Naruto: Reborn as Neji Hyuga After Dying in One Piece-Chapter 44. Death Draws Near

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Kakashi and the bruised, battered members of Team 7 remained on high alert, weapons drawn and nerves taut.

But the heavy mist that had enveloped the battlefield... faded almost as suddenly as it appeared.

Gone, too, were the bodies of Zabuza and Haku.

Kakashi stared out across the chaos-scarred bridge. Only broken weapons and pools of blood remained, quickly swallowed up by the falling snow.

His brow furrowed. He scanned the surroundings with sharp vigilance but felt nothing.

'Strange... Was that really the Mist's ANBU? Or had Zabuza left behind a final trick?'

He couldn't be sure. But one thing was certain: whoever it was didn't finish them off.

"Sensei..."

Sakura's voice trembled slightly.

Kakashi pulled down his headband to conceal his still-active Sharingan, his body visibly weakened.

"I'm fine. Whoever came... they didn't want a fight. Could've been the real Mist assassination squad."

Maybe.

Or maybe something else entirely.

But there was no need to tell the kids that.

"For now, we're safe."

---

Elsewhere...

Neji sprinted through the forest, cradling Haku in his arms. A faint green glow pulsed from his hand [Life Return] guided fine strands of hair, acting like precision tools to keep Haku's vitals stable.

Behind him, Izumi carried Zabuza over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, following silently.

"Lord Nian," she asked carefully, "can they really be saved?"

She had been confused earlier. Weren't they supposed to recruit these two?

Why let them die first, only to move now and take their corpses?

But she never doubted Neji. If they were dead, he must have had a reason.

Now, though... he was actively saving them. So what changed?

Neji didn't glance back. His voice was calm, steady.

"As long as it's within 30 minutes of death, revival is possible."

In the world of One Piece, Kureha's medical expertise was nothing short of terrifying so advanced and precise that even a reindeer like Chopper, under her guidance, could bring someone back from the brink of death.

And Neji had learned under Vegapunk. His research had pierced the veil of human limits.

So much so, that even Vegapunk himself sealed off certain paths, declaring:

> "Further study would violate the laws of existence."

Among those sealed experiments were the so-called "failed" artificial Devil Fruits.

Failures... that no one else, not even Caesar, could replicate. Weapons so potent that Doflamingo had used them to strike deals with a Yonko.

Haku, fortunately, had only been dead for five or six minutes far from brain death.

And in this world, even that was malleable. Memory fragments could still be extracted from "dead" brains and stored through [Sealing Techniques].

Within minutes, they reached a hidden cliffside bunker Neji had prepared near the sea.

He placed Haku gently on a table and formed a quick hand seal. The entrance was unsealed, revealing a small cave hidden by layered barriers.

Inside was minimal stone furniture, island-cushioned sofas, and several advanced medical instruments Neji had brought with him.

He moved quickly, suspending Haku's body in a [Regeneration Tank] filled with nutrient fluid. (Dragon Ball type)

Then he turned to Zabuza.

"Start with field stabilization," he muttered.

His hands blurred as he applied pressure to major wounds, sealing them with practiced ease.

"Izumi, pull out the blades. All of them. Don't hold back."

Like de-thorning a hedgehog, she yanked out weapon after weapon, each one clattering to the stone floor with a metallic clang.

The injuries were brutal but strangely, there wasn't much bleeding.

Suddenly—

Zabuza's eyes snapped open.

The pain had triggered a nervous system response, jerking him back to consciousness.

His gaze locked on their hunter-nin uniforms. A grim realization crossed his face.

"So... the Mist finally got me..."

Smack!

Neji slapped him clean across the face, enhanced with [Gentle Fist] precision, sending him straight back into unconsciousness.

"No one asked you to monologue. Play dead like a proper corpse."

His hair, guided by [Life Return], moved like dozens of tiny hands stitching wounds, guiding tools, sealing arteries.

Zabuza twitched occasionally, his face twitching in pain, but Neji didn't stop. He wasn't exactly gentle.

Once done, Neji hefted him up by the collar and dropped him into the second tank.

Izumi hurried over and gently wiped the sweat from Neji's brow, her eyes wide in disbelief.

She had known Neji was skilled. But this? She had no idea he was capable of borderline necromancy.

He trained. He read. He experimented on eyes.

But this?

Neji didn't need to read her mind to understand.

"Don't ask," he said flatly. "You'll know... when the time is right."

Izumi nodded.

She didn't ask again.

She was smart. She knew which questions were safe... and which weren't.

Neji exhaled, slumping onto the island couch, letting the tension release from his muscles.

Izumi, ever thoughtful, began massaging his shoulders.

He closed his eyes, lost in thought.

He had prepared for two outcomes:

Option A: Save Zabuza and Haku before death.

Option B: Let them die... and then bring them back.

Originally, he had planned for Option A.

But something had told him to wait.

Because near death brought clarity. It broke pride. It forged loyalty.

A man staring into the abyss often finds the truth.

Death awakens the soul.

That's what Neji was counting on.

With their current condition, they would probably awaken in three or four days.

"Next step," he muttered, "scout out a good base of operations."

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