The Hokage's office.
Besides the Third, another figure was present in the office.
"Lord Hokage..."
An ANBU operative dressed in black placed two photographs before Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up the two photographs and studied them.
Their contents were horrifying.
One photograph showed an enormous Transparent Crystal Ball.
Countless eyes were stored inside the crystal ball.
There was also a girl wrapped in white cloth.
After examining them, Hiruzen Sarutobi handed the photographs to Danzo beside him.
"What's this?"
Danzo looked at the photographs, somewhat startled.
"The Byakugan?" Danzo exclaimed. "How could there be so many?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head.
"I called you here today to discuss this with you."
"Taji, tell us everything you saw."
The black-clad ANBU operative nodded, then reported the intelligence he had gathered inside the Hyuga Clan.
"What did you say? The Byakugan can be fused to increase its visual prowess?"
Danzo exclaimed after hearing the operative's report.
"Then how did he acquire so many Byakugan?"
The operative glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Only after seeing him raise his hand in permission did the operative answer.
"Most of those Byakugan were left behind by deceased members of the Hyuga Clan's Main Family."
"According to the Hyuga Clan's rules, all those Byakugan should have been destroyed."
"But Hyuga Feng used various means to collect them instead, taking advantage of his position as clan head."
Danzo gripped the photographs tightly, staring blankly at the Byakugan in them.
He had failed to recognize their potential. He had never imagined the Byakugan could be enhanced this way.
According to the operative's account, the Byakugan was no weaker than the Sharingan.
Perhaps...
Then he shook his head. The Byakugan was too well protected.
The Byakugan in the photographs alone probably accounted for all those the Hyuga Clan possessed.
"Sarutobi, did you summon me today just because of this?"
"Strictly speaking, if he's merely using the Byakugan to increase his power, we have no grounds to intervene."
"That doesn't seem to violate Konoha's rules, does it?"
After Danzo said that, a deathly silence settled over the office.
Only after a long while did Hiruzen Sarutobi speak. "That brings us to the figure in the photograph."
"If he were only increasing the Byakugan's visual prowess, I couldn't do anything to him either. But this involves human experiments."
"I cannot tolerate that."
Danzo's expression froze briefly at those words.
"There's only one case..."
He was about to speak further when Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him.
"There's more than one. According to the ANBU's investigation..."
"Hyuga Feng often sends people to other countries to find orphans."
"Then he brings them back to Konoha for experiments."
"Over the past decade or so, there have been nearly a dozen cases."
"We've already gathered the evidence." Hiruzen Sarutobi tossed a thick stack of documents onto the desk.
Danzo took them, and after reading through them, he began to feel eager as well.
"Sarutobi, since you already have the evidence, why call me here to discuss it?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at him, his expression unreadable.
"You are the root buried deep in darkness, and I am the green leaves basking in sunlight."
"Those were your words, weren't they?"
At that point, Danzo understood.
His expression immediately darkened.
"The Byakugan must go to me," he said through gritted teeth.
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled.
"Of course, if you can get them."
"A newly formed organization needs to weather some trials, doesn't it?"
Once Danzo understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's decision, he was secretly delighted, despite his reluctant expression.
Now he had a chance to get his hands on the Byakugan too.
Still, he was puzzled. The ANBU could clearly handle this matter themselves.
Yet Hiruzen insisted on leaving it to Root.
There had to be something wrong here.
But what did that matter?
There was too much for him to gain.
"Danzo, mind what you do," Hiruzen Sarutobi said slowly. "Only three people in the Hyuga Clan are involved in this. Don't go killing innocents!"
"Remember to keep the disturbance to a minimum."
"Otherwise, those old men in the Hyuga Clan won't care who you are."
Danzo nodded at his words.
"When can I act?"
Danzo was impatient. He wanted nothing more than to rush over and seize the Byakugan immediately.
"In a few more years."
"We'll discuss it once the Hyuga Clan's next heir has grown up."
Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Danzo's heart immediately sank.
A few more years?
Then why come to me now?
"Sarutobi, this matter demands immediate execution," Danzo said viciously.
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head.
"The Hyuga need an heir who possesses the Will of Fire."
"And Konoha cannot lose the Hyuga..."
Though unwilling, Danzo still nodded in agreement.
He was impatient, but that day would come sooner or later. Waiting a little longer would do no harm.
"Taji, continue monitoring Hyuga Feng's movements," Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered.
The black-clad ANBU operative nodded, acknowledged the order, and vanished from the spot.
Yui stood before the wall, looking up to examine the seals on it, and sighed softly.
It seemed there was only one way to get out, but she already had a Summoning Contract with Xiao You.
She did not know whether that method would work.
The first thing she would do after escaping was remove this wretched Caged Bird Seal.
She also had to find Nai Hyuga.
She recalled the scene in the original story where Jiraiya had reached Mount Myōboku by using the Summoning Technique.
Yui sighed softly.
So my last resort is still the Summoning Technique?
She did not know whether it would succeed or where it would transport her.
Everything was unknown to her.
"Xiao You, come stand on my shoulder!" After packing everything she needed, Yui called to Xiao You on the floor.
At her words, Xiao You scampered on four tiny, short legs and quickly reached Yui's shoulder.
"Yui, how are we going to get out of here?"
Yui tapped the little white mouse on the head, then smiled. "You'll find out in a moment."
She looked around and hung the black short sword at her waist.
Once everything was ready, Yui formed hand seals.
"Boar, dog, bird, monkey, ram."
Watching Yui's hand seals, Xiao You was puzzled.
Weren't those the seals for the Summoning Technique?
What was Yui doing? Was she practicing the Summoning Technique?
While Xiao You was still wondering, Yui finished forming the seals.
"Ninja Art: Summoning Technique!"
She slammed her hand onto the floor, and circles of seal markings formed instantly.
As she used the Summoning Technique, Yui deliberately blocked her awareness of Xiao You.
At that moment, her mind was completely empty, without a single thought.
Suddenly, Yui saw the summoning markings beneath her feet emit waves of white light.
"It worked..." Seeing that white light, Yui knew she had succeeded.
Poof!
A thick cloud of white smoke burst out, and Yui vanished from the spot.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak-"
After Yui disappeared, the little white mouse dropped out of the air and landed on the floor.
"Yui, where did you go...?"
Once the smoke cleared, Xiao You stared blankly at the empty room.
Where was she? Had a living person just vanished like that?
Before you continue