Naruto: Reborn as Neji Hyuga After Dying in One Piece

Chapter 109 - 109. Even You, Guy-sensei...

◉◉◉◉◉

The forest lay in ruins.

Trees snapped in half. Craters scarred the ground. Shattered terrain and stagnant pools of water told a silent story of carnage like two titans had battled across the land.

Jiraiya surveyed the devastation, his gut twisting tighter with every step.

What the hell happened here?

The destruction wasn't just intense it was surgical, like a fight between Kage-level shinobi. That thought alone made Jiraiya's chest heavy.

He pushed deeper into the woods, following the gouges and scorched earth. With each sign of battle, his hope dimmed.

Then—

A faint rustle.

Jiraiya whipped around.

They were leaning against a tree, bleeding, staggering, barely upright.

"Neji!"

He leapt down, heart rising.

"You're al—"

He stopped.

Neji looked like hell. Torn clothing. Blood. His face was pale with pain.

"...Jiraiya-sama," Neji rasped.

Snap.

The branch supporting him gave out.

Jiraiya caught him just in time, face shadowed with guilt.

This is on me.

He hadn't accounted for the Akatsuki splitting up. He hadn't protected the team well enough.

Still, Neji was alive.

Barely.

He checked his vitals.

Muscle tears. Fractures. Chakra depletion. It was bad.

He gently hoisted Neji onto his back. "Don't worry, kid. I've got you."

What Jiraiya didn't know was that Neji was... faking part of it.

He'd used [Life Return] to exaggerate his injuries, control the bleeding, and pass off the damage as far worse than it was.

All to avoid one very specific fate.

'Please don't take me to Tsunade. I really don't want to go there.'

---

Elsewhere, in the forest's far edge...

Itachi moved like a ghost through the trees, Sharingan spinning as he tracked the trail.

He reached a clearing and stopped.

A massive gouge, nearly five meters wide and one deep, carved through the land like a scar. At its end was Kisame... barely conscious.

His body had morphed into a half-shark, half-man hybrid. His chest gaped open, regenerating slowly. The wound had gone through him.

"...You were hit?"

Kisame coughed up blood, forcing a grin.

"Yeah. No backup. No intel. We underestimated that Hyuga brat."

"Any other shinobi interfere?"

Kisame shook his head. "No. Just him."

He extended a hand weakly. "I need chakra. [Samehada]'s reserves are dry."

Itachi helped him up, placing a hand on his back and channeling chakra into him.

As Kisame absorbed it, the worst of his injuries healed. He returned to normal, separating from [Samehada].

Itachi said flatly, "We can't stay here. We're leaving."

The pair vanished into the trees, retreating to regroup.

On the way, Itachi asked, "What happened?"

Kisame's grin faded. His tone turned grim.

"You know how four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen died in a single battle?"

"...Yes."

"It was [Eight Gates], wasn't it?"

Kisame nodded slowly. "That kid opened the sixth gate. One punch. Just one. That's all it took."

"You were careless."

"I won't be again."

After a pause, Kisame added, "So, tell me what you know about the Eight Gates."

Itachi went silent.

"...I don't know much."

'Konoha intel? Suddenly tight-lipped, huh?' Kisame chuckled.

---

Back at the roadside inn...

Guy had arrived, tracking Itachi and Kisame. After hearing what happened from Naruto, he was about to leave—

When Jiraiya returned.

Carrying Neji.

Guy's eyes widened. "Neji!"

He rushed to the bed as Jiraiya gently laid him down.

Neji looked up, managing a faint smile. "Guy-sensei..."

"You're alive!" Guy was nearly trembling. "What happened out there?!"

Neji began reciting the story he'd prepped.

Opened the sixth gate. Fought hard. Barely escaped. Overwhelming odds. Nearly died.

The room fell silent.

Guy and Jiraiya exchanged looks shocked but understanding.

"...So you opened the sixth gate," Guy whispered.

That explained everything.

The sheer scale of destruction. The survival. The cost.

Though the earlier report from the Gaara mission only mentioned Neji using a "secret technique," it was vague by design. A shinobi's trump card wasn't shared lightly not even with allies.

Besides, Naruto wouldn't have mentioned it anyway. He was too busy bragging about his summoning jutsu and calling the Toad Boss a legend.

And Sasuke?

She understood the stakes.

She kept Neji's secret, no matter what.

---

After instructing Neji to rest, Jiraiya and Guy left the room.

Naruto sat in the hallway, flanked by wounded teammates.

He clenched his fists.

Neji had gone all out. Sasuke had nearly died fighting Itachi.

And what had he done?

Nothing.

He hadn't been strong enough.

Not yet.

"I swear," Naruto muttered, "this time... I'm gonna train like never before."

---

Moments later, Jiraiya and Guy returned.

Guy approached.

"I'll take Sasuke back to Konoha. Neji... I leave to you."

Jiraiya nodded solemnly. "I owe him. I won't let anything happen."

Their words floated into Neji's room.

He blinked.

Wait. WHAT?

You're taking Sasuke back but NOT me?!

I'm the one with "life-threatening injuries," remember?!

This wasn't the plan!

Jiraiya added, "We'll track down Tsunade. She'll heal him."

Guy nodded. "Good. And Neji's a skilled medic-nin himself—he'll be back on his feet soon."

Wait... what?!

Guy-sensei, even you betrayed me?!

Neji stared at the ceiling.

All that acting...

All that pain...

And still, he was being dragged into this mess!

◉◉◉◉◉

~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter

◉◉◉◉◉

For early access to advanced Chapters on P-atreon:

P-atreon/iamxeno

(Just remove the - hyphen to access Patreon normally)

Thank you so much for your support and for reading!