At the main gates of Kirigakure.
Caravans of horses and carts laden with goods stretched back in a long line, the crowd at the entrance a cacophony of shouting and protest. At the front, a well-dressed merchant was locked in a heated dispute with several Anbu ninjas blocking the path.
"On what grounds are you keeping us here? We're just here for business; we aren't even citizens of your village!"
"Exactly!"
"You can't just lock down the village without warning!"
The crowd buzzed with various accents, mostly merchants from the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire. Since the Land of Water was an island nation, almost all supplies—save for seafood—had to be imported. Consequently, the traders from these two great nations were the most frequent visitors.
"Everyone, please, stay calm..." The Anbu wearing the crow mask raised his hands, attempting to soothe the angry mob.
"Give us an explanation!" The lead merchant, sensing the Anbu's apparent hesitation, raised his voice further. The crowd behind him surged forward in support. Some of the more hot-headed individuals even began to jostle the ninjas.
A tall Anbu wearing a dog mask stepped forward. His massive frame slammed into the tide of people, pushing them back. With one hand, he seized the lead merchant by the throat and hoisted him into the air.
Instantly, a terrifying killing intent flooded the area.
A crimson mist began to permeate the space—an intangible vapor that felt oily and smelled of iron and rot. It clung to the Anbu like a shroud. Under the influence of this aura, the already pale sunlight seemed to dim further. The scene was harrowing.
The agitated crowd scrambled back in terror. Several people even lost control of their bladders; the sharp, acrid smell of urine caused the crowd to draw back even further.
Thud!
The merchant was slammed onto the ground, let out a series of pained moans.
Blood Hound stepped forward, looking down at the cowering crowd. "Kirigakure is under martial law. Entry is permitted; exit is forbidden. Violators will be executed on the spot."
His voice was a low, guttural rumble, like the engine of a massive ship. The crowd, previously boiling with rage, was now deathly silent.
"Now, now, let's just talk this through," Crow said, slowly releasing the hand seals hidden in his sleeves as he smiled through his mask. Blood Hound stepped back, and the tension eased slightly, though not a single person dared to utter the word "exit" again.
At the rear of the crowd, the silver-haired blind girl in the white cloak turned away, her wooden staff clicking softly.
Beneath her blindfold, the ash-grey pupils of her Byakugan glowed faintly, instantly dissolving the crimson haze in the air.
Illusion Immunity.
It was a fundamental trait of the Byakugan. Since all Genjutsu is essentially chakra-based, the Byakugan can see through the invisible energy. Naturally, basic illusions find it difficult to deceive the user. Of course, this immunity had its limits—"god-tier" techniques like Kotoamatsukami or Tsukuyomi were a different story entirely.
As she walked against the flow of the crowd, the rhythmic tap-tap of her cane caused people to instinctively step aside to let her pass.
This was Hinami's second day playing the blind girl and her third day in Kirigakure. Yesterday, she had spent her time split between waiting for mission news and experimenting with her new powers.
Her hypothesis was correct: Shikotsumyaku and Byakugan were parts of a singular system.
The "Bone" (Kotsu) aspect was the weapon everyone knew.
The "Corpse" (Shi) aspect gave her living flesh the properties of the "dead," allowing her to support the bone transformations.
By separating her biology into independent sub-systems—skin, meat, bone, blood, and organs—she could modify one without the system collapsing. Even her Byakugan had been affected by this "dead" state. She no longer needed hand seals to activate it; a mere thought sufficed. She could even tune her X-ray vision to only see through her blindfold while leaving other objects solid.
The Byakugan, which previously only improved chakra control, now allowed for the microscopic manipulation of flesh, bone, and hair. She called this new ability: Physical Sovereignty.
She could converge the power of her entire muscular system into a single point. Even a flick of her finger could carry the explosive force of a full-body haymaker. However, there were drawbacks. She couldn't spam these "full-power" bursts; they drained her stamina and put immense pressure on her vessels. Each burst required a "cooldown" of three to six seconds.
But the potential was endless. Hair, skin, hormones, neural electrical signals—even her heart rate was now under her command. Her body had become like clay.
Hinami's thoughts darkened. She had checked with the Mizukage Building this morning. The "exit ban" meant her mission was indefinitely postponed.
Is this all because a few Anbu died? She wondered.
Kirigakure was one of the Five Great Villages. A total blockade was an economic disaster; it cut off trade and stopped ninjas from earning mission fees. To maintain such a lockdown meant the pressure from above must be immense.
Could it be for the Byakugan?
No. She shook the thought away. The secret of her eyes was known only to her parents, the Kaguya patriarch, and a few elders—all of whom had died on the battlefield. Kirigakure couldn't possibly know.
There must be a deeper reason.
A profound sense of crisis welled up within her. She didn't know where it came from, but the village's abnormal behavior set off every alarm in her mind. The joy of her awakening vanished, replaced by the cold, sharp fear that her life could be snuffed out at any moment.
She had to get out. Fast.