So then… whose eye would ultimately be taken?
Would it be Hyūga Nobuhiko's, or Hyūga Ginka's?
Kiyohara observed the two for a moment, thought briefly about it, and then decided not to dwell on it further.
The original story never clarified this part, but one thing was certain: the stolen Byakugan must have belonged to a main family member, and it must have been only a single eye.
Logically, unless in direct combat, the Hyūga clan's Byakugan should never be left vulnerable…
Kiyohara rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
With the addition of two Hyūga from the main family, their team's ability in reconnaissance and anti-infiltration had undeniably received a huge boost.
The penetrating insight of the Byakugan, especially in dense forests and complicated terrain, was practically the strongest scouting method available.
Unless… there existed something capable of countering the Byakugan.
He suddenly recalled a bloodline limit that had appeared in the original story:
The Red Eye.
But in the anime, only Ranmaru had ever been shown possessing it—a very rare bloodline limit seldom seen.
Yet judging from the current situation, perhaps there were others who had it as well.
After all, Kirigakure was known for having a relatively large number of bloodline-limit shinobi. Their village didn't sit on the main continent of the Five Great Nations but instead on the offshore islands. Aside from the internal conflicts of the "Village of the Bloody Mist," the winds of war rarely reached their homeland.
Just casually counting, they already had Lava Release, Boil Release, Dead Bone Pulse, Swift Release, Ice Release, and many others.
"Why do you suddenly look like you're frowning?"
Kurenai had noticed Kiyohara's pensive expression and approached, asking curiously.
"We're heading out for a mission again. I think most people wouldn't exactly be wearing a happy face."
Kiyohara replied casually.
Income: two thousand ryō a month. Tears: wiped late at night.
During wartime, shinobi were essentially soldiers. Many missions were military orders, leaving them with no right to refuse.
Even prisoners could earn sentence reductions—but shinobi?
Shinobi had only endless missions. Completing one meant more missions. An endless chain.
"You're… not wrong."
Kurenai thought about it and found Kiyohara's words very reasonable.
"Well then, let's go."
Kakashi was still leading the team.
Everyone swiftly finished their preparations and silently headed toward the border.
…
Meanwhile, at a concealed hidden Mist command post.
A young girl with long, thick brown hair and a charming, alluring face was reading an intelligence scroll, her turquoise eyes focused and sharp.
She was none other than Kirigakure's prodigy, wielder of both Lava Release and Boil Release—
Terumi Mei.
"Ao, you're saying this mission… is the perfect opportunity?"
Terumi Mei lifted her head and looked toward the sharp-eyed young man standing before her.
The man had a lean, hardened face and sharp, hawk-like eyes. He wore Kirigakure's standard shinobi uniform, a Mist headband tied firmly across his forehead.
"According to Ranmaru's feedback, that Konoha reconnaissance squad has already entered the designated zone. The intel is accurate—there are indeed two main-branch Hyūga among them. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to obtain a Byakugan."
While speaking, Ao turned slightly and glanced behind him.
There stood a quiet, thin child with a pale complexion and short, dark-blue hair. His eyes were an abnormal, murky shade of red—
—eyes belonging to a bloodline-limit user capable of disturbing, even nullifying Byakugan perception.
The Red Eye.
With him present, the Hyūga clan's greatest advantage would be crippled.
"To seize a Byakugan from the Hyūga main family would be a tremendous achievement."
A determined glint flashed in Ao's eyes.
And perhaps, if he led the operation successfully, he might even earn the right to have a Byakugan transplanted into himself.
Mei idly curled a lock of her brown hair around her finger, turquoise eyes shimmering with interest.
"In that case… I'd like to witness firsthand what Konoha's shinobi are capable of."
…
On the other side.
The Konoha team moved swiftly and silently through the dense forest.
Hyūga Nobuhiko and Hyūga Ginka walked at the front, ready to activate their Byakugan at any second to scout.
Even though Ginka wore Konoha's standard green flak jacket, her full, attractive curves were unmistakable. Her beautiful face carried a hint of the natural arrogance unique to main-branch clan members.
