Chapter 66: Assassinating the Fifth Hokage!

"What exactly are you so happy about?!"

Tsunade snapped at Neji. The whole way back, he had been looking at her with that same subtle, unreadable smile tugging at his lips. It was making her deeply uneasy.

And then…

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, fixing Neji with a suspicious glare. "You really know how to use the Yin Seal, don't you?"

She might not have asked if she hadn't noticed it herself. Neji's pride only grew. He truly felt like fortune itself was on his side.

Back when he rescued Tsunade from Orochimaru and Kabuto, the system had rewarded him with the Yin Seal.

This powerful technique allowed him to finely regulate chakra, instantly heal wounds, boost strength and speed, and even delay aging when paired with the Strength of a Hundred Seal. It sustained peak physical condition and compensated for his current weaknesses. But the most obvious tell was the rhombus-shaped mark that appeared on the user's forehead. Neji had been careful to hide it behind his headband, but even he had slipped up when activating the seal earlier.

He thought he'd gotten away with it. Clearly, he hadn't.

"Forget it. You've got so many secrets, one more won't surprise me," Tsunade muttered, resigned. No matter how much she probed, Neji remained tight-lipped. She had no choice but to let it go. As long as he wasn't a threat to the village, she could live with it.

Watching the two interact, Shizune felt a surge of joy. Ever since Tsunade lost her uncle and Nawaki, she had never truly smiled. But now, for the first time in ages, she looked relaxed.

"I'm so glad," Shizune said warmly. "If Nawaki and your uncle could see you now, I'm sure they'd be happy you've let go of the past."

Then she turned to Neji. "Thank you."

"No need for that," Neji replied, shaking his head. "If I lost someone I loved right before my eyes, I probably wouldn't be as strong as you."

The thought made him think of Sasuke. Trapped by hatred, consumed by vengeance... his life had been a mess. Thankfully, he still had Naruto. Without him, Sasuke would have been lost for good.

"We're almost at Konoha," Shizune said excitedly. "It's been so long since I've seen home."

"I wonder how the village's doing."

But she suddenly stopped mid-sentence, her steps freezing.

Among the trio, Shizune's strength was at jōnin level. She was sensitive enough to sense the slightest disturbance in the surroundings.

There it was faint, well-hidden killing intent, emanating from ahead. Whoever it was had mastered the art of stealth. Even for a jōnin like Shizune, it was only detectable at this close a range.

But Tsunade had already sensed it long ago. As one of the Sannin, her abilities as a Kage-level shinobi were undeniable. And Neji? His sensory skills, amplified by the Kagura's Mind Eye, had already picked out their positions in full detail.

"Who would dare try to assassinate Lady Tsunade in the Land of Fire?!" Shizune shifted forward, shielding Tsunade instinctively. It was her duty, even if Tsunade was much stronger than her.

"Who else? Danzo," Neji said coldly, activating his Byakugan.

"Danzo?!" Tsunade froze. She shook her head. "I don't approve of Danzo's methods, but he's still one of the village elders. He may be extreme, but everything he's done has been for Konoha."

Neji snorted. "You're only seeing the surface. You've all been deceived for too long."

He stared ahead, voice colder than before. "Danzo's ambition knows no bounds. He dreams of uniting the entire shinobi world. And to him, people are either tools... or obstacles."

It was almost laughable, how Tsunade still tried to defend him.

"Neji, Danzo has made contributions to Konoha…"

"With all due respect," Neji cut her off, "I haven't seen any real 'contributions.' All I see is a village in chaos. One by one, Konoha's top shinobi have fallen and he's behind it."

Tsunade fell silent. Thinking carefully, she realized Neji might be right. Danzo had eliminated enemies in the shadows, yes, but he'd also driven many of their finest to death or ruin.

If those elites were still around, Orochimaru or the Sand wouldn't have stood a chance. Even if the Four Great Nations had joined forces, the Third Hokage wouldn't have needed to sacrifice himself.

Suddenly-

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Figures appeared in the treetops before them, dozens of masked individuals with no village insignia. They didn't bother hiding anymore.

Black masks concealed their faces, making identification impossible. But Neji already knew who they served. Given the time, place, and purpose there was only one possibility.

"Danzo, you've really done it now. Assassinating the Fifth Hokage? This time, there's no coming back."

Neji smirked.

"Water Style: Water Blade Barrage!"

"Wind Style: Great Wind Cutter!"

The attackers unleashed a barrage of ninjutsu toward Tsunade.

"Perfect timing! Eight Trigrams: Mountain-Crushing Strike!"

Neji appeared in front of her in an instant, chakra coiling in his palm. With a sweep of his arm, a radiant beam of energy surged forward, colliding with the enemy's jutsu and annihilating them all in a blinding flash.

"I'll play with you all for a bit."

These assassins were strong none weaker than a chunin, with five jōnin leading the charge. Anywhere else, they would be a deadly force.

But they'd chosen the wrong target.

Danzo had vastly underestimated Neji's power. He assumed Tsunade was still weakened by her hemophobia. What he didn't know was that his intel was outdated.

"Kill them!"

There were no more words. Neji launched into action, chakra flaring.

Twin lion heads roared to life around his fists, glowing fiercely with devastating power. With a thunderous surge, he slammed his hand into one of the attackers.

"Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists!"

The man exploded into a cloud of blood, vanishing before he could even scream.

Neji wasn't just using a high-level Gentle Fist technique he had fused it with raw monster strength. That was the source of its overwhelming destructive force.

"Your intel is wrong. This day will be Root's nightmare... though none of you will live to see it."

Without another word, Neji charged straight into their ranks. There was no need for a standoff. Only blood.

These Root operatives weren't weak. Far from it. But they were facing a monster in human skin a teenager, yes, but one who slaughtered like a demon.

"Scatter!" one jōnin shouted, leaping away to escape.

Neji's eyes gleamed coldly. He raised a hand.

A beam of white light flashed forward.

"Eight Trigrams: Mountain-Crushing Strike!"

The beam howled through the air like a divine blade, slicing through everything in its path. Nothing could stop it.