Chapter 43: Understanding Lord Cao Cao
"Let's put on a little show for them."
"Dodai-ojisan," Neji said, "arrange for a medical team to conduct a physical examination of all active Jōnin. It would be best if we could find some clues, but if we don't..."
"After things have quieted down, I'll leave the village on a mission and create an opportunity for Root."
The Fourth Raikage's brow furrowed. If Neji were to leave the village, it would be difficult for them to provide support. If anything were to happen to him, it would be a loss the village could not bear.
"It's too dangerous for you to go alone. I'll have Yugito accompany you," the Raikage declared, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"But..." Neji rubbed his temples. "What if that just scares Root off?"
The assassination had failed, and the frame-up had failed. It was safe to assume that Root's next move would be even more carefully planned. With Yugito protecting him, they wouldn't dare to act so recklessly.
"Neji," the Raikage said with a grin, "don't you have the Kohaku no Jōhei? Just put Yugito inside. No one will be the wiser."
Neji slapped his forehead. "How could I have forgotten about that?"
The Amber Purifying Pot contained its own pocket dimension. It could hold a Tailed Beast, and it could hold a person. He had completely forgotten. The pot hadn't played a major role in the original story, only appearing in the later stages.
Thinking of the Tongue-Cursing Seal, Neji said, "Lord Raikage, I'd like to learn some sealing jutsu."
"Wait here." The Raikage's eyebrow rose. He walked over to a wall, tapped it three times, and a hidden door opened. He stepped inside.
"Are you planning to remove the Tongue-Cursing Seal and recruit the 'Wandering Miko'?" Dodai asked.
Neji nodded.
"Root ninja are emotionless machines," Dodai warned. "It's hard to say if the 'Wandering Miko' has truly given up on Danzō, even after being abandoned by him."
"And that woman is a spy. She's been active in the Five Great Nations for years, stealing intelligence."
"She's a master of disguise, skilled at manipulating people's emotions."
"Take my advice. Nōno is more than you can handle. Get rid of her."
Neji was silent. Dodai was deeply prejudiced against Nōno, but his advice was also based on a rational assessment of the risks and benefits. Root ninja underwent extensive brainwashing to ensure their absolute loyalty. Not even the Wood Release user, Yamato, had been able to escape it.
If Neji hadn't known for a fact that Nōno held no affection for Danzō, he wouldn't have dared to try and recruit her. Perhaps because she was a spy, and the brainwashing would have damaged her mind, she had been spared the worst of it. She was not an unfeeling mission machine, but a living, breathing person, and a kind and gentle one at that.
But that was something Neji would keep to himself. There was no need to explain it to Dodai.
"I'll consider it, Dodai-ojisan," Neji said, a serious expression on his face, though he had no intention of following his advice.
The Raikage emerged from the secret room and handed him a scroll.
"Neji, this is the scroll for the Iron Armor Seal. I was going to give it to you later, but you should have it now."
Neji took the scroll and placed it in his ninja pouch.
The name "Iron Armor Seal" sounded like a third-rate sealing jutsu, but it was anything but. The Hidden Cloud had once used it to seal the Eight-Tails inside Blue B. It wasn't as powerful as the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, but it was not much weaker than the Four Symbols Seal. If Neji could learn to undo it without using the release formula, then he could attempt to remove the Tongue-Cursing Seal from Nōno.
After leaving the Raikage's tower, Neji didn't go home. He went straight to the house where he had settled Kana and her daughter. It was a three-story building, more lavishly decorated than Samui's home. Samui herself was wealthy and generous, but her own home was quite modest. She still had a mortgage to pay every month.
Neji thought that, in the future, he would have Samui and the mother and daughter live together.
"Sir."
Kana opened the door and her face lit up when she saw him. He hadn't been back since he had brought them here. She had been feeling a little anxious, alone in a strange new place with no one to rely on.
"Has anyone been bothering you these past few days?" he asked. She was in her late twenties, but she had a pitiful, fragile air about her that made him feel a mixture of protectiveness and... a desire to tease her.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "Everyone here has been very respectful."
She had done a lot of thinking. Why had he saved them? What did she have to do to maintain this peaceful life? She had already steeled herself for the sacrifices she would have to make. As long as they didn't treat her and her daughter like blood bags, as the Grass-nin had, she could endure anything.
He took the Iron Armor Seal scroll from his pouch and handed it to her.
"Make a copy of this and study it well."
She took the scroll, a surprised look on her face. When she unrolled it, her eyes went wide.
"The Iron Armor Seal?"
"That's right."
He intended for both her and Karin to learn sealing jutsu. The Uzumaki's techniques were the best in the world. Their Adamantine Sealing Chains could even suppress the Nine-Tails. It would be a powerful asset to have.
"Can I really learn this?" she asked in disbelief.
Seeing her wide-eyed, innocent expression, Neji's lips twitched. He had heard of a phenomenon called "cute aggression," where people felt an urge to squeeze or bite cute things, without any actual intent to cause harm. It was said to be the brain's way of regulating emotions, balancing an overwhelming positive feeling with a small negative one. He would never dare to act on such an impulse with Samui, but the adorable Kana in front of him... she was a different story.
He gently brushed her bangs from her face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and twirling it with his fingertips.
"What, you don't want to? The Iron Armor Seal has a connection to your Uzumaki clan, you know."
"Sir, I will do my best. I won't disappoint you," she said, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she lowered her head.
"When I'm speaking to you, you should look me in the eye."
Neji lifted her chin, his expression stern.
She looked up at him, at the fierce look on his childish face. She wasn't afraid. In fact, the contrast made her want to laugh.
"I'll remember that, sir."
"From now on, you'll call me Neji, and I'll call you 'ma'am,' understood?"
"Yes, Ne... Neji."
He pinched her smooth, pale cheek, his fingers tracing the line of her lips. Soft, moist...
He was beginning to understand Lord Cao Cao.
The blush on Kana's face spread to her ears. She couldn't control her body's reaction, but she didn't find his actions unpleasant. He was her savior, after all. And he was so young, only a year older than Karin. He couldn't do anything to her. What harm could there be in a little childish mischief? Karin was often just as mischievous.