With a steady tap of her cane, **Hikari** walked gracefully into the lobby of the **Mizukage Building**.
The black cloth covering her eyes meant nothing to her **Byakugan**—her vision remained perfectly clear.
But she had no choice.
Her **Byakugan** was far too conspicuous.
Using the cash she'd scavenged from the **Shinno household**, she'd bought new clothes and a blindfold, replacing her ill-fitting garments and hiding her coveted eyes. Only then did she dare move freely through **Kirigakure** in her true form.
*Tap. Tap.*
The sound of her cane shifted from dull earth to crisp ceramic tiles as she entered the polished lobby.
Chakra, synthesized from her heart, surged through her meridians and into her **Byakugan**. Behind the blindfold, her pupils contracted sharply—yet despite its ability to see through nearly anything within a kilometer, the **Mizukage Building** resisted her vision.
Countless **barrier seals**, woven with foreign chakra, coiled around the structure like massive serpents constricting their prey.
She couldn't penetrate them.
Especially not the **Mizukage's office** at the very top. Encased in layers of **fuinjutsu** and an unknown, multi-colored barrier, it stood apart from the rest of the building—less like a leader's workspace and more like a high-security prison for death-row inmates.
*Had **Obito Uchiha** already been exposed?***
Uncertain, she approached the reception desk, guided by a staff member.
**"Little girl, how can we help you?"**
A kunoichi sat behind the counter, legs crossed as she filed her nails. Her eyes flicked up and down, sizing up the blind girl before her.
**"I'd like to post a mission."**
The woman set down her nail file and pulled out a form, pen poised.
**"Escort me to **Tanzaku Gai** in the **Land of Fire**..."**
The pen paused. **"Reason?"**
Hikari frowned.
---
Truthfully, she wanted to go to **Konoha**.
But she couldn't say that outright, so she picked a familiar location from the manga instead.
Konoha, nestled in the **Land of Fire**, was the wealthiest and most prosperous of the Five Great Nations. With fertile land and a mild climate, it was the ideal place for her.
More importantly, she knew its future.
While Konoha had its dangers, **foresight** was her greatest weapon. No crisis was insurmountable if she saw it coming.
And most crucially—the **Hyūga Clan** was her mother's family.
As the eldest daughter of the **main branch**, she was **free from the Caged Bird Seal**. If she could reach Konoha, she could reclaim her status as a **Hyūga noble**, securing their protection and resources.
With **two of the greatest kekkei genkai** in the shinobi world, plus the backing of Konoha and the Hyūga, she'd be untouchable—at least until the **Shippūden era**.
This was her best possible path.
As for why she needed Kirigakure shinobi to escort her? Simple—**she didn't know the way to the Land of Fire.**
This wasn't Earth.
No high-speed trains. No GPS. No paved roads.
She was **six years old** and had never left **Kiri**. The journey to Konoha spanned **oceans and continents**—she didn't even know where to buy a boat ticket.
---
The kunoichi waited, then—assuming Hikari was hiding something—softened her tone.
**"Missions are ranked S to D based on risk. If we misjudge the danger, it could lead to casualties—or failure. So we need the reason."**
Fair enough.
Hikari nodded and spun a lie:
**"My father disappeared two months ago. Before he left, he said he was going to **Tanzaku Gai** and would return soon... but he never did. I want to find him."**
The kunoichi scribbled notes, unfazed by the sob story.
**"Given the distance, this is a **C-rank escort mission**. Fee: **10,000 ryō**."**
She launched into a rapid-fire explanation:
**"Pay half upfront as a deposit. The rest upon completion. If the mission exceeds its rank, the shinobi may abandon it—no refunds. Blah, blah, blah..."**
Hikari unshouldered her pack, counting out **5,000 ryō** in crisp bills.
The kunoichi raised an eyebrow—how had a **blind girl** counted the exact amount?—but didn't pry.
**"Leave your address. A shinobi will notify you once the mission's accepted."**
**"Room 304, **Kirikage Inn**."**
**"Stay there. You'll hear within a day."**
---
By the time Hikari stepped outside, morning had passed.
Sunlight pierced through the dispersing mist, **blindingly bright**.
She winced—her **360-degree vision** forced her to see everything, even the sun.
Head down, she hurried along the main street.
People still gossiped about the **Kaguya Clan's massacre**, but the topic had shifted. In Kiri, fallen kekkei genkai clans were **nothing new**.
Then—
A strange **itch** crawled beneath her skin.
Her muscles **twitched uncontrollably**.
*What the hell—?*
She quickened her pace, ignoring the odd stares as her cane **tapped frantically** against the ground.
By the time she locked herself in her room, her body was **alive with movement**.
---
Sitting cross-legged, she ripped off her blindfold and **activated her Byakugan**.
Her **veins bulged** as chakra surged into her eyes.
The **pupils at the center of her irises darkened**, shifting from pale gray to **deep, deathly ash**.
More chakra. More.
Until—
***Snap.***
A **barrier broke**.
Suddenly, she could see **through herself**.
Her skin turned translucent, revealing **chakra pathways**, **muscle fibers**, **bones**, and **organs**—all shifting **on their own**.
Her **heartbeat** was erratic.
Her **muscles writhed like living things**.
Her **bones creaked**, stretching unnaturally.
Her **flesh moved with a will of its own**.
*What the hell is happening to me?!*
Panic threatened to choke her—but she forced herself to **analyze**.
The transformation had an **order**:
**Head → Neck → Chest → Limbs.**
And the source?
Her **Byakugan**.
---