After bidding farewell to Danzo, Allen returned to his quarters in high spirits.
Upon pushing the door open, he noticed a shadow sitting inside, waiting for him. He immediately removed his mask and asked with a grin, "Are you always this free? It's so late, yet instead of resting, you came all this way just to wait for me."
"Why! Why would you do such a thing?" Kakashi demanded, stepping out from the shadows.
"Why? Don't you think that's a ridiculous question? The Third Hokage was the one who violated the shinobi code; all I did was expose it. Yet instead of questioning him, you come here to interrogate me. What kind of logic is that?" Allen countered with a meaningful smirk.
Faced with an irrefutable point, Kakashi's expression soured. He explained in a low voice, "You don't understand. This was meant as compensation for Naruto Uzumaki! After all, he is..."
"After all, he is the son of the heroic Fourth Hokage, so the rules don't apply to him, is that it?"
Before Kakashi could finish, Allen cut him off ruthlessly.
"If that's the case, why not make his identity public? Why let him suffer through years of cold stares and hostility during his childhood? Do you have any idea what that does to a child? Sometimes I truly wonder why Naruto doesn't harbor more hatred for this village after enduring all that pressure and ostracism. Anyone else would likely be nurturing thoughts of destroying Konoha by now. People must be held accountable for their actions. When a mistake is made, one should have the courage to face the consequences. not constantly hide, avoid, and deflect responsibility. Especially not the Shadow of the village."
"So, is this the reason for your dissatisfaction with the Third Hokage? Is this why you've sided with Danzo?"
Kakashi felt he finally understood something, his eyes flickering with a complex light.
"Partially. Actually, Danzo-sama is right, the upper echelons of this village are thoroughly rotten. And have you ever heard the saying? Peace is never something attained through forbearance. If one pursues peace through strength, peace survives; if one pursues peace through appeasement, peace perishes. Think carefully about the decisions the Third Hokage has made from the Nine-Tails' rampage until now. He ceased being a qualified leader long ago; he doesn't deserve to sit in that chair."
Having said his piece, Allen made a clear gesture for his guest to leave.
"Danzo is no different! His methods are even viler, even filthier!"
Realizing that further words were futile, Kakashi offered one last helpless warning, then turned and vanished into the vast night.
Watching his retreating back, Allen chuckled softly. "Of course I know what kind of man Danzo is. But the point is, what he can offer me right now far exceeds anything the Third Hokage could."
The moment the door closed, he secured the windows and pulled the copy of the Scroll of Seals from his bag, quickly beginning his transcription. In a mere ten minutes, countless forbidden jutsu invented by the Second Hokage were now in his possession.
However, before he could begin his practice, a frantic knocking sounded at the door, followed by Neji's voice through the gap: "Allen, are you back?"
"Ah! I'm back. Just a moment!"
Allen swiftly stowed away both the copy of the Scroll of Seals and his handwritten transcript before calmly opening the door.
In an instant, the two former teammates stood face-to-face.
After a long silence of nearly ten seconds, Neji finally spoke: "You told me to find you once I returned to the village."
"I know. Come in and let's talk," Allen said, stepping aside and gesturing for him to enter.
Neji didn't waste words, crossing the threshold into the small room, a typical public housing unit. In Konoha, any Genin with their own residence could receive such a place from the village to call home.
Neji glanced briefly at the sparse, humble furnishings before asking impatiently, "I've come as agreed. Now, can you tell me how to get stronger quickly?"
Allen smiled and waved a hand dismissively. "Don't be in such a rush. Before that, I need to confirm one thing: are you prepared to pay any price in the pursuit of power?"
"Any price?" Neji's pupils dilated.
"That's right. Any price. Power isn't something one gains easily. And... I can remove the Caged Bird curse mark on your forehead."
Allen nonchalantly dropped a bombshell that sent Neji's heart racing.
For Neji Hyuga, what were the two most unacceptable things in his life? The first was his father being forced to die as a scapegoat for the Main House; the second was being branded with the Caged Bird curse immediately after, rendering him a mere tool, a puppet incapable of resistance.
Hearing someone claim they could break the seal, Neji became visibly agitated, his hands trembling uncontrollably. "Is that true? You can really do it?"
Allen reached into his belongings and placed a bottle of Restorative Potion on the table. "This is a special concoction. If you drink it, the Caged Bird will vanish instantly. But I have one condition for the exchange: you must join my team."
"Join your team?"
Though Neji's eyes never left the bottle emitting a faint, ethereal glow, he sensed an unusual aura behind the proposal.
"Yes. I've grown tired of staying in this massive cage called Konoha, and even more tired of following its endless rules and regulations. I plan to defect from the village and form my own small group. If you are willing to join, I will do everything in my power to help you grow stronger, I'll even help you take your revenge against the Hyuga Main House."
Allen didn't hide his intentions, stating them plainly while observing the boy's reaction.
"Defect... from the village?!"
Neji was clearly stunned by the revelation, looking up with a face full of shock and confusion. But very quickly, he realized he felt no true attachment to Konoha; in fact, he too felt a deep-seated loathing. It was the village's weakness and compromise toward the Hidden Cloud that had forced his father's suicide and turned his childhood into a tragedy.
Coming to this realization, he gritted his teeth and replied, "I'm in! As long as I can be rid of the Caged Bird! As long as I can gain the strength for revenge! What does becoming a rogue ninja matter?!"
"Excellent. You can drink it now." Allen gently pushed the Restorative Potion forward.
Neji didn't hesitate. He tilted his head back and drained the bottle, then removed his headband to expose the curse mark, staring intently into the mirror.
In a matter of seconds, the glaring mark on his forehead slowly faded into nothingness. Simultaneously, the blind spot in his Byakugan, the flaw caused by the curse, was completely filled in.
Just as Allen had predicted, the curse mark functioned as a type of debuff or curse, allowing the effects of the Restorative Potion to dispel it. Had it failed, he would have had to resort to a more drastic method using his power of rejection to purge the Caged Bird.