Naruto: Reborn as Neji Hyuga After Dying in One Piece-Chapter 48. Master, Your Bandages Came Loose!

◉◉◉◉◉

Zabuza turned the smooth, white pendant over in her hand and channeled a bit of chakra into it.

Poof!

The ornate mask with its intricate designs and the bold symbol [Slash] appeared instantly in her grasp.

She slipped it on.

The fit was perfectly snug against her face, and it interfaced seamlessly with her chakra. The suction wasn't mechanical, but it held firm, like walking on water or scaling walls. No straps, no bandages needed.

Even more surprising, her vision felt sharper and more enhanced than with her own eyes.

Zabuza's expression twisted with complicated emotion. She hadn't bothered testing the mask until now.

A faint buzz. Then—

"How does it feel? That's the comms function."

The voice sounded as if it were spoken directly beside her ear, though Neji was nowhere nearby. The chakra vibrations transmitted sound straight to the cochlea. Silent. Instant. Private.

Haku didn't even react only she could hear it.

Zabuza's brow furrowed.

This was no ordinary tool. This was something... advanced. And terrifying.

If just this one feature existed, what other hidden capabilities did their organization possess?

Then there was the reward list... Jutsu, forbidden arts, rare items it was a treasure trove.

She knew firsthand how hard it was for normal shinobi to learn anything beyond the basics. Without connections or cash, even basic techniques were out of reach. And getting a teacher? A dream. Most elite ninja weren't eager to pass down their secrets.

Only those lucky enough to find a master got that kind of access.

Zabuza deactivated the mask. It vanished back into its pendant form with a soft pop.

"The masks have many functions," Neji's voice crackled over the comm. "You'll discover more over time. I'll continue upgrading them." freeweɓnovel.cøm

He was already planning standardized gear-matching uniforms and embedded defense features. It wouldn't be Germa 66-level science, but it was a start.

"What's our first mission?" Zabuza asked.

Neji's smile grew beneath his mask.

Hooked.

"Your target is Gato. I believe you two know him rather well."

They both nodded. Their time working under Gato had exposed them to his operations, his trade networks, and his crimes.

"Take him down. Seize his company. Open trade routes in the Land of Waves."

"Complete the mission, and you'll earn 100 Contribution Points. How you divide it is up to you."

Zabuza frowned slightly. A hundred was good. It might buy a mid-tier B-rank jutsu, but compared to the 1,000 needed for a full [Male Hormone] dose, it was still a long climb.

"Don't complain. There's no risk here. Just a cleanup job. You get paid for mopping up," Neji added, casually dismantling her frustration.

Zabuza grunted but accepted it. She barely had a handful of B-rank techniques to her name one genjutsu, one taijutsu. The chance to build a catalog wasn't something to ignore.

"Understood. We'll handle it."

"Good. In a few days, Izumi and I will leave. You'll be in charge of the base from then on."

Neji turned to leave, but the familiar clang of the Executioner's Blade flying through the air interrupted him.

He turned, frowning. "Really?"

A flick of his foot sent the massive blade spiraling back to Zabuza. She caught it but stumbled as the weight threw her off balance.

Her eyes twitched. The moment was not graceful.

Behind her, Haku murmured, "Master, your bandages came loose."

"Then fix them already!" Zabuza snapped, flustered.

She looked down at her chest, annoyed. "Damn this body..."

Haku walked up quietly and reached inside Zabuza's shirt, yanking the wrappings tight again.

"Too tight!"

"Sorry, Master."

Neji watched this play out with deadpan silence.

There went the intimidating atmosphere.

"...You two done?" he muttered. "Great. We're leaving."

"Not so fast!"

Zabuza swung the massive blade into the ground, blocking his path.

"I want to see if you're worth following. I'm not putting myself beneath someone weaker than me."

He'd been looking for a chance to test them, but the two were always elusive. Now? They were cornered.

Neji raised an eyebrow, amused.

Free XP.

He motioned for Izumi to stand down.

"Both of you. Come at me. Don't waste time."

He stepped into the center of the training ground, with no stance, no weapons, just calm.

"You're confident, Lord Nian," Zabuza muttered.

"Let's go, Haku!"

Zabuza surged forward, blade in hand. Haku flanked her, senbon already in hand.

Zabuza hurled the Executioner's Blade like a meteor. The wind howled as it tore through the air.

Neji tilted his head, letting it whistle past. Then he turned, caught it mid-spin, and planted it into the ground with a metallic clang.

Haku's senbon followed. Neji didn't even blink.

"Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

Zabuza's voice echoed as the field filled with thick, chakra-rich fog.

In most cases, it would shroud them in total silence and concealment.

But against Neji?

"With [Observation Haki], fog is meaningless."

He hurled the massive blade into the mist, carving a tunnel of wind.

Zabuza's eyes widened. He saw through it immediately?

"Ice release: Ice Dome!"

Haku formed a crystalline wall in front of her Master. The flying blade smashed through it and scattered shards of ice across the field.

Zabuza caught the spinning blade but the force nearly knocked her off her feet.

That was a casual throw? she thought.

His physical strength is insane! I can't take him head-on.

In a split second, she switched tactics.

"Water release: Great Waterfall Jutsu!"

A roaring surge of water exploded forth, crashing across the compact arena like a tidal wave.

Neji smiled.

"Nice water."

◉◉◉◉◉

~Uploading Schedule= 2 Chapters/day

~Support with 100 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!