageous stunts that shake the entire shinobi world, peace in the shinobi world might not be too far off!
Once the festivities ended, naturally, everyone began to disperse.
Back to their own villages, back to their own lands.
After all, they couldn't stay in Konoha forever. While Danzo and the Third Hokage still had influence over the shinobi world, lingering any longer would be seen as a provocation.
However, just as these powerful individuals were preparing to leave, some of them noticed something unexpected among their belongings—
The Shinobi Way Academy?
What the hell is that?
Many looked at the green-glowing envelope in their hands and asked the same question.
Some thought it was a prank and opened it, only to be stunned by the contents inside. Only those with extraordinary talent had received such a letter.
And only with this letter could one enter the so-called Shinobi Way Academy and unlock the secrets of every jutsu in existence.
Some keen-eyed, seasoned shinobi recognized that the envelope itself was crafted using Wood Release. When this detail got out, it caused a commotion—
It was Wood Release!
But… how to get there? Where to go? That part was never mentioned.
It was like a pie drawn on paper—visible, yet untouchable—still, to those starving for power, it was fatally tempting.
It wasn't just those who had attended the wedding. Far away, even Orochimaru, Hiruko, and top talents from remote, obscure shinobi villages received the letters too.
As for Konoha—long a cradle of talent—it was no surprise that many shinobi, and even those who hadn't officially become shinobi yet, also received the invitation.
"Granny Yukina, let's go!"
Uchiha Kirin held the letter he had secretly sent to himself, determined to take those he cared about from the Uchiha clan and leave Konoha—to rebuild a home somewhere he could protect them.
Many other shinobi who had received the letter were making similar decisions—
To set out in search of this so-called Shinobi Way Academy.
Especially the newer shinobi clans. Though they had geniuses and powerful fighters, their collection of jutsu was pitiful—no powerful secret techniques, sometimes not even a complete set of Nature Affinities.
If a genius with unmatched talent appeared, but their affinity didn't match what the clan had to offer, wouldn't that potential go to waste? Worse yet, if their descendants were weak and talentless—what would hold the clan up?
That was what many minor clans and jōnin from civilian backgrounds were thinking.
Since food and shelter weren't a concern for now, taking time off from missions to look for the Shinobi Way Academy seemed worth it.
If they failed, they'd only lose a few months of expenses.
But if they succeeded—then their whole clan could rise.
Large numbers of shinobi began leaving the village.
By now, Danzo and the Third had lost all authority—they couldn't stop the wave of shinobi heading out to search. All they could do was try to retain a few loyal clansmen.
Yes, even the Sarutobi and Shimura clans—those that once held the village's lifeline—had members who wanted to leave.
After all, resources were not distributed equally. Every branch family fought for their share.
For some of the more neglected offshoots, staying home only meant swallowing endless humiliation. They might as well go for broke.
Even if they failed, they could always return and lie low again.
...
That said, not every clan was willing to let their talented young shinobi gamble their future on a dream and give up their stable, comfortable lives.
The Nara clan placed their two received invitation letters in their herb shop for "sale."
No money accepted—only labor. One letter in exchange for ten years working in the shop.
The Hyūga clan had also received two invitation letters.
After launching an internal investigation into the clan's domain and punishing several branch members, Hiashi and a few elders gathered in a sealed chamber—cut off from the outside world—to discuss the letters' fate.
One was addressed to Hanabi. The other, to Neji.
As a rigid and traditional clan, the Hyūga believed that no matter how gifted the recipient, anything acquired unexpectedly had to be surrendered to the clan.
Some elders even proposed destroying the letters.
After all, the Hyūga—renowned for having the strongest taijutsu and the most powerful dōjutsu—had a thousand years of legacy behind them. They didn't need some mysterious, suspicious power.
Another elder added that whether from the main house or the branch house, no Hyūga member should be allowed to wander alone. If the Byakugan leaked to outsiders, it would be a catastrophe.
However, there were opposing voices too.
They argued that Gentle Fist had been declining, and many techniques had already been lost. If things continued this way, the Hyūga's future would be grim.
Thus, seeking out the Shinobi Way Academy could be vital—perhaps they could even recover the original Gentle Fist style.
Especially since the letters were created using Wood Release—used so lavishly it was literally handed out as envelopes!
And if Gentle Fist could be found there, then maybe the Academy was part of the Hyūga's own lost heritage.
If they could seize control of it, the Hyūga wouldn't just be the top taijutsu clan—they'd become the number one clan in the entire shinobi world.
Besides, the Byakugan's godlike perception would make searching far easier. Nothing in the world could hide from those eyes.
"So… who gets to go?"
The Grand Elder took this chance to voice his own thoughts.
At once, every branch elder turned their eyes toward Hiashi.
Both letters had been addressed to members of Hiashi's household—one to Hanabi, the other to Neji.
But Hanabi wasn't even a year old—barely walking. And Neji was from the branch house.
Thus began the subtle power struggle between the main house and its many branches.
"Hinata?"
Truthfully, Hiashi didn't want the letters taken by other branches either. But he couldn't come up with a solid alternative and cautiously suggested Hinata.
The elders burst into laughter.
Everyone knew Hinata was too soft, not someone fit to carry such responsibility.
The only reason she hadn't been branded with the cursed seal yet was because of Hiashi's special authority as clan head—and a plan arranged with the elders to use her as a decoy. She was allowed to roam freely, to give Root and the ANBU the impression that the Hyūga clan was cooperative and obedient.
Since Hiashi's household had no worthy candidates…
The elders saw an opportunity to pave the way for their own descendants—especially the Grand Elder.
His son had lost an eye during the Third Great Ninja War, tricked by the enemy while trying to prove himself. The official story was that it had been blinded—never mentioning what happened to the eye itself.
Rumors spread anyway, forcing them to execute several branch members and harshly punish others to quiet the scandal.
Now, if they could find the Shinobi Way Academy, recover lost Gentle Fist techniques—or even a jutsu that could restore vision—it would finally erase that disgrace.
What they didn't expect was that inside Neji's letter, besides the invitation, was something else—
A detailed intelligence file stolen from Root, revealing the true cause of Hizashi's death.
It even documented who said what and who did what—every last word and deed.
That was the power of Konoha's number one intelligence organization.
As for the letter and the invitation, Neji handed them over without hesitation.
He had been waiting for this—waiting for the moment when the main family gathered, when surveillance was completely blocked—when even he couldn't be observed.
Although Neji was only seven or eight, his mastery of the Breathing Art of the Sage Path, combined with his deep understanding of Gentle Fist, meant his strength already far surpassed an average genin.
Timing the guard rotations and memorizing their dull routines, Neji slipped out of Konoha—without anyone noticing...
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