Chapter 63: The Tsundere Nine-Tails
"Captain," Inabi said, his voice grim, "Tekka can't have died in vain."
"I know," Fugaku replied, his face stiff.
No one cared for their comrades more than the Uchiha. Tekka and Inabi had been closer than brothers. Tekka's death had turned Inabi, once a moderate who leaned toward the Hokage's faction, into a hardliner.
A coup? If he had even a fifty percent chance of success, he would have already been secretly gathering his forces. But he didn't have a thirty percent chance. Disregarding the other clans, the Uchiha couldn't even take on the Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado clans alone. The Uchiha were not united.
How can we launch a coup when our hearts are not one?
"Don't do anything rash, Inabi," Fugaku said with a sigh. "I will find an opportunity to speak with the village elders."
Neji gave a friendly wave to the giant fox in the cage. It was just as he remembered from the original story, massive, with a single paw the size of several men. Its chakra was a maelstrom of violence and madness.
The Nine-Tails noticed the intruder and opened its eyes, staring at him through the bars.
When it sensed the boy's relatively weak chakra, it snorted. "Where did you come from, you annoying little brat?"
But in truth, it was glad to have a visitor. It had been locked in this cage for five years, all alone. It was lonely.
"My name is Hyūga Neji," he said with a smile. "I'm a genin from the Hidden Cloud. One of my missions here is to take Uzumaki Naruto—and you—back with me."
The Nine-Tails grinned, showing a row of sharp teeth. "Hmph. I don't care." To it, one cage was the same as another.
"The Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails are in the Hidden Cloud," Neji said. "They're living much better lives than you are. Don't you want to see them?"
The Nine-Tails just snorted, but its ears twitched. The seal couldn't completely block its senses. It could feel the Two-Tails, right there in the ramen shop. It had been over fifty years since it had last seen them.
Going to the Cloud might not have been the best option, but it couldn't be any worse than this.
"Over a decade ago," it said after a moment of silence, "the Hidden Cloud tried to steal the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. They failed. Your chakra is so weak. What can you possibly do?"
Hearing its taunts, Neji smiled. The Nine-Tails was interested.
"You're right, my chakra is weak. That's why I need your help."
"How can I help you?"
"When the time comes, lend me your chakra. It shouldn't be too difficult for you."
He had many trump cards, but his chakra limited him to the level of an elite Jōnin. For the missions ahead, that wouldn't be enough. He had to cooperate with the Nine-Tails.
"You're too weak," it sneered, crossing its massive forearms. "Even with my chakra, you won't be able to change anything."
"Yes, I can."
"Hmph. And what makes you so sure?"
Neji pulled up his goggles, revealing a pair of brilliant, sapphire-blue eyes. "Because of these."
The Nine-Tails' eyes widened as it stared at his Tenseigan, which seemed to contain a universe of swirling stars. It could feel its power. "Your eyes..."
"They're called the Tenseigan. Their power is no less than that of the legendary Rinnegan."
This dōjutsu, the Nine-Tails thought, it's still immature, but it has a hint of the old man's power. Strange. Why would a dōjutsu of the Sage's level appear in a little brat?
"Who are you?"
"I've already told you. I'm Hyūga Neji."
"Impossible. The weak Hyūga clan could not possess such eyes." It had lived for over a thousand years and had fought countless powerful enemies. But the only ones it truly feared were the descendants of the Sage: the Senju, the Uchiha, and the Uzumaki. The other clans were insignificant.
"That's another question," Neji said with a smile. "And I refuse to answer it. Now, am I qualified?"
"Hmph," it snorted, ever the tsundere. "You're just a brat who hasn't even grown up yet. You still need my help in the end."
Neji knew it was all bluster. "Then, let's seal our pact with a fist bump."
He walked to the bars and held out his hand. The Nine-Tails hesitated for a moment, then extended its massive paw.
Smack.
The pact was made.
He glanced around the cage. He didn't sense any other chakra.
They're not here. That's good news.
He knew that the Fourth Hokage and his wife had each sealed a portion of their chakra into Naruto before they died. It was a failsafe, one that would only activate when Naruto was in mortal danger.
They must have seen his miserable life these past five years, Neji thought as he left Naruto's mindscape. They must want him to go to the Hidden Cloud...
"Big brother, are you okay?"
Neji shook his head. "I'm fine. Just didn't sleep well last night."
He looked at Naruto's empty bowl, which had been licked clean, and sighed. "Teuchi-san! Another bowl of char siu ramen!"
Knock, knock, knock!
The urgent sound woke Hiruzen from a fitful sleep.
"Kakashi," he said, opening the door to the white-haired ANBU, "what is it?"
"Hokage-sama, we've just received a report. Hyūga Hiashi has been murdered."
"What did you say?"
"Have you found the killer?"
"The ANBU are at the scene now. I came to report to you immediately."
"Let's go."
"Hokage-sama," Hyūga Genkai said with a bow.
"My condolences, Genkai," Hiruzen said, his expression grim.
"You must not let the killer get away, Hokage-sama!"
At that moment, an ANBU agent ran over. He glanced at Genkai, then at Hiruzen.
"There are no outsiders here," Hiruzen said. "Speak freely."
"Lord Hokage, Lord Hiashi arrived at the izakaya at around six this evening, with two of his servants, both of whom have also been killed. Shortly after he entered, the proprietress saw Lord Genkai arrive and ask for his room."
"It seems the killer is very cunning," Hiruzen said, turning to Genkai.
"If he hadn't disguised himself as me, my son would not have been so easily taken," he replied, his voice filled with grief.
"Let's go to the scene."
There were no obvious signs of a struggle. The only way to find any reliable information was to read Hiashi's memories.
"Kakashi."
"Understood."
Kakashi placed his hand on Hiashi's severed head.
After a long, tense moment, he looked up, sweat beading on his neck.
"The killer was disguised as Hyūga Hizashi," he reported. "He never showed his true face. But before he killed him, the two of them had a short conversation. During that time, Lord Hiashi repeatedly called out one name."
"Neji?" Hiruzen asked.
Kakashi nodded.
"Hokage-sama," Genkai said, his voice trembling with rage, "I demand that you immediately apprehend the killer, Hyūga Neji."
Hiruzen just lit his pipe. "Kakashi, find out where Hyūga Neji was this evening and what he was doing."
"Yes, sir."
"Genkai, rest assured," he said after Kakashi had left. "If it can be proven that he is the killer, the village will not let him go."
"Hokage-sama," Genkai said, a bewildered look on his face, "my son called out his name with his dying breath. Is that not proof enough?"
Hiruzen looked at him, his brow furrowed. He couldn't tell if the old man had lost his mind with grief or was just playing dumb.
The killer had used a transformation jutsu. Everything Hiashi had seen and heard could have been a lie. He had even deliberately left the head behind. He was taunting them.
Late that night, in the Hokage's office, a simple frog wallet lay on the desk.
"Hokage-sama," Kakashi reported, "the sealing squad has examined it multiple times. It's just an ordinary wallet. Nothing special about it."
Hiruzen looked at the three elders sitting on the sofa.
Neji's whereabouts for the past twelve hours had been fully accounted for. At the time of Hiashi's death, he and Yugito had been in the center of the village. And then, there was his contact with Naruto. The matter had even attracted Danzō's attention.
"It seems their meeting was a coincidence," Hiruzen said, his gaze drifting over his three old friends and finally settling on Danzō, who was sitting with his eyes closed, deep in thought.
"Hiruzen," Danzō said, his voice firm, "I do not trust the Cloud. They are a people without honor. They will do anything to achieve their goals. We cannot be too careful."