The surrounding ANBU swiftly took action, restraining the attacker on the spot.
Only then did Neji hand the terrified child over to the anxious couple who had rushed over.
Overwhelmed with emotion, the parents thanked him again and again, nearly dropping to their knees before Hyuga Neji.
Tenten came running over at that moment, grabbing Neji's arms and scanning him from head to toe.
"Are you hurt? What were you thinking, charging in like that?"
Neji gave her a gentle smile. "I'm fine. He couldn't have laid a finger on me."
Tenten let out a breath of relief and patted her chest. Watching Neji in action had made her heart nearly leap out of her chest.
"Good… you scared the hell out of me. What technique did you just use? You saved the hostage in two moves!"
Off to the side, Tenten's father silently clenched his teeth. His own daughter had never shown him that kind of concern, but here she was fawning over some outsider. How frustrating…
Her mother, however, observed Neji from a distance and nodded with approval.
"This boy is quite something. Polite, powerful… he's at least a jōnin, right?"
"That still doesn't mean—" her father reflexively tried to object.
His wife shot him a sharp glance and chided,
"He's more than worthy of our daughter. Or do you want her holding a lifelong grudge against you? Our job as parents is to do the final vetting, not to play gatekeeper."
Tenten's father could already imagine the future—Tenten glaring at him after Neji's wedding, cutting him off coldly and refusing to call him her father ever again.
He could only sigh in resignation. "Sigh… Girls really don't stay little for long."
...
The next morning – South Gate of Konohagakure
Tenten and Neji stood at the gate, each carrying a large scroll packed with supplies her family had prepared for them.
Neji was locked in a tense standoff with his prospective father-in-law. In a low, threatening voice that only the two of them could hear, the older man growled,
"Listen, punk. If my daughter so much as sheds a single tear, I'll make you regret it."
"And one more thing... we're both men, so you know what I mean. No funny business until the wedding night. Got it?"
"Uh…" Neji had been about to protest that they were nowhere near that stage yet, but one look at the murderous glint in the man's eyes made him nod quickly.
"Understood, sir. I promise."
Tenten's father finally looked slightly satisfied. He clapped Neji on the shoulder and pulled out a smaller scroll.
"Take this. Money gives a man courage. You'll need it out there."
"That's not necess—"
"It's not for you. It's for my daughter. You can suffer all you want, but she shouldn't."
"…Got it." Neji accepted the scroll without another word.
Just then, Tenten finished saying goodbye to her mother and ran over, taking Neji's hand with a bright smile.
"Alright, Dad! We're heading out!"
Tenten's father sighed deeply and gave Neji another shoulder pat, then hugged his daughter.
"Take care out there."
"No worries," Tenten said confidently. "With Neji around, I'll be fine."
With that, the group waved goodbye. Neji and Tenten set off—not to become the world's greatest Pokémon trainers, ahem—but to begin their journey across the Shinobi World.
Unseen beneath the earth, a few White Zetsu had been observing from afar. Silently, they slipped away into the distance.
...
Meanwhile – far away, in the Land of Tea
Hyuga Gakuya sat alone in a quiet room, sipping green tea with calm precision.
Suddenly, the ground rippled, and a White Zetsu emerged from beneath. Bowing respectfully, it reported,
"Lord Gakuya, Young Master Neji has left the village, accompanied by a woman named Tenten."
"Alright. Your job now is to protect them. Don't interfere unless necessary," Gakuya said without even glancing at him.
"Yes, my lord." The Zetsu sank back into the ground.
Gakuya let out a soft chuckle. "As expected of my little brother. Even his girl-charming skills are inherited from me."
The best-case scenario he had envisioned was now unfolding perfectly. With Neji on his path, Gakuya no longer needed to worry about that end. He could now fully focus on his next move.
He reached for another report that had been delivered via Zetsu.
Multiple squads had converged in the Land of Tea.
From Konoha, Kakashi was leading Team 7, coordinating with Kurenai's Team 8.
Kirigakure had sent none other than Terumī Mei herself. This mission was crucial to her reputation—failure was not an option.
Iwagakure dispatched Han, the Five-Tails' jinchūriki, alongside elite Iwa ANBU.
Sasuke's squad had already arrived and was waiting for the Akatsuki to appear.
The Akatsuki duo of Itachi and Kisame had also surfaced, clearly there to capture a tailed beast. What Itachi didn't know was that his younger brother was already waiting for him.
Lastly, Gakuya's own "observer squad," led by Deidara, remained stationed in secret—ready to enjoy the show from a safe distance.
"How exciting," Gakuya muttered, snapping his fingers.
From beneath his right hand, a white coffin rose from the floor. Obito emerged from it, his expression icy cold.
"Hyuga Gakuya," he said flatly. "Why have you summoned me?"
Gakuya wasn't offended. He fully understood Obito's anger—no one liked being used.
"In a few days, the battle for the Three-Tails begins. Five separate forces will be gunning for it. I want you to jump into the fray—not to capture the beast, but to throw everything into chaos."
He briefly outlined the current situation.
Obito took a deep breath, tamping down his fury. "Understood."
...
"You're free to act as you please over the next few days," Gakuya continued. "Your objective isn't the tailed beast—it's to stir the pot. If you do well, I'll consider bringing you and Rin back. For real."
With that, Gakuya tossed a half-scroll toward Obito.
Catching it, Obito read the title: Heaven's Resurrection. He scoffed at first, but by the time he finished reading, his eyes widened in shock. If this jutsu was truly as described, it could theoretically revive the dead—an unlimited number of times.
Gakuya knew all too well the power of pairing threats with promises. In a cold voice, he added,
"But remember—your every move is under the watch of the Edo Tensei binding seal. If you so much as hint at exposing my plans, I'll bring Rin back in a very… different way."
The implication was crystal clear: Edo Tensei resurrection.
"I understand." Obito vanished using Kamui, leaving the room empty once more.
Under Gakuya's orchestration, things were spiraling toward something far more interesting.
Kakashi versus Obito. Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke and Itachi.
So many pairs of enemies, bound by love and hate.
Obito, in particular, had plenty of old grudges. His history with Kirigakure ran deep—he had once controlled the Mizukage and turned the Hidden Mist into a bloody nightmare. And his hatred for Naruto was personal—Naruto's parents had died by Obito's hand.
The tensions between the great Hidden Villages were tangled enough as it was. None of them trusted each other, and they all saw the Akatsuki as a threat.
And now, the outcast Uchiha Obito had re-entered the game under Hyuga Gakuya's control, vying for the tailed beasts once more. The Akatsuki wouldn't stand for that.
The more Gakuya thought about it, the more chaotic things seemed.
This was shaping up to be an all-out war.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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