Amid the silent mountain range, three tall women strode swiftly through the forest. They were Haido's knights Windwa, Kamira, and Ranke on a mission to eliminate Naruto.
"Seriously? All three of us for one brat? I could take care of that kid myself," Windwa said with disdain.
"Now, now, don't be like that. That little guy isn't half bad," Kamira purred in a teasing, sultry tone.
"Shut up, both of you. Let's just finish the job and report back," Ranke snapped, clearly irritated.
Though not shinobi, the Grell Stones they carried had elevated their physical abilities to rival any ninja. Their pace was fast and focused.
Suddenly, two figures came into view near a large tree ahead a white-robed man and a young woman with sakura-pink hair.
"That forehead protector… same as that blonde brat. Must be one of them," Kamira muttered. She gave a wicked smile. "Guess we've got ourselves a little warm-up."
Upon recognizing Neji, they instinctively labeled him an enemy. Without hesitation, Kamira dashed forward.
But in that instant, a haunting melody filled the air. The moment it reached their ears, all three women froze in place, eyes wide with inexplicable fear.
Magic Flute: Illusory Sound Lock.
The icy flute in Neji's hands dissolved into mist. With a single gesture, three streaks of white light burst forth, shooting straight toward the trio.
Eight Trigrams: Mountain-Crushing Strike!
The attack carried enough force to shatter a small mountain. Without resistance, the energy pierced through the women's chests. The system notification chimed as three glowing blue stones with unique seals materialized in Neji's palm.
The reward for defeating them: three Grell Stones.
"This feeling… is it condensed chakra? Such a high concentration, but how's that possible? Only tailed beasts should possess chakra of this level," Neji murmured, staring at the stones through his Byakugan. Questions filled his mind.
"Whatever. Into the system storage you go." With a thought, the Grell Stones vanished from his hands.
"That was… amazing!" Sakura exclaimed. In mere seconds, Neji had taken down all three without breaking a sweat. His strength was overwhelming.
"Let's go. With Shikamaru's skill, holding off Timoci shouldn't be a problem," Neji said, paying no attention to the fallen corpses. He and Sakura quickly disappeared into the forested slopes.
As night fell, in a hidden cave halfway up the mountain, Shikamaru and Gaara stood tensely over a bound and battered Timoci.
The war in the Land of Wind had ended. Now, their groups had crossed paths and jointly subdued Timoci, who had arrived to stir up trouble.
"Old man, is there no way to destroy the Grell Stone vein?" Shikamaru muttered, rubbing his temples. The pile of urgent matters was giving him a headache.
Hayate stared at Timoci for a long time, then finally shook his head.
"No way? Dammit! If your people couldn't control that power, why the hell did you bring it into this world to begin with?" Temari shouted, visibly frustrated.
"There is a way," came a calm voice.
Neji entered the cave with Sakura at his side. The moment they stepped in, all eyes turned to them.
"Hey, how'd you find this place?" Shikamaru asked, but Neji ignored him. Instead, he turned toward Gaara.
He had once subtly asked Orochimaru if there was any way to extract a tailed beast without killing the jinchūriki. The answer was a firm no removing a tailed beast meant certain death. Neji had been prepared for it, but disappointment still lingered.
If Shukaku was ever to be freed, it had to happen according to the original timeline by seizing the tailed beasts from the Akatsuki. It was the only way Neji could do it with a clear conscience.
Gaara, seeing Neji again, looked none too pleased. Though Naruto's words had softened him, his animosity toward Neji remained.
"What do you mean, there's a way?" Gaara asked coldly.
Neji walked up to Timoci and hauled him upright.
"There's only one way to destroy the Grell Stone vein using his blood to activate the ancient summoning array of his clan," he said.
"Summoning array?" Naruto tilted his head, scratching it. "Like a summoning jutsu?"
"Something like that. The royal family signed a blood contract long ago. It allows them to summon the Void Maw, a rift that connects to another world and devours everything. If we summon that, it will erase the Grell Stone vein completely."
"What?! How do you know this?" Hayate stared in shock. This was a closely guarded secret passed down for generations. Even most of his own people had no idea. Yet here it was, coming from an outsider.
"My information network is far beyond your imagination," Neji said flatly. He threw Timoci to the ground and looked at Hayate.
"You want to protect the last bloodline of your royal house, but he won't thank you for it. You know the danger of that vein better than anyone."
"If Haido gets his hands on it or if it ever goes out of control it'll wipe out half the continent."
He pulled out a kunai and sliced Timoci's arm, collecting the blood before continuing.
"Destroying it is the only real choice."
Hayate hesitated, falling into deep thought. Finally, he clenched his jaw and nodded. "I understand."
Soon, with Hayate leading the way, the group reached a desolate mountain range. Neji activated his Kagura's Mind Eye and quickly sensed a massive chakra presence below.
"This is it," Hayate said gravely. "The summoning array lies within the vein. Once royal blood touches it, the Void Maw will awaken."
"Got it." Neji replied casually, stepping onto a circular stone platform that resembled a crude elevator.
"Wait! Once the Void Maw opens, it'll spiral out of control! No one can escape its pull," Hayate warned in alarm.
Neji scoffed. "You think ninja are the same as ordinary people? Instead of wasting time worrying, you should be preparing for battle."
"What do you mean?"
"Timoci was carrying a tracker."
As the words left his mouth, the cliff wall beside them suddenly collapsed. A massive mechanical fortress loomed up behind the rubble.
At the same moment, Neji dropped into the depths below.
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