Naruto: Reborn as Neji Hyuga After Dying in One Piece-Chapter 47. After All, The Future Holds Promise

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As Neji and Izumi left the room, Zabuza let out a long breath. The moment the tension drained from her body, the searing pain in her arm returned with a vengeance. She gritted her teeth and hissed softly.

"Master..." Haku glanced at her, worried. But she was still too weak barely able to shift before her strength gave out.

"I'm fine. Don't worry."

Zabuza lay back on the bed, closing her eyes. "...That guy wasn't wrong. A shinobi who acts without intel is a liability."

She sighed again, letting her thoughts settle.

They'd been rescued. That was certain. And it seemed their savior had a use for them meaning, at least for now, their lives weren't in danger.

But...

Zabuza opened her eyes again and stared at her chest with a complicated expression.

The burden was... heavy.

Her once calloused hands were now soft and smooth. It was an unfamiliar feeling that left her unsettled.

She was a woman now. That part was undeniable. But how the hell had he done it?

A forbidden jutsu? Some kind of medical technique?

Was this still her original body?

Haku noticed her partner deep in thought and smiled quietly, resting peacefully on the adjacent bed.

As long as Zabuza was alive, she had nothing to fear.

Still... no longer a "tool," huh?

Her mind drifted back to a blond boy with whisker-like markings. His loud, passionate words echoed faintly before she slipped into sleep.

---

Elsewhere...

Neji and Izumi continued developing their base, dividing it into zones and setting up infrastructure.

Several [Shadow Clones] worked nearby in near silence, helping streamline the process.

"Lord Nian," Izumi reported, dismissing her clone, "the interior is mostly set up. Do we need anything else?"

"You've done well."

Neji nodded, arms crossed as he considered the next phase.

The base was nearly complete. The bridge outside still needed work maybe two weeks, max.

A proper trade route. That was essential.

You want prosperity? Build roads first.

With roads came merchants. And with merchants came power.

As for who controlled the island's trade...

Neji's gaze sharpened. That monopoly was his to claim he needed it to move freely later.

This base was just the first foothold.

Eventually, they'd need to expand.

Recruit. Build external forces.

And that... was why he needed people like them.

"Lord Nian... do you really trust them?" Izumi asked carefully.

"They were once Mist ninja."

"They were. Zabuza's not dumb he was just stubborn. Prideful. Death taught him clarity. He's not going to run."

"...I see," Izumi replied, relieved. She'd assumed Zabuza stayed only because of the transformation. Apparently, that wasn't it.

"Get everything ready. Once they've fully recovered, we won't be staying here long."

"Yes, sir."

---

One week later.

Zabuza and Haku were back on their feet, training hard in the facility's outdoor grounds.

Zabuza, now tall and lean, swung her executioner's blade with her usual ferocity, her strikes carving the air.

Haku, standing nearby, flicked senbon needles with such speed they blurred each one hitting dead center on wooden posts.

Neji arrived with Izumi. "Looks like you two bounced back just fine. Good. My effort wasn't wasted."

Both paused their training.

Zabuza lowered her massive blade with a thud. Haku retrieved her senbon and stood calmly beside her.

"We're managing," Zabuza muttered, avoiding eye contact.

Neji chuckled. Lately, she'd been acting... odd. Often catching her staring into mirrors, lost in thought. But whenever she snapped out of it, she trained twice as hard.

"Anyway, just came to tell you we'll be leaving soon. You two will take over the base."

"...Huh?"

Zabuza blinked. So did Haku.

"You're leaving... this base... with us?"

Zabuza couldn't believe what she was hearing. No backup? No veterans? No surveillance?

"You're just... trusting us?"

"Absolutely."

Zabuza was stunned. Something wasn't right.

She'd scanned herself multiple times no seals, no bindings, no control triggers.

It didn't add up.

"You're overthinking it," Neji said. "This organization isn't about paranoia. It's about strength."

"You'll manage this outpost. Whatever you earn, keep. Whatever you gain, it's yours."

"But you will receive missions. Contribute resources. And in exchange, you can request anything."

He tossed a syringe in the air, casually catching it. Zabuza's eyes locked onto it.

"This is a [Male Hormone]. Like the [Estrogen Hormone] you were injected with, but reverse. Full transition. No side effects."

Zabuza narrowed her eyes. So it's true they could change her back any time.

"What do we have to do to earn it?" she asked.

"Complete missions. Earn [Contribution Points]. Everything is tied to that."

Izumi handed them two lists.

Zabuza and Haku's eyes scanned down the pages, ranked jutsu, forbidden techniques, taijutsu manuals, rare materials..., and even bloodline limit exchanges.

It was a treasure trove that would drive any shinobi mad with envy.

Zabuza's breath caught when she noticed the hormone section there were more than just male and female variants, each with unique effects.

The [Male Hormone] cost 1000 Contribution Points. Steep.

Were points easy to earn? That remained to be seen.

"Now, hand me your masks."

They passed the bulky masks over. Neji inspected them, then with a strange twist of his fingers, reshaped them into sleek pendants.

White, smooth, egg-sized tokens with their codenames engraved. Practical and inconspicuous.

"Inject chakra to restore them to full mask form. They resist sensory scanning and serve as comms units."

It was a simplified version of the [Germa Battle Suit] design crafted with [Iron Cloud] from Skypiea.

As for that impressive reward list?

All smoke and mirrors.

They didn't have the inventory yet. But promises kept people dreaming. And after all...

The future holds promise, doesn't it?

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