140 Highly Recommended: Authentic Otsutsuki Eyes

"Absolutely not!"

Hiashi Hyuga refused without a second thought. A joke—how could he possibly allow an outsider to use his family's bloodline limit? To his ears, the word "experience" sounded exactly like "eye-gouging." Any ninja possessing a Dojutsu bloodline would be hypersensitive to such a notion.

Hiashi’s face darkened, yet he did not storm out. Although Orochimaru had struck a nerve, Hiashi still hoped to see this transaction through. The talk of "experiencing" the Byakugan was obviously off the table, but other terms could still be negotiated. Moreover, the fact that Orochimaru hadn't refused outright earlier suggested that he had a need for the Hyuga clan.

A flurry of thoughts flashed through Hiashi's mind, but suddenly, Orochimaru changed. His golden slit pupils narrowed, and dark eyeshadow-like markings appeared around his eyes. A cold, chilling aura emanated from him.

"Is Orochimaru going to attack me?"

Hiashi instinctively activated his Byakugan, but he only saw a blur of shadow. Before he could react, Orochimaru was already behind him, gripping his throat so tightly that he couldn't even manage a sound.

This...

"You've piqued my interest. Whether you refuse or not is no longer up to you."

Orochimaru let out a sinister chuckle, his movements swift and relentless, and he promptly knocked Hiashi unconscious. Throughout the entire process, Hiashi had almost no power to resist; he couldn't even call for help.

It wasn't that he lacked strength. In fact, as the head of the Hyuga clan, he didn't have to go on missions and had ample time and energy to refine his skills. His proficiency in the Gentle Fist and his development of the Byakugan were at least on par with Hizashi. But combat between ninjas isn't just about comparing stats on paper. Timing, physical state, and fighting spirit—each factor influences the outcome. And in the latter, Hiashi, who hadn't seen the battlefield in ages, was no match for the battle-hardened Orochimaru.

Furthermore, to ensure a swift victory, Orochimaru had decisively activated Sage Mode. The enhanced physical capabilities surpassed the tracking limits of the Byakugan, posing a lethal threat to a ninja reliant on Dojutsu.

Orochimaru curled his lips in disdain. "You thought you could use me with just this?"

He had been lenient with Hizashi, partly because Hizashi was a useful subordinate, but mostly due to the wish he had accepted from the Genie. However, the Hyuga main branch—these clan heads and elders—seemed to have misunderstood, truly viewing him as someone greedy for profit. Hinata... heh, a toddler who hadn't even reached a year old, and they had the gall to ask him to take her as a student? Did they really think the title of "Orochimaru's disciple" was that cheap?

Looking at the unconscious Hiashi, Orochimaru created a shadow clone, took tools from a scroll, and began the eye-transplant surgery.

The two great Dojutsu clans of Konoha were different: the Uchiha were arrogant, and the Hyuga were stubborn. The former could be swayed by profit, but the latter feared power rather than virtue; they would never trade the Byakugan willingly, so only brute force would work. Yet, stubbornness had its benefits: as long as the loss wasn't too severe, they would swallow their broken teeth in silence rather than face the humiliation. Hiashi himself would likely never dare mention this incident to the elders of the main branch. If this were Fugaku Uchiha, the head of the Uchiha clan, Orochimaru could not have been so crude—even if Fugaku’s eyes might have been a pair of Mangekyou Sharingan.

"..."

After finishing the surgery, Orochimaru wiped away the secretions from his eyes. Veins bulged on his forehead as he activated the Byakugan. With his vast experience in Dojutsu, he began to evaluate it with interest. "The ocular power is inferior to the Sharingan, but it's significantly stronger than the basic version, and it's not that taxing to maintain."

Orochimaru touched the bulging veins on his cheeks. "And unlike the Sharingan lineage, it’s not just the chakra condensed by the bloodline organ; other parts of the body can also stimulate the Byakugan, though the effect is much weaker."

"After all, the Byakugan is the original eye of the Otsutsuki clan. Like an ordinary person's eyes, how could it be so difficult to use?" The Genie, having finished recording the Byakugan data, laughed. "If you want to possess a Dojutsu bloodline, I strongly recommend the Byakugan. Even if you grow tired of it later, there’s still an opportunity to transition into a Sharingan."

"We'll see about that later."

Orochimaru was noncommittal. Using Hiashi as a test subject, he tested the Byakugan's insight into chakra flow before transplanting the eyes back, showing not a hint of attachment.

"...Hmph!?"

Waking from his unconscious state, memories flooded his mind like a tide. Hiashi’s eyes widened; he rolled away from his spot, backed against the wall, and instantly braced for defense. However, Orochimaru sat calmly behind the desk, watching his movements with amusement.

"No need to panic. Everything that needed to be done has already been done."

What? It was over already?

Hearing Orochimaru’s words, Hiashi instinctively touched his eye sockets; there was indeed some lingering discomfort. Realizing what Orochimaru had done, Hiashi’s face darkened instantly. He wanted to erupt in rage, but meeting those cold, snake-like eyes, he felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him, his brain seemingly frozen solid.

"...Hehehe. I have already received half of the payment. Once the other half is delivered into my hands, you may announce to the world that your daughter has been taken as my disciple." Orochimaru smiled and set his teacup down. "However, I advise you to keep a low profile. The eldest son of Fugaku Uchiha has also been taken as my disciple, and unlike Hinata, who shows nothing at the moment, he is a true genius."

"Do you really want to have them compared...?"

Amidst his low chuckles, Orochimaru stood up and left. Watching his retreating figure, Hiashi’s expression turned bitter.

...

After leaving the Hyuga compound, Orochimaru did not return home but went straight to his underground laboratory. The chakra-soul entity he had been cultivating in the Pure Land was recovering much faster than the Genie had anticipated; in another half-month, it would be fully restored. By then, the soul entity would carry a massive amount of pure soul energy into his body, and he would need to undergo deep sleep to heal his soul's wounds, requiring prior preparation. The most critical part was brewing the nutrient solution to provide sufficient energy for both the healing of his soul and the growth of his body during the adaptation process.

In the blink of an eye, a week passed.

"...This amount is enough to supply a Jonin for a month of deep sleep," Orochimaru said, turning to look at the Genie. "Still not enough?"

The Genie’s expression was strange. "You’d better prepare more. The 'you' in the Pure Land is much greedier than you imagine; it devours a great deal of soul energy."

"Very well."