Neji returned to the Land of Lightning with the remnants of Loulan trailing behind him like a ghostly caravan. The long road home cut through the mists of the Land of Frost, where they encountered Tsuchida and Samui on their way toward the Land of Wind. Their mission was to negotiate an alliance with the Hidden Sand Village.
From Tsuchida, Neji quickly learned that the situation across the battlefield was dire. Hidden Cloud Village was fighting on three fronts, and the strain was beginning to show.
On the Western Front, the aged but formidable Ōnoki personally led the Iwagakure forces. In just three days, they had captured seven cities, forcing Cloud's defenses into a slow and painful retreat.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Hot Water, Uchiha Shisui had spearheaded a devastating assault with four elite squads, breaching Konoha's defensive lines. Just as the tide threatened to drown the front, Jiraiya—who had long been absent from Konoha—returned with reinforcements, plunging the battlefield into chaos.
The Eastern Front, however, was a rare point of light amid the gloom. The Fourth Raikage had personally led his elite guards in a decisive strike, annihilating an eight-hundred-man Kirigakure vanguard and driving the Mist forces back thirty li. For the first time in weeks, Cloud had the upper hand.
"Raikage-sama plans to move some troops to reinforce the Hot Water front," Tsuchida explained gravely. "He'll personally head to the Western Front to meet with Killer Bee and stop Ōnoki's advance."
He looked up at the overcast sky as if it bore the weight of the entire war. Strictly speaking, during the Third Great Ninja War, the Hidden Cloud had been slightly weaker than Konoha. Now, facing three powerful villages at once, the odds were even harsher.
The Land of Lightning's natural resources were limited compared to the Land of Fire. Sustaining a prolonged war would stretch Cloud's supply lines thin and slowly bleed the nation dry.
Tsuchida's gaze shifted toward the Loulan Remnants' caravan trailing in the distance. "Neji, who are these people?"
Neji briefly summarized his journey to the Land of Wind—the Dragon Vein, the pursuit team, and the destruction that followed.
As the story ended, Tsuchida's expression hardened. Their mission had been to negotiate with Rasa and secure an alliance—or, at the very least, neutrality. But after what Neji had done, that hope had been reduced to ashes.
"Paper can't cover fire," Tsuchida sighed. "Once Sunagakure learns the Loulan survivors are in Cloud, any alliance will be impossible."
He rubbed his temples in frustration. "Let's just hope the Sand joins the war later rather than sooner."
Deep down, however, he knew the truth. Even without Neji's actions, Sunagakure would eventually side with Konoha. Rasa was pragmatic. As long as the Leaf offered enough benefits, Sand would bite. Hidden Cloud simply didn't have the luxury to outbid them.
After a moment of silence, Tsuchida produced a sealed scroll from his ninja pouch and handed it to Neji. "There's no use regretting what's already done. Here—this is your next mission."
Neji accepted the scroll and broke the seal with a quick Kumogakure hand sign. The characters inside glowed faintly with Raikage's signature chakra.
> Mission Order:
Hyuga Neji is to disrupt Kirigakure's formation, draw their main force's attention, and advance toward the Eastern Front to assist Yugito Nii in defeating the Mist army.
Signed: Fourth Raikage
Rank: S
Tsuchida's voice carried the weight of the front lines. "I'm more concerned about the East than the West or South. The situation looks good now, but the Mist didn't start this war without reason. They'll send reinforcements soon. You and Yugito must end it before they arrive."
Samui, who stood beside him, frowned slightly. Hidden Mist was known for its tenacity—it was always the second strongest but bit the hardest. Once it sunk its fangs into a target, it rarely let go.
Neji rolled up the scroll, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Tsuchida-senpai, I might know a way to make the Mist our ally."
Tsuchida blinked, momentarily speechless. "Ally? Are you serious?"
Samui's eyes widened. "Neji, do you even realize what you're saying? Hidden Mist and Hidden Cloud—an alliance? That's unthinkable."
"My eyes see more than yours," Neji replied calmly, his Tenseigan shimmering with blue light. "Kirigakure started this war because of internal instability. If I can exploit that, there's a chance."
Tsuchida stared at him for a long moment, then nodded resolutely. "If it's you, I believe it. From this moment, you have full authority over the Eastern Front. Yugito will be under your command."
Turning to Samui, he added, "You'll accompany Neji and report everything back to me. Maintain contact at all times."
"Understood," Samui said, stepping up beside Neji with a faint smile. "Looks like we'll finally fight side by side."
Neji scratched his neck awkwardly but didn't reply. "Tsuchida-senpai, you take the Loulan survivors to the Land of Lightning. I'm heading for the eastern border now."
