Naruto: Kurotsuchi Mayuri

Kagetsu had to temporarily put aside his current tasks. There was another matter that bothered him, and he needed to leave the village to investigate it.

"Sensei!"

Itachi, Asuma, and Kabuto, along with a Hyuga clan jonin, made up the team this time. The one who spoke was Itachi.

"Itachi, you might miss the birth of your little brother," Kagetsu said as his eyes fell on Itachi. He patted his head and ruffled his neat hair.

"My brother and mother are both healthy, and Lady Tsunade is taking care of them. It'll be fine," Itachi replied, with a trace of regret on his face, but his words were calm and mature.

Even though his younger brother was about to be born, Itachi still followed his teacher to take on a mission outside the village.

It made him a little sad, but that's how it is for a ninja.

Both his father and mother, even the clan members, immediately showed their support. His mother, especially, had prepared all the supplies for him.

Kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, Healing Tags, and military ration pills.

"Thank you for coming, Hizashi," Kagetsu turned his gaze to the Hyuga ninja who had been sent from the nearby village.

"Please give me any order," Hyuga Hizashi responded with a slight bow.

The fact that Hizashi—the younger brother of the Hyuga clan leader—was sent, already showed where the Hyuga clan stood on the matter.

Compared to the proud and rebellious Uchiha, the Hyuga were also known for their arrogance, but they didn't interact much with the villagers.

Aside from their role as shinobi, the Hyuga could also be seen as nobles in a way.

Although the village was said to have been founded by the Senju and Uchiha together, the Hyuga were invited to join soon after, and they were strong enough to hold their own against either clan. They became an important and irreplaceable part of the village.

Especially after many members of the Senju clan had retired, some changing names and blending into the village, while others left the battlefield and became nobility in the Land of Fire.

And with the Uchiha being suppressed and ostracized for various reasons, the Hyuga clan's status had risen sharply.

The Hyuga clan was clearly much wiser than the Uchiha clan in political matters.

Thanks to the unique Byakugan and the political wisdom of the Hyuga, although the Hyuga had become one of the top ninja clans in Konoha, they surprisingly didn't face targeted resistance or suppression from the higher-ups.

At least, not like the Uchiha.

But that was in the past.

Since the Fourth Hokage came into power, the Uchiha's previous struggles had been greatly eased, and their conflicts with the village's higher-ups were no longer as tense.

The Uchiha's discontent stemmed from the fact that, despite being one of the founding clans, they were excluded from the core of the village's power by the Senju clan.

However, after Orochimaru rose to power, the exclusion from the core of power had largely disappeared, and even the position of Hokage, something the Uchiha had longed for, became a possibility they could expect and compete for in the future.

With the points of conflict no longer present, the relationship between the Uchiha and the village naturally would not become antagonistic again.

So, the Hyuga clan realized that they had to face a strong Uchiha once again, just like before the village was established, when Uchiha Madara was still alive.

Now, the Uchiha may not have Madara, but they had powerful figures like Shisui, who had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.

And Fugaku, the clan leader, also seemed to have awakened those powerful eyes.

Furthermore, the Uchiha, who had long since formed an alliance with Orochimaru and fully supported him, had received a lot of resources.

The technology development department also provided many conveniences and results for the Uchiha's Kekkei Genkai.

As a result, under the strong momentum of the Uchiha clan, the Hyuga clan, as another prominent clan known for their ocular jutsu, whether they liked it or not, found themselves under more scrutiny and comparison.

Of course, the Hyuga clan, which had long since semi-detached from the limitations of being mere ninjas, with many industries across the Shinobi world and within the Land of Fire, no longer relied on taking missions to make a living like ordinary ninjas.

They were still able to remain composed under this attention.

But what truly unsettled the Hyuga elder council and clan leader, Hyuga Hiashi, was Hyuga Ran's eye, which seemed to have evolved!

The Byakugan can evolve further, just like the Sharingan!

This is what makes the entire Hyuga clan unsettled!

The significance of this for the Hyuga clan is immense!

Especially for the eyes of Hyuga Ran, which, apart from being highly draining and having a short duration, don't have any major side effects or flaws that are hard to accept.

Or rather, this shouldn't even be considered a flaw!

A powerful eye should come with a powerful cost!

If your chakra isn't enough or the duration is too short, that's not the problem of the eye, but your own issue!

In the clan's ancient records, there are only vague myth-like mentions of another form of the Byakugan.

The process of unlocking this eye form is kept secret, and that's why the "Caged Bird" seal was created to control the Byakugan.

For thousands of years, the Byakugan has never revealed this other form described in the records. Every clan has a tendency to beautify and exaggerate its history and power.

So, when the Hyuga clan confirmed that Orochimaru had the technology to help the Byakugan evolve to a higher level, they let go of their pride and even broke the clan's political rules before Orochimaru became Hokage. They started engaging with him.

However, up until now, Orochimaru hasn't given much of a response.

Remembering what his older brother, the clan leader, had told him before he left the village, Hizashi had already made up his mind in his heart.

Since the higher-level Byakugan could briefly numb the Caged Bird seal when it activated, allowing for a moment of freedom, it was worth fighting for.

Not all branch members of the Hyuga clan who were marked by the Caged Bird seal hated the main family or the seal. Only a few, like him, would risk everything to regain their lost freedom.

"Yes, this mission will require the Byakugan in many places," Kagetsu lightly nodded.

"Teacher, what is the mission this time?" Asuma looked up at Kagetsu, asking about the task. The other three Uchiha, Itachi included, listened quietly and focused on Kagetsu's response.

"The mission is to go to the Land of Rivers and find a rare type of mineral!" Kagetsu gave the task details.

"Mineral? Is it a mineral that can be used to forge chakra tools?" Asuma instinctively asked. In his mind, the only type of rare mineral that could interest his teacher would be one used to create chakra tools.

Such a mineral would be considered a rare treasure in the entire ninja world!

"No, it's a mineral that contains chakra and can be used like a chakra battery!" Kagetsu corrected Asuma's assumption.

The Hyuga and the other three of Team Kagetsu immediately showed expressions of shock!

A mineral that could store chakra?

It's well known that refining chakra requires both the mind and body to be in sync. How could chakra possibly be stored in a stone?

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