Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

The sky over Konoha cleared up, offering a rare day of fine weather. The sun hung in the sky, warm and inviting, and even the wind felt soft. The snow on the rooftops of Konoha began to melt, with water droplets dripping from the eaves and hitting the stone-paved roads with crisp sounds.

Uchiha Taiga went fishing with unwavering dedication. This time, he chose a new spot downstream of the Naka River.

Setting off from the old clan compound, he left the village and walked along the riverbank for about half an hour before arriving.

This place was already quite a distance from Konoha. Another ten kilometers or so downstream was Konoha's famous landmark—the Valley of the End.

He hadn't been there yet. It was said to have two massive statues, one of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and the other of Uchiha Madara. The two faced each other across the waterfall, as if locked in an eternal battle.

But he didn't plan on going there today.

He chose a spot where the river widened and the current was gentle. He set down his folding chair, set up his fishing rod, baited the hook, and cast his line.

The hook fell into the water, splashing a small ripple, and then everything returned to calm.

The river was very clear, and the sunlight sparkled on the surface.

He sat in his chair, hands resting behind his head, eyes closed as he basked in the sun. The sound of flowing water, the wind rustling through the treetops, and the occasional bird call filled his ears.

It was incredibly relaxing.

But this relaxation didn't last long.

He sat from morning until noon, and the fishing rod didn't even twitch.

He took out his lunch from the bento box he brought, ate it, and continued to sit.

The afternoon sun shifted from east to west, and the fishing rod still remained motionless.

Under the vision of his Byakugan, the underwater situation was crystal clear to him.

There were fish, and a whole damn lot of them too.

Those fish were swimming back and forth right next to his hook. The small ones were the size of a hand, and the big ones were as long as an arm. Sometimes they would stop, circle the bait twice, nudge it with their mouths, and then turn away.

A large school of fish had already gathered around his hook; the bait he had dropped was practically acting as chum now.

More and more fish gathered, but none would bite.

Taiga stared at the fish underwater, a vein throbbing on his forehead. Those fish swam leisurely, occasionally glancing in the direction of his hook. He couldn't shake the feeling that their gazes carried a hint of mockery.

He raised his right hand, lightning flickering at his fingertips.

One strike of Lightning Style, and all these fish would be floating belly-up.

But he lowered his hand.

Doing that would violate the true essence of fishing.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, and continued to wait.

At this moment, there was no wind, but a rustling sound came from the woods behind him.

It wasn't the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves, but the sound of people moving quickly, stepping on fallen leaves and dead branches.

It was more than one person—at least dozens of them, spread out widely, but all converging toward his location.

Taiga didn't turn his head, but a smile slowly spread across his face.

The smile wasn't large, but it carried a chilling implication that would send shivers down anyone's spine.

He didn't look happy; rather, it looked like a long-suppressed excitement that had finally found an outlet.

The smile grew wider and wider, until a near-feral expression appeared on his face.

He didn't need to turn around to know who was coming. Perfect timing.

Figures dashed out from the woods, landing a dozen meters behind Taiga and fanning out into formation.

Leading them was Shimura Danzo.

He wore his dark Root uniform, his right hand still hidden in his sleeve, while his left hand held a scroll. His face was expressionless, but his one exposed eye stared fixedly at Taiga's back.

Behind him were over thirty Root members wearing animal masks.

They spread out, their positioning highly tactical. Some were at the front, some on the flanks, and some in the rear, completely sealing off all of Taiga's escape routes.

Hyuga Soma stood to Danzo's right, followed by six Hyuga Branch House ninjas.

The Branch House ninjas all wore bandages around their foreheads. Their Byakugan were already activated, the veins bulging slightly around their eyes as they observed their surroundings.

Shimura Danzo spoke.

"Uchiha Taiga, by the joint resolution of the village elders, we have come to question you."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was crystal clear.

As his words fell, the Root members began to move.

Some spread out to the sides, tightening the encirclement. Some leaped onto branches, taking the high ground. A few other figures moved swiftly through the woods, crossing to the trees on the opposite side of the river to form a complete perimeter.

Front, back, left, and right—every path was blocked.

Taiga let out a long breath.

He exhaled very slowly, very deeply, as if making some important preparation.

He put down his fishing rod, stood up, and turned around.

