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The battlefield was scorched.
Ash and smoke curled upward in the wind, clinging to the broken grassland where Neji's last technique had detonated.
Kimimaro, barely standing, forced herself upright expression blank.
But Neji was already gone.
A second later, from above—
[Phantom Burst]
Lightning crackled as dozens of clones exploded around her in a thunderstorm of illusions.
"Art… is explosion." (Neji had been spending too much time around Deidara's stolen files.)
The ground blew apart.
The earth trembled.
By the time the smoke cleared, the grass was charred black for acres around.
At the epicenter stood Kimimaro, smoldering. Bone armor cracked and blackened. Breath labored.
I… almost didn't block that.
She looked around no sign of Neji.
Her body froze.
Her shadow was shrinking.
Fast.
She looked up—
"Too late."
A massive spiraling orb of energy bore down on her from above.
[Spiral Chakra Field]!
Kimimaro barely had time to shout: "Dance of the Seedling Fern!"
A forest of bones erupted from the earth thousands of ivory spikes stabbing skyward to meet the descending vortex.
The two forces collided—
And for a moment, it seemed like Kimimaro could hold.
But the spiral orb swelled.
Its power doubled.
Kimimaro's resolve shattered with the bones.
BOOM!
The blast flattened everything.
Even Gaara had to raise a sand barrier to shield the others from the shockwave.
When the dust settled, Neji stood alone at the crater's edge. Kimimaro was gone at least from view. All that remained were blackened bones and scraps of scorched fabric.
Temari narrowed her eyes. "Did… did he finish it?"
Gaara didn't answer.
But Neji turned toward them, calm and composed.
"I'm leaving the wounded to you. I've still got a mission."
He vanished before anyone could protest.
"Seriously!?" Temari snapped. "He thinks he can order us around!?"
Kankuro agreed. "Who even is this guy? Just some Leaf shinobi—"
"Quiet," Gaara said. "We're taking them back to Konoha."
Kankuro: "…Huh?"
What happened to my psycho brother who didn't listen to anyone!?
Kankuro sulked as he summoned his puppets to carry Shikamaru and Kiba.
"…Could you be a bit more gentle?" Shikamaru asked.
Kankuro glared at him. "You want a piggyback instead?"
"…I'll shut up."
---
Meanwhile, in the forest—
Naruto vs Sasuke had come to an end.
Rain poured.
Sasuke stood victorious, wounded but standing. She stared at Naruto's unconscious body, lying in the mud.
She had the chance to finish it.
But she didn't.
"…Sorry, Naruto."
Her scratched Leaf headband slipped from her forehead, landing beside him. Then she turned and walked away.
---
At the edge of the forest, Sasuke stopped.
A lone figure stood beneath a black umbrella, leaning against a tree.
"…You?"
Her voice cracked with emotion.
"You left me. You gave up on me!"
Neji said nothing at first.
He simply walked over and held the umbrella above her head.
A soft green glow bloomed in his palm—healing chakra.
So gentle. So unexpected.
"You needed support. But I had none to offer. I'm sorry, Sasuke."
Sasuke looked away, jaw tight. "Why… Why do people always act like they care, only to leave?"
It was the same with him. And now you...
If Neji had heard that thought, he might've screamed: I treat all my subjects equally! I trained you, didn't I?!
But instead, he just smiled softly.
He opened his eyes.
Sasuke froze.
"…Your eyes… they—"
"Have healed."
Neji looked at her calmly. "Didn't expect you to grow up this beautiful. Makes me wonder what you looked like before."
"Y-You—!"
Words failed her.
He didn't try to explain. He just pulled a necklace from his robe, a white pendant. With a pulse of chakra, it morphed into a sleek, stylized mask.
"This is my gift to you," Neji said. "For the road ahead."
"What's… it for?"
"You'll understand when you wear it."
"…Then I want it to say: '雷'—'Lightning.'"
Neji smiled faintly. He had been thinking of inscribing 奈—his name—but "雷" would do.
With a soft hum, the word burned into the mask.
The mask reverted into pendant form, and Neji handed it and the umbrella to Sasuke.
"You're a woman now. Don't catch cold in the rain."
He turned to go.
"I'll be waiting for you. Three years from now."
Before she could question anything further—
He vanished.
Leaving her standing there, confused. Speechless.
Why…?
Why help her?
Why say goodbye so softly?
She stared at the umbrella, then down at the necklace.
"…Neji…"
---
Meanwhile, deep in the forest—
Neji stood beside his clone, who now carried the barely breathing Kimimaro.
"Right on time," he said.
He looked to the east, sensing a new chakra approaching.
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