"Go. The rest is up to you," Tsuchida said quietly.
---
A day later, the roaring sea stretched beneath a pale blue sky. A streak of azure light cut across the clouds like a meteor. Neji was flying at incredible speed over the ocean, carrying Samui, Pakura, Uchiha Izumi, and Sasori with him.
The journey from the Land of Frost to the Eastern Seas normally took six days by ship—or three days without rest. Neji had done it in one.
Sasori, clinging to the chakra shield Neji maintained midair, stared at him in disbelief. "You've been flying for over ten hours. Aren't you tired?"
Neji's expression didn't even flicker. Sasori fell silent, the urge to escape dissolving completely.
Below them, the vast sea shimmered with silver light. Neji's gaze shifted toward a massive island five kilometers away. His Tenseigan instantly picked up strong chakra signatures pulsing across its surface.
"Samui-nee-san, is that Skull Island?"
She nodded. "Yes. It's Kirigakure's most critical logistics base. Their supplies, command staff, and even several strategists are stationed there."
"Their main logistics point…" Neji's eyes gleamed. "Then that's exactly where we strike first."
Samui bit her lip. "Are you serious? We're only five people. The island must be heavily fortified."
"Which means it's perfect," Neji said simply. "Take the supply base, and the Mist collapses from within."
Pakura folded her arms. "You're right. 'Let the horses and soldiers move, but cut off their grain'—classic strategy. But Skull Island won't fall easily."
Samui glanced at her masked face, then at Sasori's silent form. She didn't know who these people really were, and now wasn't the time to ask. All that mattered was the mission.
She exhaled quietly. "Fine. But my infiltration techniques aren't flawless. I might get detected."
Neji gave her a faint, amused look. "Just follow me. You won't be seen."
Before Samui could ask what he meant, Neji began walking straight toward Skull Island—no disguises, no chakra suppression, no stealth jutsu.
Moments later, a Mist patrol spotted them.
"Who goes there—?"
A flash of Black Lightning erupted, and before the shinobi could react, he collapsed with a hole through his chest.
Samui froze. That was his infiltration?
Even Pakura and Sasori exchanged wary glances.
Neji turned back and spoke calmly. "This is my infiltration method. Kill everyone before they can raise the alarm."
---
Inside Skull Island's main camp, the Kirigakure commander, Rinji Yurimaru, sat surrounded by strategists. The atmosphere was tense.
"Kumogakure's counterattacks are getting fiercer," one strategist muttered. "We've taken heavy losses these last two days."
"They're desperate," another said. "They're fighting on three fronts. If we hold out, Cloud will collapse within the year."
"But what if we collapse first?" someone else asked grimly.
"Don't lose faith," Rinji said, his voice deep and steady. "Mizukage-sama has his own plans. We must hold this line."
As if on cue, an intelligence officer rushed in, breathless. "Commander! All spies within the Cloud army have been eliminated. But before one died, he used Reverse Summoning to send us this."
Rinji took the scroll, scanning it quickly. His eyes widened in excitement. "Excellent. The Fourth Raikage has left the Eastern Front!"
The strategists erupted. With the Raikage gone, only Yugito and her Two-Tails stood in their way.
"This is our chance," Rinji declared. "Send word to Utakata-sama immediately. Prepare for a full counteroffensive. We'll crush their line before they can regroup!"
But before the messenger could leave, distant screams echoed through the camp.
"What's happening outside?" Rinji demanded.
"Enemy attack!" came the panicked reply. "A— a single man! He's cutting through our defenses like lightning!"
Rinji rushed out with his guards, only to stop dead at the sight before him.
The ground was painted crimson. More than a dozen Mist shinobi lay scattered, their bodies mangled and burned. In the middle of it all stood a young man wreathed in black lightning, holding a dying soldier by the throat.
"Put him down!" Rinji roared.
Neji looked over, eyes calm and unhurried. He recognized the man—Rinji Yurimaru, the Kirigakure prodigy once said to have died young from illness. So he was alive after all.
"Are you talking to me?" Neji asked coldly. He clenched his hand, and the Mist shinobi's neck snapped with a dull crack.
Rinji's rage exploded. Chakra surged through his body, coating his fists in white lightning. He lunged forward, his punch whistling through the air.
Neji didn't move until the last instant. His face hardened, and he struck upward. Black Lightning met White Lightning in a violent explosion.
The ground trembled. A shockwave rippled outward.
Rinji staggered back, pain flashing across his face. His arm hung limply—broken. The strength difference was overwhelming.
Neji stepped forward, lightning crackling along his body like a living storm. "Remember this," he said quietly, his voice carrying across the devastated camp. "Kumogakure's Lightning Release… is the strongest in the world."
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