22 Chapter 22

Dawn came and brought with it a new day.

Mom had decided that we'd do one or two missions per month and spend the rest of the time improving ourselves.

Which was ideal, as I hated missions with a fiery passion.

My mom was already out of the house practicing the Rasengan, which put a damper on my plan to study her Byakugan today…

I sent a clone out to the third training ground to find her, with no success.

So, I had to find another way to occupy my time.

I spared a look at the calendar as I passed.

My birthday passed and I didn't even realize it...

When's my mom's birthday?

I flipped through the calendar looking for a hint of some-kind with no success.

…

I'll figure it out later…

I blew a sigh out my nose.

I think it's time I get started on my list of experiments.

Let's start with super cool bone weapons.

…

I was seated in my room and trying to create a bone weapon from my finger.

I had dulled the nerves in my hand in preparation for my project.

It was extremely slow going, It took me two hours to form the bone weapon.

It was a senbon.

I created a Chakra Scalpel on my other hand and cut the bone protruding from me at its base.

I pulled the senbon from my flesh and my finger healed near instantly.

I rolled the piece of bone between my fingers, it was heavy.

I'd probably be able to throw it.

I started channeling some Lightning chakra down the bone.

The lightning spread around the senbon with no resistance.

I rolled it between my fingers again looking for any damage to the bone.

Hmm… it looked good.

I think it's safe to call super cool bone weapons a success…

Though it took forever to create them…

And I didn't want to develop calcium deficiency with overuse…

So, a partial success…?

I'd not be pulling my out my spine and using it as a sword, that's for sure.

…

I heard my mom enter the house and I decided that I was done with bone weapons for the day.

I stood up and made my way out of my room.

Time to look at that Byakugan…

"Mom can I look at your eyes now?"

My mom shook her head.

"Let me take a shower first."

Alrighty…

…

One shower later, my mom was seated at the Chabudai and I was standing behind her, hands on her eyes, and using Tsunade's modified diagnostic jutsu.

I had used the time she was in the shower to study my own eyes and renew my familiarity with them.

Few things were different when comparing our eyes.

Mom's optic nerve was more… robust than my own…

Other than that our eyes were about the same from what I could tell…

The job of the optic nerve is to transfer visual information from the retina to the vision centers of the brain via electrical impulses.

So maybe mom's brain got more information from her eyes than my own?

I ended my jutsu and withdrew my chakra from her eyes.

…

I was staring at the back of her head blankly lost in thought when my mother interrupted me.

"Find what you were looking for?"

Not really…

"No."

Maybe the way she used her chakra in her eye had something to do with her increased range…

"Activate your Byakugan."

I activated my Byakugan and magnified one of her eyes within my vision.

Hmmm…

"Deactivate and activate your Byakugan again…"

I watched her chakra flow through her visual cortex in her brain down her optical nerve and into her eyes.

The chakra in her eyes was throughout the eye but was densely gathered around the retina, pupil, and optical disk.

The way her chakra concentrated was different than how my own did.

And her chakra was much denser than my own as well.

She was also running chakra through her visual cortex in an unusual way…

It was probably a combination of chakra density, how 'robust' her optical nerve was and the chakra in her visual cortex that caused her immense range…

I circulated chakra through my visual cortex to use Chikaku no kyōka and slow my perception.

Hmmm…

"Is this how you always use chakra to activate your Byakugan?"

She nodded.

This required more thought…

I might need to figure out how to increase the size of my optical nerve…

Stem cells were the answer that automatically appeared in my mind…

But I didn't know how the optic nerve formed, so, I guess I'll see…

"Alright I'm done, I'll let you know if I figure out anything."

My mother nodded and stood up, she made her way to the kitchen, probably to make some tea.

I called to her as she was leaving.

"Thanks mom!"

Now I need to add studying eyes/the optical nerve to my schedule…

Maybe I'll need to find some Hyuga babies and scan their eyes…?

I'll scan their brains well I'm at it…

Or maybe not…

Off to the training ground I go…

…

I was seated against a tree in the third training ground.

I planed on copying the way my mom's chakra flowed during the use of her Byakugan.

I had a clone to my left in-case any accidents happened.

Alright let's go.

I brought a small stream of chakra through my visual cortex copying the way my mother did so.

