-Broadcast-
The image displayed on Orochimaru's whiteboard held an unsettling quality that Momonosuke couldn't quite articulate. Those white eyes—pure and empty like polished marble—seemed to stare through the viewer rather than at them. As if they could perceive layers of reality invisible to normal sight. The effect was profoundly unnerving, triggering an instinctive discomfort that made the boy want to look away.
But he didn't. He forced himself to study the diagram, committing details to memory.
Orochimaru's pale finger tapped the drawing with clinical precision. "There's no point in arguing about your mother's heritage. The genetic data is conclusive. Lady Toki was a pure-blooded heir of the Hyūga Clan—not a distant branch member, but direct lineage. Nothing else explains why your bloodline factors show such strong consistency with historical Hyūga genetic markers."
The scientist's golden eyes fixed on Momonosuke with the intensity of someone delivering an irrefutable diagnosis.
"Even if we hypothesized that Lady Toki descended from a branch family—diluted bloodline, multiple generations removed—the genetic expression in your cells wouldn't be this pronounced. But the tests show otherwise. The Hyūga markers dominate your genetic profile almost completely. Your father's Kozuki bloodline is present, certainly, but..." Orochimaru's thin lips curved slightly. "...it's almost negligible by comparison. Overwhelmed by your maternal inheritance."
The implication hung heavy in the air. Whatever made Kozuki Oden legendary, whatever genetic advantages the Kozuki Clan possessed, they were secondary in Momonosuke's biology. His mother's heritage eclipsed his father's contribution.
Does that mean I'm more Hyūga than Kozuki? The thought was disturbing on multiple levels.
Orochimaru began pacing, falling into lecture mode—a teacher addressing a student, though without any warmth or pedagogical patience.
"To understand what this means for you, we must first discuss the concept of Kekkei Genkai—'Bloodline Limit' in common parlance. These are abilities that can only be inherited through genetic transmission from blood relatives. No amount of training, no Devil Fruit power, no external technique can replicate a true Kekkei Genkai. Either you're born with the genetic capacity or you're not."
He gestured toward the white eyes on the diagram.
"The Byakugan—'White Eye'—is one such ability. Passed down through the Hyūga Clan's bloodline for centuries, perhaps longer. Historical records suggest the clan existed in Wano Country before the current shogunate, before the isolation, possibly before the Void Century itself. Their eye technique made them formidable, highly valued, and eventually..." Orochimaru's expression darkened slightly. "...targeted for elimination by those who feared their power."
Momonosuke absorbed this information with growing unease. If the Hyūga Clan had been so powerful, why had he never heard of them? Why did no stories or legends mention these white-eyed warriors?
Unless they were deliberately erased from history, he realized. Like so many other inconvenient truths in Wano.
"The Byakugan passes through bloodline inheritance," Orochimaru continued. "You were born with the genetic potential for this ability, Kozuki Momonosuke. It exists in your DNA, waiting to be activated."
For one brief, glorious moment, hope flared in the boy's chest. A legendary eye technique? Power passed down through generations? Maybe this was exactly what he needed to—
"However," Orochimaru's next words crushed that hope instantly, "only female members of the Hyūga Clan can activate the Byakugan. Males carry the genetic markers but cannot manifest the eye technique. This is absolute. No male in recorded history has ever opened the Byakugan, regardless of bloodline purity or training."
The disappointment was crushing. Momonosuke's shoulders slumped as the implications sank in.
But then another thought occurred to him—one that sparked a different kind of discomfort.
"Wait." The boy's brow furrowed. "If only women can use the Byakugan, then... doesn't that mean men in the Hyūga Clan had lower status? Were they just... accessories?"
The question revealed more about Momonosuke's worldview than he realized. His first concern wasn't about the technique's utility or his sister's potential. It was about gender hierarchy being inverted from what he considered natural.
Orochimaru's expression showed faint amusement at the boy's priorities. "Your ability to identify the core issue is surprising, if troubling. Yes, the Hyūga Clan functioned as a matriarchal society. Women held all positions of authority, made all important decisions, and monopolized combat effectiveness. Men served as... support."
The scientist's tone suggested he found the entire topic tedious but necessary to address.
