Naruto stood before Uzumaki Chito, feeling both excitement and apprehension. He thought his grandfather might criticize his plans or announce some major change, but Chito's response left him stunned.
"Now that you've made a decision, follow through with it," Chito said with a nod.
"You've grown a lot, Naruto."
"So… you agree?" Naruto asked, momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected Chito to approve so easily.
"You've already discussed it with everyone, haven't you?" Chito replied, sipping his tea.
"There are decisions you need to make on your own. You're the one who wants to become the leader, after all. It's time you learned what it means to lead."
Naruto grinned triumphantly. "I'm definitely going to be the Hokage of Shin-Konoha!"
Chito chuckled softly. "You've done well with Shin-Konoha's planning, but tell me—have you decided where you'll start?"
Naruto nodded, his excitement returning. "I've already thought about it! The Land of Lightning is one of the wealthiest nations among the Five Great Powers. It's also crawling with bandits, so we'll start by cleaning them out."
At the mention of the Land of Lightning, Chito's expression darkened ever so slightly, his hand pausing mid-sip.
"The Land of Lightning…" Chito murmured, his voice carrying an edge. "That belligerent country has always been trouble."
Naruto noticed the shift in his grandfather's tone. "Grandpa, you don't seem to like the Land of Lightning very much."
"I don't," Chito admitted, his smile turning icy. "When you encounter their ninjas, don't hold back. Beat them to the ground. And if you can't handle them, come find me."
The cold intensity in Chito's voice sent a shiver down Naruto's spine.
"Yes, I understand," Naruto replied quickly.
As Naruto turned to leave, Chito's voice stopped him at the door.
"By the way, when you head to the Land of Lightning, take Neji with you. He'll understand what I mean."
Naruto nodded. "Got it."
In the Land of Sound – Orochimaru's Experimental Base
The laboratory was bustling with activity. Researchers hurried about, carrying reagents and biological samples.
"Kabuto, handle this sample carefully!"
"Phosphor, check the cell activity in the petri dish!"
"Is the chakra stimulation experiment complete?"
Orochimaru's sharp voice echoed as he coordinated the work. Even Neji was involved, helping with tasks as he adjusted to his new surroundings.
"How are your new eyes? Are they functional?" Orochimaru asked, observing Neji closely as the young Hyuga blinked repeatedly.
"They work, but there's some rejection. My body isn't fully compatible with them yet," Neji replied honestly.
"It's still not perfect," Orochimaru mused, shaking his head. "Bear with it for now. After the routine tests, I'll replace them this afternoon."
Neji nodded, trusting Orochimaru's expertise. Despite his initial doubts, Neji had come to respect Orochimaru's unparalleled skill in cellular research.
Within two weeks, Orochimaru had successfully cultivated the first pair of Byakugan, though the compatibility remained an issue. Neji was confident the process would improve, allowing him to achieve the highest potential of the Byakugan.
When Naruto and his group arrived, they found Neji in the middle of a procedure.
"Whoa, are you okay?" Naruto asked, grimacing at the sight of Neji's partially reconstructed eyes.
"Don't worry," Tsunade said, placing a hand on Neji's shoulder and using her healing jutsu. "Orochimaru may be creepy, but he takes his work seriously. If he'd avoided experimenting on living people, he wouldn't have been kicked out of Konoha."
"That's because the most accurate data comes from live subjects," Orochimaru interjected, clearly annoyed.
Naruto smirked. "We didn't come here just to argue. Neji, we're heading to the Land of Lightning. Want to come with us?"
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, his slitted pupils focusing on the group. His gaze lingered on Mitarashi Anko at the back, and a thin smile spread across his lips.
"Ah, Anko, long time no see," Orochimaru said, his tone mockingly cordial before turning to Tsunade. "And you—cheating me by taking my students, huh?"
Tsunade crossed her arms. "We're just here to take Neji for a while. He can decide for himself if he wants to come back."
Orochimaru scoffed. "The experiment isn't finished. He can't leave yet."
"Just for a short while," Tsunade countered. "It's up to Neji."
Neji glanced between the two before turning to Naruto. "You're going to the Land of Lightning?"
Naruto nodded, extending a hand. "Come with us. We could use your skills."
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