Hyuga Xiao's fingers paused over the scroll for three seconds.
Three seconds were enough for him to take seventeen breaths, enough for his Byakugan to catch every minute fluctuation of the Curse Mark within Anko's body, and enough for him to make a decision.
"Deal."
His voice was calm, as if he were merely commenting that the weather was nice today.
Orochimaru's fragment grinned within the Mind Prison—an illusory form made of chakra, yet it still conveyed a deeply unsettling sense of pleasure.
"A wise choice." The fragment's voice carried the hissing drawl of a snake. "Then how about you pay the deposit first?"
"Tell me half first." Xiao's chakra formed layers of sealing formulas around the prison. "I need to verify it."
"Heh... cautious little brat." The fragment was not surprised. "The Caged Bird Seal—the Hyuga Main House claims it exists to prevent the Byakugan from falling into enemy hands after Branch House members die. What a grand and righteous excuse."
Xiao did not respond. He merely maintained the sealing formulas.
"The truth is," the fragment lowered its voice, each word like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, "at the moment the host dies, the Caged Bird Seal activates a reverse extraction process. It extracts all the essence of the Byakugan bloodline accumulated through a Branch House member's lifetime of training—those fundamental powers buried deep in their cells, powers even the host cannot fully wield—and sends it back to the Main House Treasury through the Curse Mark network."
The air within the prison seemed to freeze.
Xiao's fingers tightened slightly, leaving faint creases along the edge of the scroll.
"Go on."
"Every Branch House member's death is a feast for the Main House." The fragment's tone carried a sickening admiration. "That bloodline essence is purified and fused within the