Naruto: Reborn as Neji Hyuga After Dying in One Piece

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Days later, inside Laboratory Zero.

The once-proud jinchūriki of the Two-Tails, Yugito Nii, stood before Neji her eyes empty, her body still.

[Boss, preparations for Yugito Nii are complete. Shall we proceed?]

Ai-chan's calm voice echoed through the sterile chamber. Neji gave a short nod.

At once, the lab came alive. Machinery hummed, seals carved into the floor glowed to life. Izumi worked beside him, eyes fixed on the stream of data scrolling across her tablet.

The sealing array pulsed. From Neji's body, traces of the Two-Tails' chakra flowed outward, weaving into Yugito's. Her form trembled, her eyelids pressed shut. Crimson markings spread faintly across her skin.

Izumi's voice cut through the tension. "Reading's stable. The Matatabi chakra is manifesting."

Neji's Tenseigan flared, piercing into her body. Strands of his silver-white hair extended like living conduits, threading into her chakra network.

Yugito winced faintly, but the process stabilized. Within moments, intricate feline tattoos surfaced across her skin, glowing with blue fire.

The chakra channels synchronized a resonance between Neji's sealed Matatabi and Yugito's body. Unlike Pain's black receivers, these markings allowed her to retain her mind and autonomy, while granting Neji shared control and oversight.

[Chakra-link seal established. Boss, should we wake her?]

"…Wake her."

The machines receded back into the walls, the lab returning to silence. Neji extended his hand, drawing out a soft orb of light from Yugito's chest her individuality restored. Her eyes flickered, and clarity returned.

Recognition struck. Feeling his chakra surging through her, she dropped to one knee.

"Yugito Nii… pledges herself to Boss!"

"Stand," Neji ordered.

"Yes."

Satisfied, he tossed her a pendant engraved with the kanji for Cat.

"Your codename is [Cat]. Your mission: return to the Hidden Cloud. Watch for opportunities when the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki, Killer B, is isolated. Notify me immediately."

"Yes, Boss!"

With a gesture, Neji warped her away to the Land of Lightning. Until B was exposed, confrontation with the Raikage wasn't worth the risk.

Neji turned to Izumi. "How's the data?"

"Fully logged. One hour until complete analysis. Optimization is possible." She typed furiously, the glow of the monitors reflecting off her eyes. "With this AI-assisted framework, progress will accelerate exponentially."

He nodded. The work that once required endless trial and error has now been refined through modeled templates. Yugito was the proof.

"Good. Ai-chan — summon [Slash]."

[Understood, Boss.]

Izumi paused mid-keystroke, brows rising. "…You're going to give Zabuza the Sanbi's power?"

"Yes. His strength stagnates. It's time to raise him further."

Zabuza's base power might have once been formidable — a man who assassinated his Mizukage, a member of the Seven Swordsmen. Yet by now, his ceiling was low. Even at his peak, he'd barely matched Kakashi in their first clash. He needed more.

Moments later, the doors slid open. Zabuza strode in, stripped to his upper body, muscles taut, Kubikiribōchō resting across his back. His presence was as grim and heavy as ever.

"Boss. What's the mission?"

"Something… that requires your consent," Neji said, sensing the chakra outside the door. "Ai-chan, let them in as well."

[Yes, Boss.]

The doors opened again.

A blur of red hair stumbled in, colliding straight into Neji's chest.

"Heheh… Boss's scent…"

Neji's face darkened. "Karin…"

Before he could speak, Izumi pinched Karin's ear and dragged her upright.

"Ahhh! Ow ow ow! Okay, okay! I was wrong! I'll behave, Izumi-sensei, I promise—ow ow!"

Neji sighed. Karin's obsession was exhausting, but at least Izumi could rein her in.

Behind her, Haku entered gracefully in her pale kimono, bowing her head. "Boss."

Neji's gaze softened. "…Good. Since you're all here, you'll witness what comes next. And I'll hear your thoughts on it."

Haku blinked, then glanced at Karin, surprised. He asked for her opinion. Not ours?

The air in the lab grew heavier. Something significant was about to begin.

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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter

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