Neji stepped forward and picked up the small creature, setting it on his shoulder. It took him a moment to recall what it was a snow weasel, a species he had read about once.
"Well, what a coincidence," Neji murmured to himself. "Since I'm here, I might as well go see my little brother. It's been a while... and I'm curious about those stones too."
Tap tap tap-
Footsteps echoed rapidly from the distance, approaching fast. But Neji didn't react. He continued to mumble to himself until the sounds halted nearby. Only then did he slowly lift his head and greet them casually.
"Long time no see."
"No way!"
"Neji? What are you doing here?!"
"Whoa whoa whoa, this feels like it's about to get complicated."
Standing before Neji were Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sakura members of the Konoha Twelve.
"Neji..." Sakura's eyes lit up with hope, and she instinctively took a step toward him. But Shikamaru stepped in front of her.
"Stay calm, Sakura. We don't even know if he's an enemy or not yet." Then he turned to Neji with wary eyes. "What are you doing here?"
Neji looked at Shikamaru with mild interest and replied in a calm tone, "Seems like you made it to chunin. Didn't expect that."
"Yeah, thanks to you and Sasuke," Shikamaru muttered, scratching his head with clear reluctance. Ever since his promotion, trouble seemed to follow him everywhere. Even a routine mission like this was turning into a mess.
"Alright, now how about telling us what you're doing here?" he asked, already shifting into a ready stance.
"Wait," Sakura interrupted, stepping protectively in front of Neji. "Neji hasn't officially been labeled a rogue ninja. I don't know why the higher-ups handled things the way they did, but we should at least stay cautious instead of jumping to conclusions."
Neji raised a brow slightly, then said, "Congratulations on making chunin. You've got solid instincts... but rest assured, I have no intention of hurting any of you."
"Wait wait wait what's going on here?" Naruto asked, visibly confused. "Why is everyone acting so tense? Aren't we all friends?"
"Idiot."
"Idiot."
"Idiot."
The three of them said in unison, but Naruto's innocent confusion seemed to ease the tension between both sides.
"I really don't intend to harm you," Neji said evenly. "You've probably heard bits and pieces by now... about the destruction of Root and Danzo's death. That was me. If I really wanted to hurt you, not even Tsunade could stop me."
His tone was so casual, so matter-of-fact, that it shocked everyone.
"You did all that?!"
They couldn't help blurting it out. The village leadership had only vaguely mentioned an attack on Root. No one knew the specifics. Now that Neji had revealed the truth, they were stunned.
That one man had taken down the entire Root organization... just how powerful had he become?
Shikamaru, ever the sharp thinker, immediately noticed something off. Despite the severity of what Neji had done, the village still hadn't labeled him a traitor. That meant there was more to the story. Still, neither side seemed willing to speak further, and Shikamaru knew better than to pry.
"Well then, I suppose there's no need to keep your guard up anymore," Neji said as he cradled the little creature. "This guy's the one you're looking for, right? In that case, there's something else you'll have to do."
There was something ominous in Neji's smile that made Shikamaru want to turn back and pretend he'd never come here in the first place.
Before long, the group was walking together through a lush green field toward a nearby village. Along the way, Neji explained the situation with Haido and the Grell Stone in full detail.
"This was supposed to be a simple mission," Shikamaru muttered, staring up at the sky like it had betrayed him. "Now it's turned into a nightmare."
"Oh, come on. Don't say that," Sakura said cheerfully. She was secretly thrilled to be on a mission with Neji. Ever since she'd developed feelings for him, she'd dreamed of a chance like this. Unfortunately for her, Neji remained indifferent, his expression as unreadable as ever.
"How'd you even know about all this?" Naruto asked unexpectedly, hitting the heart of the matter.
Neji chuckled softly. "Well, unlike you three who stayed in the village, I've been traveling a lot. It's not that hard to pick up information if you know where to look."
"Oh, right. You left the village with Sasuke, didn't you?" Naruto suddenly asked. Neji instantly knew what was coming next.
"Do you know how Sasuke's doing?"
Of course. Neji couldn't help but think, Those two really are canon.
"He's studying under Orochimaru," Neji said with his usual calm. "He's probably improving. Though, to be honest, I don't see much of a difference."
Shikamaru's jaw tightened. As someone who considered himself laid-back and average, being outclassed this badly by someone his age was... a little soul-crushing.
"Well, since we're talking about it, I might as well say this at the speed you guys were moving, you actually had a real chance of catching up to Sasuke. But because of my interference, you didn't."
Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "You were behind the Sound Four?"
"More or less."
"What?!"
Naruto's face twisted with anger. "Why would you do that?!"
He immediately formed the hand signs and unleashed his Shadow Clone Jutsu. Dozens of Naruto clones swarmed Neji, fists raised to strike.
Neji merely glanced at them. With a casual wave of his hand, a wave of energy surged out, instantly dispersing the clones like mist. The real Naruto was sent flying and slammed into the nearby cliff wall.
"Listen, Naruto," Neji said calmly. "It's good that you care about your teammates. But think about this for a moment. You've had Jiraiya to guide you. Sakura is about to become Tsunade's apprentice. You all have top-tier mentors now. Your strength is growing rapidly. So what about Sasuke?"
His voice was steady, but carried weight.
"To him, all the people he once saw as beneath him... the crybabies, the slackers... are now surpassing him. And he's the one carrying the burden of a blood-soaked past, watching his enemy walk free while he's powerless to do anything about it. Can you imagine how painful that is?"
Naruto, still slumped against the wall, began to calm down. He fell into deep thought.
Neji continued, "You're not Sasuke. You don't understand what he's after. Clinging to him and trying to keep him close do you really think that's what's best for him?"
Then he added, his tone firm but not unkind, "Of course... if you're still determined to bring him back, I can take you to him right now. I'll even help you do it."
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