[Looking at the abilities of the Byakugan, its core capabilities include the power of penetration, allowing one to see through objects, the body's tenketsu (pressure points), and Chakra flow. It also provides a 360° field of vision. It can be said to be the eyes that some people dream of having.]
Jiraiya stared at the pair of pure white Byakugan on the Sky Screen, his eyes fixed.
"The Byakugan is great, it's a must-have!" A look of longing appeared on his face. "I'm just missing these eyes. Otherwise, I could write even more and better works…"
BAM!!!
A loud crash echoed.
Tsunade's fist slammed heavily into Jiraiya's face. And the immense force embedded his entire body into the wall, leaving a clear, person-shaped impression.
"Ow…" Jiraiya's pained cry came from inside the wall.
Tsunade withdrew her fist, dusting off nonexistent dirt from her hand, and let out a cold snort.
"Stop obsessing over those trashy books and thinking about useless things all day."
Hiruzen stood to the side, watching Jiraiya still twitching in the wall. The corner of his eye twitched as he cautiously spoke.
"Tsunade…"
"That wall… is quite expensive."
Tsunade shot him a glance. "Spare me the nonsense, old man. I'm the Hokage now!"
[Of course, the Byakugan also possesses ultra-long-distance vision, able to see things up to one kilometer in diameter. In a focused state, it can even see up to ten kilometers away. With this ability on the battlefield, it's practically like turning on a map hack.]
[What's even more commendable is that, unlike the Sharingan—which may have rejection issues after transplantation and cannot be deactivated by non-Uchiha—the Byakugan is essentially plug-and-play. You don't need to be from the Hyuga bloodline to use it proficiently. Its low barrier to entry and high compatibility explain why outsiders covet it so much. For example, Ao of Kirigakure is a classic case.]
[However, although the Byakugan's insight has significant strategic value, it inherently lacks direct offensive capabilities. Therefore, in actual combat, it typically needs to be combined with Taijutsu or the abilities of teammates to realize its combat value.]
Orochimaru curled his lips disdainfully. The Byakugan was decent on the battlefield, but it was far inferior to the various miraculous abilities of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
It wasn't as if he had never researched the Byakugan before. That guy Danzō had provided him with materials to study.
And the result?
Not interesting at all.
Other than seeing far and seeing through things, it had no special abilities whatsoever.
Even if someone gave him one now, he couldn't be bothered. The key was to find a way to obtain the Sharingan. Last time, he only went to "help" the old man, but the matter of Uchiha Sasuke still hadn't been settled.
---
[Hyuga Clan Grounds]
The members of the Hyuga Clan began to whisper among themselves.
"With the Sky Screen saying this, won't it make those with ulterior motives pay even more attention to the Byakugan?"
"Exactly! Now the entire world knows the benefits of the Byakugan!"
"How are we supposed to go out anymore?"
Hiashi's expression darkened, and he turned to look at the elders beside him.
"For the coming period, raise the clan's defenses to the highest level."
The elders nodded one after another. "Yes, Clan Head!"
Hiashi looked up at the Sky Screen, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
No matter who came coveting them, the Hyuga would never back down.
Also, Ao of Kirigakure—that was the only Byakugan that had been lost outside the Hyuga clan.
Damn it. If given the chance, he would definitely take it back!
[Speaking of the Byakugan, one cannot help but mention its owners, the Hyuga clan, as well as their distinctive Main Family/Branch Family system and the Caged Bird Cursed Seal.]
---
[Another Timeline]
Hizashi looked at the Sky Screen, a look of hope on his face.
Could the Sky Screen reveal the method to break the Caged Bird Seal?
He didn't really care for himself. Hiashi was his older brother, and even at his worst, he had never treated Hizashi poorly.
Besides, he was the head of the Branch Family. Generally speaking, no Main Family member with any sense would dare to order him around to his face.
But… Neji was not the same.
He was clearly far more talented than Hinata, yet because of the Main Family/Branch Family system and the Caged Bird, he could only ever be Hinata's subordinate for his entire life… or rather, a slave!
