Hiashi had just breathed a sigh of relief, thinking his daughter had narrowly avoided danger—and that's why he rushed straight to the Elder's residence.
But he never expected that not only had the elder's grandson, Hyūga Hikari, vanished… his own daughter had been abducted too!
There was no doubt—this was a targeted strike against the Hyūga clan, aimed at none other than one of the Three Great Dōjutsu: the Byakugan.
The Sharingan and Byakugan had always been coveted by the shinobi world. But the Uchiha clan's fearsome reputation and the Sharingan's side effects meant few dared to make a move. In contrast, the Byakugan had always been seen as a "prize worth the risk."
Thankfully, the Hyūga were strong—and with the Caged Bird Seal system in place, they were well protected.
And yet… someone still dared to strike.
Someone had actually infiltrated Konoha and made their move!
As soon as the servant relayed the message, one of the Hyūga's elite shinobi arrived in haste.
"The kidnapper is fleeing rapidly. He's already left the clan compound, but we've locked onto his chakra signature!"
Fleeing rapidly?
That report made Hiashi frown.
The enemy earlier had used space-time ninjutsu to directly warp people into a pocket dimension—there was no need to run.
Hikari had been taken in exactly that way. Even when the elder witnessed it, he was helpless.
But this time, after abducting Hinata, the target was fleeing chaotically…
Which meant—the one who took Hinata wasn't the same person as before!
"Hōta, report this to the Hokage immediately. Have him seal off the village and mobilize ANBU for pursuit!"
Hiashi gave his orders without hesitation, his expression grim.
Hinata wasn't just the Hyūga clan's hope—she was also the bond between the Hyūga and Yuki Yoru.
Yoru had just left. If his student were kidnapped the moment he turned his back, the implications would be a direct slap to his face!
"Kōkyō, lock onto that guy's location and follow me in pursuit!"
"Yes, Clan Head!"
Once they confirmed the target's position, Hiashi and his elites set out at full speed. The entire Hyūga compound was mobilized. The sheer scale of the movement caused many shinobi in Konoha—fresh from celebrating the festival—to frown.
Others, however, were simply curious.
What could've happened to provoke the Hyūga this much?
As one of the oldest clans in Konoha, the Hyūga were known for their solemn, dignified conduct.
The Uchiha were arrogant and proud—but reliable.
The Hyūga, by contrast, were seen as stiff and ritualistic—a noble clan steeped in tradition.
Strict etiquette, ancient rules, and the whole Main vs. Branch Family system made most shinobi prefer to avoid them—even fellow sensory-type clans like the Inuzuka and Aburame.
"What? Hinata's been kidnapped?!"
Inside the Hokage's office, Fugaku, who had just finished negotiating custody of Naruto with Sarutobi Hiruzen, leapt to his feet in shock.
"When did this happen? What's the situation? Have the culprits been identified?!"
"It happened less than half an hour ago," said the Hyūga jōnin, face grim.
"In addition to Lady Hinata, Eldest Elder's grandson Hyūga Hikari, Second Elder's grandson Hyūga Kagami, and several Branch Family children are all missing. The Clan Head is leading elites in pursuit. As for suspects…"
The jōnin hesitated before continuing grimly:
"Two individuals. One is the experimental space-time ninja from Higashimatsuyama. The other moves at high speed and specializes in Lightning Release."
That last part made Fugaku's face grow even more severe.
As both Hokage and Uchiha Clan Head, he knew exactly how serious this was.
This wasn't just a kidnapping—it was an attempted theft of Kekkei Genkai. A direct assault on the legacy of a noble clan. A threat to the foundations of shinobi society.
If it were just Branch Family members who were kidnapped, it might be one thing.
But these were Main Family heirs—and among them was Hinata, the daughter of the Clan Head, and Yoru's personal disciple!
Hinata absolutely could not be allowed to come to harm!
"Lightning Release… Wait," Fugaku said sharply. "Have those people left Konoha yet?"
"No," answered an ANBU operative appearing instantly. "But the Kumogakure jonin, Lotty, and two Kumo chūnin visited the Sarutobi compound this morning to say farewell to Hiruzen Sarutobi. They haven't returned."
Fugaku's three-tomoe Sharingan activated instantly. The Hyūga jōnin also widened his eyes in disbelief.
Don't tell me…
"Tekka," Fugaku ordered. "Take ANBU Teams 1, 3, and 4 to the Hyūga clan. Secure the area!"
"Inabi! Relay my Hokage order—have Elder Setsuna lead a team to surround the Sarutobi compound. No one enters or leaves—Kumo or Sarutobi!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
The two ANBU vanished instantly. Fugaku turned back to the Hyūga shinobi.
"Use your Byakugan and assist me in the pursuit. The Hyūga are a pillar of Konoha—we cannot let this go unanswered."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
The Hyūga moved. The Hokage followed.
And when the Uchiha ANBU moved to seal off the Sarutobi compound, the entire village immediately sensed something was wrong.
No official announcement had been made, but a storm was clearly brewing.
Konoha citizens—who had just finished a joyful festival—now felt a creeping sense of dread.
