Troy carefully handed little Neji into Samui's arms. His expression was calm, but his eyes carried the weight of final resolve. After one last glance at the boy, he turned toward the Hyuga compound, where Hiashi and his family resided.
"Samui," he said in a low, steady voice, "take this child and leave the village immediately. Wait for me at the police station outside Konoha's gates. If you see me again before dawn, don't be overjoyed. We'll return to the Hidden Cloud together. But if you don't see me… don't despair. Go back to Kumogakure alone."
Samui's lips parted. Her normally composed demeanor faltered. "Old Troy…"
"Obey orders!" Troy's voice cracked like a whip, cutting off her hesitation.
Samui's shoulders stiffened, and she gave a reluctant nod. "…Yes."
---
A Mission of Death
Hiashi's residence loomed like a fortress in the night. Shadows shifted in the moonlight as a figure in black armor descended into the courtyard without a sound.
It was Troy. His movements were deliberate, each step carrying the knowledge that this mission was never meant for survival.
Through the paper doors, he could sense the faint restlessness of a child. Forming quick hand seals, Troy summoned the Nirvana Temple Technique once again. White feathers drifted softly through the air like snow, glowing faintly as they floated toward Hinata's room.
Within moments, the little girl's breathing calmed, slipping into the heavy rhythm of sleep.
Troy entered silently, his gloved hands reaching forward. He scooped Hinata into his arms, cradling her carefully against his chest. With practiced ease, he turned and prepared to retreat into the night.
But before he could reach the outer courtyard, a tall figure appeared from the shadows of the front yard.
"!"
The head of the Hyuga Clan, Hyuga Hiashi, stood before him. His face froze for only a split second, and then his expression twisted with unrestrained fury.
Someone dared to trespass into the Hyuga Clan and attempt to steal his daughter.
The veins around Hiashi's eyes bulged as he activated the Byakugan. His sharp gaze locked onto Troy, and without hesitation, he lunged forward to strike.
---
The Price of Byakugan
Troy's eyes flashed with cold light. He had expected this confrontation.
Hiashi's reaction was quick, but not flawless. Years of peace had dulled his edge as a warrior, and perhaps the very idea of anyone attempting to infiltrate the Hyuga compound seemed absurd. That tiny lapse had given Troy the chance to slip this far.
Still, Hiashi had caught him before escape.
The Hyuga patriarch's palms cut through the air with terrifying precision.
During the Third Great Ninja War, the Hidden Mist jonin Ao had once stolen a Byakugan from a Hyuga main family ninja and transplanted it into himself, increasing his strength drastically. That incident had revealed to the shinobi world a critical truth: while the Sharingan was immensely powerful, it was also highly temperamental when transplanted, often causing rejection or breakdown.
The Byakugan, by contrast, was more "gentle." Transplants had higher rates of success and far fewer cases of rejection.
On the black market, the bounty for a single Byakugan eye had risen to an astonishing thirty-five million ryō.
Kumogakure already possessed vast ninjutsu and military strength. What they lacked were powerful bloodline limits. The Sharingan was out of reach—no one dared provoke the bloodthirsty Uchiha Clan. But the Hyuga?
Compared to the Uchiha, the Hyuga were easier prey.
Kumogakure's appetite was insatiable. They didn't just want a Byakugan. They wanted the entire bloodline.
And under the convenient veil of a peace treaty, Troy had been ordered to seize a Hyuga child.
His first task had already succeeded: abducting Hyuga Neji. The second mission was more dangerous—stealing Hinata, the heiress of the main family.
And yet, Troy knew his fate.
The plan demanded his death.
The Hidden Cloud intended for Troy to fall here, slain by Hyuga Hiashi. His death would become the perfect diplomatic weapon: Kumogakure could then demand Hiashi's body in retribution. If Konoha surrendered him, it would shatter unity between the Hokage's faction and the Hyuga Clan, destabilizing the village. If they refused, Kumogakure would use it as justification for war.
Either way, the Hidden Cloud would gain.
