Early the next morning, while Hyuga Kyou was doing his usual morning training, he overheard rumors that the clan head had been attacked. This rumor confirmed what he had suspected since the previous day: the chunk of flesh Orochimaru had given him had indeed come from Hyuga Hiashi.
Although he had already guessed as much, Kyou still felt a wave of disappointment. Orochimaru had managed to injure the Hyuga clan's strongest warrior with seemingly little effort. Even if a surprise attack had played a role, it still spoke volumes.
From his own experience, Kyou knew that for a Hyuga clan member to reach the level of one of the Legendary Sannin through conventional training was almost impossible. The path was steep, treacherous, and unforgiving.
And in terms of talent, Kyou was undoubtedly on the lower end. His potential could be seen clearly in the number of active gene sequences in his DNA. While an average Hyuga clan member had around twenty of the thirty-three special gene sequences in an active state, exceptional individuals like Hiashi could activate as many as twenty-eight. Kyou, on the other hand, had only seventeen. This number was significantly below the clan's average.
If he had continued on the traditional path, without any external help, then becoming a special jōnin might have been the limit of his life's accomplishments.
As for the exact details of Hiashi's assault, the main family remained tight-lipped.
Kyou could guess why. During the attack, Hiashi had likely identified his assailant as Orochimaru. As one of the Sannin and the personal student of the Third Hokage, Orochimaru held both power and political sensitivity. In light of such a delicate situation, the main house was likely still debating how to respond. Until they could reach a unified stance, their only option was to say nothing.
"Orochimaru dared to attack the clan head, which means he has no fear of his identity being exposed. This confirms my suspicion. He's already completed all preparations for his defection and could act at any time now."
After thinking it through, Kyou became even more certain. Orochimaru's defection was imminent.
For Kyou, this brought both relief and risk. On one hand, the pressure that had been looming over him would vanish. On the other, he would lose a powerful backer who had shielded him in the shadows.
"Aside from Orochimaru, the only ones who knew I participated in human experiments are already dead—victims of the war. As long as nothing happens to Orochimaru, the village has no way to trace anything back to me."
Most of Orochimaru's collaborators from Kyou's era had already perished on the battlefield. After being reassigned to the rear, Kyou had always worked in an isolated lab due to the Byakugan's unique properties. He had never crossed paths with other researchers, nor shared his specific projects. Only Orochimaru himself knew what Kyou had been working on.
After mentally checking every possible loose end, Kyou resumed his morning exercises, his movements calm and steady, as if none of this had anything to do with him.
The village remained quiet for the next few days. Everything seemed deceptively peaceful.
Then came the third night.
Without warning, a masked Anbu operative wearing a fox mask appeared inside Kyou's home. Wordlessly, he placed Kyou under arrest and escorted him to a temporary Anbu base.
The base was located in the northwestern corner of the village. It spanned a large area, heavily fortified and guarded by multiple patrol units. Just from a glance, Kyou identified at least seven or eight full squads of Anbu stationed around the perimeter.
Once inside, he was confined to a solitary room.
The moment Kyou stepped in, he frowned slightly.
The room was cramped, bare of furniture. A thick iron gate had been installed at the entrance. Beyond it stood an Anbu guard stationed specifically to watch him.
This was no base. It was a makeshift prison.
There was no doubt now. For the Anbu to mobilize with such force, Orochimaru must have officially defected. The timing was likely today—perhaps even within the hour.
Thanks to the Byakugan, Kyou calmly began scanning the entire detention facility.
He was neither the first nor the last person brought in. After his arrival, more shinobi continued to be escorted inside one after another.
Without exception, every individual being detained had connections to Orochimaru. In total, there were several hundred people—among them, multiple elite jōnin whose names were well-known across the village.
This wasn't surprising. During the war, Orochimaru had led numerous squads and special units. Over time, it was inevitable that he would gather many loyal subordinates. Given that the village had mobilized tens of thousands of shinobi during the conflict, it would have been strange if Orochimaru had only a handful of trusted men.
A few hundred followers was nothing out of the ordinary. If he didn't have at least that many under his wing, he wouldn't have been qualified to compete with Minato for the position of Fourth Hokage.
The influx of prisoners, combined with an equal number of guards, quickly made the temporary prison a chaotic and noisy place.
But not everyone behaved like Hyuga Kyou.
While most of the detainees were nervous, confused, or openly panicking, Kyou sat still, back straight, his eyes calm. He observed everything from behind his activated Byakugan.
He listened to the hurried footsteps in the corridors. The murmur of voices behind the walls. The rhythmic tapping of armor as guards shifted positions. Every heartbeat, every breath within his field of vision became part of the data he collected.
Time passed slowly.
Kyou knew that the key now was to remain inconspicuous. If he kept silent, answered questions calmly, and showed no signs of panic, then there would be no reason to dig deeper into his involvement.
He wasn't worried about being directly implicated. Orochimaru was too cautious to leave any trace of their collaboration.
But even so, Kyou remained alert.
If even the slightest clue was discovered, the consequences could be catastrophic.
He would need to wait. Remain patient. Let the storm pass.
Because once it did, and the village's focus turned elsewhere, he would be free to resume his experiments. Free to pursue the truth behind the Byakugan's evolution. Free to continue his pursuit of the Tenseigan.
In silence, Hyuga Kyou sat alone in the darkened cell.
His thoughts, however, were anything but still.