The Stolen Byakugan

"Do you know what the essence of ninjutsu is?"

"The answer is [bloodline]." -- Hyuga Ritsu

Konoha Calendar, Year 50.

The Third Shinobi World War was still raging in full swing. Along the eastern coast of the Land of Fire, thousands of Konoha Ninja were scattered across the long shoreline, locked in a grueling, repetitive tug-of-war against the Mist Ninja arriving from the Land of Water. This winding coastline was like a long, narrow, shared wound, causing Konoha and Kirigakure to suffer continuous blood loss.

At the front-line base of the Konoha forces, Inside a certain tent, Two people sat facing each other, each with a bowl of instant noodles in front of them.

"Here, Teacher, have an egg."

Hyuga Ritsu smiled as he pulled two boiled eggs from his pocket, placed one in front of himself, and reached out to place the other in front of his companion.

However, Hiruko, sitting opposite him, did not even glance at the egg. He simply stared at his disciple, his expression grave as he said, "I will ask you one last time, Ah Ritsu. Are you certain you want to do this? Think it through carefully. If you fail, you will undoubtedly die."

"Teacher, I truly hope you can have more confidence in the Forbidden Jutsu you improved yourself."

Hyuga Ritsu picked up his egg, gave it a gentle squeeze to create a crack, and began peeling the shell with one hand.

"I do not doubt the Forbidden Jutsu I improved, but ask yourself, Ah Ritsu, do you intend to perform the procedure normally?"

Hiruko picked up his egg, tapped it against the corner of the table to crack it, and used both hands to peel it in a standard fashion. He did not stop talking, muttering, "My improved Chimera Technique requires the simultaneous seizure of five different Kekkei Genkai. By the principle of the mutual generation and restriction of the five elements, one must maintain an absolute balance between the five Kekkei Genkai to ensure they can be housed within one body without side effects!"

Having said this, he paused, opened the lid of his noodle bowl, dropped the tender, white egg inside, and unwrapped his disposable chopsticks, stirring them slowly in the bowl.

Across from him, Hyuga Ritsu had already lifted the lid of his own bowl, picked up his chopsticks, and began to slurp down the noodles with gusto.

Hiruko also lifted a mouthful of noodles, but before he could bring them to his mouth, he stared at Hyuga Ritsu again and couldn't help but continue, "But look at what you are doing now! Never mind five Kekkei Genkai; you haven't even gathered two. We only have one [Shikotsumyaku], and you are already impatient to use the Chimera Technique. How can you expect me to have confidence in you?"

His eyes were not filled with anger, But rather, deep concern.

Hyuga Ritsu looked up; the noodles in his bowl were already gone, leaving only the egg soaking in the broth.

He looked at Hiruko and said with a smile, "Teacher, I have said it before: my family's ancestral records mention that our Hyuga Clan and the Kaguya Clan are relatives. While it may sound absurd, the fact remains that our two clans' Kekkei Genkai originate from the same ancestor. So, I feel I can try. Perhaps after seizing the Shikotsumyaku, it will cause a change in my Byakugan, thereby allowing me to break the Caged Bird Seal."

"Bring me the records to see."

"I was ignorant when I was young. I didn't have toilet paper, so I tore them up to wipe my backside."

"I say... if you are going to lie to me, could you at least come up with a more decent excuse?"

Hiruko looked helpless, popping the now-lukewarm noodles into his mouth.

He truly had no way to deal with Hyuga Ritsu. After all, he had raised this disciple for nearly ten years, and they shared the same interests, studying Forbidden Jutsu together. There was no doubt that Ritsu would inherit his mantle in the future. Honestly, even a biological son would be hard-pressed to compare.

Furthermore, he had never married and had no interest in raising children of his own; in his eyes, Hyuga Ritsu was as dear as his own flesh and blood.

Therefore, When Hyuga Ritsu told him last night that he intended to use the Chimera Technique on the Kaguya Clan Mist Ninja they had captured together a few days prior, it felt as if a heavy stone had been pressed onto his heart—a weight that had not dissipated even now. He even felt a pang of regret for having brought Hyuga Ritsu along to research the Chimera Technique.

The so-called Chimera Technique, Was originally a Forbidden Jutsu created by the Second Hokage of Konoha, Senju Tobirama. Its purpose was to combine the limbs of ninja beasts with those of a ninja, attempting to enhance the physical capabilities of the shinobi.

