Yugito's sharp eyes scanned the scrolls one by one. Most of the Ninjutsu recorded within them originated from the Five Great Shinobi Countries, but they were nothing extraordinary. The Hidden Cloud Village had already "borrowed" or adapted most of these techniques long ago. Only two scrolls drew her genuine attention.
The first contained the Dragon Life Reincarnation Secret Technique, a high-level Bloodline Secret Jutsu. The technique allowed a user to transfer their life force to another, even reviving the dead—an ability that defied natural laws. As Yugito read, her brow furrowed. This technique was developed from the Hidden Grass Village's Dragon Life Bloodline Limit, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to discover. Yet here it was, in front of her eyes.
Carefully, she extracted a small camera she had hidden in her ninja tool belt and took a photograph of the scroll. Inspiration could be drawn from this technique; perhaps she could adapt its principles later.
The second scroll was even more intriguing: it contained information on the legendary Box of Paradise. Yugito carefully lifted the lid. The first images that met her gaze were chilling—a square box carved with the figures of demons and spirits, each side exuding an ominous presence. On the reverse side of the parchment, the history of the box and the Hidden Grass Village's research on it were recorded in meticulous detail.
Centuries ago, the Box of Paradise had passed through the hands of both Grass Root and Grass Flower factions of the Hidden Grass Village. Three years prior, a high-ranking official of the Grass Root faction named Mui had transported it to Hozuki Castle. The scroll claimed that whoever opened the box would be granted a single wish—a power that could rival the gods themselves.
Yugito scoffed. A single wish? Even the Six Paths Sage who had originally created the Box might not have been able to fully utilize it. The Hidden Grass Village had been obsessively searching for the box for centuries, but their philosophies diverged greatly. Grass Root sought domination over the ninja world through its power, whereas Grass Flower hoped to use it as leverage to negotiate equality with the Five Great Nations.
"The method to open the box must involve chakra," Yugito muttered, narrowing her eyes. The Box of Paradise wasn't merely an artifact; it was a Six Paths Tool of unknown origin and purpose. Judging by the Hidden Grass Village's centuries-long failure to open it, the box's power could rival or even surpass that of the known Six Paths Tools. Yugito carefully prepared to photograph it, knowing she could study it in detail later.
Suddenly, a shout echoed through the office building.
"Uninvited guests!"
The quiet office erupted into chaos. Footsteps pounded across the floor, and the previously empty corridors filled with Grass Ninjas rushing in every direction.
Yugito froze for a moment, assessing the situation. Had she been detected? How? She instinctively sensed a nearby presence. Her sharp intuition told her that someone had entered the area, but it wasn't her fault that the intrusion had been discovered.
Buzz!
Time was short. There was no chance to photograph the scroll properly, so she grabbed it and stuffed it into her ninja toolbox. Then, with a swift movement, she stamped her toes, shrinking her body to a fraction of her size. With a flash of chakra, she transformed into a sleek black cat and leaped into the air, landing effortlessly on the eaves of the building.
"Quick, don't let her escape!" shouted one of the Grass Ninjas.
In the streets below, dozens of Grass Ninjas were moving in disarray, some chasing, others coordinating. Yugito sprinted across the rooftops, every movement precise. As the inn came into view, she noticed something unexpected: the chaos behind her was decreasing.
She climbed a lamppost, peering over the rooftops. To her astonishment, the Grass Ninjas were converging toward the northern region. In that moment, Yugito realized the truth: it wasn't her infiltration that had been detected—it was Neji's.
"Miyav!" she whispered, her fur bristling even as a cat. What was Neji doing? Even a failed infiltration should not have caused such a massive commotion.
She shook her head and leapt toward a small wooden house surrounded by a light breeze. A faint light flickered inside, illuminating the frail figure lying on the bed.
Madam leaned against the wall, her expression shadowed with sorrow. She hadn't yet reached her thirties, yet her long crimson hair was streaked with white, a testament to the suffering she had endured.
"Quick… bite me," a voice demanded harshly.
Katsushiro kicked the door open, his face twisted in anger as he barked at Madam. Her pale face turned ghostly white, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around her daughter. Faint marks of old and recent bites traced along her skin, evidence of a life filled with torment.
"Karin, close your eyes… it's almost over," Madam whispered, shielding her daughter with her thin frame while extending her arm in defiance.
Uzumaki Karin's small body trembled as she peeked from behind her mother. In the dim light, Katsushiro's approach was like a demon crawling out of hell itself. Each step made Karin's heart pound faster.
Karin glanced at the bite marks on her mother's arm and felt a surge of instinctual fear and protective rage.
"Stay away from my mother!" she screamed.
The sudden resistance surprised Katsushiro. The tiny girl lunged forward with remarkable courage, knocking him to the ground. He had expected only obedience from the older woman; never from the child.
"You pathetic little hybrid!" Katsushiro growled, eyes glowing with fury. He raised his leg and delivered a brutal kick. Karin's delicate body slammed against the wooden wall. Pain radiated through every fiber of her being.
"Karin!" Madam screamed, rushing to her daughter's side and clutching her tightly.
"Lightning Release: Chidori—Piercing Spear!"
A cold voice cut through the tension. Katsushiro barely had time to react before a bright blue streak of lightning pierced his body. Blood sprayed across the floor as he fell. The Chidori had not struck his heart, but the wound was grievous. He still breathed, but his power was crippled.
Madam, trembling, held Karin close while keeping her eyes on the fallen Katsushiro. Neji, observing from a distance, studied Madam carefully. Her body, though frail, still radiated a resilience born of suffering. The pale face and bite marks told a story of years spent enduring misery in the Hidden Grass Village.
"If you stay in the Hidden Grass Village any longer, you know the fate that awaits," Neji said.
"Come with me!" he demanded, his voice firm but not cruel. Madam hesitated, fear and distrust evident in her eyes. Neji sensed her uncertainty and continued, "You don't want your daughter to be harmed again, do you?"
Madam's hesitation faltered. Over the years, she had learned that the Hidden Grass Village was a place of relentless cruelty. Now, with one of its most dangerous ninjas dead and her daughter's life spared, a small glimmer of hope returned.
"I will do anything to protect Karin," Madam said, her voice shaking.
Neji nodded gravely. "You misunderstand. It's not just about protecting Karin. I intend to protect both of you—mother and daughter. No one should harm either of you again."
Relief washed over Madam as she clung to her daughter. For the first time in years, they felt the possibility of safety and freedom. Outside, the wind carried the echoes of chaos, but inside this small wooden house, a fragile peace had begun to take root.
Yugito, perched like a black cat on the rooftop, watched silently. The scrolls she had taken were only a temporary victory. The real story—the struggle, the bonds, and the fight for survival—was just beginning. Neji's intervention had changed the course of the Hidden Grass Village for at least one family.
As night deepened, the faint glow of the lantern illuminated the faces of those who had endured too much for too long. Neji's words lingered in the air: protection, hope, and the promise that even in the darkest shadows, someone could rise to be a hero.
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