"What are you doing?! Why are you sealing off the Sarutobi compound?!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had recently been forced to hand over custody of Naruto, stormed out of his house, shocked and furious.
His first thought? Fugaku was coming to purge him now.
"I'm a village elder! Sealing off an elder's residence and attacking fellow villagers—what exactly are you Uchiha planning?!"
"Don't throw your weight around, Hiruzen."
Uchiha Setsuna, aged but battle-hardened, stood in full gear. His Sharingan glowed blood-red as he casually tossed a captured Sarutobi jōnin at Hiruzen's feet.
"By order of the Hokage, the Sarutobi compound is now sealed. No one goes in or out."
"What?!"
Hiruzen's face darkened instantly.
Setsuna hadn't been active in the ninja world for years, but his strength had never been in doubt.
Still, given Setsuna's checkered past, Hiruzen had assumed he'd be sidelined even under Fugaku.
But now, Fugaku had sent him in person?!
"Uchiha Setsuna… I demand to see Fugaku!"
Setsuna ignored him.
Instead, he turned as several figures were brought in by ANBU.
"What is the meaning of this? We're the Kumogakure delegation! We just signed a peace treaty!"
"Are you trying to break the alliance?!"
"Damn it—let us go!"
"I knew it! Konoha was never sincere!"
The Kumo shinobi yelled and cursed as they were dragged forward. One ANBU stepped up and reported:
"Sir. Four missing—including Kumo jōnin Lotty, jōnin Kirito, and chūnin Hiroshi and Yamamura Chūsuke."
"Hmm…"
Setsuna nodded coldly and walked up to one of the remaining Kumo chūnin.
The man gulped, nervously stepping back.
"W-What are you doing? We just signed a treaty. If you touch me, it's a declaration of war between Konoha and Kumogakure!"
"War?"
Setsuna sneered.
His Sharingan spun slowly in his sockets.
Others might have flinched, but Setsuna? He was the kind of man who once rebelled against the White Haired Second Hokage.
And now? These very Kumo shinobi were likely behind a Kekkei Genkai abduction.
Without hesitation, Setsuna unleashed a genjutsu. The Kumo chūnin's body jerked, then slumped helplessly.
Setsuna frowned. Not satisfied with what he found, he turned and cast genjutsu on the next.
One by one, the Kumo envoys collapsed in drooling, terror-stricken heaps.
Watching this, Hiruzen finally realized the truth.
The problem wasn't him. Or the Sarutobi clan.
The problem was the Kumo delegation.
They had done something unforgivable.
Something so vile that Fugaku was willing to tear up the peace treaty just to get to the bottom of it.
"Setsuna… what the hell happened?!"
Hiruzen's voice was low and tense.
As the one in charge of the Kumo guests, if something had happened—even if he wasn't involved—he bore responsibility.
"…The Hyūga's Kekkei Genkai was stolen."
Setsuna's words made Hiruzen's pupils constrict.
The Byakugan—stolen by Kumo?!
Had they treated this alliance like a joke from the beginning?!
Wait… could it be that the whole delegation was here for that purpose from the start?!
Hiruzen wasn't stupid. His intelligence and political instincts were what made him the longest-serving Hokage.
"No wonder they agreed to every demand I made during negotiations—even when I increased the reparations."
"No wonder they asked me to guide them around Konoha—to explore the village under the pretense of 'cultural exchange.' It was all part of their plan!"
The more he thought, the more horrified he became.
He had been so focused on securing resources for the Sarutobi clan that he ignored the red flags.
And now, it was clear.
He had unwittingly helped Kumo steal the Byakugan.
Hiruzen shivered, voice shaking:
"Setsuna… this has nothing to do with me, I swear!"
"Whether it does or not—Hokage-sama will find out."
Setsuna's voice was cold as ice.
"Seal off the Sarutobi compound—and call in the Yamanaka clan."
"Yes, sir!"
While chaos reigned in Konoha, the true culprits—the Kumo agents—were deep in the forests of the Land of Fire.
"This won't work. Konoha's response is too fast—they'll catch up soon!"
"Damn it. How are they reacting this quickly?!"
"Split up! Draw their attention!"
The sounds of pursuit closing in made Lotty scowl.
The four Kumo shinobi exchanged glances and separated.
But splitting up meant nothing to the Byakugan.
Before long, Lotty was caught by Hiashi.
"So it was you…"
Hiashi's voice was dark, his killing intent tangible.
As the Hyūga Clan Head, he knew full well what this meant.
If a Kumo envoy died by his hand, it could trigger war.
But if Hinata were harmed, the price would be even greater—unbearable.
"So you never intended peace. It was all for the Byakugan!"
"Hiashi Hyūga, huh. What a pain." Lotty sneered, pulling out a kunai and pressing it to Hinata's throat.
"I'd advise you to stay calm. Your Gentle Fist may be powerful, but can you move faster than my hand?"
Hinata, still unconscious, flinched at the kunai's touch, her face twisting unconsciously in pain.
"Stop!" Hiashi roared.
"Heh heh… Good choice," Lotty smirked.
"If you care about this little girl's life, Clan Head… don't try anything reckless."