The night was utterly black, devoid of stars or moonlight. Darkness pressed in on all sides, chilling the air and swallowing sound.
Inside a dilapidated wooden hut, a stove glowed warmly, casting flickering shadows on the walls. Two Hidden Grass Village ninjas lay sprawled on their thin beds, fast asleep. Soft snores escaped their noses, blending with the occasional crackle of the fire. By the window, two other ninjas kept watch, their eyes scanning the darkness beyond, alert for any sign of danger.
A young Hidden Grass Village ninja grabbed a wine container from the stove and poured its contents into a small bowl. The steam rose, carrying the rich, earthy aroma of the liquor.
"Good wine," he muttered, impatiently taking a long sip before closing his eyes in a drunken haze.
"This is premium liquor from the Earth Country; it's expensive for a reason," said the older, middle-aged ninja, taking a small sip with a faint smile.
Ninjas were expected to avoid three temptations: wealth, lust, and alcohol. These influences were said to corrupt even the strongest warrior. Yet, in reality, ninjas were human too. Their constant missions and mental strain often drove them to indulge in one vice or another. Even the most legendary figures of Konoha, like the Fourth Raikage, who had famously abstained from women and wine to train relentlessly, were rare exceptions.
If ninjas in major villages lived under such strict codes, then those from smaller villages like Hidden Grass often succumbed to simpler indulgences. The guard ninjas were secretly drinking. The middle-aged man shook his head slightly, sighing at the decadence of his comrades. "It's late—drink less," he warned.
The young man barely acknowledged him. "There's still half a pot left; I'll finish it too." The harsh life, monotonous labor, and the endless demands of Hidden Grass Village had made him indifferent. Alcohol was the only comfort in his dreary existence.
The middle-aged ninja glanced outside, his gaze piercing the darkness. Suddenly, a sound caught his attention—drip… drip… drip. Rainwater fell from the eaves. But something felt off. The droplets sounded inconsistent, uneven, and too deliberate to be merely water.
Then a terrible realization struck him. He turned in time to see the young ninja sprawled on the floor, his head severed, leaving a slick trail of blood behind. And somehow, a chilling smile lingered on the corpse's lips.
Before he could react, a cold wind swept through the hut. The metallic scent of blood mixed with the chill, carrying a silent threat. He realized, too late, that the village had been infiltrated.
Tssss!
A flash of black lightning illuminated the room briefly. Blood splattered across the walls as a shadow moved with unnatural speed.
Hyuga Neji—katana strapped to his back, his body sheathed in a black ninja suit, and his Byakugan activated—stood inverted on the ceiling. His fingers were interlaced, emitting pulses of black electric currents.
A small, cruel smile formed on his lips as he whispered to himself, "You are too slow."
With the grace of a cat, Neji dropped to the floor, landing without a sound. "If this is the best Hidden Grass Village can offer, it would have fallen long ago," he muttered, his pale eyes scanning the sleeping ninjas.
Two of them lay in peaceful slumber, unaware of the fatal electricity piercing their throats. Neji's Byakugan flickered with blue sparks as he condensed Tenseigan chakra into a small, glowing sphere in his palm. With a snap of his fingers, he thrust it into the chest of the middle-aged ninja.
Curse Wheel Heart Sealing Technique.
The blue sphere burrowed into the ninja's heart, reading his memories and bending his will. Though this power was not as formidable as Kotoamatsukami, it allowed Neji to control multiple targets simultaneously, manipulate puppets, and even grant rudimentary intelligence to his creations. At his current capacity, he could control up to ten people—sufficient for the mission at hand.
Commanding the fallen ninja to keep watch, Neji sprang from the hut like a shadow dissolving into the night. He needed to read the memories of high-ranking officials and determine whether the Box of Paradise lay hidden within Hozuki Castle.
As he moved across an open area, an inexplicable unease gripped him. The place was unnaturally quiet, devoid of patrols. Byakugan scanning revealed nothing—until the ground beneath him shifted violently.
"Earth Release: Skull Hunter Jutsu!" he shouted.
Two hands burst from the ground, each gripping a kunai and impaling Neji's lower legs. Lightning chakra surged through him, reinforcing his Azure Lightning Release, protecting his body from the full force of the attack and propelling him back to the ground.
The ambusher's head exploded under the force of Neji's counterattack, blood and bone scattering in a gruesome display. Immediately, floodlights illuminated the area, revealing dozens of Hidden Grass Village ninjas descending from the treetops, power poles, and rooftops—all staring at him with hostile intent.
Ahead of him, a tall elite ninja emerged, his body vibrating subtly from the Body Vibration Technique. "I sensed being watched all day," the man said, voice tense. "And I knew someone would come tonight."
"Expected," Neji replied, his eyes narrowing. He realized, with an uneasy clarity, that pride had been his downfall. His confidence in Tenseigan, Lightning Release Chakra, and abilities like Divine Empty Fist and Black Lightning had led him to underestimate a seemingly small village.
Hidden Grass Village, though minor, had survived in the Ninja World for decades. Its resilience and cunning were not to be underestimated. Neji had also placed too much faith in his Byakugan. While its power could detect subtle energy signatures, trained sensory ninjas could still sense its activation. That was why the Hyuga Clan had maintained their influence in Konoha for so long—control through perception and fear.
Neji's gaze locked onto the elite jonin. Chakra radiated power; this was no ordinary adversary. Failure would mean immediate retreat—but retreat now would disappoint not only the Fourth Raikage but also himself. Ever since he had donned the forehead protector, Neji had refused to acknowledge his own failures.
He inhaled, steadying himself. "Then… what will you do?" he asked softly, almost a challenge.
The words ignited the jonin's anger, but the moment he saw Neji's pale white Byakugan, his pupils constricted in recognition.
"Byakugan? Hyuga Clan… from Konoha Village?"
"Fool," Neji said, his voice low and steady. "Now you know. Konoha Village could obliterate your tiny hamlet in an instant."
The tension stretched like a taut wire between them. Neji's Byakugan scanned every movement, every subtle shift in chakra, while the elite jonin's body quivered with restrained power. Neither had yet struck, but both were poised to unleash devastation in a single heartbeat.
The night had grown colder. Shadows lengthened. The smell of blood still lingered in the air, mingling with the earthy scent of wet soil. Neji's mind worked with precision, anticipating every counter, every feint, every possible outcome.
He had learned that pride could be as dangerous as any opponent. Overconfidence in power could blind even the strongest ninja to hidden threats. And Hidden Grass Village, though small, was a living testament to that truth.
Neji adjusted his stance, fingers twitching with the electric charge of Black Lightning. "Tonight," he murmured, "I will test both my strength and my humility."
The enemy had underestimated him, just as he had underestimated them. Both sides were about to pay the price for their pride, in a night that would stretch far into legend.
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