After handling the Uzumaki Clan's matters, the battlefield cleanup was also complete.
Ryuji ordered the return to the village.
The Mechanical City began its majestic journey across the sky towards Sunagakure.
As for the various matters requiring post-war handling, of course, they were left to Sunagakure's military strategist, Ebizo.
Ryuji, meanwhile, entered the laboratory.
First, he placed the fragments of the Executioner's Blade and Shibuki onto the scanner for analysis. Then, he placed Mukai onto the platform of the 3D Printer.
He planned to alter Mukai's memories, turning him into a leader who would guide the Hyuga Branch Family in rebellion against the Main Family.
Memory is a tangible thing, yet extremely delicate. It is merely information collected by people through their five senses, transmitted via the central nervous system to the brain for storage. Altering it is more difficult than mastering any ninjutsu.
Although memory-altering Ninjutsu exists in the Shinobi World, most are crude, typically deleting or sealing the original memory directly, then implanting false information through Genjutsu illusions.
This kind of memory alteration carries significant risks.
Not only does it cause severe damage to the target's brain, but it also easily allows the target to recall their original memories.
Ryuji, however, directly modifies the target's existing memories.
His method is also quite simple: digitizing memory.
First, digitize Mukai's memories. Then, modify the data. Finally, restore it to memory to achieve the goal of memory alteration.
If one tried to accomplish this through medical surgery or Ninjutsu, it would be nearly impossible.
But with a 3D Printer, nothing is impossible.
Although the 3D Printer also has its limits, manipulating something as intricate as memory clearly falls outside those limits.
However,
Being able to arbitrarily alter memories doesn't mean one can act recklessly. Factors like the target's body memory and surrounding environment must also be considered.
For example, altering Mukai's memory to make him an expert skilled in using Ninjutsu simply wouldn't work.
While memory can be changed, without relevant knowledge and training, he wouldn't be able to use it.
Even if relevant memories were implanted, using them would feel unfamiliar or unsuccessful, creating a strong sense of dissonance, leading him to discover his memories had been altered.
After brief consideration, Ryuji began the operation: Mukai was born into an ordinary family in Konoha. His great-grandmother was once a Hyuga Clan's member, so his family had passed down part of the Hyuga Branch Family's Gentle Fist secret techniques.
For an ordinary family, learning a Hyuga Clan's secret technique, even just an insignificant part of the Gentle Fist practiced by the Branch Family, was a cause for joy.
But this didn't last. Later, Mukai manifested a Byakugan, a generational reawakening.
Deeply aware of the relationship between the Hyuga Main and Branch Families, he carefully hid this Byakugan to avoid having it reclaimed by the Hyuga Clan or being marked with the Caged Bird Seal. Only the Third Hokage in all of Konoha knew about it.
Fortunately, he was a Taijutsu genius. Using only part of the Branch Family's Gentle Fist secrets, he mastered Taijutsu to a peak level. He even used a self-created fist technique to turn the Byakugan's blind spots into lethal attack points.
With this strength, after being discovered by the Hyuga Clan, he was absorbed and became a member of the Main Family.
However, although the crisis of being marked with the Caged Bird Seal or having his Byakugan taken was gone, within the Hyuga Clan, he saw many Branch Family's members.
They were loyal to the Main Family, even willing to die protecting them. But in front of the Main Family, they spoke and walked cautiously, respectfully, not daring the slightest neglect.
At that moment, Mukai understood.
These Branch Family's members were just like his past self.
The difference was, he had worried the Hyuga Main Family would take away his freedom or Byakugan, while they worried the Main Family would take their lives.
The things he feared losing, they had already lost, so they lived humbly as slaves.
They were also extremely resentful inside, but only submitted because of the Caged Bird Seal's restraint.
Thinking of his past self, a desire to help them arose in Mukai's heart.
Ryuji stopped the modification here.
With memory, a single slip can cause failure. If filled in too meticulously, it's easy to leave loopholes.
Adjustments must be made considering the subject's personality, experiences, and current situation.
Through memory observation, Kohinata Mukai was a free-spirited, easygoing person with a kind nature. However, due to his father's teachings in childhood and his own background, he was acutely aware of reality's harshness, so he never helped others lightly.
Instead, he observed from the shadows, only offering help when he felt he could truly assist.
A realistic, kind-hearted person, you could say.
For such a person, if the memory was altered to being unable to bear the Main/Branch Family system and wanting to lead them in resistance regardless of everything, the dissonance would be too strong. Mukai would definitely notice something was wrong with his memories immediately.
Therefore, 'seeing his own past shadow in the Branch Family, thus developing a desire to help them, but keeping that desire hidden in his heart due to practical considerations'.
This way, it fits Mukai's own personality, past experiences, and the thoughts likely to arise in his current environment.
After confirming the modified memories had no logical contradictions or confusion, Ryuji continued thinking: "The desire to lead the Branch Family in rebellion against the Main Family is planted. Next, give him the opportunity to turn that desire into action: a method to remove the Caged Bird Seal."
Ryuji also had no method to remove the Caged Bird Seal.
Having never even seen it, how could he remove it?
This sealing technique, which can be remotely controlled to cause pain or destroy the eyes upon death, might even be soul-bound.
But as long as he had a sample, he could find a way.
"So, like this..."
Mukai led twenty Konoha's Shinobi to rescue the Uzumaki Clan. In the Land of Whirlpools, he encountered Sunagakure's Senki Ryuji and accidentally overheard him saying, "As long as I have a sample, no matter how difficult the problem, I can find a solution." His mind stirred, and the desire hidden in his heart grew wildly.
Then, through probing conversation, he offered to lead the Hyuga Branch Family to defect to Sunagakure in exchange for a method to remove the Caged Bird Seal and, ultimately, protection if they broke with Konoha.
'Might this be a bit too dissonant?'
Modifying to this point, Ryuji hesitated.
From Mukai's memories, he was a typical Konoha's Shinobi.
What is a typical Konoha's Shinobi?
One deeply influenced by the Will of Fire, willing to actively sacrifice their life for Konoha.
For such a person, having him lead the Hyuga Branch Family in rebellion against the Main Family is possible, but having him betray Konoha might feel dissonant.
After careful consideration, Ryuji ultimately changed the condition of leading the Hyuga Branch Family to defect to Sunagakure to exchanging ten pairs of Byakugan.
As for how to make Mukai lead the Branch Family to defect to Sunagakure...
Leading the Branch Family to oppose the Main Family is an extremely difficult thing to accomplish, even with a method to remove the Caged Bird Seal.
Therefore, Ryuji didn't need to manipulate memories further. He could wait for events to unfold, then contact and operate based on the situation.