[Uchiha Conference Room]
After hearing Rengoku's words, Neji felt a surge of wild joy inside. Then, like pushing down a golden mountain and toppling a pillar, he dropped to his knees and bowed to the ground.
With complete sincerity, he said, "Lord Rengoku, I know that Lord Koshin and Lord Sota were both revived only after our clan paid an enormous price."
"As long as my father can be revived, I'm willing to do anything."
Neji's tone was firm, and his eyes revealed absolute resolve and longing.
Rengoku, standing opposite him, put on a thoughtful expression.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked Neji up and down carefully, as if evaluating the value of an item.
Although Neji kept his head lowered the entire time, he could still clearly feel Rengoku's scrutinizing gaze.
After quite a while, Rengoku finally broke the silence and spoke slowly, "Your talent is good, whether it's your bloodline or your abilities."
Neji's heart trembled. Things seemed to be going more smoothly than he had imagined, but Rengoku hadn't finished speaking, so he continued listening.
"You, as a person, can be exchanged for a chance to revive Hiashi."
"Once you agree, everything you have will belong to my Uchiha."
"So, are you willing to trade your entire life and freedom for your father's revival?"
Neji's expression flickered between light and dark. His gaze sharpened as he lifted his head, about to speak.
Rengoku raised a hand to stop him, "Think it through first. I'm not asking for your loyalty."
"Orochimaru is interested in you. He's lacking live experimental material from the Hyuga clan."
"Once you agree, you might be used for breeding, or dissected alive, or subjected to all kinds of live experiments in your body."
"Whether you can survive, and how long you'll live, I won't guarantee."
Neji's face turned pale as he listened. He had been sensible since childhood, so he naturally knew that behind all kinds of medical experiments lay extreme bloodshed and cruelty.
But he had never expected that one day he himself would become expendable material.
He had thought the price of reviving his father would be great, but he hadn't imagined it would be this kind of path.
"Actually, whether Hiashi is revived or not, your clan is already living quite well. Why insist so much on bringing your father back?"
Rengoku seemed to be persuading him kindly, but knowing Neji well, he understood that his father's death was a lifelong scar Neji could never heal off.
Even though the branch family's coup had succeeded and most of the main family had already been eliminated, Neji still couldn't let go of his father.
If Rengoku hadn't tried to persuade him, it might have been fine. But this persuasion only added fuel to the fire.
Neji nodded heavily, "Lord Rengoku, there's no need to say more. I'm willing to exchange myself for my father's revival."
Seeing Neji ready to face death with such resolve, a playful smile appeared at the corner of Rengoku's lips.
He casually asked, "You're not married yet, right?"
Neji froze for a moment. He was only eighteen this year, so naturally he wasn't married.
He didn't even have a girlfriend.
"No, Lord Rengoku."
Rengoku nodded slightly.
"To maximize the use of your bloodline, Orochimaru will probably have you used for breeding first, and then conduct experiments on you."
"You should be safe in the early stages."
"I'll revive Hiashi first, then send you for the dangerous experiments."
Neji felt somewhat dazed, his emotions extremely low.
"Then… thank you, Lord Rengoku."
Rengoku looked Neji up and down a couple of times, "You have good looks. There should be quite a few girls outside who like you, right?"
"If there's anyone you're close to, you can go say your goodbyes. After this, you won't have any freedom."
As he spoke, he stood up, walked to Neji's side, and stepped onto Neji's shadow.
Neji didn't notice Rengoku's action.
In his mind, the image of a girl with two bun-shaped hairstyles flashed by, and a trace of gloom and pain passed through his eyes.
"I understand. Thank you, Lord Rengoku, for giving me this opportunity."
Rengoku glanced at the shadow on the ground, then left behind a faint, unreadable smile as he said, "Come find me directly tomorrow," before walking out of the room.
"Yes!"
After Rengoku left, Neji finally stood up from the ground.
Since he had already made his decision, he naturally wouldn't regret it.
But he didn't plan to tell Lord Koshin about this, because Koshin would definitely not agree to Neji doing something like this.
Koshin's original intention had been for Neji to find out what price needed to be paid to revive Hiashi. He had no idea it would cost Neji himself.
His starting point had always been the continued prosperity of the Hyuga clan. Someone like Neji, with talent and carrying Hiashi's bloodline, was someone he would never give up.
But Neji had already realized that Rengoku wasn't interested in anything else.
He himself had no bargaining power. This one chance was something he had to seize.
It was just…
Neji quickly left the Uchiha clan grounds and headed toward the west side of Konoha.
———
On the western side of Konoha, there was a large ninja tools shop. Although there wasn't much warfare at the moment, ninja tools were consumables, so business had always been good.
Besides ninja tools, they also sold supplies for missions, and that business was thriving as well.
People were constantly coming and going.
Following the flow of people, Neji walked inside and saw Tenten directing two shop assistants to move goods.
"Neji! Why are you here?"
Tenten was a bit surprised, and also pleasantly so.
They had just returned together yesterday, and today Neji had already come to find her.
But Neji's expression was a little strange. He stared at Tenten for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled, "Let's go eat together."
Tenten was stunned. This was the first time Neji had asked her out alone.
"Ah? Then wait for me a moment! I'll go change clothes!"
Tenten suddenly snapped back to her senses. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she dropped what she was doing in the shop and ran inside.
Behind the shop was Tenten's home.
Neji watched her retreating figure as she ran inside, not taking his eyes off her.
'Maybe… this will be the last time I see her.'
Neji was patient, and Tenten didn't keep him waiting long.
About ten minutes later, Tenten had changed into a different outfit and redone her hair.
Even without makeup, youth itself was the greatest advantage. At eighteen, Tenten's face was naturally full of vitality.
As soon as she arrived, Neji stared at her intensely, as if trying to carve her into his memory.
That made Tenten's face turn red, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's go."
"Let's go," Neji led Tenten outside.
Tenten walked quietly beside him. She felt that Neji was acting a bit strange today.
'Did Neji finally figure things out?'
"What do you want to eat?", Neji's voice pulled her thoughts back.
"Ah… I… anything is fine…"
Usually straightforward and easygoing, Tenten seemed a bit shy today.
Neji smiled gently, "Let's get some meat buns and sesame balls first."
"Hehe, okay," Tenten smiled a little shyly.
Those were all things Tenten liked to eat.
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