"I personally have no investment in gender hierarchies. My techniques allow me to transfer my consciousness between bodies, maintaining youth indefinitely. Male or female—the container is irrelevant as long as it doesn't impede my research. But for those bound to a single form, I imagine such arrangements cause considerable psychological friction."
He turned back to the diagram, apparently done with that tangent.
"In the Hyūga Clan's structure, males provided resources, performed physical labor, and at critical moments served as shields for female clan members. Their enhanced physiques—a passive benefit of carrying Hyūga genetics even without activated eyes—made them naturally suited for such roles. Women of childbearing age were too valuable to risk in frontline combat unless absolutely necessary."
Momonosuke's face had gone pale. The description sounded like nightmare society to someone raised in Wano's rigid patriarchy. Men as expendable protectors? Women as the default authority figures?
Unacceptable. Completely unacceptable.
"If your sister, Kozuki Hiyori, is still alive," Orochimaru continued, oblivious or indifferent to Momonosuke's distress, "she would certainly be qualified to awaken the Byakugan. Female. Pure bloodline. Proper genetic markers. She has all the prerequisites."
The scientist pulled several more documents from his collected papers, spreading them across the desk.
"Male Hyūga members have zero chance of activating the eye technique. This is genetically hardcoded—attempting to force activation would cause severe neural damage or death. However, they receive compensatory benefits: enhanced physical resilience, increased muscle density, superior bone structure, and remarkable healing capacity. These advantages manifest from birth and improve with age."
Orochimaru glanced at Momonosuke. "You're effectively a natural-born human shield. Stronger, tougher, more durable than normal humans of equivalent training. In close combat situations, this provides significant advantage—assuming you develop the skill to capitalize on it."
A human shield, Momonosuke thought bitterly. Born to be a meat wall protecting women. That's what my mother's bloodline gave me.
"Female Hyūga members face different probabilities," Orochimaru continued his lecture. "Approximately fifty percent successfully awaken the Byakugan during puberty. The other fifty percent remain normal, though their social status in the clan doesn't decrease—being female Hyūga is privilege enough regardless of eye activation."
He began detailing the Byakugan's documented abilities, his voice taking on the dry recitation quality of someone reading from a textbook.
"First Ability: Telescopic Vision. The Byakugan multiplies ocular capacity exponentially, allowing users to observe objects at extreme distances. Theoretically, there's no upper limit—the maximum range depends entirely on the user's training and natural talent. Historical records mention Hyūga scouts who could see across entire islands or track ships from miles away through fog and rain."
Orochimaru pulled up one document showing a crude diagram of a woman with white eyes observing something in the distance, her gaze represented by a long line extending across the page.
"This ability alone made the Hyūga invaluable for reconnaissance and surveillance. No army could approach their territory undetected. No assassin could get close. They could monitor enemy movements from safe positions and coordinate defenses with perfect information."
He moved to the next ability.
"Second Ability: X-Ray Vision. The Byakugan grants supernatural perception that penetrates physical matter. When observing a human target, the user can see through skin and tissue to view the complete internal structure—meridians, pressure points, bone composition, organ placement, even blood flow."
The scientist's eyes gleamed with professional interest.
"In combat, this is devastating. Imagine fighting an opponent who can see exactly where your vital organs are positioned, who knows the precise location of every nerve cluster, who can track the flow of Haki through your body in real-time. There are no feints. No hidden preparations. Your physiology is completely exposed."
Momonosuke felt a chill run down his spine. Fighting someone with that kind of perception would be like battling while naked—every vulnerability visible, every weakness exploited.
"Some historical accounts suggest advanced Byakugan users could even identify individuals by their unique Haki signature alone," Orochimaru added. "Observe someone once, memorize their internal energy pattern, and recognize them forever regardless of disguise or physical changes. In the face of such ability, humans have no secrets."
The implications for espionage and security were staggering.
"Third Ability: Near-Perfect 360-Degree Vision. The Byakugan eliminates traditional blind spots almost entirely. Users can observe their complete surroundings simultaneously—front, back, sides, above, below. Only a small area directly behind the base of the neck remains unobservable, and skilled users learn to compensate for that minimal gap through positioning."
Orochimaru made a circular gesture around his head.
