**The Gates of Kirigakure**
A chaotic crowd pressed against the village gates—merchants, traders, and travelers, all shouting in protest. Horses and wagons loaded with goods stood idle as a group of **Anbu** barred the exit.
**"What do you mean we can't leave?!"** A well-dressed merchant, clearly the ringleader, jabbed a finger at the masked shinobi. **"We're not even from Kirigakure! You can't just lock us in!"**
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd, voices thick with accents from the **Land of Fire** and **Land of Lightning**.
Kirigakure, isolated on its island nation, relied heavily on imports. Most of its trade came from these two nations—and now, with the village suddenly **sealed**, merchants were furious.
**"Please remain calm—"**
A raven-masked Anbu raised his hands, trying to placate the mob.
**"Give us an explanation!"** The merchant's voice grew louder, emboldened by the Anbu's conciliatory tone.
The crowd surged forward, some even shoving against the shinobi.
Then—
A **hound-masked Anbu** stepped forward, his massive frame parting the crowd like a blade. In one motion, he **grabbed the merchant by the throat** and lifted him off the ground.
A suffocating **killing intent** flooded the air.
Crimson mist coiled around the Anbu, thick with the stench of blood. The sunlight dimmed, as if choked by the haze.
The crowd **froze**.
Some pissed themselves. Others stumbled back, gagging on the metallic stench.
***THUD.***
The merchant hit the ground, gasping.
**"Kirigakure is under lockdown,"** the hound-masked Anbu growled, his voice like a ship's engine. **"No one leaves. Violators will be executed on sight."**
Silence.
The raven-masked Anbu relaxed his hidden hand seals, smiling placidly. **"Now, now—no need for hostility. Let's all just… cooperate."**
The crowd didn't dare argue.
At the back of the mob, a **silver-haired girl in a white cloak** turned away, her blindfold hiding the **pale glow of her Byakugan**.
The blood mist?
**An illusion.**
And her eyes saw right through it.
---
**"Immunity to genjutsu"**—one of the Byakugan's lesser-known traits.
All ninjutsu relied on chakra, and the Byakugan could **see chakra itself**. Most illusions were useless against it.
(Of course, there were exceptions—**Tsukuyomi**, **Kotoamatsukami**, and other **hax-level genjutsu** could still bypass it.)
Today was **Hikari's second day** pretending to be blind.
And her **third day** in this world.
Yesterday, while waiting for her mission assignment, she'd tested her newfound abilities.
Turns out, the **Shikotsumyaku** (Dead Bone Pulse) and **Byakugan** were **two halves of one system**.
- **Shikotsumyaku's "Bone"** half was obvious—**bone manipulation**.
- **The "Corpse" half**, however, granted her flesh a **death-like plasticity**, allowing her body to **adapt** to the strain of bone restructuring.
Her body was no longer a single, fragile system—it was now **modular**.
Skin, muscle, bone, blood, organs—all could be **rearranged at will**.
Even her **Byakugan** had evolved.
No more hand seals. **Activation was instant.**
Her vision could now **selectively penetrate objects**—like seeing through her blindfold without x-raying the entire street.
Chakra cost? **Negligible.**
She could sustain it **indefinitely**.
And its applications went beyond sight.
**"Body Domination."**
A crude name for an **insanely versatile** ability.
- **Muscle control**: She could **focus all her strength into a single finger**, delivering punches with the force of a full-body strike.
- **Drawbacks?** A **3-6 second cooldown** between bursts, and extreme fatigue.
- But that was just the start. **Hair, sweat glands, nerve signals, even chakra synthesis**—all could be fine-tuned.
Her body was like **clay**, moldable at will.
She suspected the **Byakugan was always meant to control flesh**, but without the **Shikotsumyaku's "death" attribute**, Hyūga bodies were too fragile to handle it.
Hence why they specialized in **chakra manipulation** instead.
---
Despite her progress, **Hikari hadn't gotten a mission assignment**.
When she inquired this morning, she learned the truth:
**Kirigakure was on full lockdown.**
*No one in. No one out.*
**"A few dead Anbu wouldn't justify this…"**
Her instincts screamed **danger**.
Locking down an entire village—**cutting off trade, halting missions**—meant something **far worse** was happening.
*Was it the Byakugan?*
No.
Only the **deceased Kaguya elders** knew about her eyes.
This was something **bigger**.
And whatever it was—
**She needed to escape. FAST.**
---