⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯Chapter 226 : Chapter 226 Establishing Morigakure, Goal—The Chunin Exams [3/3]
Chapter 226: Establishing the Hidden Forest Village, Objective—The Chunin Exams [3/3]
In the evening, Neji left the classroom, still in a state of unease.
He returned to the school and, of course, was given a lecture.
However...
What made Neji uneasy wasn't the reprimand, but the mysterious person from before.
He kept feeling as if—
As if he had forgotten something.
Neji frowned, but his footsteps unconsciously quickened.
Just as he emerged from the classroom and was about to head down the stairs—
"Neji."
He looked up at the sound, somewhat startled.
"Hokage-sama?"
"Mm, come with me."
"Yes!"
Neji felt apprehensive, yet he knew he had no other choice.
In Konoha, the Third Hokage's word was law.
Even the Hyuga Clan might not dare to disobey Hiruzen Sarutobi's wishes, let alone a member of the branch house like himself.
He followed silently, walking up to the rooftop of the teaching building.
Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't wearing his Hokage robes, but rather casual clothes, looking very approachable and kind.
"Sit."
"Yes!"
Neji sat down at the edge.
Hiruzen Sarutobi then spoke, "The person you met, if nothing is amiss, should be a Rogue Ninja from Konoha. His goal is your body and your Bloodline Limit—"
"I understand."
"He also knows some Curses and special Sealing Jutsu. Therefore, to ensure your safety, I need to perform a deeper examination on you."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was solemn. "Are you willing?"
Neji nodded.
He was nervous, but he had to suppress the fluctuations in his heart to prevent Hiruzen Sarutobi from spotting any flaws in his emotions or appearance.
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and said, "No need to be nervous."
A moment later, he withdrew his palm.
"He left a portion of Chakra in your head, but he didn't have time to plant a Curse."
It was at this very moment—
In Neji's mind, some memories surfaced.
That strand of Chakra had been exhausted!
His expression went blank for a moment before he recovered.
So that's how it is!
Neji understood in his heart, but he didn't dare show it. "Hokage-sama, then—do I need to be placed in confinement for observation?"
"No need."
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. "I will send someone to protect you. You don't need to worry."
"Yes!"
Neji bowed his head.
After leaving the Ninja Academy, he slowly sorted through the memories.
The other party claimed to be a descendant of the Kaguya Clan and the Shikotsumyaku, related to the Hyuga Clan, but was vague about his true purpose.
"Experiment, danger—"
Neji pondered repeatedly, and the scene from that day gradually surfaced in his mind.
That day, a powerhouse had charged into the Hyuga Clan's streets, slaughtering people like dogs, and directly took Hyūga Takashi away.
Afterward, the body was found, but it was heard that a pair of eyes were missing—
Neji froze slightly, suddenly understanding everything.
The other party had actually already made it clear!
He was a test subject.
The combination of the Byakugan and Shikotsumyaku was only theoretically possible in the other party's mind; everything else was full of uncertainty.
Even...
Whether the Caged Bird could truly be undone, the other party might not be able to guarantee.
"A test subject—"
Neji fell silent.
Everything hadn't started yet. He still had room for regret. As long as he found his teacher, perhaps he could return to his original path.
But—
Masahiko-sensei was so good to him; how could he drag him into the quagmire of the Hyuga Clan?
The matters of the Hyuga Clan were something the people of Konoha could not interfere with.
He had to try!
Even if he might die in the end, he was completely fearless.
Gambling with his life.
He had already gambled once!
For several days in a row, Neji was very apprehensive.
Masahiko, on the other hand, was quite calm.
Currently, Tenzo and Kakashi were both away. If Hiruzen Sarutobi really found something, he would definitely communicate with him.
Since Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't come looking for him, it meant he hadn't checked Neji's memories and hadn't discovered the "Demon Pill" or Neji's hidden secrets.
—
Of course.
It was also possible he was waiting for the prey to come to him, but—
It didn't matter.
As a Jonin of Konoha, and an elite among elites at that, even if Hiruzen Sarutobi were to take action, he would surely have him participate as well.
During this time, he had been organizing his intelligence network, searching for Hiruko's location.
At the same time—
His Shadow Clone, after taking Ranmaru away, did not directly send Ranmaru back.
After switching to another Shadow Clone—
He took Ranmaru and headed all the way southeast.
Land of Woods, Illusion Forest.
Kazuma was teaching a group of children, as well as the children he had found while traveling through various countries, but his heart was full of confusion.
After visiting several countries, he realized that even the Daimyo could not manage their nations well.
This Ninja World was too chaotic!
All sorts of people and nobles each had their own interests and directions, making it impossible to unite them as one.
Just then.
Outside, a sudden fluctuation of Chakra was felt.
Kazuma immediately used Body Flicker to head out.
The next second, he saw a sky full of shuriken coming his way, each controlled by invisible Chakra Threads.
He flickered forward, his hands forming seals.
In an instant, an earth wall rose, blocking all the shuriken.
The next second—
Bang!
A loud crash.
The earth wall was directly smashed open by a giant panda. The opponent's blade slashed horizontally. Seeing the panda, Kazuma immediately realized the opponent was one of their own.
He waved his hand with a Wind Release technique, but it was blocked by the panda. The next second—
The panda disappeared.
The person behind it swung a massive shuriken and threw it straight at him.
Bang!
Kazuma was sent flying by the impact.
The next second, the children within the Illusion Forest rushed over one by one, holding weapons.
"Don't you dare hurt Furido-sensei!"
"Protect sensei!"
They shouted one after another.
"Don't come over!"
Kazuma raised his hand.
Panting, he said, "He is a subordinate of the Master, not an enemy."
Ranmaru looked at them, stopped his movements, and said, "You've done well."
"I've merely given them some instruction."
Kazuma gave a bitter smile.
There were quite a few more Ninja in the Illusion Forest than before. Besides the original Marutetsu and the children, as well as Fudo and Fuen whom he had brought, there were also some wandering Ninja who had been screened and had clear backgrounds.
Therefore.
The people here looked much more numerous than before, taking on the appearance of a Village.
Kazuma waved his hand to dismiss the crowd.
Ranmaru listened to the Master's instructions.
After a slight pause, he asked, "Have you been in contact with the Daimyo of the Land of Woods?"
"Yes. Some nobles in Fan City believe that since the Land of Woods is an ally of the Land of Fire, there's no need to establish our own Hidden Village. However, others believe we should."
Kazuma replied.
He paused for a moment, slightly raising his head to observe the other party.
The newcomer wore a hood, but his back was highly arched, looking like a hunchback. However, judging from the overlapping voices—
He was likely carrying a child on his back.
What a bizarre image!
But, in terms of combat strength just now, the opponent was definitely not to be underestimated.
Kazuma lowered his head and said, "However, from the Daimyo's tone, he seems to want to form his own team, but he lacks sufficient funds."
"In the name of guardian Ninja, urge the Daimyo to establish the Hidden Forest Village as soon as possible. The scale can be slightly expanded, and I will provide a portion of the funds."
The overlapping voices rang out.
Kazuma hesitated for a moment and asked, "The objective of Hidden Forest Village is—"
"You don't need to know. The Master needs you to establish diplomatic relations with Konoha and participate in Konoha's Chunin Exams in the name of Hidden Forest Village as much as possible."
"Yes!"
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