Even if there was only the slightest chance, he had decided to give it a try.
But activating new gene sequences was extremely dangerous. To make things as safe as possible, Hyuga Lan had come up with a rather clever method.
He would develop a Bio-Armor, using it to make up for the functions of the sequences that had not yet been activated and guide his eyes' evolution.
The inspiration for the Bio-Armor had actually come from the specially modified White Zetsu Tobi. In the original story, Yamato had been wrapped up and controlled by Tobi, greatly enhancing his Wood Release. He had even managed to hold off the Five Kage and the Allied Shinobi Forces all by himself for a time.
Hyuga Lan's idea was to use his own cells as the core, then fill the armor with cells from other members of the Hyuga Clan. By fusing the cells outside his body, he could make up for the missing gene sequences.
Since it took the form of armor, this would let him achieve something similar to activating all his gene sequences while keeping the risks more manageable.
Of course, "manageable" only meant that it was much safer than activating all the sequences directly. It was still extremely dangerous.
So when he first began developing the Bio-Armor, Hyuga Lan didn't make one that incorporated every gene sequence. He only filled in a small portion.
This approach was not only cheaper, but also less risky to use. He named the first model Type-1 Bio-Armor.
When the Type-1 Bio-Armor was successfully made and implanted in his body, Hyuga Lan could clearly feel himself changing.
Both the amount of chakra he could use and the rate at which his Dojutsu Power grew far exceeded anything he'd experienced before. These changes to his body only strengthened his conviction that he was on the right path.
While adapting to the Type-1 Bio-Armor, he went on to develop a Type-2 Bio-Armor that incorporated more of the gene sequences.
Once he had fully adapted to the Type-1 Bio-Armor and discovered that it no longer had any effect, he began replacing it with the Type-2 Bio-Armor.
But this time, disaster nearly struck. When he implanted the Type-2 Bio-Armor, his body's violent rejection caused him such unbearable pain that it took a long time before he finally pulled through.
He had his earlier adjustment to the Type-1 Bio-Armor to thank for that. It had greatly improved his physical condition.
Otherwise, if he'd recklessly gone straight to using Bio-Armor that incorporated every gene sequence, the grass on his grave would probably be several feet tall by now.
The problems with the Type-2 Bio-Armor had also made him realize that, though the Bio-Armor was a clever shortcut, it wasn't entirely safe.
Nor did reducing the risk come without a cost. He had to spend more time adapting to the changes the armor brought to his body. In other words, it was a slow, painstaking process that couldn't be rushed.
Fortunately, in recent days, he had noticed that his Dojutsu Power had reached a bottleneck. That meant the Type-2 Bio-Armor was having almost no effect on him anymore, and he could try the final Type-3 Bio-Armor.
If he succeeded in mastering the Type-3 Bio-Armor, he would be much like someone who had activated all their hidden gene sequences. By then, perhaps his own Byakugan could break through its limits and evolve.
And an evolved Byakugan might become the Tenseigan. He was only one step away from it.
But implanting the Type-3 Bio-Armor and adapting to it would take time. And right now, he was caught up in Orochimaru's troubles. What he needed most was time.
Would he make it through?
To be honest, he wasn't sure.
But now that the arrow was on the string, he had no choice but to release it. He had to start incorporating the Type-3 Bio-Armor as soon as possible.
If he succeeded, he might gain the Tenseigan, and his formidable strength would be enough to get him through this crisis.
If he failed, he would die, nothing more. Given his current situation, he had no hope of turning things around without awakening the Tenseigan. He might as well take a gamble and see if fate would be kind to him this time.
A few days later, Hyuga Lan still hadn't heard anything about an investigation from the village. Just as he began to think he might have been lucky enough to escape this ordeal, someone's arrival shattered his hopes.
"Lord Hizashi, what brings you here?"
Seeing Hizashi arrive alone, Lan was surprised. Why hadn't the Anbu come? Had the clan head really protected him?
"Lan, come with me to see the clan head."
Then, as if remembering something, he turned and added,
"No matter what the clan head says or asks of you, you must agree for now. This is your only chance to protect yourself. Do you understand?"
Hizashi's words made Lan's heart tighten. It seemed his crisis wasn't over; something had simply changed.
But Hizashi was clearly sharing this information for his sake. As the head of the Branch Family, he thought highly of Hyuga Lan, a talented member of the Branch Family. Naturally, he would do everything in his power to protect him if there was a chance.
At the home of Hyuga Hiashi, clan head of the Hyuga Clan's Main Family.
The moment Hyuga Lan saw Hiashi, a restless feeling surged through his eyes. Startled by the strange change, he hurriedly lowered his head and stopped looking directly at him, doing his best to suppress his eyes.
But to Hiashi, Lan's lowered head as he approached showed that he wasn't getting arrogant just because he was talented. He remained humble in front of the Main Family's clan head, and Hiashi was pleased.
Lan was extremely tense. He didn't understand why his eyes were acting so strangely today, in front of the clan head.
His eyes were actually coveting the clan head, Hiashi—or rather, that wasn't right. The target of that feeling wasn't Hiashi himself, but his pure, unclouded Byakugan.
Lan was certain this had never happened to him around anyone else. The problem had to lie with him.
There was no doubt about it: bolstered by the Type-2 Bio-Armor, his Byakugan had undergone a unique change. It might now be just one step away from evolving.
This both frightened and thrilled Lan.
He was afraid that Hiashi might notice something was wrong. With the Caged Bird Seal under his control, Hiashi could easily take his life.
But he was also excited, because this confirmed that his eyes' Dojutsu Power had reached its limit. As long as he successfully implanted the Type-3 Bio-Armor, he could make his eyes evolve. The Tenseigan was within his grasp, and he had to make it through this ordeal no matter what.
Fortunately, thanks to his efforts, he managed to suppress the restlessness in his eyes for the time being. He'd acted quickly enough that no one else noticed anything unusual.
When Lan came before him, Hiashi studied him carefully. This was the Hyuga genius everyone talked about, yet in front of Hiashi he acted timid and sincere. It put Hiashi at ease. The boy knew his place.
A genius from the Branch Family should be all the more eager to serve the Main Family.
"As expected, heroes emerge from the young. No wonder Hizashi went to such lengths to plead for you.
"You should know that because of your connection to Orochimaru, you should have been taken in for questioning by the Root, since you served under him.
"You would have had only two possible fates: death, or being controlled and turned into a soulless killing machine, left to wish you were dead.
"Before you arrived, I'd already sent the Root operatives away."
Hyuga Lan was delighted to hear this. As long as he didn't fall into the Root's hands, things weren't too bad.
But he knew Hiashi must have paid a heavy price to send the Root away. Now it was his turn to make a sacrifice.
"What do you need me to do?"
Seeing that Lan understood, Hiashi didn't beat around the bush. He stated his request directly.
"I recently learned that Kirigakure and Sunagakure intend to negotiate peace. Your mission is to stop that from happening by any means necessary..."