The dawn's glow, like blood-stained grey gauze.
Bloody red light barely seeped through the forbidden library's skylights into this place of deathly silence.
Years of accumulated dust motes danced in the light beams, mixed with a sickeningly sweet, rusty odor.
"H-how is this possible?"
Two young ninjas from the Hyūga Main Branch were deathly pale, their bodies rigid with immense fear, their pupils trembling violently in the dim light.
"Another Main Branch member was killed..."
"The Byakugan... is gone..."
"Someone dug it out..."
The Hyūga clan members gathered outside the ancestral shrine whispered amongst themselves, their terrified voices breaking the morning tranquility of the Hyūga clan. The news instantly swept through the entire massive Hyūga compound.
The last time a Main Branch elder died, and a pair of Byakugan was lost, it had shaken the Hyūga clan. It seemed like a long time ago, and it was eventually confirmed to be the work of the rogue ninja, Orochimaru.
But now, again!
A Main Branch member had once again been killed and had their eyes gouged out!
"Disperse! What are you all doing gathered here?"
A dignified voice sounded from behind the crowd blocking the ancestral shrine, pushing people aside with an undeniable sense of oppression. A steady stride carried him into the blood-soaked scene.
It was Hyūga Hizashi, still disguised as Hyūga Hiashi. His Main Branch robes outlined a tall, slender figure, his stern face as meticulous as if carved from stone.
Behind him followed Hyūga Higo and several Main Branch elders. Their pure white eyes swept over the people present, the depths of their eyes seemingly frozen with ancient, unmelting ice.
"L-Lord Head..."
A young Main Branch member emerged from the ancestral shrine, looking at 'Hyūga Hiashi,' his voice trembling: "Grandpa Kurotsuka's Byakugan was..."
"It must be the Branch Family..." another young Main Branch member blurted out in fright.
"Silence!"
Hyūga Hizashi's two softly spoken words interrupted his sentence.
However, many present had already heard it and knew what he wanted to say.
The air itself seemed to grow thick and heavy. Branch Family members bowed their heads, holding their breath, their eyes instinctively darting away, not daring to meet the gazes cast by the Main Branch members.
A low, fearful pressure suddenly descended, gripping everyone's throats.
Under this oppressive silence, both Main Branch and Branch Family members tightened their nerves.
Undoubtedly, to be able to do something like this undetected by everyone, it was either a high-ranking individual from the village like Orochimaru once was, or it could only be someone from the Branch Family.
"Do not speak carelessly before the matter is investigated. All of you, return to where you should be."
Hyūga Hizashi reprimanded in a deep voice, then led several Main Branch elders into the ancestral shrine, and further into the forbidden library.
However, before entering the forbidden library, Hyūga Higo glanced at the door, frowned, and leaned close to 'Hyūga Hiashi,' warning: "The seal has been broken."
"..."
Hyūga Hizashi's eyes briefly froze, but his face remained impassive as he shook his head: "No need to jump to conclusions. It's possible Hyūga Kurotsuka himself broke it. Let's examine the body first."
Hyūga Higo nodded, without the slightest suspicion.
Soon, they saw the body, the hunched body of the old man, and their hearts immediately sank.
On his deeply lined face, where his Byakugan should have been, there were now only two empty, blood-clotted hollows!
The remaining eye socket tissue, violently torn, had already turned black and dry, and his eyelids were rolled back and drooped, like withered fruit skins drained of their juice.
This gruesome sight of eyes being gouged out made several Main Branch elders feel phantom pain in their own eyes, and their faces couldn't help but show fear and anger.
"Time of death was approximately 2 AM last night."
The Main Branch ninja responsible for the autopsy approached and spoke in a low voice: "First, his throat was crushed, then his neck was snapped, killing him. There were no other external injuries. The method was extremely ruthless and decisive..."
"Killed in one blow?" Hyūga Higo asked, frowning. "Could the culprit have been here to steal secret techniques, not expecting Kurotsuka to suddenly return, so they had to set an ambush in the forbidden library?"
Hearing this, everyone's hearts tightened, and they instantly understood the elder's meaning.
If the culprit was here to steal secret techniques, then it could only be someone from the Branch Family.
"Still can't be sure. No books are missing, so it doesn't seem like it was for stealing secret techniques. It's more like it was for the Byakugan..."
That person also hesitated for a moment, then shook his head with a sigh: "Grandpa Kurotsuka was too old. If the culprit's stealth ability was very strong, following him and then attacking once they entered the deserted forbidden library, that's also possible."
"However, there's another point: the way the culprit gouged out the eyes was very brutal."
At this point, he paused, his voice dry: "Therefore, we can likely rule out the possibility of Orochimaru returning to Konoha and infiltrating the compound to strike again."
"..."
These words were like stones thrown into an icy lake, stirring silent but turbulent undercurrents in their hearts, causing the elders' eyes to flicker slightly.
If it wasn't Orochimaru, that scoundrel who loved human experimentation and had a criminal record,
then the possibility of the culprit being from within the clan greatly increased...
For a time, suspicion, like a tangible plague, spread among the Main Branch members.
If the problem truly originated from within, then why would the culprit want the Byakugan?
Would he strike again?
Who would be next?
Or, would elderly Main Branch members become his priority targets?
With this thought, the scene fell into a suffocating silence, leaving only the heavy interweaving breaths, while shock and fear clung to them like maggots.
Finally, Hyūga Hizashi spoke.
Hyūga Hizashi knew that he, having replaced his elder brother as the head of the Main Branch, had to speak now.
"Complete lockdown."
His voice, laced with coldness, broke the silence. Every word was like an ice pick striking the ground: "No one in the clan is allowed to enter or leave without permission."
"All guards on duty last night, both Main Branch and Branch Family, will immediately undergo questioning and scrutiny. Even the slightest movement of a mouse must be recorded, with no detail overlooked!"
Hizashi's tone was resolute and undeniably stern.
"Yes!" The Main Branch ninjas present responded in unison, their expressions becoming tense.
But just then, Hyūga Higo spoke.
"One more thing." He looked up at everyone present, his voice cold: "Go and investigate everyone's movements last night, starting with those from the Branch Family!"
"This..."
Upon hearing this, several Main Branch ninjas exchanged glances, some hesitant to speak.
While they also suspected the Branch Family members, it hadn't reached the point of specifically targeting them.
Once they began investigating the Branch Family, it would be openly displaying their suspicions.
"Elder Higo."
Hizashi frowned and spoke at the right moment: "Without any evidence, targeting the Branch Family for investigation—wouldn't that lead to everyone being on edge, or even..."
"Disloyalty and division?"
Hyūga Higo's face remained cold. He completed Hizashi's sentence for him, stating seriously: "Hiashi, I know what you're worried about, but the Main Branch's safety must come first."
"It's just an investigation; it won't have too much of an impact. If they have nothing to hide, they won't resist."
"But if anyone resists or obstructs... Hmph, they will be directly punished as the true culprit!"
No one dared to question the chilling killing intent emanating from Hyūga Higo at that moment.
He was serious.