The explosion had barely faded when Yakushi Nonou's sharp mind pieced everything together.
This was no random attack. It was a carefully prepared trap.
Not for her alone, but for the boy standing beside her—Hyuga Neji.
Her chest tightened.
Why? Why had Danzo chosen this moment to abandon her?
She had given her entire life to Root. For years she had been a loyal agent, gathering intelligence, risking her life countless times in the shadows of foreign lands. She had never betrayed a mission, never allowed her emotions to cloud her judgment, and had always carried out orders with precision.
And yet—this was her end?
Her lips trembled as she thought bitterly: Even after so many years of service, I am nothing but a tool to be discarded.
The Tongue Curse Seal burned faintly on her tongue, as though mocking her. It was the chain that had bound her for so long. That cursed mark ensured she could never leak Root's secrets—not even accidentally. Every thought, every word that approached betrayal would twist into unbearable agony.
Root agents were meant to die with their secrets. That was Danzo's way.
But why silence her now?
She had not failed him. She had not betrayed him. Her orphanage, the one place where she had tried to grasp at humanity, had already been taken from her once before. Her usefulness to Root had not yet ended.
Yet Danzo had chosen to cut her off.
Discarded.
Her heart sank.
Turning her head slightly, her eyes landed on the boy standing before her.
Hyuga Neji.
His pale eyes glowed faintly with the power of the Byakugan, a gaze that seemed able to pierce through all falsehoods and disguises.
For a moment, Nonou's thoughts drifted.
She remembered another child, years ago. A boy taken from her side—her foster son, Kabuto. He had been around the same age Neji was now when Danzo had claimed him.
She wondered how Kabuto was doing.
Had he grown strong? Had he been molded into a medical ninja, or was he still walking the same path of shadows she had endured all her life?
Nonou's eyes softened with melancholy before she caught herself. She couldn't afford to dwell on the past.
Her voice, calm but edged with resignation, broke the silence.
"Since you already know who I am, then you should also understand. A Root ninja cannot betray Danzo."
Her tone was flat, almost lifeless, as if she had accepted her fate.
The curse seal wasn't merely an ornament—it was an iron chain buried in her very soul. Placed on the tongue, it linked directly to the brain's nerves. Any attempt to disobey or to leak secrets would trigger excruciating pain or even instant death.
For decades, no one had ever escaped it.
No one, unless Danzo himself died.
But even then—what would freedom mean to her now? Without Root, without her orphanage, without purpose, what remained?
A faint smile curved her lips, bitter and self-deprecating.
Neji's eyes narrowed as he studied her.
He could see it—the resignation in her gaze, the silent acceptance of a fate she despised but could not resist.
And yet, he also saw something else.
This woman did not belong in Root. She was not like the others, those cold, emotionless drones who followed orders without hesitation. Nonou still had warmth buried within her—proof was in her orphanage, her willingness to give her life to protect those children.
Danzo had crushed that light, chained it, and forced her back into the shadows.
But Neji… Neji was not Danzo.
If he wanted to make use of this woman, to keep her by his side, he would first have to remove that cursed chain.
His Byakugan pulsed with faint light as he stepped forward, gaze fixed on her.
"Aunt Nonou," he said softly, "every jutsu has a weakness. The Tongue Curse Seal is no exception. It can be removed."
Her lashes fluttered.
Removed?
For the first time in years, a flicker of hope stirred inside her chest. But almost instantly, suspicion returned.
Could this child really do what no one else had ever done?
Yet, her instincts whispered that this boy was not ordinary.
"Open your mouth," Neji commanded gently. "Let me see."
For a long moment, Nonou hesitated.
Her pride told her not to place hope in an impossible dream. Her despair told her it didn't matter. But something in Neji's calm, confident tone made her lips part despite herself.
She stuck out her delicate tongue, revealing the faint, almost invisible markings of the curse.
Neji leaned forward, veins bulging at his temples as his Byakugan activated to its full extent. His vision tunneled in on the seal, tracing every intricate line of chakra flow, every knot binding it to her nervous system.
The seal was elegant, terrifyingly so. Danzo had woven it into the very essence of the victim's chakra network.
Most sealing techniques share the same foundation, Neji mused silently. They rely on the caster's chakra imprinting itself upon the target. The Tongue Curse Seal is no different.
He recalled examples—the Five Elements Seal, the Four Symbols Seal—each a testament to how chakra could be used as a cage.
For minutes, he studied silently, his gaze unblinking.
