Chapter 56: Neji: I Only Bet on a Sure Thing
Zabuza's eyes landed on the stern-faced Yugito, and a look of surprise crossed his face. "My lady," he said to Mei, "that woman is the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails."
Mei's pupils contracted.
Konoha was holding these exams to flex its muscles and restore its damaged prestige. Therefore, the other great villages wouldn't be sending real genin either. She and Zabuza were both at the level of a Tokubetsu Jōnin, or even a full Jōnin. But for the sake of appearances, they wouldn't send anyone too outrageous.
Yugito Nii was a renowned genius. She couldn't possibly be participating in the Chunin Exams.
Her purpose here, then, was...
Mei's gaze swept over Darui, Karui, and the others, finally settling on Neji's pure white eyes. Her expression hardened.
"The Byakugan? How does the Hidden Cloud have the Byakugan?"
She was no stranger to it. During the Third Great War, the Kirigakure Jōnin, Ao, had transplanted one. It had not only greatly enhanced his sensory abilities, but also his combat power. But Ao's Byakugan was a strategic weapon of the village; it wouldn't be allowed to leave so casually.
"My lady," Zabuza said in a low voice, "there was a rumor two years ago that the Kumo delegation used the peace treaty as a cover to kidnap a Byakugan child from the Hyūga clan. Konoha and the Hyūga leadership denied it, and the whole thing became a mystery. But now, it seems the rumors were true."
A smile touched Mei's lips. "Heh. The lost Byakugan returns to Konoha, and it looks like he's here for the Chunin Exams. Just watch, Zabuza. These exams are going to be very interesting."
She turned to her comrades. "Remember, during the exams, try to avoid the Cloud's Byakugan user."
It wasn't that she was afraid of him. But his identity was sensitive. Konoha, in its bid to show off, would surely come down hard on him during the exams. Getting too involved would only invite unnecessary trouble.
After walking for another half hour, Neji suddenly stopped and looked back.
Yugito and Darui, seeing the surprised look on his face, followed his gaze.
A small, black dot was visible in the sky to the northwest, moving at an incredible speed.
In a few seconds, a large, white bird appeared, a single figure standing on its back.
"He's here too?" Neji said, a little surprised.
"The Third Tsuchikage's student," Yugito said, looking at the blond, single-ponytail-wearing boy with interest. "The Explosion Release user, Deidara. He's always causing trouble in the Land of Earth with his explosions. I didn't expect the Tsuchikage to send him to the Chunin Exams."
Deidara glanced down at the crowd, snorted, and then urged his clay bird to fly even faster toward Konoha.
"Lady Yugito," Darui said, his eyes wide as he watched the bird fly past, "is Iwagakure only sending one person to the exams?"
"The competition is going to be tough," Karui remarked. She then glanced at Neji and smiled. "But Lightning Release is strong against Earth Release. If they fight, Neji will have the advantage. I'm more worried about the masters from the other three villages."
"Yeah," Darui agreed, his previous confidence shaken. "These exams are full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers." He had thought that as a Jōnin, the exams would be a piece of cake. But seeing Deidara had made him a little nervous. The two of them didn't know the true purpose of their mission; they were only focused on making a name for the Hidden Cloud.
"Don't worry," Neji said. "Do your best and leave the rest to fate." He wasn't particularly concerned about the exams. He was only focused on completing his four missions.
A short while later, Neji's group and Mei's group arrived at the Konoha gate at the same time.
A checkpoint had been set up. All incoming ninja, merchants, and tourists had to register their identities.
The ones in charge of the inspection were the Uchiha, in their Konoha Military Police Force uniforms.
When it was Neji's group's turn, Uchiha Inabi's eyes swept over Yugito, who was standing in the front. Her fame was not as great as that of the Sannin or the Yellow Flash, but she was still the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails. As an elite Jōnin who had awakened his three-tomoe Sharingan, Inabi was well-informed and recognized her immediately. He had never expected the Chunin Exams to draw out such a figure.
A Jinchūriki was an important strategic weapon. Often, they weren't even allowed to leave their own village.
"The Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails, Yugito Nii?" he said, a look of shock on his face.
"Uchiha," Yugito replied, her brow raised, her arms crossed, "has no one ever taught you to show a little respect to your superiors?"
Inabi, who had awakened his three-tomoe Sharingan at a young age, was not without pride. But in the face of Yugito, he lowered his head.
"My apologies, Yugito-senpai. My voice was a little loud. Please, you don't need to be inspected. This way."
"Hmph." Yugito snorted. But to his surprise, she didn't enter the village. She went to the checkpoint and submitted to the inspection.
In the Uchiha compound, at Fugaku's residence.
"Itachi," Fugaku said, his arms crossed, his face a stern mask, "you must defeat all your opponents in these exams and bring honor to our clan."
The word "clan" grated on Itachi's ears. Father, I am a shinobi of Konoha first, and an Uchiha second. Your vision is still so narrow.
When he was eight, his Jōnin leader, Minazuki, and his teammates, Tenma and Shinko, had been killed by the mysterious masked man. Fugaku had not mourned their deaths. He had been feeding his fish and had simply congratulated him on awakening his Sharingan and becoming a true Uchiha.
It was from that day on that Itachi had learned to hide his true feelings.
"I will not disappoint you, Father," he said, his eyes downcast.
"I have confidence in your abilities," Fugaku said after a moment's thought. "But these are no ordinary exams. The other villages will not be sending real genin. Are you still determined to participate alone?"
Itachi thought of his dead comrades, a flicker of pain in his deep-set eyes. He looked up at his father. "I can do it alone, Father."
