Neji's words struck like a hammer, not just waking Naruto up, but clearing the minds of everyone present. They were indeed different from Sasuke. Forcing him to come back might only twist his heart further, driving him into madness.
Naruto took a deep breath. "I get it now."
But then he added firmly, "Still, I won't give up. Once Sasuke gets his revenge, I'll bring him back!"
Neji nodded with satisfaction and continued to lead them forward. Before long, they reached a mountain range, where a desolate village came into view in the distance.
"That's the place you mentioned?" Shikamaru stepped ahead, frowning. "It's odd. Not a single soul in broad daylight."
"Let's take a look." Neji moved first, leaping through the trees. In a few short breaths, he arrived at the village.
Watching the others follow behind, Neji felt an odd sense of déjà vu like a high-level player leading a party of clueless newbies through a dungeon for the first time.
They took cover in a grove. Given their current skill level, as long as they didn't act recklessly, they wouldn't be discovered.
"Whoa, Neji! Is that the Grell Stone you mentioned? It's huge!" Naruto exclaimed, staring at the towering fortress ahead.
"Idiot. That's obviously just a stronghold," Sakura said, punching Naruto in the head. She quietly mourned the fact that someone like him was her teammate.
"This is such a drag," Shikamaru sighed, slouching. He couldn't remember why he even accepted this mission in the first place.
"Actually," he added, "this isn't really our mission, is it?"
"A few Grell Stones on their own aren't much to worry about," Neji explained, "but if these people discover the Grell Stone vein... who knows what might happen. According to the intel I've gathered, that kind of power could wipe out half the continent."
Neji chuckled lightly. Shikamaru immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
"You've gotta be kidding... this just keeps getting worse," Shikamaru muttered. If that really happened, the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind would be the first to suffer.
"Neji, are you serious?" Naruto asked, visibly shaken.
Neji nodded. "Yeah."
"Then we've gotta stop them, now!" Naruto shouted and impulsively charged out toward the stronghold.
"Naruto! Damn it, that idiot!" Sakura clenched her fists in frustration, resisting the urge to go after him and knock some sense into his head.
"Tch... so troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.
"It's fine. Everything's going according to plan."
"So, what now?"
"Let Naruto cause a distraction. That'll stir up the people inside. Meanwhile, we sneak in," Neji said.
"But there's one more thing," he added, turning to Shikamaru. "There's a merchant caravan in the area. According to reports, they know the location of the Grell Stone vein. I need you to track them down and get the intel."
He handed the snow weasel on his shoulder to Shikamaru. "It'll lead you to them."
"This sucks..." Shikamaru grumbled but got to work anyway.
Meanwhile, Naruto was under siege by a swarm of armored puppets and the warrior Timoci. The situation was looking grim.
"Shouldn't we help him?" Sakura asked.
"No need," Neji replied calmly. "We just need to wait for our opening. If Naruto really finds himself in mortal danger, the Nine-Tails inside him won't just sit idly by."
Boom!
Below them, the battle between Naruto and Timoci had reached a fever pitch. At the same time, the massive fortress began to stir. Stones cracked and tumbled down the mountainside, causing the earth to tremble.
"Now."
As the fortress neared their position, Neji and Sakura channeled chakra to their feet and leapt, landing steadily on its structure.
"Neji, weren't we supposed to be looking for the mine? Why come here?" Sakura asked.
"Before that, I want to get my hands on a Grell Stone and study its power," Neji explained. He was deeply curious about the stone's origin and why it was said to hold enough power to destroy half a continent.
"Oh, by the way," Neji asked as they moved, "how are Hinata and the others?"
The only lingering worry in his heart was whether his departure had caused them trouble. Even though he had left a letter with Tsunade and had dealt with Danzo, he still couldn't shake the unease.
"They're doing fine. Lady Tsunade hasn't labeled you a rogue ninja. In fact, she's been defending you fiercely. Thanks to the Hyuga clan's status, no one dares cause trouble for them. It's just... they really miss you."
Sakura spoke honestly. She missed Neji just as much, but unlike Hinata, she lacked the courage to say it out loud.
"I see." Neji turned his head away, then led Sakura into a large ventilation duct.
No matter the enemy base, ventilation systems were always the best route for infiltration they connected to nearly every room.
Before long, they arrived in a dimly lit chamber filled with cylindrical tanks. Inside each one floated a young child, lifeless and unconscious, tubes running from their bodies into the machinery.
"What... is this?" Sakura gasped. Her pupils shrank, and she instinctively took a step back. It wasn't fear, but the overwhelming horror of the sight before her.
Neji glanced at her. In his eyes, this was nothing. Compared to Danzo's labs, this was merciful. Still, he offered a brief explanation to calm her.
"They're using children to breed weapons of war? That's disgusting! Inhuman!" Sakura's voice trembled with rage, and Neji couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. He didn't know how to respond.
The so-called Will of Fire, he thought wryly, was also built on sending the young into battle while the elders stayed behind. Every victory in every war has been paid in blood.
Clang!
Just then, the door swung open. Two armored women stepped inside and began tending to the machines. They moved with practiced ease, adjusting valves and ensuring the children received vital nutrients.
"Ugh. Why do we have to take care of these brats?" one of them complained.
"Just bear with it. Once Lord Haido gets all the Grell Stones, we won't need them anymore," the other replied casually.
They chatted idly as they worked, then turned and left.
"We should go too," Neji said plainly, already walking away.
"Aren't we going to save those children?" Sakura asked urgently.
"Not yet. It's not the right time."
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