"A wild Byakugan?"
Yotsuki Takeo was equally stunned.
He tossed the intel on the Uchiha back into his assistant's arms and immediately flipped through the second report, his head lowered.
The Byakugan had always been Kumogakure's most coveted kekkei genkai.
Bar none.
There were plenty of reasons for that.
Setting aside its strategic value, the Byakugan's abilities synergized perfectly with Kumo's Raiton Chakra Mode.
The Raiton Chakra Mode was a B-rank nin-taijutsu developed by the Second Raikage. By saturating the body with highly refined lightning-natured chakra, the user could train their physique to near-immunity against Raiton attacks.
Once mastered, it maxed out speed, strength, and defense—earning its reputation as the ultimate Raiton jutsu with no weaknesses.
Of course, something this powerful wasn't easy to learn.
If anyone could master it, the title of "strongest hidden village" would've changed hands long ago.
Channeling volatile lightning chakra through the body? One misstep, and you'd be reduced to charcoal. The Yotsuki clan only managed it thanks to their natural resistance to Raiton.
And the jutsu's difficulty rating?
It wasn't based on the average shinobi.
B-rank—that was the Yotsuki's standard.
For other Kumo ninja, what they trained was just a watered-down version: Raiton no Yoroi (Lightning Armor). Not the true Raiton Chakra Mode. It wasn't that the Yotsuki hoarded the secrets—most shinobi simply couldn't handle it.
Back when the clan first shared the technique, half of Kumo's trainees ended up electrocuting themselves to death.
At that rate, Kumogakure would've turned into Kirigakure—the "Village of the Bloody Mist."
But… the Byakugan could solve all of Kumo's problems.
Its unparalleled chakra control would allow for precise manipulation of Raiton nature transformation, making the training process safe.
Instead of risking self-destruction, average shinobi could first undergo gradual conditioning—letting a Byakugan user stimulate their bodies with controlled lightning chakra.
Once their resistance improved, the rest of the training would be smooth sailing.
Kumo didn't just want the Byakugan's observational prowess—they needed it as a safety switch, a way to mass-produce Raiton Chakra Mode users.
Imagine it.
An entire army, all wielding Raiton Chakra Mode.
That would be unstoppable.
With that power, Kumogakure would dominate the shinobi world—no one could stand in their way.
"Is the Byakugan real?"
Yotsuki Yuu watched his son silently gripping the report, his own impatience gnawing at him.
The Byakugan's importance to Kumo was immeasurable—especially if the wielder was a fertile girl.
Even ten Yotsuki Yuus and ten Yotsuki Takeos combined wouldn't be worth half as much as her.
This could change the world.
"I'm not sure if it's real—"
Takeo scanned the report again. It was full of maybes, possibilities, and assumptions.
The operative codenamed "Beast" hadn't even seen the Byakugan firsthand.
At best, this was an educated guess. At worst? Pure speculation—zero hard evidence.
Takeo licked his thick lips, conflicted.
Kidnapping someone from Konoha was no small feat. Even if they succeeded, it could shatter the fragile peace and spark the Fourth Shinobi World War.
Not that Kumo feared war—but starting a global conflict over unverified intel?
How would history remember that?
"The Great Sparrow Conspiracy: Kumogakure Declares War on Konoha!"
Even rhymed.
"Give it here. Let me see."
Yuu snatched the Top Secret report from his son's hands.
The female assistant opened her mouth to protest—then wisely shut it.
"Is this intel reliable?" Yuu asked after rereading it twice.
"Extremely. 'Beast' is our most valuable spy in Konoha. She was the one who provided the intel for the last Byakugan theft attempt three years ago."
The assistant answered smoothly.
She oversaw ANBU intelligence—Beast (Fūka) had been her discovery. She'd personally arranged the girl's infiltration into Konoha, even securing approval from Takeo to promise revenge as incentive.
Her trust in Fūka was absolute.
Yuu nodded, his aged eyes scanning the report once more.
"The Byakugan is too critical to ignore—even a hint of its existence demands action. Inform the Fourth Raikage immediately. This is his call."
"Understood."
Takeo adjusted his collar and strode out of the training grounds.
Behind him, Yuu watched his son leave, his gaze sharp with unspoken clarity.
Raikage's Office
Takeo arrived swiftly and handed the report to the Fourth Raikage—A.
No pleasantries. Just business.
"Cousin, what's the plan?" Takeo asked as A stroked his beard, deep in thought.
"Plan? What plan?" A's golden mustache bristled as he glared at his less decisive relative.
"About the Byakugan!"
"You said it's the Byakugan. So we act. Assemble a team."
"Just like that? Shouldn't we confirm it first? If this starts a war—"
"Deny everything. Simple."
A shrugged like a seasoned thug.
"Konoha's drowning in internal strife. Even if we do provoke them, can they fight back? If we don't strike now, we'll miss our chance."
Beneath his brutish exterior, A had a razor-sharp mind.
He recognized the golden opportunity these two reports presented.
Konoha was weak—plagued by infighting. Adding external pressure?
They'd collapse.
But…
Who to send?
A pondered the logistics.
The girl's file mentioned her defeating a jōnin at six years old—a prodigy rivaling Minato Namikaze, if not surpassing him.
Capturing her would require at least three jōnin to be safe.
But why stop at one prize?
If they were risking war, they might as well go all in—not just the Byakugan, but the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki too.
Even if the girl wasn't a Hyūga, snatching a genius and a tailed beast would still be a win.
But tailed beasts were unpredictable.
To guarantee success, they'd need elite jōnin—Kumo's finest. Problem was, most were either high-ranking assets or his own relatives.
Sending them on a suicide mission to Konoha?
…Not ideal.
Weak teams would fail. Strong ones? Losing them would hurt.
Scratching his scruff, A—usually a man of action—found himself hesitating.
BAM!
The office door slammed open, startling him.
He was about to roar—until he saw the towering figure entering.
Instantly, his anger fizzled into exasperation.
"Uncle… what are you doing here?"
"Father?" Takeo blinked.
Yotsuki Yuu marched in, his wrinkled face carved with determination.
"Leave us. I need to speak with the Raikage alone."
Takeo stiffened at the formality—his father was dead serious.
"Then, Cousin… should I start assembling the team?"
A waved him off.
Once Takeo was gone, A studied his uncle—the old man's eyes burning with the vigor of youth.
He already knew what was coming.
Before Yuu could speak, A cut in:
"You want to go to Konoha."
"Hah! You get me!"
"It's a death sentence."
"I'm on borrowed time. Better to die fighting than rotting in bed. If I bring back the Byakugan—"
Yuu thumped his chest, the sound echoing.
"—worth it."
The lion-like elder stood tall, his gaze blazing.
(◠‿◠)