However, such behavior was truly contrary to human ethics, and the sight of "half-beasts" was truly unsightly. In the end, it was no surprise that the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, ordered it to be sealed, adding another brick and tile to the thick catalog of forbidden books.

Of course, While merging with ninja beasts was the original purpose of this Forbidden Jutsu, the Chimera Technique as improved by Hiruko was meant to seize the Kekkei Genkai of others for one's own use. And right now, Hyuga Ritsu was preparing to use the Chimera Technique to seize the Kekkei Genkai of the Kaguya Clan of Kirigakure—the Shikotsumyaku.

"Then I will change my reason."

Hyuga Ritsu lifted his bowl to drink some broth, his smile fading as he looked at Hiruko seriously. "Teacher, have you heard about what happened yesterday?"

"Are you referring to... the fact that one of Hyuga Daisho's Byakugan was stolen by a Mist Ninja?"

Hiruko finished his noodles in a few bites, set down his chopsticks, and met his gaze squarely.

Many things had happened yesterday, but the only event Hyuga Ritsu would bring up was this one. A squad led by Hyuga Daisho, a member of the Hyuga Clan's Main House, had encountered a squad of elite Mist Ninja on the battlefield. The two sides clashed, and the result was a crushing defeat for Hyuga Daisho's squad. They fled back, and Hyuga Daisho himself had even had one of his Byakugan stolen.

The incident had caused a massive uproar, and there were many who were paying attention.

After all, The "Byakugan" of the Hyuga Clan was a top-tier Kekkei Genkai famous throughout the ninja world. It possessed a 360-degree field of vision without blind spots, the ability to see for several kilometers, and the power to see through objects. The importance of these abilities on the battlefield was beyond doubt, which was why it was coveted by various factions.

A thousand years ago, To ensure their Kekkei Genkai would not be stolen, the ancestors of the Hyuga Clan established a system where the Main House continued the bloodline while the Branch House protected the Main House. The Main House would place a curse mark known as the "Caged Bird" upon the members of the Branch House.

When a Branch House member died, or if someone attempted to gouge out their Byakugan, the curse mark would activate, directly destroying the Byakugan. At the same time, the Main House could use the Caged Bird Seal to control the life and death of the Branch House members.

A situation like a Main House member's Byakugan being stolen was truly unheard of.

Therefore,

One could easily imagine the sheer fury of the Hyuga Clan.

"Teacher, if you were to guess, now that the Main House's Byakugan has been stolen, how do you think we Branch House members currently on the front lines will be dealt with?"

Hyuga Ritsu asked.

"Dealt with..."

Muttering the word, which carried a heavy implication of punishment, Hiruko furrowed his brows. "What does that have to do with you? Although you are of the Branch House, you were not Hyuga Daisho's bodyguard. To be precise, if you hadn't arrived in time to drive off those Mist Ninja, Hyuga Daisho and his group might not have even made it back alive."

"That is exactly where the problem lies."

Hyuga Ritsu sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"Teacher, do you think Hyuga Daisho is currently thanking me for saving his life, or is he resenting me for not arriving sooner?"

"He wouldn't dare..."

Hiruko's words cut off as soon as they left his mouth.

Because the man absolutely would dare.

The system of the Hyuga Clan granted the Main House immense control over the Branch House; the Caged Bird Seal could cause a Branch House member to drop dead on the spot at any moment. Furthermore, Konoha's policies regarding such matters were extremely vague, as the village generally did not interfere with the internal affairs of the various great clans.

In other words, If the Main House of the Hyuga Clan executed a member of the Branch House, the village would not intervene.

And based on Hiruko's understanding of Hyuga Daisho, a member of the Hyuga Main House, he was a fool who possessed a certain degree of talent but was arrogant, conceited, and lacked any sense of responsibility. Rather than reflecting on his own recklessness and stupidity, he was far more adept at shifting the blame onto others.

Not feeling gratitude for Hyuga Ritsu's life-saving intervention, but instead resenting him for not arriving a step earlier—Hyuga Daisho was perfectly capable of such a thing.

"Ah Ritsu, do you truly believe it has reached the point where you must take such a risk to remove the Caged Bird Seal?"

"I do not wish to gamble on the hope that those people in the Main House are righteous and benevolent enough to distinguish right from wrong."

"Sigh!"

Hiruko let out a long sigh, picked up an egg from his bowl, and stuffed it into his mouth. While chewing, he mumbled indistinctly, "I will go find Orochimaru in a moment and have him arrange an intelligence-gathering mission outside the village for you!"