Naruto: Reborn as Neji Hyuga After Dying in One Piece
Chapter 148. Trial Run

Chapter 148: 148. Trial Run

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"Ugh, seriously?"

Karin scowled, her fist barely cracking through a newly emerged bone shield. She hadn’t even noticed it forming until her punch met resistance.

Two nearby puppets immediately drew bone-bladed weapons and slashed toward her.

Clang!

A shadow suddenly dropped in, wielding the massive Executioner’s Blade. She spun in a powerful arc and sent both puppets flying.

Karin looked up in awe at the towering, confident figure of Zabuza. She felt a sudden twinge of self-doubt.

"Damn it!"

With a shout, she grabbed the puppet’s spear mid-thrust and launched herself downward using its momentum.

The next second, her monster-like strength trained under Neji’s watch erupted, and she used the captured puppet as a hammer to smash into a cluster of others.

But the puppets weren’t so easily dealt with. The one she had slammed to the ground twisted midair and landed nimbly, avoiding a chain reaction.

Back-to-back with Karin, Zabuza narrowed her eyes as the puppets re-encircled them.

"These things are a pain," Karin muttered.

Zabuza smirked. "Yeah, but now it’s starting to get fun."

With a roar, she charged in, blade flashing. Karin hesitated, then followed.

Karin held her own against two puppets using only taijutsu barely. She realized just how far she still had to go.

Zabuza, however, showed expert assassination form, landing pinpoint strikes again and again.

Clang, clang, clang! Each vital strike met a bone guard. She frowned.

They were fast, with excellent combat algorithms, but... off somehow.

Too stiff.

Everything was textbook perfect but too mechanical. Predictable. Lacking life.

Suddenly, Zabuza powered through, shattering one’s guard and slicing halfway through its torso.

Just as she pulled the blade out—

—The puppet regenerated.

Instantly.

"Great. They’re self-repairing?"

"Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu!"

"Water Style: Water Prison!"

She leapt back and created two clones. They rushed forward and instantly trapped two of the puppets in watery spheres.

Elsewhere, Haku had already frozen three puppets into solid ice. Kimimaro stood motionless, the last three skewered with bone spears.

Only Karin was still locked in combat, gritting her teeth. She hadn’t learned any sealing jutsu yet just taijutsu, basic medical ninjutsu, and sensory skills.

She wanted to cry. Two puppets and she still couldn’t win. All that training and she still fell short.

"Alright, that’s enough," Neji’s calm voice echoed.

The puppet in front of her froze mid-swing, and she smashed it away with one last punch.

Seeing her teammates already done, she puffed her cheeks in frustration, eyes slightly red.

All that effort... and she still lagged behind.

Haku approached and gently patted her shoulder. "You’re doing great. Don’t push yourself too hard. You’ve improved more than you know."

"...Yeah." Karin sniffled quietly.

Neji listened from the control platform, thoughtful. She was progressing well just needed the right tools. It was time to teach her sealing jutsu. She was ready.

Everyone else had advanced too. Zabuza had mastered several new techniques, Haku was exploring his Ice Release, and Kimimaro had refined the flexibility of his [Shikotsumyaku].

"How’s everyone feeling?" Neji asked.

Zabuza spoke first. "They’re not bad. It would definitely overwhelm any genin. Against chūnin, once they figure them out, they’re manageable."

Haku nodded after a moment. "Their tactics are too simple. They hit hard, but move too predictably."

Kimimaro silently agreed. The puppets had been designed using his bone manipulation data but they lacked the subtlety.

Karin? She didn’t even want to comment. She was still sulking.

Neji chuckled and flicked her on the forehead.

"Don’t dwell on it. You just need the right jutsu. You’ve already mastered sealing runes. Once I teach you how to use them in combat, these things will be a breeze."

Her eyes lit up. "You mean it?"

Neji nodded.

It was like someone had flipped a switch. Karin bounced back to life. Beside her, Izumi giggled quietly at the dramatic change.

"Alright," Neji continued, "there’s still room for improvement, but these should be good enough for now."

"These puppets will serve as your assistants around base from here on. But first, you’ve got a new mission."

He pulled out a massive sealing scroll and slapped his palm onto it.

Poof!

A tree materialized in front of them, sparking confusion.

"...It’s a tree?" someone asked.

Neji didn’t explain. He instead handed them a map.

"Every location marked in red on this map needs to have one of these trees installed. From now on, aside from high-priority missions, your main job is to place these trees in strategic zones."

"These areas are all high-risk. Too dangerous for puppets alone. That’s why I need you."

They studied the map each red mark hovered near major shinobi villages. No wonder it was their job.

"What if we’re discovered?" Zabuza asked.

"Don’t engage. Avoid confrontation. But if the tree is compromised destroy it. Immediately."

Crystal clear instructions. They nodded.

Each team gathered its designated scrolls. The puppets followed, ready to assist with deployment. The scrolls were activation-based no hand signs required.

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Soon after, Zabuza, Haku, and Kimimaro split into teams and began their missions.

Karin stayed behind to continue her training.

If she wanted to catch up, she’d need to work harder. Sealing arts weren’t going to learn themselves.

—

Later, in a private restroom overlooking the base—

Neji rested with his head on Izumi’s lap, her delicate fingers massaging his scalp as he murmured softly.

"The plan’s in motion. Those trees are our signal towers slowly spreading across the entire shinobi world. Once in place, everything gets easier."

"You’ve done well," Izumi whispered.

Neji smiled and held her hand.

"No, you have. You’ve always been there, quietly supporting me. If you’re still seeking that answer we can find it together."

Izumi’s hands froze. Her eyes softened.

"The answer... doesn’t matter anymore," she whispered with a bittersweet smile. "The past is the past. You taught me that."

"But... if you do meet him, tell him for me."

"...I will."

He felt the tremor in her chakra. That name is Itachi. He had the answer she once wanted. And one day, he would make sure she got it.

That was his promise.

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