Nonou shifted uncomfortably, warmth rising to her cheeks as saliva pooled in her mouth. She felt strangely exposed under his intense scrutiny.
Finally, unable to contain her curiosity, she whispered, "Well? Any progress?"
Neji stepped back slightly, his face calm and serious.
"It's not difficult to undo."
Her heart skipped. Excitement flared in her chest. She sat up quickly, eyes wide.
"You mean—you can undo it?"
"No."
"…."
Her jaw tightened.
The spark of hope was crushed instantly, replaced with annoyance. Her glare could have cut steel.
Then why stare at me so intently if you can't do it?!
Neji rubbed his temples, sighing faintly.
"Theoretically, yes. But right now, my control over chakra isn't precise enough. And without a deeper understanding of the seal itself, the chances of success are less than ten percent. If I fail, you will die instantly."
Nonou's lips trembled. She looked away.
So close—and yet so far.
But Neji wasn't finished.
"I won't attempt it until I am certain. For now, you'll remain here. Continue your role as the proprietress. Wait."
She blinked.
"Wait? That's it?"
Neji turned, preparing to leave. But desperation made her call out.
"They won't let me live. Root doesn't forgive. You're… you're going to use me as bait, aren't you?"
His head shook.
"No. Their target is me. They won't waste time with you until I'm gone."
Her lips parted, but no words came. His certainty was unshakable.
Neji continued, voice calm.
"The patrols are already combing the streets. Root won't dare to expose themselves again so soon. As long as you stay within the Hidden Cloud Village, you are safe."
Nonou rose to her feet, wringing her hands.
"Then… then at least take me to the Raikage. If I am in the Fourth Raikage's custody, you won't have to worry about the seal or about protecting me."
She meant it sincerely. She trusted Neji, but he was still a child—six years old, brilliant but still only one boy.
The Raikage was the supreme leader of the Cloud. Surely, that would be safer.
Neji turned, his pale eyes locking on hers. Slowly, deliberately, he stepped forward, lifting a finger to tilt her chin upward.
"Aunt Nonou," he murmured, his tone carrying a dangerous edge, "you are alive because of me. Don't forget that."
Her breath caught.
"You must clearly understand whose person you are now."
His eyes gleamed with cold certainty.
"From the moment I saved you, your body belongs to me. Your life belongs to me as well."
Her pulse quickened. His words struck deep—not as mere arrogance, but as a vow, binding and undeniable.
Before she could answer, he withdrew, turning sharply. His figure disappeared through the doorway, leaving only silence in his wake.
---
Outside, the night air was heavy with tension. Neji's expression hardened as he walked toward the Raikage Building.
Root had infiltrated the Cloud.
And not just one or two agents—he had sensed at least a dozen. Perhaps more.
The barrier squad had failed to detect them, which meant only one thing: there was a traitor within the village, someone with access to barrier codes.
Those codes were changed regularly, with no discernible pattern. Only insiders with authority could have provided them.
The traitor had to be someone with status. Someone trusted.
That would not be easy to uncover.
Moments later, Neji stood before the Fourth Raikage, recounting the entire incident in calm, measured tones. He left out only one detail: the Tenseigan.
The Raikage's reaction was explosive.
"What!?" His roar shook the office, and in a single motion he smashed his desk into splinters with his bare hands. Lightning crackled faintly around his shoulders, his rage palpable.
Beside him, Tsuchida's expression darkened. His brows furrowed as he fell into deep thought, silent but grave.
Neji reached into his scroll and pulled out a severed arm, dropping it onto the floor.
"This," he explained evenly, "belonged to the masked man. His swordsmanship was unusual, but his use of the Shadow Imitation Jutsu identifies him as a member of the Nara clan. He lost this arm to me. If we track the owner, we can begin to unravel Root's network."
The Raikage's eyes narrowed.
"Tsuchida. Investigate thoroughly."
But Tsuchida hesitated.
"If we investigate too openly, it could spark conflict with the clans and unrest among the villagers."
The Raikage growled. "If we don't investigate, Root will remain hidden. Their infiltration skills are too refined."
Neji stepped forward.
"There is another way."
Both men looked at him.
"Lure the snake out of its hole. Root ninjas are machines. They don't stop until their mission is complete. Unless Danzo calls them back, they will come for me again. When they do—that is when we strike."
The Raikage's fierce eyes glimmered. Tsuchida nodded slowly, his mind already calculating.
The hunt had begun.
And Neji would be the bait.
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