In the dim light, Neji opened his eyes, confusion clouding his vision.
"Where is this?"
The unfamiliar surroundings made him feel a bit uneasy.
"You're awake?"
Hearing the voice, Neji immediately sat up.
"It's you!"
Kimimaro sat on the side, quietly watching Neji.
"Welcome to Otogakure."
"Otogakure? What did you do?"
Neji was shocked.
Did the other party directly take him away from the Chunin Exam venue?
That was too outrageous.
"Before I answer your question, you can take a look at this first."
Kimimaro picked up a mirror from the windowsill and handed it to Neji.
Neji took it with confusion and looked at himself in the mirror.
"This is..."
After one glance, Neji's face was filled with shock.
The Caged Bird Seal was gone!
It was really gone!
"Byakugan!"
Neji activated his Byakugan and felt that his Byakugan had become completely different.
When he used the Byakugan in the past, there was always a sense of restraint, but now it was gone.
It was an extremely comfortable feeling.
The blind spot that originally existed in his Byakugan's vision also disappeared.
Just at this moment, Neji felt that both his Byakugan's power and his own chakra had increased.
And with his Byakugan's vision, Neji also saw the appearance of the place where he was currently located.
There were rooms all around, and some rooms were even covered by barriers that even his Byakugan's power couldn't penetrate.
So this was Otogakure?
"How does it feel?"
Kimimaro rarely showed a smile.
"It feels great! Is this the power that originally belonged to me?"
Neji was excited.
"This is just the beginning. Your Byakugan's purity is very high, only slightly inferior to Hinata and Hanabi from the main family. However, your talent surpasses theirs, and your future achievements will far exceed them."
"The main family... Sooner or later, I will take back what belongs to me and my father!"
Neji clenched his fists, hatred flashing in his eyes.
Although his hatred wasn't as intense as Sasuke's hatred for the destruction of his clan, the hatred for his father's death was still significant, not to mention the resentment he felt from being controlled by the Caged Bird Seal all these years.
"Good spirit, but being blinded by hatred will only make you reckless. Remember the word 'calm' at all times."
Neji looked at Kimimaro and said solemnly, "Thank you. Thank you for freeing me from the cage."
"You're welcome. We each get what we need from each other."
"What do you want from me? Do you really have to wait until I become the Hyuga clan head?"
Neji was curious about what Kimimaro wanted in exchange for helping him so much.
"You want to know? Alright, I can tell you now. Simply put, I want to conduct an experiment on you. After removing the Caged Bird Seal and restoring your full potential, can you awaken the Tenseigan?"
"Tenseigan? What Tenseigan?"
Neji looked puzzled.
"There are three great dojutsu in the ninja world, do you know what they are?"
Kimimaro didn't answer directly but instead asked Neji a question.
"Of course I know. The three great dojutsu are the Byakugan of my Hyuga clan, the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan, and the legendary Rinnegan of the Sage of Six Paths."
"That's right, but actually, there should only be two dojutsu. The Rinnegan is evolved from the Sharingan through a special method. Correspondingly, the Byakugan can also evolve through a special method. The evolved form of the Byakugan is the Tenseigan."
Kimimaro's answer greatly shocked Neji.
"How do you know all this?"
"You don't need to know that. I see the possibility of the Tenseigan in you. So, I will do my best to help your Byakugan realize that possibility."
"You want the Tenseigan?"
Neji sensed Kimimaro's purpose.
"That's right. Of course, I'm interested in the supreme dojutsu that can rival the Sage of Six Paths' Rinnegan. Moreover, the Tenseigan has other uses for me."
Hearing this, Neji pondered.
"You're telling me this so directly, aren't you afraid that I'll be wary of you?"
"I believe Hyuga Neji is a man of his word. Besides, I said that if you go back on your word, I will make you pay a terrible price. Of course, if you can become stronger than me, then you can set the rules."
Kimimaro spoke calmly, but Neji felt a chill in his heart.
He couldn't afford to provoke this person.
"I understand."
"Otogakure will be the stage for your growth, so adapt well to the rules here. Oh, and it's best to keep this information a secret, otherwise, you'll be the one targeted."
Kimimaro stood up and said, "Jugo, come out. I'll leave him to you."
As he finished speaking, Jugo walked in from outside the door.
"Hello, I will help you adapt to Otogakure during this time."
After arranging for Neji, Kimimaro left the room.
Bringing Neji to Otogakure wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Just as he had told Neji before, he was after the Tenseigan.
His bloodline disease had been mostly suppressed after obtaining the Byakugan.
But as his Shikotsumyaku continued to grow stronger, the Byakugan alone couldn't suppress it anymore.
So he needed stronger dojutsu power.
The Tenseigan, the evolved form of the Byakugan, was naturally a good choice.
However, Kimimaro wasn't entirely sure whether he could awaken the Tenseigan.
So, by bringing Neji along, he had another possibility.
Even if the hope for this possibility was slim.
Having it was better than not having it at all.
Leaving Neji's room, Kimimaro turned and went to another room.
"Kimimaro-sama, you're here."
The person living in this room was the red-haired girl, Karin.
"Judging by your appearance, your injuries should have mostly healed, right?"
"Yes, they've completely healed."
"Are you adapting well to Otogakure? If you need anything, you can tell me."
"It's already very good."
Karin seemed a bit uneasy.
From birth until now, apart from her mother, no one had ever been so kind to her.
This kindness even made her a little afraid to accept it.
Because she was afraid it was all a dream.
"That's good. Since you've recovered almost completely, I also have a task for you."
Karin's heart tightened, and painful memories involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
In Kusagakure, her task was to be a medical pack. Was it the same here?
"It's okay, being a medical pack is fine too. Kimimaro-sama is much better than the people from Kusagakure. I'm willing to be a medical pack for him."
Karin had already prepared herself mentally, but then she saw Kimimaro placing a stack of books on the table.
"Your next task is to finish reading these books. Of course, this is just the first stage, there's much more to come. Some of these books are about medical ninjutsu, and some are about sealing techniques.
You have talent in both areas, so don't waste it. Both require knowledge accumulation, so start by reading."
"This..."
Karin was shocked.
Reading?
She hadn't had this privilege since her mother passed away.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
"No, nothing. Kimimaro-sama, don't worry, I will definitely study hard!"
(End of Chapter)