Ocular Technique Evolution

Konoha.

The Hyuga Clan's compound.

Perhaps because war was approaching, even the atmosphere within the clan had grown somewhat tense.

However, the clan head's residence had nothing to do with tension. With several elite warriors standing here, it instead exuded an oddly unsettling air.

The modestly sized residence was packed with talent at a glance.

At the entrance to the main hall, Pakura stood quietly with her eyes closed, resting without being affected in the slightest.

Although she knew this was the Hyuga Clan's compound, and that the Hyuga Clan had its own guard force to protect the clan head's safety.

For so many years, whenever Hyuga Hitoshi entered some strange state, she had silently guarded him like this. She had probably long grown accustomed to expressing her feelings in this method.

It was also her attitude. When someone was at their most vulnerable to attack, no one would get past her unless they stepped over her corpse.

At the courtyard entrance, Hizashi Hyuga and Hyuga Hiashi were not in a hurry either. They had come to report the situation regarding the clan land relocation to Hitoshi Clan Head.

Just as Pakura was accustomed to guarding him intentionally or unintentionally, they were accustomed to subtly reporting on clan affairs and waiting for the clan head to issue orders.

But this time, something surprised them.

Besides Hyuga Gyuba, the head of the guards, there were actually other people in the residence.

"I always feel Sasuke looks like..."

Uchiha Shisui wore a complicated expression as he finally shifted his gaze away from Sasuke.

"Sasuke is very pretty."

Uchiha Itachi solemnly interrupted Brother Shisui and directly defined Sasuke as such. There were some things he and Brother Shisui should not discuss—there were outsiders here.

After all, Itachi had been a mature child capable of considering how to destroy the Uchiha Clan from the Hokage's perspective at a young age. He still possessed basic social awareness.

"And Neji is very handsome too."

Itachi thought for a moment. He could not just praise his own relatives, so he glanced at Neji, who was crawling along the ground, and added.

"Mm, Kakashi is handsome too."

Following Itachi's lead, Shisui cheerfully complimented Kakashi Hatake beside him.

That was right.

Kakashi had already been transferred into the Hyuga Clan's custody.

As for those captured ANBU, when the meeting ended, Fugaku had furiously taken them to the Konoha Military Police Force.

In Fugaku's words, although the Hokage had acknowledged that they were carrying out classified missions and were ANBU shinobi, who could say that some of them had not defected to the enemy?

Even thick-browed, big-eyed Kakashi was suspected of controlling the Nine-Tails. The others might be terrorists who had infiltrated from enemy villages!

As captain of the Konoha Military Police Force, Fugaku swore that he had to investigate thoroughly!

To put it bluntly, he planned to use this incident to put the old village chief in his place.

Unfortunately, for just a few ANBU shinobi, with the old village chief's thick skin, he would simply abandon whoever needed abandoning. It was not a big problem.

After waiting for a while, Shisui raised an eyebrow. He had not heard Kakashi pick up the conversation.

Following what he said, it should have been Kakashi's turn to compliment someone.

When Shisui turned around, he awkwardly scratched his head. He keenly noticed that although Kakashi's body was standing there, if one looked closely, it seemed as though his soul had already lost its way.

It was hard to imagine why the results of the blame-sharing meeting had spread throughout the village so quickly.

In any case, when Kakashi was transferred to the Hyuga Clan, he had seen all the coldness of the world along the way.

The villagers had not lost their minds.

During wartime, at most they cursed the old village chief as useless behind his back, but they did not dare curse him openly and honestly.

And the Uchiha Clan had also proven that they had nothing to do with the Nine-Tails Attack.

So their anger had shifted elsewhere.

Once villagers shrouded by the shadow of war found an outlet for their emotions, it could be imagined what would happen to Kakashi, whose father was dead.

But let them curse him.

Kakashi himself did not care.

After all, when his father had been forced to death, the villagers had also pointed fingers at him. He did not care about that.

What truly made the light vanish from Kakashi's eyes was that those people had pointed at his face and cursed Obito, cursed his dead comrade.

At that moment, Kakashi was somewhat shocked.

He did not understand why a companion who had given his life for the village, for victory in the war, would be treated this way!

Even if it really had been Obito's eye that controlled the Nine-Tails Attack, Obito himself was already dead. Why would they not even spare the dead?

What was more, some even used this incident to bring up his father, pointing at his nose and saying that his father deserved to die!

In just a few days.

From the death of his teacher until now, Kakashi had felt nothing but darkness around him.

This place was hell.

If it were him now, he would surely have a lot in common to talk about with Obito.

"What's wrong with you?"

Not yet knowing the specifics, Shisui scratched his head and squeezed closer to Kakashi with an honest look on his face.

Kakashi gave no response.

In fact, he was rejecting every sound right now, immersed in his own world.

Shisui did not get discouraged. Seeing Kakashi's cracked lips, he handed him a water flask.

This guy was a little too warmhearted.

Kakashi stood up expressionlessly, then moved a few steps to the side and squatted down again.

Kakashi knew that he no longer had the right to get close to anyone. As long as he formed a connection with someone else, the abuse directed at him would spread to them as well.

So staying away from this kid was the best choice. That way, after dragging him down, Kakashi would not have to bear one more person's share of the curses.

Unfortunately, Shisui had not given up on making friends. He still came over with the water flask and launched into a long speech.

"I know you. The son of Senior White Fang."

The admiration in Shisui's eyes when he mentioned White Fang was clearly genuine.

"One day, I will become someone like Senior White Fang! I'll use all my strength to protect my companions, protect the village, and protect my clansmen!"

Heh, and then my father was forced to death by the people he saved.

What was the point of protecting companions, then?

People's joys and sorrows were not the same. Kakashi only found this hot-blooded kid unbearably noisy.

Especially after hearing Shisui's words, Obito's image flashed through his mind.

Two similar people. In the end, they would both die on the battlefield, right? Their destinations were the same. Heaven liked hot-blooded kids like them.

If that was the case.

"You can't protect anything."

A hoarse voice rang out as Kakashi finally spoke.

"Hm?"

Shisui looked confused.

"When you die, pass a message to Obito. Tell him I thank him for his eye. I really like his gift."

"...You're pretty damn funny, kid."

Their personalities were similar, yet one chose to keep protecting after suffering betrayal, while the other chose to place himself in hell after being provoked.

From that alone, Shisui's heart was undoubtedly strong. From beginning to end, he retained kindness in his heart. Apart from him, perhaps only the protagonists could achieve that.

Automatically blocking out Shisui's voice, Kakashi returned to his idle state.

He would not actively give up his life. He had promised Obito and Rin that he would live well in their place.

But he did not know how long he could hold on.

After all, in his eyes, this world was truly a little terrible.

Bzz!

His thoughts cut off!

Suddenly.

An invisible aura shot into the sky, and everyone's gazes instantly turned toward the room.

The heavy sense of oppression stirred a desire for submission from the heart. Sasuke, still an infant, immediately peed all over Itachi, while Neji splattered Hizashi's face as if to show that he was under not small pressure too.

Fortunately, the aura came quickly and vanished just as quickly.

Inside the room.

Hyuga Hitoshi's gaze was no longer sharp, and a trace of joy appeared on his face.

This was Kaguya Otsutsuki's ocular technique—

Byakugan—Coercion!

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