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The Hokage Tower lood ahead as Neji and Guy approached.
Neji activated his heightened sensory skills, what so might even call "Observation Haki," and imdiately felt the presence of nurous powerful shinobi hidden within the building.
As expected from the beating heart of Konoha. Even here, vigilance never rested.
...
Soon, under Guy's enthusiastic guidance, Neji stood at the door of the Hokage's office.
Guy knocked politely.
"Enter," ca a calm, aging voice from within.
They stepped inside.
"Hokage-sama, I've brought Neji, as requested," Guy announced.
Neji stepped forward, bowing with crisp formality."Neji Hyuga, reporting, sir."
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, studied Neji for a long mont. A smile of quiet satisfaction crept across his face.
"Excellent," he said, his voice carrying a rare warmth.
Looking at Neji, mories of Hizashi Neji's late father surfaced unbidden. The regret, too.
"Your father," Hiruzen murmured, "was a remarkable shinobi. I still regret not being able to intervene in ti to change his fate."
Neji's expression remained neutral, but his voice was steady. "That was the path my father chose, Hokage-sama."
Of course, Neji knew the truth. Everyone who mattered did.
Hiruzen let out a soft sigh. There was no need to dig up old wounds.
Instead, he smiled more genuinely. "And it seems his spirit lives on you've beco even more extraordinary than I expected."
The praise of the Third Hokage would have overwheld most shinobi. But Neji simply bowed his head slightly, maintaining his calm.
"Hokage-sama flatters ," he replied.
Hiruzen chuckled softly at the young man's composure. After a thoughtful pause, he leaned forward.
"According to Guy's report... you've achieved sothing rather remarkable," he said. "You've managed to activate the Eight Gates and still maintain enough chakra control to heal yourself?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Neji confird.
"Could you demonstrate?"
Without hesitation, Neji activated the [Gate of Opening].
A deep, distant rumble like a dragon's roar entwined with a tiger's growl seed to tremble in the air.
Hiruzen's eyes sharpened. The resonance matched Guy's report precisely.
Then, a soft green glow gathered around Neji's hand the unmistakable energy of a basic healing technique: [Healing Touch].
Now Hiruzen's weathered face betrayed genuine surprise.
If even users of the Eight Gates, a power known for burning through the body itself, could use healing techniques...
It could transform the entire shinobi world.
Reduce casualties.
Increase survivability on the battlefield.
Tip the balance of wars.
It reminded him of the days when Tsunade revolutionized warfare with the introduction of combat dics.
But this was sothing different.
This was frontline resilience.
Suppressing the excitent in his chest, Hiruzen asked carefully, "How are you able to control the Eight Gates' chakra enough to heal yourself?"
Neji answered simply, peeling off his jacket to reveal a complex tattoo stretched across his torso.
Dragons and tigers, locked in an endless coil, inked into his flesh.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed as he observed the design. The chakra pulsing through Neji's body shifted whenever it crossed the tattoo part of the flow being forcibly restrained and redirected.
Yet the exact chanism eluded even his vast experience.
"This tattoo," Hiruzen said, choosing his words carefully. "How exactly does it regulate chakra? More importantly... could it be replicated for others?"
That was the true question.
"It wasn't intentional," Neji admitted.
"The tattoo aligns with specific chakra points through a fortunate accident, it forces partial control. But... even I don't fully understand the principle behind it."
Of course, that was only half the truth.
The real secret his system was buried too deep to reveal.
"As for replicating it..." Neji shook his head lightly. "Chakra networks are delicate. A misalignnt could cripple or kill soone. We'd need extensive research. And frankly, a bit of luck."
He paused, then added, "But based on what I've seen... it resembles sealing techniques."
The Hyuga clan, the masters of chakra control, pressure points, and precision, knew better than anyone how to weaponize the body's energy flows.
Their Gentle Fist could cripple a man without shedding a drop of blood.
It was only fitting that Neji would see patterns others might miss.
Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully. 'Chakra points... sealing techniques... a path forward, though full of risks.'
Yet the word "sealing" brought a slight frown to his brow.
"Why do you think it's like a sealing technique?" he asked.
Neji hesitated, touching the black eyepatch that covered his right eye.
Hiruzen's heart sank slightly. He understood.
The ancient burden of the Hyuga clan is the [Caged Bird Seal].
Neji had gouged out his own Byakugan to escape that fate. No wonder he had developed a deep, intuitive grasp of sealing principles.
"So..." Hiruzen said softly. "Could others achieve the sa effect?"
"I believe it's possible," Neji replied. "But it would require ti... and access to comprehensive sealing technique research."
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, weighing possibilities. Sealing techniques were complex and dangerous even, but their potential was undeniable.
"And," he asked cautiously, "would the result be identical to what you're doing now?"
Neji blinked, a thought striking him. "Forgive , Hokage-sama, but... do you an chakra control or the use of actual healing techniques?"
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "Is there a difference?"
"Yes," Neji said firmly. "The tattoo regulates chakra flow. The healing jutsu itself I perform independently."
For a mont, Hiruzen was speechless.
He let out a soft chuckle, realizing his error. Guy's enthusiasm has slightly misled him.
He shot Guy a mild look. The green-clad Jonin smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"My mistake," Hiruzen said wryly. "I got ahead of myself."
The idea of mass-producing self-healing soldiers might have been a dream but even with that dream tempered, the reality remained extraordinary.
"If all we can achieve is enhanced physical recovery..." Hiruzen said slowly, "It's still worth pursuing."
Neji nodded.
"Based on my experints, stimulating specific chakra points triggers cellular regeneration. It's not as efficient as full dical ninjutsu but it promotes healing."
Hiruzen's eyes glead with renewed interest.
In battle, every second, every wound, every drop of blood mattered.
If even ordinary shinobi could recover faster...
"You're sure?" Hiruzen asked.
"As sure as I stand before you, Hokage-sama," Neji said.
For the first ti in the conversation, genuine excitent flickered across the Third Hokage's face.
Now they were speaking the sa language.
If Neji's theories were right...
This was no longer just about saving a few lives.
It was about changing the future of the shinobi world.
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