The sunlight hit his face. His eyes shone a brilliant white in the sun, like two ignited stars. He wore a smile, a smile that made both Shimura Danzo and Hyuga Soma's hearts skip a beat.

The smile was bizarre, like the look of someone who had just seen something incredibly thrilling.

Feral.

Arrogant.

Unbridled.

"Good, good, good."

He said the word 'good' three times in a row, his voice carrying an irrepressible emotion.

The fury of an angler was vividly displayed in this moment.

"I was just worrying about having nowhere to vent, and you delivered yourselves right to my doorstep."

His gaze landed on Shimura Danzo.

"It seems you've completely forgotten what I told you before?"

Hyuga Soma ignored his words; his entire attention was focused on Taiga's eyes.

Those glowing white eyes, that pure, flawless white without a single trace of impurity, were exactly like his own, perhaps even more translucent.

He was absolutely certain that it was the Byakugan.

A true Byakugan, with a purity even higher than his own.

His face darkened. In that moment, he felt a pang of intense jealousy. He then spoke, his tone heavy and carrying the authoritative air befitting his status in the Hyuga Main House, "Uchiha Taiga, where did you get those eyes?"

Taiga's gaze shifted from Danzo to Hyuga Soma's face.

He tilted his head, as if looking at some unrecognizable object.

"What the hell are you?"

Hyuga Soma was enraged.

"Insolent!"

He subconsciously raised his hand to form a hand sign, his fingers taking the posture to activate the Caged Bird curse mark.

Having done this motion for decades, it was ingrained in his instincts. Whenever he encountered an issue related to the Byakugan, his first reaction was to form that seal.

Then he realized.

The person in front of him wasn't from the Hyuga clan.

The person in front of him didn't have the Caged Bird curse mark.

His hand froze in mid-air. The expression on his face shifted from anger to embarrassment, and then from embarrassment to even greater fury.

The expressions of the Branch House ninjas behind him changed. Some subconsciously took a half-step back, while others lowered their heads, not daring to look at Hyuga Soma.

To them, the Caged Bird curse mark was an unimaginably terrifying punishment.

Looking back at Hyuga Soma, he awkwardly lowered his hand, but his mouth didn't stop.

"No matter where you got that Byakugan, the Byakugan belongs to the Hyuga clan."

His voice rose a pitch, as if trying to embolden himself. "I inform you in the name of the Hyuga Main House: the Hyuga clan must reclaim this pair of Byakugan."

Taiga looked at him with a bizarre expression.

Then he turned his head and looked at Shimura Danzo.

The meaning in his eyes was obvious: *Is this idiot you brought for real?*

Shimura Danzo ignored his gaze and instead held up the scroll in his hand.

"As a member of the village, Uchiha Taiga, you have an obligation to disclose the origin of this Byakugan."

He unrolled the scroll, displaying its contents to Taiga.

"This is Lord Hokage's official order. I have come for this matter; you may see for yourself."

As he spoke, he walked toward Taiga with the scroll.

Step by step, neither fast nor slow.

His footsteps crunched on the gravel of the riverbank. The Root members held their breath, and the Hyuga Branch House ninjas held their breath as well.

Everyone's eyes were focused on him, focused on the hand holding the scroll.

He arrived in front of Taiga, less than two meters away, then raised his hand and tossed the scroll over.

The scroll flipped in the air, unrolling to reveal the text inside and the red official seal of the Hokage.

Taiga raised his hand and caught the scroll.

But the moment his fingers touched the scroll, his body stiffened.

Starting from the soles of his feet, an invisible force bound his entire body. He glanced down and saw a thin black line beneath his feet, extending from his shadow and connecting to a certain direction.

Shadow Possession Jutsu!

Someone had hidden a jutsu within the shadow of the scroll. The moment he caught it, the chakra concealed in the scroll's shadow crept up his own, freezing his body in place.

He looked up.

Shimura Danzo's hand was already reaching for his face.

Less than an inch from his eye sockets.

That hand emerged from the sleeve—pale, emaciated, fingers slightly curled like an eagle's claw. The fingertips were aimed right at his eyes, and a faint trace of chakra danced between the index and middle fingers.

Shimura Danzo's face bore a look of absolute certainty.

His eye narrowed, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, as if to say... *Got them.*

In that instant, Taiga's mouth split wide open, his smile turning increasingly feral.