"Yeah…" Neji gave a bitter smile, brushing a hand across his now-smooth forehead. The Caged Bird Seal had been erased when the Tenseigan awakened—wiped away by a higher-order power. "He… went too far."
He knew what it was.
Yin–Yang Release.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Sasuke attempted to change the subject, breaking the stagnant silence.
"If we win," Neji said, turning to look at Sasuke seriously, "what do you want to do?"
Neji blinked, slightly caught off guard by the question.
After a moment's thought, he replied, "I suppose… I'd make some changes."
His meaning was layered—perhaps changes within Konoha, perhaps within the Hyūga Clan itself.
The answer was vague, but his resolve was clear.
Sasuke nodded in understanding.
Then Neji asked in return, "What about you?"
"Me?" Sasuke paused, his fingers unconsciously brushing against his left eye.
"Yes," Neji pressed, curiosity in his gaze. "Haven't you thought about what you'll do after we win?"
Sasuke fell into a long silence.
It was a question he had never truly considered.
After a long while, he spoke, his voice lower than the coming night.
"I… am already doing it."
"What?" Neji didn't understand the cryptic response.
Sasuke drew a deep breath, as if reaching a decision.
He stood, brushing nonexistent dust from his clothes. His six-tomoe Rinnegan regarded Neji steadily.
"The next time we meet Naruto, none of us knows whether we'll live or die," he said solemnly—almost as if entrusting something. "In that case… you should know my greatest secret."
His greatest secret?
Neji's heart tightened.
Other than the newly awakened Rinnegan, what could Sasuke possibly mean?
"Follow me."
Without further explanation, Sasuke turned and walked away.
Though filled with doubt, Neji followed, unable to ignore the gravity in Sasuke's back.
Across the shinobi world, countless viewers held their breath.
Uchiha Sasuke's greatest secret?
Was it connected to his recent change in attitude?
A hidden trump card against Naruto?
Or… something related to that mysterious Uzumaki Karin?
Deep Within the Forest
The Heavenly Veil shifted as the two entered a dense forest and descended into a cavern.
At first, it appeared natural—but before long, clear signs of artificial excavation became evident.
Neji's unease deepened.
When had Sasuke built such a place?
For what purpose?
Knowing Sasuke's nature, he didn't bother asking. If Sasuke didn't intend to explain, questioning him would be pointless. Instead, he silently memorized everything he saw.
They passed through a heavy alloy gate.
The sight beyond made Neji stop cold.
His pupils shrank sharply.
Standing before a luminous screen filled with complex data was someone who absolutely should not have been there.
Long black hair draped down his back. He wore a familiar kimono.
As if sensing their arrival, the man slowly turned.
A pale face curved into a signature smile—playful, faintly sinister.
Golden, slit-pupil eyes gleamed beneath the laboratory's sterile lighting.
"Orochimaru?!" Neji gasped, chakra surging instinctively as he nearly assumed a Gentle Fist stance.
Konoha's S-rank Missing-nin.
One of the Legendary Sannin.
The mad scientist responsible for countless forbidden experiments.
The man who was supposed to have died in his struggle involving Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha.
And yet—he stood here, alive.
Orochimaru's gaze swept briefly over Neji's shock before settling directly on Sasuke, as though the reaction had been expected.
He licked his lips, his voice carrying its characteristic raspy allure.
"Sasuke-kun… what brings you here?"
His eyes lingered briefly on Sasuke's six-tomoe Rinnegan. A flash of excitement and curiosity flickered in the golden snake pupils.
Sasuke showed no surprise, clearly aware of everything here.
"The war is about to begin," he said calmly.
"Oh?" Orochimaru raised a brow, his smile deepening with knowing amusement. "It seems even with your newly acquired power, you lack complete confidence. Perhaps… I can offer a small contribution?"
"What have you developed this time?" Sasuke asked, faint curiosity slipping into his tone.
He knew Orochimaru never acted without purpose. His "help" usually came in the form of something world-shaking.
Orochimaru chuckled softly.
"I've merely… refined an old trick. Made it more 'perfect.'"
His golden eyes gleamed with fanatic brilliance.
"The materials are nearly ready. The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. The past Kage. Even… a sample from Uchiha Madara himself."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Well? This 'assistance' should be rather substantial, wouldn't you say?"
Impure World Reincarnation.
The Kage of past generations.
Uchiha Madara.
Neji drew in a sharp breath, instantly understanding what Orochimaru meant.
This was the summoning of an Edo Tensei army.
If successful—especially with legends like Hashirama and Madara—
It would be an enormous advantage against Naruto and the White Zetsu forces.
Sasuke clearly realized the same. The tomoe in his Rinnegan rotated subtly as he pondered.
"…It would be a tremendous reinforcement," he finally said. "You're coming with us."
"Heh." Orochimaru inclined his head elegantly, seemingly intrigued by the impending final battle—or perhaps by the opportunity to observe the clash of ultimate powers.
Then he returned to his research, as though they had merely discussed dinner plans.
Sasuke motioned for Neji to follow.
On the Way Out
After leaving the unsettling laboratory and walking deeper into the corridor, Neji finally lowered his voice.
"Orochimaru… wasn't he supposed to be dead?"
Sasuke didn't slow.
"Orochimaru… isn't so easily killed."
He glanced sideways at Neji, the corridor lights reflecting coldly in his Rinnegan.
"Even if you used your Tenseigan right now to annihilate him down to atoms… someday in the future, he might still 'revive' through someone else."
He paused.
"That's his path as a shinobi. The byproduct of his obsession with immortality."
Neji felt a chill run through him.
This near-conceptual immortality—this endless rebirth—was in some ways more unsettling than overwhelming destructive power.
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