Chapter 243: What the Fuck happened here?
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The Akatsuki were reported to be heading towards the Bounty Station located in the Land of Fire, and Team Asuma and Team Neji moved towards there through the fastest route.
Neji wasn't flying this time, it was a Team Neji exclusive bonus that he would be forced to share with team Asuma if he were to reveal it. So without a flight, the trip would take a while.
The Elemental Nations, although called countries, were as big as continents by the standards of both of Neji's previous worlds. Asuma said it should take them around 20 hours, and 18 if they sped up, and the fact that they were going faster than the fastest motorbikes said something.
He noticed Ino glancing at him quite a few times, but she tried her best to avoid getting discovered. Though Asuma did notice the scene and chuckled to himself despite the occasion.
Neji didn't have to do it in his last mission since it was a relatively short journey, but this time he had to eat dried-out bacon made from special boar. The meat was infused with natural chakra so even when eaten in low quantity it filled any Ninja's tummy.
Around 17 hours in, while they all ran with Neji relaxing with Aya in a separate body, Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at Asuma and said.
"It's been a while since you touched a smoke," said Shikamaru, watching Asuma chuckle with a thin tree branch between his lips, biting on it. "You are even showing withdrawal syndrome and satisfying your urges with a stick. That guy, Chiriku, was he really that big of a deal to you?"
Asuma glanced at Choji before nodding to Shikamaru. "He was to me what Choji is to you." He let the implication settle as everyone's eyes soon saddened in sympathy. "And no, I have decided to stop smoking because of something else. I will tell you after the mission is done."
Neji hummed at that. 'So Kurenai is pregnant already. Kinda hoped that wouldn't happen, but oh well. I guess I will keep Asuma alive.'
MILFs were fun, but a pregnant woman was not. It would be scummy even for Neji if he let Asuma die just because he wanted a handful of his pregnant wife.
He suddenly heard an amused hum from Lady Luck in his head. ["Why does it matter since they're all gonna die anyway when you destroy the world? Just let him die take his wife, what's so wrong with that?"]
Neji froze, making everyone turn to him before he gestured for them to continue running.
'Yeah, right.' Neji said to Lady Luck. 'Fuck you.'
["Whenever you want~"] he heard a sweet giggle in his ears.
He would still save Asuma though, as hypocritical as that decision was.
—-
Around a minute into running on top of tree branches again, he found Ino slowing down a bit to start running beside him. Everyone else was a few steps ahead.
"Are you alright?" Ino said, looking at him as they ran. "You suddenly stopped back there."
"I did it because of you." Neji said, making her raise the eyebrow of her eye that wasn't covered by her hair.
"Oh?"
"The view is better from behind." He said, watching her almost stumble on a tree branch before she got back to track because of his telekinesis.
"Sakura was right that day, you really are a pervert-" Ino said with a frown before her eyes widened and her face reddened. "Wait no, you could have seen my butt from any position with your eyes! You are just pulling my leg!"
Neji shrugged but said nothing in his defence, while the others in front turned to give her a look, with Asuma chuckling.
She blushed. "Ugh, this is embarrassing." After a minute of silence she spoke again. "Ey, aren't you going out with Sakura already? Is it appropriate to joke about these things?"
"Oh right, you saw us that day." Neji said, watching her from under his blindfolds as she stiffened. "And no we aren't going out. We are just two adults who decided to let our feelings take control. Sakura needed someone to listen to her after her heart broke, I just happened to be present at the right place at the right time."
"So before that you and she had a bad relationship just like how I saw in the Onsen." Ino asked, eyeing him suspiciously. "If that's the case then I feel like you are downplaying yourself, though. Sakura isn't the type to just… embrace anybody just because her heart was broken. Yeah, you're downplaying yourself… It wasn't all luck."
Neji chuckled and she continued. "Why do you do that anyway? First that day in the Onsen, you just took a slap and stayed silent for a long time. Though you did retaliate later on. Then with your clan… you were strong enough to break free but only did it when your life was close to an end if the rumours about your eye transplant are true. Is acting low-key fun."
Neji smiled. "Would you believe me if I said yes?" He asked, watching her stare at him blankly. "Yeah, you don't believe me. But it's the truth, I simply find these situations amusing. Your reaction a minute ago, for example. That's a cute face you made, by the way."
"Uff, annoying." Ino grumbled, looking away from his face. Another silent minute later, she spoke. "By the way, the Yamanaka clan aren't just trained in mind-related Ninjutsu. We are also taught the traditional mind manipulation technique. But let me confirm my guesses still, are you trying to seduce me right now, like you did with Sakura?"
