Max-Level Observation Haki

Just as Shimura Danzo and the others were bickering in the Hokage's office, Kawaki Aoba, who had been escorted home by Sarutobi Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai, made a monumental decision.

He would completely discard this pair of Byakugan that had brought him such immense trouble, and attempt to see if he could trade them for some trump cards sufficient to save his life in the current situation.

Speaking of which, it is necessary to highlight the foundation of Kawaki Aoba's survival in this world.

The Sacrificial Altar was a magical altar that had existed in Kawaki Aoba's consciousness space since he first transmigrated. As long as he sacrificed certain items, the altar would provide him with objects from other worlds in return.

For instance, the Kido, Bakudo, and even the health and mana potions that Kawaki Aoba had used previously were all obtained through the Sacrificial Altar.

Unfortunately, this altar seemed to follow a certain mechanism of equivalent exchange. While it was not a perfect one-to-one ratio, the deviation was extremely limited, making it impossible for Kawaki Aoba to trade some ordinary item for a heaven-defying, world-shattering weapon.

Although it was a pity that he had never managed to pull off a "low-cost, high-reward" miracle, Kawaki Aoba was already quite satisfied with being able to obtain items from other worlds—at least, he would have been, had it not been for this recent incident regarding the awakening of his eyes.

Removing his goggles, he reached out to touch his eyes. When Kawaki Aoba opened them again, a look of resolution filled his pure white irises.

He reached into his ninja tool pouch, took out a Military Ration Pill, and tossed it onto the altar within his consciousness space.

Sacrifice, Kawaki Aoba whispered in his heart.

It is common knowledge that whenever one needs to gamble on luck, a normal person will first test their fortune, and Kawaki Aoba was naturally no exception.

As a ghostly light rose from the altar, the low-quality Military Ration Pill vanished, replaced by a relatively thick blue vial.

Kawaki Aoba knew this item all too well: it was a mana potion for restoring energy, and a medium-sized one at that.

When using Military Ration Pills as a sacrifice, health and mana potions were the most common drops. Getting one was just a standard result, though a medium-sized vial was indeed rare.

It seemed his luck today was actually quite decent.

A smile graced Kawaki Aoba's face, yet he could not hide the look of loss in his eyes as he gazed at his simple room with lingering attachment.

From this moment on, for a long time to come, he would likely lose his sight.

Immersing his consciousness into the altar, Kawaki Aoba steeled his resolve. The Byakugan in his eye sockets vanished in a flash, reappearing upon the altar.

Sacrifice. Light surged as the altar activated once more. Kawaki Aoba, now plunged into total darkness, only hoped that this sacrifice would not leave him too disappointed.

After all, the price he had paid this time was truly too great.

On the altar, as the sacrificial light gradually dissipated, a sphere radiating a silvery-white glow appeared within Kawaki Aoba's perception.

Kawaki Aoba was no stranger to this; it was a skill from another world, just like the Way of Destruction No. 4: White Lightning. However, compared to the skills he had obtained in the past, this light orb was several times larger.

Feeling the volume of the orb, Kawaki Aoba finally revealed a rare smile. With a thought, the skill orb shot out of his consciousness space and merged into his body.

At that very moment, Kawaki Aoba felt his consciousness clearer than it had ever been. In his perception, his mind was sublimating, becoming tougher and more powerful.

Then, with a soft "pop," Kawaki Aoba felt as if his perception had broken through some boundary, or perhaps shattered a cage.

The light he had lost seemed to return.

Kawaki Aoba "saw" the world once more: the simple, plain furnishings of his room, the worried expressions of Yuhi Kurenai and the restless Sarutobi Asuma in the courtyard outside, two squads of masked ninjas hiding in the shadows, and... the entirety of Konoha.

At this moment, Kawaki Aoba's "vision" encompassed all of Konoha. Aside from areas protected by sealing barriers, not a single corner could escape his "sight."

Although this vision could only form black-and-white images in his mind, lacking the vibrant colors of the past, it was more than enough for Kawaki Aoba right now.

No, it was far more than that.

Kawaki Aoba locked his gaze onto his two companions in the courtyard, clearly sensing their anxiety, worry, and agitation.

Furthermore, Kawaki Aoba had "seen" Sarutobi Asuma's movement trajectory in advance, and subsequent verification confirmed it to be true.

A smile played on Kawaki Aoba's lips; he had already grasped the ability he had acquired.

It was the max-level Observation Haki from One Piece. Beyond the basic twenty-mile perception, it included the ability to foresee the future to avoid danger, the ability to perceive good and evil by sensing the emotional changes in surrounding living beings, and the ability to probe the emotions and thoughts of others. Such a versatile Observation Haki was far superior to a pair of Byakugan.

The value of a newly awakened Byakugan and a max-level Observation Haki was certainly not equal. Moreover, with so many special abilities attached, this Haki contained almost all the characteristics of Observation Haki from One Piece.

Perhaps this was related to the high potential of the Byakugan, as it was, after all, an eye that could evolve into the Tenseigan.

Of course, this was merely Kawaki Aoba's speculation. Whether it was true or not no longer mattered; after all, he no longer possessed the Byakugan, did he?

"Hoo." Kawaki Aoba let out a long breath and slumped onto the edge of his bed.

Since he had won this high-stakes gamble, it was time to consider how to deal with the troubles to come.

First was the Hyuga clan. Kawaki Aoba was not naive enough to think they would let him go just because he had given up his Byakugan. Given how obsessed those stubborn people were with the Byakugan bloodline, they would likely not rest until they found a way to kill him.

Therefore, based on this alone, Kawaki Aoba had to prepare for the worst.

Defect from the village and become a wandering ninja?

It was fortunate that his current blind state might deceive many, causing them to lower their guard.

As for the higher-ups in Konoha, those two squads of ninjas hiding in the shadows outside were truly unsettling.

One squad was likely the village's Anbu, probably there to protect Sarutobi Asuma. As for the other squad...

It was hard for Kawaki Aoba not to associate them with a certain guy wrapped in bandages. Moreover, the faint malice radiating from them seemed to be directed at him.

No way. Could I really have been targeted by that old man?

Wait, what are they communicating about?