"Still no sign of him?"
Konoha, the Five Kage, and the past Kage gathered, listening to reports from their subordinates. Their moods were terribly grim.
"Damn Akatsuki, to attack Neji before the war even starts," Tsunade said bitterly.
"Yes, the enemy is far beyond our imagination, especially those two who claim to be gods. Their strength is terrifyingly immense; no one except the First Hokage is their match."
"But even so, the Rinnegan was stolen right under our noses. This is a complete disgrace, it's infuriating!" Raikage smashed his fist on the table, furious.
"However, this also shows they are very wary of Neji. If we find Neji, we'll have a much better chance of dealing with them," Onoki, having experienced two wars, clearly saw further than the other Kage.
Senju Tobirama looked at Minato. "Fourth Hokage, you and I both know the Flying Thunder God technique. From today on, we'll search for Neji together. This way, even if we encounter danger, we can escape with ease."
"Alright," Minato replied, his expression serious.
"There's always war in every era. I wonder when true peace will finally arrive," Senju Hashirama murmured, a hint of sadness in his expression.
"It will be soon, Grandpa," Tsunade said confidently. "We've already learned the pain that war brings. After this fight, the Five Great Shinobi Villages will truly become a unified body, truly moving towards peace."
"That's right, this is our will," Terumi Mei said gravely.
"Then now, let's begin the war, taking our first step towards achieving peace."
...
It's strange how things work in the world. Neji and the Byakugan girl, initially ostracized as invaders, were caught in a battle between the Land of Ancestors and the Land of Them. Suddenly, Kamui activated, severely crippling the Land of Them. From then on, the people of the Land of Ancestors treated the two as supreme deities, worshipping them.
Aino, who had been mocked for having terrible luck, immediately became a noble figure in the Land of Ancestors, envied by many women.
"What is this all about?"
At this moment, Neji, marveling at the unpredictability of life, sat in the vast courtyard of a palace. He looked up at the sky, unsure how to return to the ninja world.
"There must be a way."
Neji never doubted this. Not only did this world have Chakra, but the mere existence of the Byakugan gave him immense confidence.
His concern was time. He couldn't possibly spend decades searching here; by the time he returned, he'd likely be an old man. He might even find old newspapers titled [Ninja World's Genius Byakugan Youth Mysteriously Disappears, Former Beloved Becomes Old Bones].
That would be a true tragedy.
"No matter what, I'll keep trying."
Neji created dozens more wood clones, sending them out to gather information as usual.
This situation had been going on for nearly a month.
Just then, a Byakugan girl with long, silver-white hair slowly walked over and stopped behind Neji. She looked at his troubled face, her ice-like expression softening slightly, but she held back her emotions.
"What's wrong?"
Of course, Neji couldn't hide her arrival from himself, but he was puzzled why this uncommunicative girl was seeking him out so early in the morning.
"I'm hungry."
"What?"
"I'm hungry."
After confirming it multiple times, Neji finally understood. This girl genuinely saw him as a caretaker and was treating him like one.
"Hey, why don't you try cooking for yourself? What's with relying on me all the time?" Neji rubbed his head and said earnestly.
"I can't."
"Oh my, if you can't, you should learn. Is there anything anyone knows from birth?" Neji walked up to the girl and said very seriously.
As the only two people in this world with the Byakugan, Neji and the girl were very close. During this time, he had taken excellent care of her.
However, Neji knew that he was merely using the girl as an emotional outlet. She had her own life, and her dependence on him wasn't good for her.
"I don't want to learn."
"...Then why don't you ask Aino?"
"You cook better."
The girl's concise and irrefutable answer left Neji utterly helpless. While he was happy his cooking was recognized, he felt it was necessary to make the girl understand something.
Neji placed his hands on the girl's shoulders, their Byakugan eyes meeting. He said seriously, "This may be cruel to you, but you have to learn to be independent. You know, I don't belong in this world, and I'll return one day. What will you do if I leave?"
Neji stared intently into the girl's eyes and thus didn't notice that when his hands rested on her shoulders, her body tensed for a fleeting moment.
However, upon hearing Neji's words, her refined face immediately turned icy again. She frowned, looking very cold, and left without a word.
"What's wrong with her now? Such a strong reaction." Neji looked at the girl, who exuded an aura of "stay away," and couldn't understand what he had done.
Back in her room, the girl sighed silently. She couldn't describe her feelings: helplessness? Confusion? Loneliness?
In all her years, she had never felt such mental turmoil and disarray.
In any case, when Neji said, "I will return," the girl felt a sudden tightness in her chest, a dull ache.
With her intelligence, she had long guessed Neji's origin, but that's precisely why she was afraid. Can two people from different eras truly stay together forever?
The girl touched her forehead and sighed again, hugging her knees as she sat on the floor, feeling helpless.
But then, a terrifying energy surged from the distant sky, causing the girl's heart to stir.
She pushed open the window, and when she saw the sky in the distance, she was stunned. The entire sky looked as if it had been baptized in blood, crimson as blood.
Patches of red clouds were rapidly approaching, exuding an undisguised aura of killing intent.
"So disgusting, so oppressive."
This was the girl's immediate feeling. The moment she saw these red clouds drifting towards her, her cold brow furrowed slightly. Although the aura made her uncomfortable, more than that, she wondered why such a terrifying existence would appear on such a backward, primitive planet.
This kind of power was not weak, even within their own clan.
Rumble~~
Several bolts of black lightning struck as if they had a target. The girl snorted angrily. Just as she was about to act, a figure moved faster than her and had already charged forward.
[Author's Note: Wishing all brothers and sisters taking the college entrance examination success!]