Becomes a Rebel Ninja After Annihilating the Hyuga Clan
Chapter 125

“A familiar face from the Land of Waves visited a few days ago,” Neiki sipped his tea, suddenly breaking the silence at the table.

“Mmm… Ah, mmph…” Across from him, the blonde beauty didn’t respond, her mouth and hands full of food, making it impossible to speak.

“He goes by the name Hiruko.”

Tsunade’s ravenous eating suddenly stopped. Her messy hair covered her face, hiding her expression. After freezing for a moment, she resumed shoveling food into her mouth.

“What do you think brought him here?” Neiki asked quietly.

Still chewing, Tsunade didn’t respond immediately. Once she finished the food in front of her, she reached toward the mountain of food in front of Neiki, silently asking for permission.

“Go ahead.”

With Neiki’s nod, Tsunade didn’t hesitate to pull the dish in front of her and continue eating.

“Could it be that he came here because he discovered your location and wants to rescue you?” Neiki pressed further.

Perhaps motivated by the food, Tsunade finally gave a response. Shaking her head, her words muffled, she replied, “No way.”

“I thought so too,” Neiki nodded. “Everyone knows you disappeared, but no one knows you’re being held in the Land of Waves… Although Hiruko does seem obsessed with defeating you Sannin, there’s no reason he would know this information, let alone sneak around here.”

Tsunade paused mid-bite. In one hand, she held a half-eaten chicken bone, and in the other, two white buns. Her mouth was still chewing, oil dripping down her lips. She stared at Neiki through strands of messy hair, her bright eyes focused on his face.

After swallowing, she asked directly, “What did you do to him?”

“Don’t give me that executioner’s look,” Neiki replied slowly, “I’m generally more gentle. I’ve been killing a lot less lately.” He spoke with a calm smile. “Besides, I’m quite interested in the forbidden techniques he’s been working on.”

Tsunade, unimpressed by Neiki’s self-assessment, rolled her eyes. Hearing that Hiruko wasn’t dead, she seemed to lose interest and returned to her meal.

“But, given how suspicious his voluntary enlistment was, I remain cautious. If he has other motives or plans to cause trouble, I won’t hesitate to take him down after I get my hands on his forbidden techniques,” Neiki continued, sipping his tea.

“Why are you telling me this?” Tsunade huffed. “You rogue ninja do whatever you want anyway.” She glared at Neiki coldly.

The room fell silent for a moment. When Neiki didn’t respond, Tsunade’s eyebrows furrowed as she chewed on her chicken bone, grumbling under her breath. “Hiruko defected from Konoha a long time ago. After that, I barely heard anything about him. I thought he was dead. I have no idea why he’d show up here in the Land of Waves, but I can guarantee it has nothing to do with me.”

Neiki stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Could he be in contact with Orochimaru?”

“I don’t know, but it’s unlikely,” Tsunade replied, shaking her head in frustration at the mention of Orochimaru. “Both of them are into shady experiments, sure. They’re both into forbidden techniques. But that’s exactly why I think they wouldn’t team up. They’re both too secretive and solitary to work together.”

“I see,” Neiki nodded. He had already cast his bait. Whether it was Orochimaru or Hiruko, once they saw Kimimaro, they wouldn’t be able to resist. The test results would come soon enough.

As the final plate of salt-roasted shrimp disappeared into Tsunade’s mouth, shell and all, the meal was nearly over. Tsunade leaned back, patting her now bulging stomach, letting out a loud burp. “I’ll give you credit, your cooking’s not half bad.”

“You’re too kind.”

“By the way, where’s that Hyuga girl, the one named Hanabi?” Tsunade glanced around the room, not seeing the little girl.

“She’s on a mission tonight,” Neiki said casually.

“She’s just a kid!” Tsunade fumed. “A mission? You shouldn’t be sending children out on missions, even during war! Don’t you care that the Hyuga clan is already hanging by a thread?”

“It’s her choice. And she can handle herself.” Neiki lifted his gaze briefly before continuing.

