NARUTO: Ninja World Scientific Revolution

Following the main group was the least worrisome task. With Orochimaru as the leader and over three hundred elite ninja, there was no need to be concerned. Unless the Third Raikage led an elite squad deep into the Land of Fire, the Hyuga clan's future was certain to remain safe and sound.

To ensure their safety, the Hyuga clan's ninja took turns scouting ahead. If any enemies were approaching, they would be discovered long before they could pose a threat.

Hyuga Mirai had been assigned to a reconnaissance mission. Not wanting to reveal his connection to Orochimaru, he received no special treatment from the leader. Instead, he was given a task suited to his skills.

His squad was a standard reconnaissance team. During the three-day march, his team spent over two days scouting the area, with only a few hours for rest along the way. Though ninja were known for their resilience, a lack of rest still led to fatigue.

Fortunately, the group of five hundred soon arrived at Kikyō City, where they were able to rest after settling in. However, while the rest of the ninja could take a break, the commanding jonin had to continue their strategy meetings.

---

The Jonin Strategy Meeting in Kikyō City

Orochimaru, the commander of the frontline forces, sat at the head of the table. His deputy, Nara Shikaku, the head of the current Ino-Shika-Cho trio, was beside him.

Orochimaru, with his raspy voice, began, "Report on the situation at the front."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru." The Kikyō City jonin, who had previously been responsible for gathering intel on the Sand Village, spoke up.

"The Sand Village has been gathering more forces at the front. Recently, a Town was attacked by an elite force led by the Third Raikage. While the Fourth Kazekage and his team managed to repel the attack, there were casualties. As a result, it has become extremely difficult to gather any accurate information from the area." 

"However, the number of Sand ninja in Bōsha Town has already exceeded a thousand, and strategic supplies have been continuously brought in by the Fourth Kazekage since his time there," the jonin continued. "It seems that things are getting tense."

After listening to the report, Orochimaru pondered for a moment before glancing at the map. "Shikaku, how many explosive tags and healing tags do we have?"

"Ten thousand explosive tags, one thousand healing tags. Lord Orochimaru, are you... planning something?"

Orochimaru smiled slyly. "Just as you thought, Shikaku. If you're surprised, the Fourth Kazekage will be even more so."

Shikaku paused, then responded, "But a preemptive strike would harm the reputation of Konoha."

"I care about victory, not reputation," Orochimaru said, his golden vertical eyes glinting as he surveyed the other jonin. "If we can achieve a significant victory, that's all that matters. Shikaku, I'm not like Jiraiya, the fool!"

"Distribute the strategic supplies within a day and wait for further orders."

With that settled, the meeting moved on, and Mirai, exhausted from the long journey, lay down inside the tent. He pulled out a bottle of eye drops, preparing to relieve the strain on his eyes.

Kiyo Hyuga noticed him about to apply the drops and made a small gesture, as if to say something, but then swallowed her words, her pride keeping her silent.

"Do you need some, Kiyo? I made this myself, and it works pretty well," Mirai said, noticing Kiyo's hesitation. He assumed she might also want to use some of the eye drops.

The environment here was harsh, close to the Wind Country. Word had it that beyond here, the land was all desert. With the wind blowing, it would be difficult for anyone, even ninja, to open their eyes in such conditions. Mirai's Byakugan had also been straining, and his vision would sometimes blur, though it soon returned to normal.

Just then, Kurenai Yuhi entered the tent, smiling as she said, "Mirai-kun, let me help you with the drops."

"No need, just a quick drop will do," Mirai replied firmly. He wasn't fond of others getting too close, even if he knew Kurenai and Kiyo wouldn't discover his secret. It was more of a reflexive discomfort.

Kurenai, not at all offended, sat down and asked, "Alright then, Mirai-kun. Do you know what our next mission will be?"

"Probably another reconnaissance mission. But, given Orochimaru's character, we won't just sit around waiting for an attack," Mirai said slowly, applying the drops to his eyes. "I've heard that nearly half of the Sand ninja are puppeteers. The poisons they use on their puppets might be resistant to even the antidotes we have at Konoha Hospital, especially since the antidotes we use were created based on intelligence from the Second Shinobi World War. It's possible that the Sand has developed stronger poisons by now."

"Just be careful, and always remember..." 

"To prioritize survival, just like my father used to say," Kurenai teased, cutting him off before Mirai could go into his usual long-winded warnings.

Kiyo, however, was more direct. "What's going on with your eyes?" she asked, her brow furrowing as she saw Mirai apply the eye drops again.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it's just the dryness. My eyes are a bit itchy," Mirai answered, though he was secretly beginning to suspect something more serious. The Byakugan might be changing in ways he hadn't anticipated.

His body had merged the Senju cells and the bloodlines of both the main and branch families of the Hyuga clan. Considering the genetic information inherited from the progenitors, his Byakugan should be improving, becoming more perfect.

'Could the Senju cells be acting as a catalyst?' Mirai wondered. He could study his own genetic sequence, but chakra was another matter—playing with it could lead to unexpected results.

After a moment of careful consideration, he reassured himself: "It's probably nothing. It's just that I've had the Byakugan active for so long that I'm not used to it."

The two women, hearing his explanation, accepted it. It made sense, after all. They hadn't seen Mirai use the Byakugan often. He had mostly stayed in Konoha Hospital, and his missions had become fewer.

"Don't forget the foundation of the Hyuga clan," Kiyo said, her tone slightly sharp. "If word of this gets out, it could cause trouble."

Mirai smiled. "I know, Kiyo. I'll practice my Gentle Fist more."

'Did Mirai's eyes just flash with blue light?' Kurenai thought, feeling a strange unease, though she had observed Mirai for quite some time, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

(End of Chapter)