I then let the chakra travel down the optic tract to the optic chlasm and along the optic nerves and finally to my eyes, retina, pupil, and optical disk.

My Byakugan activated.

With a definite change in vision…

My range had expanded more than a Kilometer.

I'd say it was almost six times what it was previously.

Which was amazing!

A manic grin covered my face.

I spent a while enjoying my new range and watching the animals in the forest.

…

Eventually I got bored and deactivated my Byakugan.

The only problem was that I couldn't slow my perception and enhance my Byakugan's range at the same time.

Which wasn't much of a problem as I shouldn't need to slow my perception and have increased range…

I blew a breath out of my nose and activated my Byakugan, this time keeping my chakra away from the visual cortex.

My range was still more than it usually was…

Though it only clocked in at about five-hundred meters.

Two and a half times my normal range...

I think the visual cortex does most of the heavy lifting…

When I copied the way my mom's chakra flowed my range increased by about six times what it normally was…

So, mom's natural range should be five-kilometers divided by six?

…

So, her natural range is eight-hundred and thirty-three-ish meters…

Which was more in line with what most Hyuga had…

What a find, I might not even bother trying to mess with the optical nerve.

I was fine with my natural range, and perhaps my optical nerves would increase in size with Byakugan usage…

But now this needed a name…

Byakugan no kyōka…

…

Nope, not happening.

It's still just called the Byakugan…

...

I think it's still worthwhile to read more about the eyes…

I stood up, dispersed my clone, and Shunshined back to my house.

…

Three days passed, my mom continued practicing the Rasengan and I learned a lot about eyes.

Mom was now on the third part of Rasengan training, and I was pondering changing the color of my eyes…

Your eye color depended on the amount of pigment your iris had.

The less pigment the lighter the shade your eyes were…

And the more pigment you had the darker your eye shade was…

The iris was just a muscle that controlled the size of the pupil, so I could afford to mess with it.

My eyes were currently a pinkish white…

So perhaps I should make my eyes less Hyuga like…

…

Three more days passed, making it a week since we got home from our mission.

My iris was now purple while my pupil remained a light-pink…

I also sported some gray highlights in my hair, which was just more simple pigment change…

I now looked nothing like a Hyuga…

Not that I looked much like a Hyuga, to begin with, the bulging veins were the only way to tell I was using the Byakugan…

It wasn't quite what I hoped for, but it's now what I've got.

My mom was quite upset that I "experimented" with my hair and eyes.

No assurances wouldn't quell her motherly wrath and she had made me come with her everywhere she went to ensure I wouldn't get up to any shenanigans…

This led to me sitting in the third training ground and watching my mom's progress with the Rasengan, with a bored look on my face.

…

I sighed.

I was tired of watching my mom make the Rasengan wrong.

"Activate your Byakugan and watch how I do it."

I held my palm up and created a Rasengan.

I looked over at my mother.

She didn't seem to get it.

I drilled my Rasengan into the ground, and let it disperse.

I held my hand out palm up.

"Rotation."

I gathered chakra on my palm and started to spin it in multiple directions.

"Power."

I increased the volume and density of the chakra on my palm but still kept it spinning.

"Containment."

I created a shell around the spinning mass of chakra.

I drilled the now done Rasengan into the ground and let it disperse.

"Ok, I got it."

Lies...

...

I watched her fail to create another Rasengan…

Sigh…

…

We were headed out to eat after a semi-successful day of Rasengan practice.

Mom was nearly there, the shell of chakra around her Rasengan was thin and unstable, but with a day or two of practice she'd be done.

"Can we get a mission in or around another shinobi village?"

I wanted to steal some jutsu.

"Why?"

Honesty or bullshit?

"I want to steal some of their Jutsu with my Byakugan."

Honesty.

She hummed but didn't answer the question.

Oh, yea…

I'm currently being punished…

…

We arrived at mom's place of choice.

Ichiraku ramen…

I dully looked at Kushina as she devoured bowl after bowl of ramen with relish.

I side-eyed my mom, hoping she would make the smart decision and find a different place to eat.

I wasn't in the mood to be smothered.

…

It wasn't to be.

"Kushina!"

Mom approached Kushina with a dimpled smile and hugged her.

Kushina didn't return the greeting as she was still too busy eating.

