Chapter 62 062: That's Too Fucking Eye-Searing
For Uchiha Taiga, the appearance of the two Hyuga ninjas that day was nothing more than a minor interlude. After that, the days passed peacefully once again, and no one from the Hyuga clan showed up in front of him.
The two Branch House ninjas he had knocked out seemed as if they had never existed; their figures were nowhere to be seen on the streets. No other Hyuga members came to bother him afterward, not even anyone passing by.
It seemed as though the matter had just blown over.
But Taiga knew very well that there would inevitably be a follow-up.
The Byakugan was the lifeblood of the Hyuga clan. They would never allow a pair of Byakugan to wander outside their control, especially not in the hands of an Uchiha.
No action now didn't mean no action later. They might be waiting, discussing, or plotting a more comprehensive plan.
He wasn't worried; rather, he was quite looking forward to it.
After all, it had been a while since any good entertainment had come his way.
Days passed one by one, and the weather gradually moved past its coldest stage. The snow had stopped, the sun had come out, and spring was not far away.
The changes in Taiga's eyes became increasingly obvious.
The color of his irises had shifted from grayish-white to an almost transparent white, like translucent jade.
Under the sunlight, his eyes looked like two carefully polished gemstones, clear and bright.
And as time went on, the basic abilities of the Byakugan manifested in him more and more frequently.
X-ray vision.
Telescopic vision.
A 360-degree field of vision.
Sometimes, while walking down the street, he would suddenly see someone in the alley behind him, someone cooking in the house to his left, someone counting money behind the shop to his right, and two men making out in a second-floor room.
That was too fucking eye-searing!
Those images flooded his mind uncontrollably, like dozens of cameras broadcasting to him simultaneously.
He wasn't used to it at first, but now it was much better. He had learned how to filter the information, focusing only on what he needed and ignoring the irrelevant details.
He figured that in another two or three days, this situation would come to an end.
By then, the Byakugan would be completely fused.
On this day, the village became lively for the first time in a long while.
After noon, villagers gathered near the Konoha gates. Some held bouquets of flowers, while others waited in eager anticipation.
The wounded retreating from the front lines were returning to the village.
This was Konoha's first large-scale operation since the end of the Third Great Ninja War. Although it was just a border skirmish, it had lasted long enough to accumulate quite a few casualties.
Now that the situation had eased, even though Kumogakure hadn't sent signals for peace talks yet, the wounded on the front lines could already be sent back.
Taiga didn't go to join the crowd; he had no interest in such things. Fishing was much more enjoyable.
As a result, it was another fruitless day.
He sat by the river for most of the morning, changed bait three times, moved to four different spots, and still didn't catch a single fish.
The schools of fish underwater were crystal clear under his Byakugan's x-ray vision. They swam back and forth right next to his hook, occasionally stopping to look at the bait before turning away.
He stared at the fish underwater for a long time.
The fish looked back at him.
"Fine."
He packed up his fishing rod.
"You win this round. I'll come back with a different rod next time."
Taiga walked back along the riverbank, passed through the woods on the outskirts of the village, and turned into the village from the side of the Konoha gates.
It was very lively over by the gates.
A long procession was slowly entering from outside. At the very front were several ninjas wearing Jonin flak jackets. Their clothes were bloodstained and torn, but their backs were perfectly straight.
Behind them was the stretcher team. Two people carried each stretcher, bearing the wounded ninjas. Some were wrapped in bandages, some were in casts, and others were covered with white cloths.
Everyone knew what lay beneath the white cloths.
Villagers lined both sides of the road to welcome them. Some waved, some clapped, and some cried.
A young woman rushed out of the crowd, threw herself in front of a wounded man sitting on a stretcher, and hugged his arm, crying loudly.
The wounded man patted her head with his uninjured hand, forcing a smile, though his eyes were already red.
A few other villagers stood at the back of the procession, carefully inspecting every passing stretcher. There were no smiles on their faces, only anxiety and fear.
Taiga stood by the side of the road, just casually watching.