Every so often, she swept her pure-white eyes across the team—and her gaze would linger on Kiyohara for a brief moment.
From certain channels, she had heard about Kiyohara's impressive sensory ability displayed during previous missions. And she felt… unconvinced.
A mere civilian-born shinobi, no matter how good his perception was—
how could he possibly compare to the Hyūga clan's Byakugan, an inheritance that had been refined over a thousand years?
Because of that thought, the way she looked at Kiyohara unconsciously carried a competitive edge.
Kiyohara easily noticed her subtle, faintly condescending stare.
Main-branch members… pampered by the branch family their entire lives. They grow used to standing above others. Just like certain teachers in some professions—arrogance eventually becomes second nature.
He understood perfectly well, but he didn't care. Now wasn't the time for petty concerns. He had far more important things to worry about.
Before long, a spirit floated back from the distance.
When it came to matters of life and death, Kiyohara didn't dare be careless.
He had repeatedly asked the youth Kiyohara's spirit to scout their surroundings thoroughly on the way.
After all, shinobi were notoriously fragile; even someone as strong as Six Paths Madara had been ambushed and had his heart ripped out by Black Zetsu—a being barely chūnin-level in raw strength.
The returning spirit brought information that made Kiyohara's expression sharpen instantly.
"Chakra signatures ahead, both flanks of the forest. Numerous. At least ten."
Kiyohara immediately raised his hand and said in a low, firm voice:
"Kakashi. Stop. There's something ahead—likely an ambush."
The entire squad halted instantly. Those who trusted Kiyohara like Kurenai immediately shifted into alert positions.
"Kiyohara, where exactly?"
Kakashi asked as he scanned the surroundings. His sense of smell was far sharper than most, though still immature compared to veteran jōnin.
But even with heightened senses, he didn't detect any obvious danger.
At that moment, Hyūga Ginka's brows rose sharply, disbelief flickering across her face.
She activated her Byakugan without hesitation. The veins at her temples bulged as her pure-white eyes swept over the direction Kiyohara pointed at—and far beyond.
"There's absolutely no one there."
A moment later, she withdrew her gaze, her voice tinged with doubt and dissatisfaction toward Kiyohara's warning.
"My Byakugan detected no suspicious chakra at all. Within eight hundred meters ahead, aside from us and a few animals, there is no trace of any shinobi."
'As expected… the Byakugan is being interfered with.'
Kiyohara thought grimly.
He had only been assuming the worst-case scenario earlier—he wasn't fully certain the Red Eye would be present.
But now, the likelihood had skyrocketed.
After all, the number of abilities capable of disrupting the Byakugan was extremely small.
Kakashi looked at Kiyohara, then at the confident Hyūga Ginka. For a moment, even he hesitated.
Kiyohara's past combat performance and his perceptiveness had proven he was anything but ordinary. But the reputation and authority of the Byakugan were deeply rooted within Konoha.
…
Meanwhile, far away—
Inside the camouflaged barrier where Kirigakure's ambush unit lay in wait.
Ao monitored the Konoha team's movements through the image reflected by the Water Mirror Technique. When he saw Kiyohara suddenly raise his hand to stop the group, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
"Oh? They stopped?"
He muttered softly.
"That black-haired brat… his sensory ability is this sharp?"
This was beyond his expectations.
His plan was to use the Red Eye to blind the Byakugan and catch the Konoha shinobi completely off guard.
"Ranmaru, maintain the Red Eye's ability. Increase the interference. Do not let them notice anything unusual.
"As for everyone else—prepare for the assault!"
Ao's voice remained calm and composed.
With the Byakugan perfectly blocked, he believed the Hyūga were as good as blind. As long as the Konoha squad moved forward, they would walk straight into the encirclement.
At that moment, just as Kakashi was about to speak—trying to unify the team's conflicting opinions—
An abrupt change tore through the forest.
RUMBLE!!!
Without the slightest warning, the narrow stream beside the team suddenly surged violently. The water roared as it rose and twisted, transforming into several enormous water dragons.
With deafening howls, the dragons surged furiously toward the halted Konoha squad—
An overwhelming, terrifying assault!
(End of Chapter)