After another long silence, Uchiha Izumi seemed to be processing the information, contemplating and weighing things, then asked again.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Experiments, assistant!"
"Experiments? Assistant?"
"Mm!"
Neji finished assembling the parts in his hand, which formed a strange helmet, then turned to face Izumi.
He helped her sit up and placed the item on her head.
"Try injecting Chakra into it?"
Although the weak Izumi wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to do, she still mobilized the Chakra in her body and attempted to inject it.
Neji activated his Byakugan, observing the flow of Chakra within her body, and guided her.
"Direct the Chakra towards your temples; you should be able to feel something there that can absorb Chakra."
Uchiha Izumi's mind stirred, and she guided her Chakra towards her temples.
This wasn't difficult for her, as activating the Sharingan also required Chakra; it was just a matter of injecting it into her eyes versus into her sides.
A glimmer of light appeared in her "eyes"—no, more accurately, in her mind.
The strange helmet on her head, through the transmission of Chakra, sent some messages into her mind.
"It's like there's light..."
"Light?"
Neji subtly adjusted the helmet again, and with each adjustment, Uchiha Izumi seemed to feel the light in front of her become much clearer.
"It's like I can see some blurry images..."
This startled Uchiha Izumi. This was... "Continue reporting!"
Neji's calm voice interrupted Izumi's conjectures. He continued adjusting, his tone devoid of much emotion.
"How about now?"
"It's clear, then blurry again..."
Uchiha Izumi continuously reported the situation, experiencing the fact that she could "see."
Yet, she was somewhat surprised. He had actually created a Ninja Tool that could provide vision; it was incredible.
He mentioned experiments?
Was it for this?
To use me, who has lost her eyes, to experiment with his creation, provide data, and ultimately create "eyes" he could use himself?
Uchiha Izumi didn't know that Neji was no longer blind, but she could only guess as such.
"Alright!"
As Uchiha Izumi spoke, Neji stopped adjusting his hands and sat back down.
With Neji's body no longer obstructing her, a complete field of vision fully entered Uchiha Izumi's mind.
A figure in white, wearing a white eye mask, long hair falling behind him, a calm and somewhat youthful face.
Was he Hyuga Neji?
Then her attention shifted elsewhere. Feeling her head, which was somewhat heavy, she didn't have the strength to turn it, so she gave up.
But she could still see that this was a brightly lit room, illuminated entirely by lamps, with no windows. There was only a staircase leading upwards, letting down a faint light.
It seemed to be a basement or something similar!
"You can see things completely clearly now, right?"
"Mm!"
"Can you focus?"
"Focus?"
Neji held a piece of paper in his hand and continued.
"Can you read the words written on this paper?"
"No, I can't!"
Neji, expressionless, moved the paper to another spot, changed the words on it slightly, and placed it a bit further away.
"How about now?"
"I can't see it!"
Neji put down the paper and picked up a pen, writing something in a notebook.
Uchiha Izumi asked with some curiosity, "Why did you write 'cannot see clearly' and 'cannot see'?"
Neji paused his writing but didn't answer, continuing to record.
He couldn't exactly say it was his own mischievous habit!
Izumi looked at the notes. She could "see" that it said focusing was not an issue, and the maximum field of vision could not be tested for now... Later, due to obstruction, she couldn't see clearly anymore.
Uchiha Izumi didn't have too many thoughts about the experience of being blind and then regaining sight.
Since she had been blind, she had only been lying down. Although the endless darkness was frightening, she hadn't thought about any of that then.
Instead, her mind was full of matters concerning the Uchiha Clan, and what had happened to Itachi.
Did Itachi really wipe out the Uchiha Clan? Why did he do it? And who was that one-eyed Masked Man?
Endless questions began to swirl in her mind, refusing to leave.
She sat there in a daze until Neji finished writing his notes.
"Don't think so much. Focus on recovering. Itachi did indeed annihilate the Uchiha Clan, along with that Masked Man."
Uchiha Izumi bit her lip slightly, her pale complexion appearing somewhat tragically beautiful, but the strange helmet she wore seemed a bit comical.
"Were you that Anbu before?"
"Mm!"
"Then you dug up a lot of Sharingan?"
"That's right!"
In fact, some small bottles containing Sharingan were placed not far away, and she could see them.
"Will I not be able to go out anymore?"
"Pretty much. If you want to be killed again, you can go out."
Killed?
Will it be you who kills me, or Konoha, or someone else?
Uchiha Izumi gave a faint bitter smile. She was already "dead," a nameless wandering soul.
"Has your experiment succeeded?"
"It's a preliminary success, I suppose. It's too big, after all. When it can be condensed into a prosthetic eye, then it'll barely be acceptable."
Uchiha Izumi was momentarily speechless. Barely acceptable?
"Then what would a full success look like?"
"Hmm, a field of vision no weaker than the Byakugan, the dynamic vision of the Sharingan, the ability to see Chakra flow, even assisting oneself, detecting scents and heat, defending against Genjutsu..."
Goodness gracious, just goodness gracious!
Uchiha Izumi understood the string of functions, but were these things even achievable?
"What do you want me to do in the future?"
"Study!"
"Study?"
"Study Medical Ninjutsu, study Earth Release, help me expand the basement, and then help me complete some experiments."
"I can guarantee that you'll recover your own Sharingan in the future, and you'll also have the chance to confront Uchiha Itachi and that Masked Man directly."
"I understand!"
Uchiha Izumi said nothing more, silently looking at Hyuga Neji, whom she had initially thought was just a ruthless individual.
She hadn't expected him to have such a side. These experiments and his goals all left her somewhat shocked.
Was this a Genius?
Unfortunately, Neji didn't know her thoughts, otherwise, he would definitely say, "That's right! This is a Genius."
"Alright, I need to go back."
Neji stood up, put some items away into his inventory, and concealed anything that might reveal his presence.
Then he turned to Uchiha Izumi, pointed to a cabinet, and then to a small room.
"There's food in there, and that room is for personal matters."
His blunt words made Uchiha Izumi feel a surge of shyness. She suddenly remembered whose hands had changed her clothes and tended to her wounds.
If not for the severe blood loss, her pale face would surely have turned crimson.
"You should regain your mobility after about a day of rest. I suggest you don't leave this house. You can go upstairs, but don't touch anything, and don't open the windows."
"Outside, they can't see inside. Although this place is quite secluded, don't make too much noise."
Uchiha Izumi listened carefully. She understood her current predicament and wouldn't do anything unnecessary.
"Mm!"
"Alright then, I'm going back. I still have school tomorrow."
This made Uchiha Izumi feel a bit strange, looking at Neji's youthful face.
That's right!
He was still a Ninja Academy student.
Seeing Izumi agree, Neji left. If she were to go out casually, he had plenty of excuses. After all, he was upright and pure, with nothing to fear.
Is this considered hiding a beauty in a golden house?
This thought flashed and vanished, and Neji walked towards the Hyuga Clan Estate.
Linus the Blacksmith: Treat your equipment like you treat your lover.