I stood and stared with knitted brows, wondering when they became such good friends…

I looked to Kushina's left and saw Mikoto was watching the proceedings with a raised eyebrow.

I decided to stay out Kushina's reach so I headed over to Mikoto's left.

"Hello Mikoto-sama, it's been a while."

I took the seat without asking, I didn't want to risk being refused.

"Hello Shiro, you look different."

She remembered my name, how nice.

I sent her a nod of acknowledgment and looked past her.

Mom and Kushina were side by side and enjoying their meals with smiles on their faces.

I blinked.

Alright then…

I focused back on Mikoto.

"I used Medical Ninjutsu to change the color of my hair and eyes."

She probably could have guessed that or come to conclusions, but for the sake of politeness I started making small talk.

"Ohhh, was it hard?"

Not really?

"Yes, it was, it took a long time."

That was a filthy lie, but I had no interest in wasting my time changing people's hair and eye color.

Topic change no jutsu!

"So, Mikoto-sama, what have you been up to?"

She reached over and gave me some head pats.

"Just call me Mikoto."

She ignored my question.

"Alright."

I looked around wondering how I ordered.

"Can you order something for me Mikoto?"

She nodded.

"One miso ramen with crispy pork please!"

I guess you just yell what you want…

…

I sat and slowly ate my ramen.

I was using my food as a shield against conversation.

Mikoto, Kushina, and mom seemed to be having a blast.

Chatting, laughing, and having a grand old time.

Which didn't bode well for my future peace at home.

I took a bite of pork.

Hopefully no unexpected home-invasions happened.

I side-eyed the group.

I think this was my time to disappear.

I mumbled something about going to the bathroom and made a hasty exit.

I sent the ladies one last look before I Shunshined home.

...

…

Interlude

I felt Shiro's chakra disappear out of my range.

I hope he didn't think he was being sneaky…

"Shiro left."

I looked at Kushina and admired her beautiful hair.

It's a shame she's not into women.

"Thanks, Kushina, I didn't notice."

I looked past Kushina.

My first impression of Mikoto was that she was a very gentle and kind woman.

She was also attractive, though I don't think I could bed an Uchiha.

They're known to be crazy after all.

"So, what have Minato and Kakashi gotten up-to?"

I started a conversation hoping to get my mind out of the gutter.

"Oh, they've been doing missions non-stop I rarely see them!"

That's probably for the best, from what I heard they aren't great company.

Kushina threw a question back at me.

"What's Shiro been up-to."

He's been experimenting on his eyes and putting his future at risk.

"He created his own jutsu and also changed the color of his hair and eyes"

Kushina smiled.

"Ohhhh! What's it called! And what's it do!"

I saw Mikoto perk up as well.

I don't think Shiro would mind if I show them.

"Watch."

I held my hand out, palm up.

"Rotation."

I gathered chakra on my palm and started to spin it in multiple directions.

"Power."

I increased the volume and density of the chakra on my palm.

"Containment."

I created a shell around the chakra.

"…"

Kushina and Mikoto stared at the spinning mass of chakra.

The shell was a little thin and misshapen, but I was close to completing it.

"Shiro calls it Heaven's Palm"

I let go of my control and the mass of chakra dispersed kicking up a small wind.

"I'm not good at it yet."

But I will be soon.

"Wow! That's amazing!"

Kushina wrapped her arms around me and spun me around taking me off my seat.

Kushina stopped spinning and I was now looking at Mikoto over her shoulder.

"That's extremely impressive, you should be proud."

I felt my eyes moisten.

"I am."

I wrapped my arms around Kushina and buried my head into Kushina's shoulder.

I didn't want Mikoto to see me cry during our first meeting.

…

Eventually I blinked the tears out of my eyes and left Kushina's embrace.

"Shiro's grown so fast."

One moment he was crawling on the ceiling like a human spider, the next he's creating his own jutsu.

I missed so much.

"I can't wait until I have my own."

Kushina patted her belly.

"I'm not sure how I feel about kids…"

Mikoto was stirring her ramen with her chopsticks.

"I wasn't sure about kids myself."

I figured I wouldn't have them.

"But its something you'll never regret."

I know I didn't.

Regardless of how it happened.

"The love you feel for your children is something you can't comprehend until you have your own."

…