The price was simply the life of one loyal envoy.
Troy had volunteered without hesitation. This was his glorious sacrifice.
---
Clash of the Hyuga
Hinata stirred in his arms. Without hesitation, Troy tossed her gently to the side, ensuring she would not be harmed. His hand reached into his cloak and withdrew a crimson scroll. With a swift motion, he unfurled it.
Two massive fūma shuriken materialized, whistling through the air with deadly speed.
Hiashi reacted instantly, catching Hinata mid-fall and shielding her with his body. In that same heartbeat, the giant shuriken closed in.
"Rotation!"
Hiashi spun rapidly, chakra erupting from every tenketsu of his body. A dome-like shield burst into existence. The shuriken struck with resounding clangs, deflecting at sharp angles into the walls of the courtyard.
Troy's eyes narrowed. Even in this desperate gambit, Hiashi had defended flawlessly.
The Hyuga leader lunged forward, body flickering through the air. His palms blurred, afterimages trailing behind as they struck with merciless accuracy.
The first strike landed on Troy's shoulder, instantly numbing half his body.
The second blow slammed into his chest, directly shattering his heart.
Blood sprayed from Troy's lips as he staggered backward, his body collapsing heavily onto the ground.
The mission was complete. His sacrifice… secured.
With his last breath, Troy whispered hoarsely, "Hyuga Hiashi… you are nothing special…"
And then his voice faded forever.
---
The Hidden Weapon
Hiashi stood frozen for a moment, his brows knitting.
Nothing special?
Why would a dying man speak such words?
Troy's strength had been unimpressive, far weaker than even the Hyuga Clan's average chunin. How could such a man dare infiltrate the clan and attempt to abduct its heiress?
As confusion clouded Hiashi's thoughts, a sharp metallic ringing split the air behind him.
His instincts screamed.
He turned swiftly, Byakugan scanning the courtyard. His eyes narrowed.
A third shuriken hovered in the darkness—different from the others. It was large, square-edged, forged from a translucent material so fine that even the Byakugan barely detected it.
Hiashi's face darkened. He had seen only two shuriken before. Had this one been waiting in silence, aimed at his life?
A chill ran down his spine. Could Troy have actually killed him?
No. Impossible. Troy had fallen in two strikes, his body broken and bloodied. Such weakness could never mask true power.
And yet… the unease gnawed at Hiashi's heart.
Cautiously, he stepped forward, kneeling by Troy's body. He removed the black mask.
Hiashi's breath caught in his throat.
The face beneath the mask was calm, almost serene. Even in death, Troy's eyes glimmered faintly, as though mocking him with a secret he could never understand.
Recognition slammed into Hiashi like ice water. That face… he knew it.
A tremor ran through his body. His hands grew cold.
Troy. How could it be him?!
---
Elsewhere – Neji Awakens
Meanwhile, far from the Hyuga compound, little Neji stirred. His eyelids fluttered open with great effort, his vision hazy. His small body jerked upright as if startled from drowning.
Around him lay devastation. On a nearby tree stump rested a corpse pierced clean through the chest by a long blade. The dead shinobi wore an animal mask and a green vest, the uniform of Konoha's Anbu.
The blood still steamed faintly, fresh and warm. The man had died no more than ten minutes ago.
Neji clenched his small fists. "So… I've already been kidnapped by Kumogakure shinobi…"
He quickly activated his Byakugan, the veins bulging at the corners of his eyes. His vision expanded in all directions.
What he saw left him cold.
They were in a dense coconut grove near the northern coast of the Land of Fire. Two kilometers away stretched the endless ocean.
All around him were signs of battle—explosions, burned craters, and bodies scattered across the ground. Dozens of corpses lay where fierce clashes had taken place, the remnants of shinobi who had fought desperately.
At the very edge of his vision, Neji caught faint flickers of chakra signatures. Two figures still clung to life. Survivors.
Neji's small chest tightened. His fate was already pulling him into the storm.
And the night was far from over.