“Fine,” Tsunade muttered, raising her head to gaze at the star-filled sky and savor the salty breeze. It had been so long since she had been locked in the basement that she had almost forgotten what the outside world felt like. As her fingers traced idle patterns on the table, she suddenly asked, “How is Konoha doing?”

Neiki didn’t tease her like the last time she asked. He calmly gave her an update: “Using the forbidden Edo Tensei, Konoha has managed to turn the tide. The invading forces from the Hidden Cloud suffered heavy losses. Even the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee, was captured by Konoha, and the Fourth Raikage, A, barely escaped back to the Land of Lightning thanks to his subordinates’ sacrifice.”

Tsunade’s eyes widened in disbelief. “The war… is it over?”

A faint smirk appeared on Neiki’s lips. “No, some people don’t want it to end so soon. Now, Suna has declared war on Konoha, Iwa is following suit, and with the severe losses, the Raikage will likely strike back with even greater force once he regroups.”

“The war is only just beginning.”

Tsunade was still processing everything when Neiki suddenly stood up. Tsunade instantly tensed, slamming her hand down on the table, her eyes full of suspicion.

“What, are you planning to throw me back into that dungeon so soon?” she asked, her tone tinged with the frustration of a petulant child. “I didn’t even fight back when you sealed my chakra!”

Neiki glanced at her pitiful expression before speaking softly, “How about I give you an opportunity? Would you like to return to Konoha… as the Hokage?”

“What?!” Tsunade was taken aback by his abrupt proposition, struggling to process it.

Could she really go back? And… as the Hokage?

“Why?” Tsunade asked warily. Her sharp gaze locked onto Neiki. “Are you planning something for Konoha? You want me to go back and help with your plan?”

“We’ll talk more after dealing with that slug…” Neiki said calmly. “Besides, I’m just relaying a message from your grandfather.”

“My… grandfather?” Tsunade stared at Neiki as if he had gone mad.

Unbeknownst to Tsunade, the Land of Waves had become home to a rising figure known across the shinobi world—the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju.

“If you agree, I’ll grant you some measure of freedom,” Neiki promised. Without Hanabi around, he realized no one had delivered food to Tsunade for two days. She was likely starving.

“I agree!” Tsunade blurted out, not caring about the details of her so-called grandfather’s involvement. Gaining her freedom was her top priority.

“I think you should take this more seriously,” Neiki said, retrieving a document from the shelf and tossing it to her. “This is a plan for Konoha’s transformation. Read it first.”

Tsunade flipped through the pages at lightning speed, barely glancing at them before declaring, “I’m done.”

Neiki chuckled but didn’t respond. He clapped his hands, activating a sealing jutsu. Realizing what was happening, Tsunade screamed, “Neiki, you bastard! Don’t you dare—”

Before she could finish her sentence, her body stiffened, and she fell unconscious. Neiki hoisted her onto his shoulder and carried her back to the basement, resealing her prison.

It was after witnessing Mei Terumi’s actions in Kirigakure that Hashirama, now revived as an Edo Tensei, had suggested Tsunade be used as a tool for Konoha’s own revolution. While Neiki wasn’t opposed to the idea, he believed it was still too soon.

Kirigakure’s revolution was only just beginning; there was no need to rush Konoha’s transformation.

After spending a few more moments in the basement to attend to some maintenance issues with the equipment, Neiki gazed at the Sharingan stored in the containment tank. Pondering for a moment, he then left for the mountains behind the Sword-Hidden Village, where the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, Yagura, was being held. He returned disappointed, finding that the Three-Tails had not yet recovered its chakra after the last extraction.

He would have to wait a little longer to proceed with his experiment.

Just as Neiki was about to check on the growth of the White-Eyed Divine Tree nearby, his Eye Ring suddenly pulsed with energy. A vision flashed in his mind, accompanied by cries of pain.

“Finally… it’s begun,” he murmured softly.

Unlike the situation in the Land of Waves, Kirigakure had been less welcoming to the reform proposed by Neiki and his allies. But a revolution that required the consent

of the previous rulers wasn’t a revolution at all.