He had seen this kind of scene before. It happened often during the Third Great Ninja War. Back then, he had waited here just like these people, welcoming his parents of this world.
Without lingering, his gaze swept over the procession and paused on one person.
Shimura Danzo.
He walked in the middle of the procession, wearing a flak jacket similar to an ordinary Jonin's. He wasn't on a stretcher or using crutches; he just walked on his own.
His right hand was hidden in his sleeve. His exposed left hand and face had a few new scars, but none looked serious.
His expression was calm, even cold.
While everyone around was looking at the wounded and the stretchers covered in white cloth, he stared straight ahead without looking sideways.
Then he saw Uchiha Taiga. Their eyes met in midair.
The corners of Taiga's mouth curled up slightly into a half-smile, and then he withdrew his gaze.
Danzo's footsteps paused for a moment before returning to normal, and he continued walking forward.
At the Hokage Building.
By the time Danzo came out of the Hokage's office, it was already evening. He had spent some time inside reporting the frontline situation to Sarutobi Hiruzen, submitting battle reports, and discussing matters only the two of them were privy to.
In short, his position as the leader of Root had been restored.
Danzo walked out of the Hokage Building, passed through several alleys, and entered an underground passage through a hidden door in an abandoned building.
The passage was long and narrow. There was a dim light on the walls every few meters. His footsteps echoed rhythmically in the corridor.
At the end of the passage was a metal door. Pushing it open revealed an underground base.
The underground base wasn't large, but it was fully equipped. There were several similar underground bases in Konoha, all belonging to Root.
Several Root members were sparring in the training room. Seeing Danzo enter, they immediately stopped and knelt on one knee.
Danzo didn't look at them. He walked straight into a room at the end of the corridor. Orochimaru was inside.
He was sitting in a chair, engrossed in a book in his hands. Hearing the door open, he looked up, his golden vertical pupils glowing faintly in the dim light.
"Lord Danzo, you've returned?"
"Yes."
Danzo sat opposite him and remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Uchiha Taiga's eyes, did you notice them?"
Orochimaru put down his book and tilted his head.
"I did notice them."
"What is going on with that?" Danzo asked in a deep voice.
Orochimaru thought for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure of the specifics."
He paused, licking his lips. "But according to the information I've gathered, it seems... to be the Byakugan."
Danzo's pupils contracted slightly.
"The Byakugan?"
"Yes."
Orochimaru's expression carried a hint of amusement.
"Recently, people from the Hyuga clan went to see him, but the meeting was unpleasant. I heard that two Hyuga Branch House ninjas were knocked out by him and left on the street."
Danzo fell silent. That was definitely something Uchiha Taiga would do.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair, his eyes flickering.
"The Byakugan..."
He repeated the word, as if savoring its implications.
Orochimaru watched him without rushing him.
A moment later, Danzo spoke. "Help me perform the Sharingan transplant surgery as soon as possible."
Orochimaru smiled.
"Of course. It seems Lord Danzo reaped quite a harvest on the battlefield this time."
Danzo didn't respond to that, instead saying, "Leave for now. The things you want will be delivered to you. I hope you won't disappoint me."
Orochimaru glanced at him, licked his lips, and without asking further questions, smiled and turned to leave the room.
After the door closed, Danzo sat alone for a long time. Then he stood up, walked to a desk in the corner of the room, picked up a pen and paper, and wrote a few lines.
He folded the paper, stuffed it into an envelope, sealed it, and stamped it with the Root seal.
"Someone, come."
The door was pushed open, and a Root member wearing an animal mask walked in.
"Deliver this to the Hyuga clan. Give it to the Hyuga Main House."
"Yes, sir."
The Root member took the envelope and retreated from the room.
Danzo stood before the desk, his gaze falling on a map of Konoha hanging on the wall.
His finger moved slowly across the map, finally stopping at the location of the old Uchiha compound.
"Uchiha Taiga, I will unravel the secrets you harbor. When that time comes, everything you have will be mine!"