Danzo's Scheme (Part 1)

With Observation Haki turned off, the world before his "eyes" sank back into utter darkness.

For Kawaki Aoba, the difference between having Observation Haki on and off was like night and day.

But as the saying went, you had to see things through to the end. It was only natural that he would struggle at first after losing his sight.

Relying on his memories of the furniture in the house, Kawaki Aoba carefully felt his way toward the front door.

Outside Kawaki Aoba's home, Sarutobi Asuma was still pacing around the courtyard, thinking about how to convince Hyuga Aoba to stay at his house.

Yuhi Kurenai, meanwhile, was worried about whether her father, Yuhi Shinku, could put the matter of Kawaki Aoba possessing the Byakugan to rest for good.

Clearly, the two youngsters were still too naive, with little experience to draw on.

"Ah!" Yuhi Kurenai suddenly cried out without warning, startling Sarutobi Asuma, who had been pacing.

Sarutobi Asuma turned to look and saw Yuhi Kurenai covering her mouth with one small hand, staring in shock toward the doorway.

Sarutobi Asuma turned to look as well. At the sight, he froze in place.

Good heavens, what was he looking at? His teammate, Kawaki Aoba...

"Your eyes? Aoba, where are your eyes?" Sarutobi Asuma cried out in shock.

Sure enough, he immediately saw Kawaki Aoba's empty eye sockets and the two streaks of blood running down his cheeks.

Kawaki Aoba had naturally made those streaks himself. Otherwise, if he'd gouged out his own eyes without leaving a single drop of blood, it would have seemed far too fake.

"Isn't it obvious? I gouged them out," Kawaki Aoba replied calmly, one hand resting on the doorframe.

"W-why? Kawaki Aoba, are you looking down on me? They're just a pair of Byakugan! The old man could definitely help you keep them!" Sarutobi Asuma shouted through gritted teeth.

At that moment, Kawaki Aoba could clearly sense anger and a faint trace of guilt coming from Asuma.

Although Kawaki Aoba had shut off Observation Haki's perception of the outside world, some special abilities that worked more like passive skills still remained.

"The Hyuga Clan has been a prominent family in the Shinobi World for a thousand years. Their foundations run deep, and they value their family's legacy above all else. Given how fiercely they guard their bloodline, even Lord Hokage would likely have a hard time making them compromise.

"Besides, if my situation put Lord Hokage in a difficult position, or even brought him humiliation at the hands of the Hyuga Clan, what right would I have to call myself an honorable Konoha Ninja? As a Konoha Ninja, I may not be able to ease Lord Hokage's burdens, but I certainly shouldn't add to them."

Those words struck right at the heart of the matter. Kawaki Aoba was deliberately trying to turn Sarutobi Hiruzen against the Hyuga Clan.

Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't here, but his Anbu were.

Kawaki Aoba was sure there was a good chance the Anbu would report his words to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Although he was prepared to defect from Konoha if the worst came to pass, that didn't stop him from earning Sarutobi Hiruzen's goodwill before he left. Besides, this might also help others lower their guard around him. Why not do it?

On top of that, the hostility he'd sensed earlier from the group of suspected Root ninja had disappeared.

Had they left?

Kawaki Aoba activated Observation Haki again.

Well, they hadn't left. Which meant that the hostility directed at him just moments ago had genuinely vanished.

Kawaki Aoba hadn't been mistaken. The group hiding in the shadows and harboring hostility toward him really had been Root ninja sent by Danzo.

As for their objective...

"Captain, that kid gouged out his Byakugan before we could get to him. What do we do now? Do we continue the mission?"

"Something unexpected happened, but the mission hasn't failed. Keep going."

After giving the order, the Root ninja told his team to stay hidden. Then he leaped out of his hiding place and headed toward Kawaki Aoba's courtyard.

"Kawaki Aoba, an important figure has sent me to help you. The Hyuga Clan has strict rules, and it'll be difficult for you to resist them alone. If you don't want the Caged Bird seal placed on you, condemning you and your descendants to the Hyuga Clan's control, then do as I tell you."

After entering Kawaki Aoba's courtyard, the Root ninja got straight to the point, repeating the words Danzo had given him before he left.

Looking at Kawaki Aoba's empty eye sockets, the Root ninja paused before continuing, "This is the best choice for both you and Konoha."

Before the Root ninja had even finished speaking, Sarutobi Asuma turned toward him, glaring furiously. "You just show up out of nowhere. Who are you?"

Clearly, the angry Sarutobi Asuma was taking his frustration out on the Root ninja. His partner's lack of faith in his abilities made him angry, and his inability to protect his teammate filled him with guilt. Together, those feelings nearly made the young Sarutobi Asuma lose control.

Faced with Sarutobi Asuma's anger, the Root ninja politely stepped back. But he didn't answer the question; instead, he continued explaining Danzo's plan as if speaking to himself.

In short, Danzo's plan was simple: take Kawaki Aoba, who had lost both eyes, to the Hokage Building. No matter what happened, he was never to admit that he had awakened the Byakugan.

"Other than the people on your team, only a handful of people know how you awakened the Byakugan. The Hyuga Clan isn't among them. And because you were so cautious, not a single person saw your Byakugan after you awakened it.

"So, now that you've lost those Byakugan, as long as you don't admit to having them, that important figure can protect you. Even the Hyuga Clan won't be able to do anything to you."

After hearing the Root ninja's words, Sarutobi Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai didn't react much, but Kawaki Aoba's heart tightened.

Damn it, now he finally knew why these Root ninja were here. That old dog Danzo had already set his sights on his Byakugan.

He'd gouged out Kawaki Aoba's Byakugan, then use him to extort the Hyuga Clan.

That way, the old bastard could get his hands on a pair of Byakugan and extort a hefty sum from the Hyuga Clan by accusing them of attacking a Konoha ninja. What a clever scheme.

Kawaki Aoba was now glad he'd sacrificed his Byakugan before they could get to him.

### (New writer, new book. Updates are steady. Please vote with your recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and investments! Any support is welcome!)