Naruto: Reborn as Neji Hyuga After Dying in One Piece-Chapter 34. Suspicious

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Bang!

With a brutal kick, Lee silenced the last screaming bandit.

It was his first kill.

His thick brows furrowed slightly. But thanks to years of rigorous training at the academy, his mind didn't waver. The theory had been drilled in long ago. This was simply reality.

"Be careful he's a ninja! Don't give him time to cast a jutsu!" One bandit, gripping a chipped katana, shouted in panic.

The fear was real.

After all, it was ninjutsu that had replaced the old ways and made warriors like them obsolete.

Bandits gritted their teeth, blades drawn, eyes burning with desperation.

He was just a twelve-year-old genin. If they rushed him, maybe, just maybe, they had a chance.

They closed in, blades flashing, hoping to stop him before he could use any jutsu.

But...

They didn't know Lee didn't use jutsu.

He didn't need to.

The close range was exactly where he thrived.

Fist. Elbow. Knee. Heel.

His body became a symphony of violence.

Bones shattered. Organs ruptured. The bandits were sent flying like rag dolls lifeless before they even hit the ground.

Neji, observing from the cliffs, no longer had any concerns for Lee.

Instead, he turned his gaze to Tenten and casually began retrieving the kunai he'd thrown earlier.

Even if he was rich now, a shinobi left no trace. And his tools were custom-forged not something to leave behind.

Just as he looked over, a barrage of ninja tools exploded from Tenten's scroll like a storm of steel rain.

Yeah. She was fine too.

One of the bandits, a slightly more competent swordsman, managed to deflect a few. But when he couldn't hold out any longer, he grabbed a comrade to use as a human shield.

Cold. But effective.

Neji didn't linger.

With practiced ease, he leaped down from the cliffs, the corpse of the enemy leader slung over one shoulder.

He landed silently before the caravan, dropping the body at Nakata's feet with a dull thud.

Some guards recoiled.

Nakata, however, only narrowed his eyes, a flicker of ruthless satisfaction flashing through them.

'Interesting' Neji thought. He's not surprised. In fact... he was expecting this.

"This was their leader," Neji said coolly. "Area secured. My teammates should be finishing up as we speak."

Nakata's expression softened instantly. He forced a wide smile. "Exceptional work. Truly impressive! Barely any time has passed, and already the ambush has been dealt with."

"As a token of appreciation, I'll double your commission. Just a little bonus don't take offense. I'm counting on you for the rest of the journey."

His gaze lingered on the body and on Neji's composed posture.

This kid isn't ordinary.

"No need," Neji replied firmly. "It's within the scope of our assignment. No threats beyond C-rank."

Nakata's smile froze briefly but he quickly masked it and gestured for the guards to handle the corpse.

Neji didn't bother reacting. He wasn't here to unravel secrets. His job was to prove the ambush happened. That was all.

Whatever shady dealings Nakata was involved in... that was beyond the mission's boundaries.

Soon, Lee and Tenten returned clothes stained with blood, expressions quiet and unreadable.

"All finished?" Neji asked.

They both nodded.

They'd picked up a few scrapes nothing serious, but unavoidable.

"Guy-sensei," Neji called. "The threat's been eliminated. We're clear to move."

"Excellent. Good work, all of you."

The caravan resumed its trek as the sun dipped behind the mountains. Once they'd passed through the canyon, they made camp in a forest clearing.

Fires were lit.

A pot of stew boiled over the flame rabbit meat and wild mushrooms, courtesy of Neji's hand.

Lee sat down beside him, holding out his arm.

Neji peeled away the bloodied bandage. A long but shallow cut ran across Lee's forearm. The bleeding had stopped.

"This kind of injury?" Neji said. "I'm not healing it."

"You need to get used to pain."

Lee grinned, teeth flashing. "Right! It's all part of the training!"

Still, when Neji applied antiseptic, Lee couldn't help but flinch.

Bandaged up, Lee drew a sharp breath and chuckled as he rubbed his arm.

"All done. Now eat up," Neji said, handing him a bowl. "That rabbit was caught for a reason."

Lee took a sip his eyes lit up.

"Delicious!"

Neji left him to it and turned to Tenten.

He raised a softly glowing green hand and began healing a few shallow cuts on her arms.

Minor scrapes but scrapes nonetheless.

"I'll treat these. You should always be in peak condition during a mission."

From across the fire, Lee suddenly paused mid-bite, glaring in mock betrayal.

'Wait... didn't you just say you wouldn't heal small wounds?!'

Neji: That was different.

"You're not supposed to get hit," he said quietly. "Someone actually managed to land a blow on you?"

Tenten's cheeks colored slightly.

"...It was kind of my own fault," she admitted. "One of my throwing needles got deflected and bounced back. I'll be more careful."

Neji nodded. He healed the last cut and handed her a bowl of stew.

"Eat. You've taken care of me long enough. Let me return the favor."

Back during the year of his feigned blindness, it was Tenten who had supported him the most.

Lee? Let's be honest Lee was a lovable brute. Mostly XP in human form.

So yes, he treated them differently. And he had no guilt about it. If anything, he worried about Tenten more.

Lee is tough and brute, he can handle it.

She smiled softly and sipped the soup. Her eyes lit up.

"...Tastes really good."

Neither of them showed any signs of shock from their first kills. The ninja world had never been peaceful. The academy had prepared them for this since day one.

At most, there was a flicker of discomfort But no one broke down. No one froze.

Neji reflected on that. In my second life, I didn't handle it nearly as well as they have now.

Suddenly, his ear twitched.

A whisper reached him from behind the carts.

Nakata.

"Boss, it really was him. That leader we've crossed paths with before. No doubt about it."

"Hmph. As expected. This shipment is critical. If this succeeds, we'll finally have ninja backing. That'll be enough to secure our foothold in the Land of Fields."

"Congratulations, sir!"

"Save it. We're not there yet."

"Yes, sir."

Ninja support...?

That term struck a chord.

Beneath his blindfold, Neji quietly activated the Byakugan. His vision sliced through the darkness, scanning the cargo.

Not weapons. Not contraband.

Just a variety of base components and standard materials are used for experiments.

Nothing illegal. But... very specific.

Could it be Orochimaru? That gender-bended Snake Aunt?

In the Land of Fields, the only hidden village with shinobi infrastructure was the Hidden Sound.

Whether it was or wasn't, it didn't matter.

This could be a lead.

Neji tapped the scroll at his waist.

Maybe... just maybe, this is a channel worth exploring.

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