Chapter 118: Hinata! Experimenting with the Byakugan

Chapter 118: Hinata! Experimenting with the Byakugan

The next day, the sky was overcast with a light drizzle.

The entire village of Konoha was blanketed in an atmosphere of sorrow and tears.

Jiraiya had decided that the Third Hokage's funeral would be held tomorrow, along with the funerals of other fallen Konoha shinobi.

Amidst this somber mood, many Konoha shinobi had no choice but to begin the village's reconstruction under such complex circumstances.

In the Hyuga Clan District.

The Hyuga Clan had also suffered casualties in this upheaval, so Hiashi Hyuga was in the living room, arranging details for the funeral.

All the elders of the Hyuga family were present as well.

Suddenly, a member of the branch family entered, speaking in a low, anxious tone, "Clan Head, Mr. Ishihara is here!"

The room instantly fell into dead silence.

Hiashi Hyuga stiffened, raising his head to look at the other clan elders.

Seeing their clenched, pale fingers and even trembling bodies, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Now they were afraid?

If only they had completed the deal with Ishihara sooner, things would never have reached this point.

Now, not only had they surrendered their secret techniques, but they had received nothing in return!

Hiashi Hyuga was so frustrated that he felt murderous rage.

But now, he had no desire to argue with these people. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Let's go and greet Lord Ishihara!"

None of them dared delay, and they hurried outside to greet him.

After all, everyone knew Ishihara's power. Even if he were to wipe out the Hyuga Clan, Konoha probably wouldn't even react.

Before they reached the entrance, Hiashi and his group saw Ishihara approaching and immediately halted.

Hiashi's pupils contracted, but he forced himself to approach with a sense of calm and asked, "Mr. Ishihara, may I ask what brings you here today?"

Ishihara swept his gaze over them and replied indifferently, "I have an experiment that requires assistance from members of the Hyuga Clan."

An experiment?!

Hiashi's heart skipped a beat as scenes of the Uchiha's tragic end flashed through his mind, sending a chill down his spine.

The elders behind him began trembling, terrified.

"Is there a problem?"

Noticing their hesitation, Ishihara frowned. He understood their apprehensions but paid them no mind.

He simply wanted to complete his experiment.

Yesterday, he hadn't observed the Gentle Fist techniques of the Hyuga Clan, so today, he intended to see if he could draw inspiration from them.

Seeing Ishihara frown, Hiashi's face went pale, and he quickly responded, "We can! Of course, we can! Whatever you need, Mr. Ishihara!"

"Find me a spacious area."

Under Hiashi's lead, Ishihara was soon guided to a courtyard about the size of a basketball court, surrounded by high walls.

Ishihara nodded in satisfaction, then commanded firmly, "Next, bring me these ten people: Hinata, Neji, Tokuma..."

Hinata?!

Hiashi's eyes widened. The thought of his daughter being used in an experiment felt outrageous.

But before he could object, the elders had already hurriedly agreed.

"We'll bring them to you right away...!"

They pulled Hiashi aside and whispered, "Clan Head, consider the bigger picture."

"Besides, we have no authority to refuse Mr. Ishihara's request."

Hiashi glared at them angrily. Of course, they had no objections; it wasn't their daughter being experimented on.

Yet he felt a sense of helplessness.

After all, he truly didn't dare refuse Ishihara's request.

Soon enough, Hinata and the others were brought in. She looked timidly at Hiashi. "Father."

Hiashi's heart ached as he gently patted her head. "Go on."

Hinata, a bit frightened, turned pale and approached Ishihara, stealing glances at him.

She had seen yesterday's battle, as had all of Konoha, and naturally, she was in awe of Ishihara's power, though it scared her a little.

Neji, too, stole glances at Ishihara.

He was just as nervous, though a bit more expectant.

"I heard the Uchiha Clan unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan because of him. I wonder if he could help me break free from the Caged Bird!"

Ever since his father, Hizashi Hyuga, had passed, Neji had learned the truth about the Caged Bird seal.

Since then, he had resented the Hyuga main family, training desperately to break free from the Caged Bird's confinement.

Unfortunately, not only had he failed to break his so-called destiny, he ended up submitting to the main family and even became a martyr for them.

A pitiable young soul.

Ishihara glanced at Neji briefly but thought little of it.

All the Hyuga clan members lined up before him varied in age, though none were over thirty.

They were the individuals he had selected upon entering the Hyuga Clan—some with exceptional talent, others who hadn't even awakened the Byakugan.

"Byakugan!"

With a light command, Ishihara accessed the Byakugan's perspective.

The surrounding Hyuga clan members widened their eyes in shock.

They sensed a distinct Byakugan chakra fluctuation!

It was unmistakably the Byakugan!

But—

"How could he possess the Byakugan?"

"Could it be that Mr. Ishihara is actually of Hyuga descent?"

Hiashi and the elders exchanged glances, not daring to speak, but their expressions betrayed a trace of excitement.