He felt unwilling for Neji's sake.
'I beg you, Sky Screen.'
'Tell me, how can Neji be freed from the Caged Bird?'
[Simply put, to prevent the Byakugan—this precious Kekkei Genkai—from being stolen by outsiders, the Hyuga clan split itself into the Main Family and the Branch Family. The Main Family is responsible for passing down and developing the Hyuga clan, while the Branch Family is responsible for protecting the Main Family.]
[Every Hyuga Branch Family member, upon reaching the age of three, is branded with the cursed seal known as the "Caged Bird." The Caged Bird can seal the abilities of the Byakugan. And the Main Family can also use this cursed seal to control and destroy the brain nerves of Branch Family members, thereby effectively controlling them.]
Neji unconsciously raised his hand and touched the forehead protector on his brow, as if he could feel the mark on his forehead through it.
This thing… should never have existed!!
"Neji." A voice came from behind him.
Neji turned and saw Tenten looking at him with worry.
"Are you all right?"
Neji shook his head: "I'm fine."
He lowered his hand and straightened his forehead protector, but within his pure white eyes, something seemed to be burning.
[On one hand, the Main Family/Branch Family system and the Caged Bird cursed seal effectively protected the Hyuga clan's legacy. After all, when one looks at the clans that endured for a thousand years across the Shinobi World—the Senju eventually faded into obscurity, the Kaguya clan was annihilated, the Uzumaki clan saw their nation destroyed and their family scattered, leaving only a few orphans wandering the world, and even the Uchiha were reduced to only Uchiha Sasuke's line.]
[Relying on this system, the Hyuga clan's succession has always remained stable, even surpassing the Senju and the Uchiha. They made their way to the end, rising to become the strongest clan in Konoha.]
---
[Konoha, Year One]
Hashirama's eyes went wide. "What? The Senju faded into obscurity? What does that mean? I don't understand."
Madara looked at him sideways, his tone filled with mockery. "Fading into obscurity means giving up power, obviously. Though it's still much better than being wiped out."
He then sneered, "I would rather the future Uchiha also ended up fading into obscurity than be reduced to a single remaining bloodline."
Hashirama fell silent. The Senju faded into obscurity? Where had his clansmen gone?
---
[Another Timeline. Kirigakure, Kaguya Clan Grounds]
A group of people with bone protrusions growing from their bodies gathered together, staring at the Sky Screen with livid faces.
A tall man roared, "The Kaguya clan was annihilated? Why were we wiped out?!"
"Who did it?!"
"Could it be the Kirigakure higher-ups?!"
Another clansman gritted his teeth: "I've been saying that the Third Mizukage bastard is no good! He's always been targeting the Kekkei Genkai users!"
"No!" The man at the front clenched his fist. "We can't just sit here and wait for death!"
In an instant, the crowd was inflamed with anger, their killing intent boiling over.
---
Uzumaki Mito, Uzumaki Kushina, Nagato, and other Uzumaki clan members across various timelines all felt a deep sense of sorrow. If only the Uzumaki clan hadn't been annihilated… how wonderful that would be.
Kusagakure (Grass Village).
In front of a dilapidated house, a young girl with red hair curled up in a corner.
She raised her head and looked at the Sky Screen, a dazed look in her eyes.
She still had clansmen? So she wasn't alone after all.
---
[Konoha, Year 60]
Naruto listened for a while, falling silent.
The Uzumaki clan?
Were they his clansmen?
So he wasn't a fox demon after all. There were still other clansmen out there in the world.
"Naruto." Sasuke's voice came from the side.
Naruto turned his head and saw Sasuke looking at him. "What?"
Sasuke was silent for a moment, then said, "You're not alone."
Naruto blinked, then grinned widely.
"I know! I have you, I have Sakura, I have Kakashi-sensei, I have Iruka-sensei, I have Pervy Sage..."
He paused, then looked up at the Sky Screen.
"I just never expected... that I actually had clansmen too."
Sasuke looked at him, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Yeah."
*****
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