The Discovery of the Byakugan

Hokage's Office.

Just as Senyo was making arrangements for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Jiraiya was reporting on Uchiha Senyo's visit to the school that day.

"Uchiha Senyo had no contact with Naruto whatsoever."

"I suspect he came to test our attitude."

Jiraiya plopped himself down on the desk. After Naruto returned home, Jiraiya had first had the Anbu come report to him.

Then he had gone for a hot spring soak and drinks with hostesses before finally coming to report to the Third Hokage.

Seeing Jiraiya reeking of alcohol, with traces of wiped-off lipstick still on his face, the Third Hokage frowned.

"At a time like this, you still went out to have fun?"

Jiraiya said dismissively, "Old man, do you really think I went there just to have fun? I went to investigate the area near the Uchiha Clan Compound."

"Inside the Uchiha Clan Compound, aside from the combat personnel sparring, everyone else was going about their usual business."

"You're acting like a startled bird. The Uchiha will think we're afraid of them."

Jiraiya was skilled at gathering intelligence, and ordinary Uchiha clan members really would have a hard time noticing him.

However, Jiraiya did not dare investigate too deeply.

If he were discovered, it could easily provoke a conflict.

The Third Hokage took a puff from his pipe and set it on the desk. "There's nothing wrong with being cautious."

"Our people aren't all in place yet. We can't afford even the slightest mishap."

He handed Jiraiya a stack of documents. "Take a look. Some intelligence from the black market."

As Jiraiya took them, his carefree expression gradually turned serious.

The information had been sent back by Konoha personnel stationed in the black markets of every major country, as well as spies dispatched to each village.

There was no need to mention the famous Bounty Hunters who were interested in Danzo's head.

There were also people from the other Four Great Shinobi Villages, who had likewise sent personnel to the Land of Fire.

They were not merely hoping for Danzo's death.

They were preparing to test Konoha. Some might even come into contact with the Uchiha.

After all, the Uchiha were an extremely important part of Konoha's military strength, and now they had openly broken with Konoha.

This was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.

Of them, the powerful Land of Lightning was the most proactive.

Although Konoha's spies in Kumogakure could not uncover the details, the people of Kumogakure were all extremely excited.

As the most martial, warlike, and aggressive village, there was no need to explain why they would be excited at a time like this.

The equally powerful Iwagakure also had personnel movements, but the spies had not found out who was coming.

The spies in the Hidden Mist Village and Sunagakure had uncovered no intelligence.

But even this alone was enough to give Konoha a major headache.

"This is a bit troublesome." Jiraiya's expression turned grave.

"If we show any weakness, they'll pounce and tear Konoha to pieces."

In the original timeline, the reason no other villages had taken the opportunity to attack Konoha after the Uchiha were wiped out.

Was mainly because no one was willing to take the lead.

No one knew how the Uchiha Clan had been destroyed. The official report claimed it had been Itachi alone.

So... if someone told you that a thirteen-year-old elite had wiped out a clan numbering over a thousand people.

And done it in just a few hours overnight.

Would you believe it?

No one did.

After all, Konoha still had the Nine-Tails, so the matter was ultimately dropped.

But things were different now.

The entire shinobi world knew that the Mangekyō Sharingan could control tailed beasts.

Which meant it was still uncertain whether Konoha's Nine-Tails could even be used.

Konoha's other forces would also be tied down by the Uchiha.

So while Konoha could not show weakness now, it also needed to fight its first battle well.

It would be best if it could serve as a deterrent to those outside.

"Old man, we also need to prevent outside spies from getting in," Jiraiya reminded him.

The Third Hokage took a puff from his pipe:

"I've already discussed it with Hiashi. We'll have the entire clan take turns using the Byakugan to monitor all of Konoha."

Jiraiya's tone was strange. "Monitoring all of Konoha could easily provoke resentment from the other clans."

The Third Hokage slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. "There's no other choice. Konoha has reached its most dangerous moment."

This was the first time in decades that Konoha had allowed the Hyuga Clan to monitor the entire village.

The reason was simple: once the Hyuga Clan activated their Byakugan, everyone might as well have been naked.

Although they could freely adjust the viewing distance.

You weren't a member of the Hyuga Clan, so how would you know whether they were looking at your chakra pathways or something else beneath your skin?

(In the world of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, the reversed Neji was a peeping tom who specifically used the Byakugan to spy on girls.)

Besides, which Ninja Clan didn't have secrets? Which ninja didn't have privacy?

Once the Byakugan was activated, everything was exposed.

Therefore.

Unless it was necessary for combat, the Hyuga Clan generally wouldn't casually activate their Byakugan and look around Konoha.

This had not been an issue before because Konoha had never faced infiltration and invasion on such a massive scale.

"If I had the Byakugan, things would be much more convenient," Jiraiya said with a perfectly serious expression.

But everyone knew what kind of lecherous person Jiraiya was.

There was no need to say what he wanted to use the Byakugan for.

The Third Hokage glanced at Jiraiya and shook his head. He was still as unreliable as ever.

Although the previous Bounty Hunters had relied on Itachi's intelligence to infiltrate.

Now that the barrier activation frequency and patrol routes and schedules had been changed, ordinary Bounty Hunters could no longer enter so easily.

It was just that too many people had set their sights on Konoha this time.

The Third Hokage did not dare to be negligent and issued an order to Hiashi.

As the head of the Main Family, Hiashi naturally would not personally handle such matters.

After discussing it with the Great Elder.

He summoned the Branch Family elder, Fourth Elder Mitsunobu.

He assigned the task to Mitsunobu and had him lead the Branch Family members in carrying it out.

This sort of task was exhausting work to begin with. Keeping the Byakugan activated required Chakra.

Using it for too long would leave one's eyes extremely uncomfortable.

Moreover, it was a task bound to offend people, one the Main Family would never take on.

And so.

Hyuga Mitsunobu, the Fourth Elder of the Hyuga Branch Family, led a large number of Hyuga Branch Family members in monitoring Konoha.

The scope of this operation was enormous. They not only had to inspect the new districts, but also guard against people hiding in the old districts.

Those areas had to be searched as well.

But during Konoha's first inspection on such a scale, they immediately found a problem.

"Lord Mitsunobu, come take a look at this."

Although Mitsunobu was the Fourth Elder, the Branch Family was still accustomed to calling him Lord.

After all, the title of Fourth Elder had been bestowed by the Main Family.

They called him Lord because Mitsunobu deserved the title.

Not long after Mitsunobu divided the teams and began the surveillance, a Hyuga clan member from the old district came to report.

His expression was extremely strange, as though he had seen something unbelievable.

The Branch Family member handed Mitsunobu a particularly old Explosive Tag.

"Elder Mitsunobu, the style of these Explosive Tags..."

Mitsunobu took the Explosive Tag and examined it. It was a design from twenty-five years ago.

"We've already found a great many in the old district. Clan members have been sent to inspect the other important locations as well."