The Yang Guang Organization, advocating for a new world order in the shinobi world, was about to step into the spotlight.

Kirigakure wasn’t as densely populated as Konoha, but due to its many waterways, the village covered a large area. It took considerable time to traverse it, which caused the population to concentrate in the center while the outer areas remained more sparsely populated.

Perhaps due to concerns over the potential failure of his experiment, Harusame had chosen the northeastern outskirts of the village—one of the least populated areas—as the site for Utakata’s “sleep enhancement” procedure.

“The experiment will take place while you’re asleep. I’ll use genjutsu to put you under. Don’t resist,” Harusame said softly to the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, who lay on a bed before him.

Out of complete trust for his teacher, Utakata did not resist. He simply nodded and, just before the genjutsu took hold, smiled up at Harusame.

“Thank you, sensei. I’ll finally get a good night’s sleep.”

His smile was dazzling under the dim light.

One minute later, Utakata’s eyes remained open, though his head had slumped to the side, drained of strength.

The genjutsu had taken effect. Harusame gently closed Utakata’s eyes and, with a heavy heart, whispered inwardly, “Yes… you’ll finally sleep soundly forever.”

Kirigakure’s ANBU operatives were monitoring the entire scene closely. While Elder Genji trusted Harusame, precautions had to be taken. Hashirama, the God of Shinobi, was a looming threat over Kirigakure, and the village could not afford to let its guard down.

The experiment seemed to proceed without issue. The ANBU watched as Harusame made intricate hand signs, his hands occasionally glowing with five different colors of light. They even saw Harusame extract part of the Six-Tails’ chakra. Impressed by his skills, they thought this extraction was part of the sleep treatment.

One of the ANBU assigned to watch over Utakata was Aoki Shinko, a trusted operative of Genshi and former elite guard of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura. Shinko had been present when Yagura fought Neiki and Hashirama during their infiltration of the village. After Yagura was captured by Hashirama, Shinko and the other elite guards were placed under investigation.

Upon reviewing their reports, Genshi concluded that Shinko and the others could not have done anything against the overwhelming power of the God of Shinobi, so they were exonerated. Shinko was then assigned to protect Utakata, the future Fifth Mizukage, due to her previous experience with Hashirama.

Since Yagura’s defeat, Shinko had cut her long hair short, a symbol of her resolve. She now kept a close watch on the area surrounding Harusame’s laboratory, paying particular attention to the decorative plants and trees. In the face of a Mokuton user, any plant could be turned into a deadly weapon.

If it were up to her, she’d have ordered every tree in Kirigakure uprooted.

The trauma of Yagura’s downfall weighed heavily on her mind.

“Shinko?” A voice called from behind her.

“What is it?” Shinko glanced back, recognizing a fellow ANBU.

“Someone’s here to deliver supplies to Harusame-sensei for the experiment.”

“I remember that was scheduled,” Shinko nodded. Harusame had indeed mentioned it.

“Is their identity confirmed?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, let them through,” Shinko agreed. Soon, she saw a pretty woman carrying a tray into the lab. After exchanging a few words with Harusame, the woman left.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

She watched the woman disappear into the mist before turning back to the lab, where Harusame continued his work, the glow from his hands flickering intermittently.

Everything seemed normal. Time ticked by, and yet, for some reason, the mist in the air seemed to thicken.

The mist also felt strangely cold.

“It’s freezing out here,” her fellow ANBU grumbled behind her.

“Hold on, the experiment’s almost over,” Shinko muttered, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders.

The wind blew through the clearing, and the mist began to condense into fine droplets.

Shinko suddenly realized something was terribly wrong. This was September—late summer.

How could it be this cold?

And why was the mist so thick?

Her instincts screamed danger. Whipping around, she saw the woman who had delivered the supplies earlier, floating in mid-air behind her.

Her ANBU companion was already encased in ice, his eyes wide in panic as he tried to signal her.

Run…

But it was too late.

Ice began to creep up Shinko’s legs.

“Ice Release: Ice Prison!”