"If you insist, I won't force you. Just do your best and don't disgrace the Uchiha name."
"Yes, sir."
"Big brother."
Just then, the five-year-old Sasuke peeked his head around the door.
"Sasuke." A rare smile appeared on Itachi's face as he left the room.
After he had gone, Mikoto sighed. "Fugaku, Itachi has been under so much pressure. I haven't seen him smile in front of us in so long..."
Though he was a master of hiding his feelings, he couldn't deceive his own parents.
But Fugaku was different. He only cared about Itachi's talent. Whether he was happy, whether he had any troubles... that was not his concern.
"He was born an Uchiha. He is my son. This is the burden he must bear," he said. "Besides, a diamond in the rough is worthless. A little hardship in his youth is not a bad thing. One day, he will understand my good intentions."
Itachi left the residence with Sasuke on his back.
Swoosh!
A black figure flew past, moving at high speed. It was Uchiha Inabi.
"Itachi, is the captain here?" he asked, panting.
"Inabi-niisan! Dad's here!" Sasuke said, waving at him.
"Hey, little Sasuke," Inabi said with a small smile. He took a rusty shuriken from his pouch and handed it to him. "I forgot to give you a present for your birthday. My grandfather gave me this. He said some ninja from another village threw it all the way to Konoha, and he just happened to find it. Now, it's yours."
"Really, Inabi-niisan?" Sasuke's eyes lit up.
"Here you go."
Inabi pressed the shuriken into his hand, gave a nod to Itachi, and then hurried into the residence.
Itachi looked at Sasuke, who was happily playing with the shuriken, a look of pain in his eyes.
He nuzzled his neck against his little brother's cheek. "Sasuke," he said, his voice grave, "one day, you will become a ninja like me. I hope you will remember what I'm about to tell you."
"Often, being more talented than others is not a good thing. It just means you will be used and consumed, sooner and more completely."
Sasuke knew that to earn his father's praise, he had to be as brilliant as his big brother. To gain power, to become a strong ninja... that was all he had ever wanted. Hearing his brother's words, which went against everything he believed, he was stunned into silence.
Seeing his confusion, Itachi reproached himself for saying such things to him so soon. He ruffled his hair. "Alright, Sasuke, don't think about it too much. Let's go get some dango."
"Yay!" Sasuke's mood instantly brightened.
But as he looked at his happy little brother, a hint of sadness appeared in Itachi's eyes.
Sasuke, if I could choose, I would rather you had been born outside of Konoha, as an ordinary person.
Just then, Itachi's head snapped to the side. He saw a small, white snake coiled around the branch of a large tree in the distance. He had just sensed a faint chakra signature from it. But when he looked again, it was just an ordinary snake.
Was I just imagining it?
His brow furrowed, but he continued on his way, heading toward the center of the village with Sasuke on his back.
After he had gone, Guren emerged from the ground. She looked at his retreating back, a serious expression on her face.
"So that's Uchiha Itachi. He's sharp."
The white snake slithered up her leg and onto her shoulder, flicking its tongue at her.
"You've got his scent?"
"Good."
She grabbed the snake and stuffed it into her sleeve. It was from the Ryūchi Cave. It had almost no combat ability, but its sense of smell was incredibly keen. Guren was not a sensory-type; the snake would be her way of tracking Itachi.
Swoosh!
Two more figures appeared beside her.
"Boss," Gozu said respectfully, "we've found the Root headquarters. It's at..."
Guren nodded. "Good work. I have some other things to take care of. You two head back to the inn."
Yugito stared at the gambling hall in front of her, at the odds for the various village's participants posted outside. "So," she said, a strange look on her face, "you were in such a hurry for this?"
The Neji she knew was not like this. Samui must have spoiled him rotten.
"I'm not here to gamble, Captain," Neji said, his arms crossed, a serious expression on his face. "I'm here to make money."
Yugito rolled her eyes and poked him in the head. "Are you kidding me? Every gambler thinks they're going to make money. Who ever got rich from gambling?"
"I'm not like those other gamblers," Neji said, puffing out his chest. "I only bet on a sure thing."
The entrance to the gambling hall was bustling with people, mostly merchants and tourists from other countries.
"No way, Iwagakure only has one participant, but their odds are the lowest?"
"You don't get it. Deidara is the Third Tsuchikage's student. A famous master produces a great student. The odds aren't low for Deidara; they're low for the Tsuchikage."
"If you want to play it safe, bet on Iwa. It's a sure win."
"You're too young. The odds are so low, you won't make much even if you win. You're better off betting on a long shot."
Inside, it was even louder and more chaotic.
As soon as they entered, the manager, recognizing them as the participants from the Hidden Cloud, hurried over to greet them.
"I'd like to place a bet," Neji said, getting straight to the point.
The manager wasn't surprised. Ninja were people, too. Gambling was not uncommon. One of the Sannin, Tsunade, was a notorious whale.
"Which village would you like to bet on, Ninja-sama? And how much?"
"I'm betting on myself," Neji said, his voice firm. "One hundred million Ryō!"
A hush fell over half the gambling hall as all eyes turned to him.
One hundred million was a staggering amount. It wasn't often they saw a gambler play for such high stakes.
The manager was also taken aback, not only by the amount, but by the fact that he was betting on himself. "May I ask your name, Ninja-sama?" he asked politely.
"Hyūga Neji, representing the Hidden Cloud!"
After verifying his identity, the manager said, "Lord Neji, if you'll just give me the money, I'll personally handle the paperwork for you."
But Neji just shook his head, a serious expression on his face. "Sorry, I don't have any money."