"This makes assassination nearly impossible against alert Byakugan users. Sneak attacks fail. Ambushes are detected before they spring. The Hyūga Clan's survival rate in conflicts was extraordinarily high specifically because they were so difficult to catch unaware."
He paused, letting that information settle, then continued with visible enthusiasm.
"Those are the standard abilities manifest in all Byakugan users. However, historical records document several exceptional individuals who developed additional techniques through talent and training."
The scientist began counting on his fingers.
"Mind Reading: Some users could perceive thoughts by observing minute changes in brain activity visible through the skull. Not perfect telepathy, but enough to detect lies and anticipate intentions.
"Fate Observation: Disputed accounts mention Hyūga seers who claimed to see 'threads of destiny' connecting people and events. Whether this was genuine precognition or sophisticated probability calculation remains unclear.
"Ocular Genjutsu: The most gifted users could weaponize their gaze, trapping opponents in illusions by making direct eye contact. The mechanism differed from standard hypnosis—something about the Byakugan's unique chakra signature.
"Space-Time Manipulation: One legendary Hyūga matriarch allegedly developed the ability to 'fold space' using her eyes, teleporting short distances by bending reality. Historical verification is impossible, but the records exist."
Orochimaru's expression turned sardonic.
"In short, the Byakugan's upper limit depends entirely on individual talent and creativity. The baseline abilities are impressive. The potential ceiling appears nearly limitless. Your mother's clan produced warriors who could observe reality itself in ways normal humans cannot comprehend."
He let the information hang there, watching Momonosuke process the overwhelming catalog of abilities.
The boy's mind was racing, but not in the direction Orochimaru might have expected. Yes, the Byakugan sounded incredibly powerful. Yes, these abilities would make someone nearly invincible in combat. But Momonosuke was stuck on one thought that eclipsed everything else:
I can't use any of this.
Because he was male. Born with the wrong chromosomes. The legendary power flowing through his blood was locked away permanently by biology.
But his sister...
Kozuki Hiyori could potentially access all of it. The telescopic vision, the x-ray perception, the 360-degree awareness. She could become a warrior that Momonosuke—with all his training and determination—could never defeat through conventional means.
The thought made something dark and ugly twist in his chest.
She's already more talented than me, a bitter voice whispered in his mind. Father always said she was smarter, more perceptive, better at reading people. And now this? If she awakens the Byakugan, I'll never be her equal. Never mind surpassing her—I won't even be able to compete.
The Wano Country of his childhood had been structured with clear hierarchies. Men led. Women supported. That was the natural order, the tradition that made society function. Fathers made decisions. Sons inherited responsibility. Daughters married well and provided grandchildren.
But the Hyūga Clan inverted everything. Women commanded. Men protected. Female children were treasured for their potential. Male children were... expendable shields.
Momonosuke had been raised to believe his gender granted him inherent superiority. Not through cruelty, but through unquestioned assumption. His father had never explicitly stated "men are better," but every action, every lesson, every story had reinforced that message. Kozuki Oden was the legendary warrior. Lady Toki was the supportive wife. That was how the world worked.
Learning that his mother's bloodline—the dormant heritage she'd never mentioned—completely contradicted that worldview was deeply unsettling.
What if she knew? The thought wormed its way into his consciousness. What if Mother understood what the Hyūga bloodline meant and deliberately didn't tell us? Especially didn't tell Hiyori?
Because if Lady Toki had explained the truth—that Hiyori might awaken legendary eye techniques, that she might become more powerful than her brother—would that have changed how the family functioned? Would it have challenged the comfortable assumptions about who was destined to lead?
Another thought followed, darker and more insidious:
Do I tell Hiyori about this?
The question materialized fully formed, already half-decided. If he never mentioned the Byakugan, never shared what he'd learned from Orochimaru, then his sister would never know what she might be capable of. She'd remain... manageable. Equal or even lesser, rather than superior.
The deception would be easy. Hiyori wasn't here. She was still in Wano Country—either in hiding or dead, Momonosuke genuinely didn't know her current status. If she survived the next eighteen years, emerged when the prophecy suggested, he could simply... not mention this conversation. Not explain their mother's heritage. Not give her the tools to surpass him.
That would be wrong, his conscience whispered. She deserves to know. It's her birthright as much as yours.