Neji pulled up his blindfold to smile at her, watching her face go red as he continued. "Can I seduce you like Sakura, though? You are much smarter and more beautiful than her, so you are surely a harder opponent than my strawberry head. Am I confident in seducing such a phenomenal existence?"
She cringed at the nickname but giggled in amusement otherwise.
Ino was Sakura's best friend, and the other way around was also true, however, the blonde girl always liked to compare herself with Sakura, and had recently built an inferiority complex due to Sakura being taken under Tsunade while she was not. Also, her new 'crush' was stolen by Sakura, even though she and Neji started rough. So, the best way to please her was to praise her that she was better than Sakura.
"Smooth tongue." Ino giggled, smiling lightly. "Say, wanna hang out after the mission is done? I can buy you dinner."
Now knowing that he wasn't taken, Ino would obviously make a move before he actually gets taken.
Neji knew that and smiled. "That sounds fun. Let's come up with a time later."
"Sure. We can discuss all night long on our way back from this mission." She said, biting her lips as she gave him a dirty look. She soon broke into a laughter and apologised for her act, but her 'act' had done its trick and Neji really was into this girl now.
For now, they continued running.
Neji got another remark from Lady Luck about how he was so busy fucking women instead of searching for his missing girls but he ignored it. He had to check some girls of this world because his own girls might have replaced them, with their memories locked or some shit. Or else it wouldn't make sense why such strong people like them weren't famous around here.
For all he knew, Ino might be Kimi. Though he doubted it. He was pretty sure he would recognise Kimi, Nejire, and Momo anywhere, no matter what form they took. As for Rumi and Ryukyu, not that they weren't close but they were still relatively new in his 'family'.
Neji stopped thinking and his eyes shook with his head snapping back towards Konoha's direction.
"Huh, again?" Ino asked Neji as Asuma turned back.
"Do you see anything?" He asked as Neji's jaws clenched.
"Can't say I dont. Something… big is happening in Konoha." Neji said, ignoring everyone's surprise since his statement could be interpreted in a way that said he could see what was happening in Konoha from this far
Neji didn't bother explaining himself and mentally summoned Kurai on his shoulders.
The others repeated his words while Kurai gulped down a dragon fruit, looking at Neji.
"What's wrong, papa?" Kurai asked equally seriously, and the blood on her fur made Ino, Shikamaru and Choji shudder. She could feel his emotions, so she knew something seriously wrong had happened.
"Midnight and Nagant-" Neji was about to explain before he hissed with a painful expression. "Shiii… dying hurts when my senses are shared."
His Shadow Clone just died. Unlike the usual Shadowclone death, this hurt since he was controlling the body in real-time. He then looked at Kurai and following his gesture she touched fingers with him.
Immediately, silver smoke puffed out and once it cleared Neji and Kurai were gone, and a blindfolded white cat with spiky hair popped up, with two pristine white wings on its back.
"Oh for fuck's sake," the cat, Neji, said in a squeaky voice, before sighing. He could still use Mana in this form since he wasn't cursed anymore, and though it was still somewhat annoying to be a cat, this wasn't the end of the world.
He turned to the Ninjas. "Guys, come over." He said, but it wasn't a request at all as all of them flinched when they were pulled towards him by a telekinetic force. "[Teleport]."
He said and activated the Teleport spell. It took a toll on his mana so he could only use it when Fused, when his mana was [INTx10000]. Unfortunately, this time he needed Fusion for more than just teleportation.
He saw a notification saying how his Obito Quest was destroyed, since he just abandoned it, but he didn't care. He just wondered what the fuck led to that foxy situation.
'Perhaps those idiot Hyugas have an answer.' Neji grunted as he and his fellow Ninjas reappeared in Konoha, above the Hokage mountain.
Asuma, asking Neji about what the fuck just happened and from where did he learned Flying Thunder God, froze as the scene ahead registered on his mind. The others had fallen silent as well.
Neji could understand why.
Two gigantic foxes, one raven furred and one a mixture of blue and pink, nine tails lashing behind each of them, roared as while stepping and massacring the ten Hyugas attacking it, while a dozen more Ninjas had come for backup.
However, Neji was more worried about the beasts' [Status] than the destruction they were causing.
[Nemuri Kayama - Corrupted Tailed Beast - Peak Tier 10]
[CP: 8,476,206/8,523,333]
[Kiana Tsutsumi - Corrupted Tailed Beast - Peak Tier 10]
[CP: 8,406,602/8,523,333]
What the fuck happened here?
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Master4thWall Note: Since some people aren't satisfied with this arc 😔 I have decided a mass release to finish and compensate for this arc.