This terrifying speed was an overwhelming blow to the shinobi.
The support ninjas were drenched in cold sweat, finally understanding why Asuma had remained silent.
"You all continue. I need to report to the Hokage."
Asuma reached into his pocket, intending to pull out a cigarette, but then remembered, this was just a game.
The in-game shop sold cigarettes, but he couldn't bring himself to waste points on them.
"A game world beyond the Shinobi Realm?"
In the Sound Village, within a secret underground research facility...
Dim lighting flickered over various glass containers, each holding extracted experimental specimens, Jūgo's blood and cellular samples among them.
Orochimaru licked his lips, his golden slit-pupiled eyes flickering with uncertainty.
For a moment, he even suspected that the one who had delivered this information, Kabuto Yakushi, had betrayed him.
Absurd.
Yet, the more he thought about it, the more an insatiable curiosity burned within him. He had to uncover the truth.
Unfortunately, Kabuto, now a player, was under strict surveillance by the ANBU. There was no way to extract him for a thorough dissection.
A pity.
"Orochimaru-sama."
A shinobi radiating a sinister chakra aura entered the lab.
Without turning around, Orochimaru casually tossed a piece of paper from Kabuto's intelligence report toward him and ordered, "Kidōmaru, take Jirōbō with you. Bring him back."
Kidōmaru carefully caught the paper and found that it contained information on a noble from the Land of Fire.
"Immortality… How fascinating."
A smirk curled at the corners of Orochimaru's lips.
The shinobi world was undergoing an unprecedented upheaval. The plan to destroy Konoha needed to accelerate.
Two days later.
Even the two support ninjas, who had the weakest combat sense, had become classed players.
"Neji and I are both Brawlers, Kabuto is a Rogue, and we even have a Mage Apprentice. There are so many different classes in the Reincarnation Game… I wonder which one is the strongest."
The more Asuma thought about it, the more uneasy he became.
The game's classes incorporated knowledge from other worlds.
Brawlers, Rogues, Mage Apprentices… Each was an independent energy system, just like ninjutsu, implying the existence of entirely different realms.
The deeper he delved into intelligence gathering, the more mysterious and terrifying the Reincarnation Game appeared.
Asuma sighed and said, "That's it for today. Everyone, get some rest."
Naruto Uzumaki, still eager to continue, was sternly stopped by Asuma.
Their souls entered the game world, leaving their real bodies in a dormant state. Staying logged in for too long would lead to malnutrition.
Neji Hyuga logged out.
Just as he was about to prepare a meal to replenish his energy, he noticed that someone had entered his house. A letter lay on the table in the living room.
Tearing open the envelope, he silently read its contents.
Then, he rose and headed toward the heart of the Hyuga clan's compound, arriving at a luxurious residence.
"Is that you, Neji? Come in."
A deep, calm voice sounded from within.
Expressionless, Neji entered respectfully and slightly raised his head.
Inside, a man in a flowing white robe knelt on a soft cushion.
His long black hair cascaded over his shoulders, and his pure white eyes were free of any markings on his forehead.
"Clan Head."
Neji knelt on one knee in deference.
The man before him bore a striking resemblance to his father, this was Hiashi Hyuga, the current leader of the Hyuga clan and head of the main family.
Hiashi smiled gently and asked, "Have you been working hard lately?"
The S-rank mission assigned by the Hokage was highly classified, but recent rumors circulating within the village had made Hiashi uneasy.
Neji shook his head. "It is a shinobi's duty to serve the village."
Hiashi's brows furrowed, but he quickly composed himself and said, "The village is important, but so is the Hyuga clan. As a prodigy of our family, you must also serve the clan."
"Yes."
Neji's response was calm and unwavering.
Hiashi studied the boy before him, a trace of guilt flickering in his gaze. Slowly, he said, "Neji, the village is like a great tree. The Hyuga clan is its trunk, and you are one of its branches. Only if the trunk grows strong can the branches flourish. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
A short, impassive reply.
Hiashi's fingers lightly tapped the floor. Watching Neji, who kept his head down without a single change in expression, he finally withdrew his hand in silence.
He won't share any details about his mission?
An S-rank mission assigned by the Hokage… Missions of this level were rare, usually only appearing during times of war.
But the world was at peace. There were no signs of military buildup among the nations.
That made this S-rank mission all the more unusual.
Yet Neji remained silent.
Hiashi Hyuga shook his head and said, "You may leave. I hope you remember, your clan will always be your support."
"Yes."
Neji silently exited the room.
The Reincarnation Game was a classified mission assigned by the Hokage. As long as he kept quiet, not even the head of the main branch could forcibly press him for answers.
If the main branch ever learned about the game… If they found out he had a way to break free from the Caged Bird...
He would undoubtedly be placed under heavy surveillance and locked back inside his cage.
That was something Neji absolutely could not accept.
He had even braced himself for the Caged Bird's torment, yet Hiashi had let him leave so easily.
Was it guilt? Or pity?
A sudden surge of anger welled up in Neji's chest. His fists clenched so tightly that his nails pierced his palms, blood seeping through his fingers.
Back in his room, he held a scroll in his hands.
He unrolled it and carefully read the text, every last word.
Then, closing his eyes tightly, he pressed his fingers together. Chakra began to flow into his eyes, following a complex pattern.
The next moment
It was as if his eyes were engulfed in flames. A searing pain erupted, spreading from his eyeballs to his entire head, as though his eyes had been thrown into a raging inferno, the fire consuming everything.
Within two seconds, Neji collapsed, unable to maintain his stance, his hands gripping his eye sockets in agony.
When he opened his eyes
His Byakugan was stained with crimson blotches, his vision blurred.
But
The twisted, menacing seal on his forehead… seemed to have faded ever so slightly.
The Caged Bird, a shackle imprinted directly onto the soul. Even those resurrected by the Edo Tensei could not escape its curse.
Not even Tenjin Hyuga, the researcher who had studied it extensively, had found a perfect method to break the seal.
To remove the Caged Bird was extremely dangerous. The risk of blindness was high.
And for a shinobi who possessed the Byakugan… losing their sight meant losing everything.
But
Neji clutched his face, enduring the pain that pierced his very soul.
Since when…? Since the moment the Caged Bird was branded on him? Since his father's death?
He had resigned himself to fate, believing everything was predetermined, blaming it all on destiny. He had hated the main branch, yet lived like a dog that had already accepted its fate.
Until the Reincarnation Game appeared.
Just like that mysterious figure had said, this was a game. And if he won, the reward would be the power to change his destiny.
Even if it meant enduring unbearable pain, even if it meant gouging out his own eyes
As long as he could break free from fate's chains
He would pay any price!