If Ishihara were indeed from the Hyuga Clan, that would be fantastic!

Opposite them, Hinata widened her eyes in astonishment, puzzled by the lack of change in Ishihara's face.

Neji shared her confusion but soon directed his gaze at Hiashi and the elders.

"Could it be that Ishihara really awakened the Byakugan?"

"Though he's not part of the main family, he's awakened the Byakugan, yet the main family can't say a word. All because of Ishihara's power!"

Neji clenched his fists, eyes brimming with longing.

If only he possessed such power, he, too, could break free from the Caged Bird!

Unaware of their thoughts, Ishihara continued examining Hinata and the others' Byakugan.

The Byakugan differed from the Sharingan in some aspects.

The Sharingan remained ordinary black eyes until it was awakened.

However, members of the Hyuga Clan were born with white eyes that didn't change in appearance even after the Byakugan was awakened.

The only visible transformation was the appearance of vein-like lines around the eye area when using the Byakugan.

"The structure of the Hyuga's eyes is entirely distinct from regular eyes."

"My Byakugan follows a different approach. Though it grants similar vision, it's different from the Hyuga's."

"If I want the same capabilities as the Hyuga's Byakugan, my own eyes may undergo changes."

Having conducted thorough studies on the Sharingan, Ishihara had gained a solid foundation in dojutsu, and he quickly reached a conclusion after observing briefly.

But what intrigued him more was the Gentle Fist technique of the Hyuga Clan.

He wasn't overly concerned about acquiring the Byakugan itself; studying it was merely a means to enhance his own foundation.

Moreover, he believed there were alternative ways to achieve the Byakugan's abilities.

Continuing his observations, he soon made a new discovery.

"Just as I suspected, like the Uchiha, the Hyuga Clan has a unique organ in the brain."

Ishihara's eyes lit up; this discovery simplified matters.

This unique organ was something all humans possessed, himself included.

He then focused on the differences in this organ among Hinata, Neji, and the others.

It didn't take long to notice that Hinata's brain had a larger, more vitalized special organ, producing greater ocular power. Her Byakugan was also sturdier and more intricate.

Another individual without an awakened Byakugan had a much smaller organ, almost incapable of producing ocular power.

"So, by stimulating this unique organ, one can increase ocular power and enhance the purity of the Byakugan!"

"Gentle Fist, then?"

After contemplating, Ishihara ordered, "You ten, demonstrate the Gentle Fist technique."

"Yes!"

None of them dared defy him, and they quickly began practicing the Gentle Fist.

Ishihara took a deep breath, focusing intently on the changes in their bodies.

Indeed, as they practiced, the unique organ in their brains exhibited subtle alterations, with Hinata's change being the most pronounced, Neji's slightly less so, and minimal change in the others.

A glint appeared in Ishihara's eyes.

The Byakugan and Sharingan evolution mechanisms were nearly identical.

The Gentle Fist served as a training method for the Byakugan, not only aiding in the Byakugan's activation but also enhancing its purity.

In contrast, the Uchiha Clan lacked a comparable method, leaving them at a disadvantage.

With this thought, Ishihara retrieved the Gentle Fist manual given to him by Hiashi yesterday and began to study it.

[You have read Gentle Fist · Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms and have mastered it.]

[...You have mastered Gentle Fist · Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms.]

[...You have mastered the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.]

...

For Ishihara, who could perfectly control chakra, Gentle Fist posed no challenge and was mastered instantly.

Then, he began to examine his brain.

(Damn it.)

Sure enough, after mastering the Gentle Fist technique, a unique organ in his brain started to undergo changes.

However, Ishihara immediately stopped his training.

He definitely didn't want his eyes turning into Byakugan; they'd look a bit silly.

Right after that:

[You have analyzed the Byakugan, mastered the Gentle Fist technique, attained enlightenment, and developed the secret technique: Byakugan Purity Enhancement Method.]

[Byakugan Purity Enhancement Method: Practicing this technique can stimulate the growth of the unique organ, enhancing the purity of the Byakugan.]

After digesting this information, Ishihara frowned slightly.

This so-called Byakugan Purity Enhancement Method was essentially an advanced version of the Gentle Fist technique.

While it lacked any offensive moves, it was immeasurably more potent than the Gentle Fist in terms of enhancing Byakugan purity.

However, following the training technique as prescribed would likely take years to yield results.

"It seems I'll have to create a secret technique akin to the Mangekyō Sharingan training method."

With a sigh, Ishihara quickly simplified this training method. With the Sharingan as a reference, it was nearly effortless.

[You have optimized the Byakugan Purity Enhancement Method and created the Byakugan Purity Enhancement Method (Weakened Version).]

[Byakugan Purity Enhancement Method (Weakened Version): By sacrificing lifespan, the growth of the unique organ is stimulated, thereby enhancing the purity of the Byakugan.]

Ishihara sighed, realizing once again that shortening the time required ultimately came at the cost of lifespan.