But another voice—louder, more persuasive—countered immediately:
Is it though? You're the heir. You're the one who needs to lead the restoration of Wano. If Hiyori becomes stronger than you, if she awakens these powers and you remain ordinary by comparison, who will the retainers follow? Who will the people accept as rightful Shogun?
A male heir with normal abilities, or a female with literal supernatural sight?
The question was rhetorical. Momonosuke knew exactly how Wano's traditional society would react to that scenario—with chaos and confusion at best, outright rejection of his leadership at worst.
I can't let that happen. For the good of Wano's future, for the restoration of the Kozuki line, I need to be the one who leads. Not Hiyori. Me.
The rationalization came easily once he allowed himself to think it.
Orochimaru, who'd been observing Momonosuke's expression during this internal conflict, seemed to recognize that the conversation had run its course. The boy clearly had no genuine interest in studying the Byakugan further—not when he couldn't use it himself.
"We're done here," the scientist declared, beginning to collect the documents spread across his desk. "These are treasured pieces of my personal collection. Showing them to outsiders is a favor I rarely extend. Be grateful for the education."
He withdrew a small injection from a locked drawer—a glass syringe filled with luminescent blue liquid. The substance inside seemed to shimmer with internal light, almost alive.
"Take this," Orochimaru said, placing the injection on the desk between them. "Master Buggy commissioned its creation specifically for your training regimen. The serum will help develop your Devil Fruit ability—push it beyond its current limitations."
Momonosuke picked up the syringe carefully, eyeing the strange liquid with suspicion. "What exactly does it do?"
"It catalyzes fruit evolution." Orochimaru's explanation was clinical, devoid of reassurance. "Your artificial Zoan is primitive compared to natural fruits—incomplete, flawed, missing key genetic components. This serum corrects some of those deficiencies and forces accelerated adaptation. With proper training and repeated doses, your fruit should evolve to a deeper level. Achieve what we call 'returning to nature'—where the artificial becomes indistinguishable from genuine."
His golden eyes fixed on Momonosuke with unusual intensity.
"When you finally face Kaido, you won't have to run anymore. You'll have the strength to actually fight. That's the goal. This..." He tapped the syringe. "...is the first step."
The boy swallowed hard, nodding. The injection felt heavier than its physical weight suggested—like holding a promise of transformation that came with undefined costs.
"Good. Now leave." Orochimaru waved dismissively, already turning back to his mountain of papers. "Don't keep Lord Buggy waiting. He's eager to begin your physical conditioning now that the preliminary assessments are complete."
Momonosuke stood, clutching the syringe carefully. As he walked toward the office door, Orochimaru's voice stopped him one final time.
"One more thing, boy."
The scientist didn't turn around, but his words carried across the room clearly.
"Whatever you're planning to do about your sister and the Byakugan information—hiding it, revealing it, manipulating it—know that I don't care. Family politics bore me. But remember this: secrets have a way of surfacing eventually. And when they do, the consequences are rarely pleasant for those who kept them."
Momonosuke's hand froze on the door handle. Had Orochimaru read his thoughts that accurately? Or was it just a general warning?
Either way, the message was clear: I see what you're considering. And I'm warning you it will backfire.
But the scientist didn't forbid it. Didn't report it to Buggy. Simply... acknowledged it and moved on.
Because in Orochimaru's worldview, moral judgment was irrelevant. He studied genetics and ran experiments. What people did with their inherited advantages or disadvantages was their own concern.
Momonosuke left the office without responding, the blue syringe warm in his palm and dark thoughts churning in his mind.
Behind him, Orochimaru returned to his research, already forgetting the boy's existence.
In his professional opinion, Kozuki Momonosuke's decision about his sister was predictable, understandable, and ultimately inevitable. Patriarchal conditioning was difficult to overcome, especially when combined with legitimate concerns about leadership succession.
The boy would keep the secret. Hide the truth from his sister. Ensure his own position remained unchallenged.
And if that decision eventually destroyed him? Well, that was simply nature taking its course.
Darwin's theories applied to family politics as much as biology.
The strong adapted and survived. The weak made mistakes and were selected against.
It would be fascinating to observe which category Kozuki Momonosuke ultimately fell into.
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