Ranmaru's Ketsuryūgan—the Kuryūgan.
A Kekkei Genkai existing within the Land of Water, it was an ocular power that once appeared in the hands of a boy named Ranmaru during the Shippuden era. Much like the Byakugan, it is a dōjutsu capable of seeing through solid objects, perceiving life force, and sensing danger. In terms of observing chakra, its capabilities could even surpass those of the Byakugan.
This eye possesses an extremely specialized ability: it can project images made of chakra into an enemy's field of vision according to the user's will. It creates a phenomenon similar to a computer virus, deceiving the victim into seeing illusions that feel indistinguishable from reality.
When the Byakugan faces these eyes, its powers of insight and long-range vision are severely suppressed under the weight of this manipulation. It is, quite literally, the natural counter to the Hyūga clan.
At this moment, Hyūga Yu felt a surge of extreme vigilance. Simultaneously, he realized why the Main House members—despite their large escort of bodyguards—had met with disaster.
Being isolated from the mainland, Kirigakure (the Hidden Mist Village) had always been the village that preserved the highest number and variety of Kekkei Genkai. From Typhoon Release, Lava Release, and Boil Release to the Shikotsumyaku (Macabre Bone Pulse), Ice Release, and Dark Release, the Mist possessed a staggering array of bloodline traits. Combined with the Hōzuki clan's secret techniques and the unique Seven Ninja Swordsmen, these diverse abilities built a war machine with potential no less formidable than Kumogakure.
Before the "Bloody Mist" policy fully took hold, even though the village enforced high-pressure internal tactics, the systematic persecution of Kekkei Genkai shinobi had not yet begun. It wasn't surprising at all that they could field a "hard counter" like the Kuryūgan against the Byakugan.
Moreover, unlike the Sharingan, the dōjutsu released by these red eyes was not a standard genjutsu that could be dispelled. It was a bloodline trait specifically designed to sabotage visual perception.
Just like now—
The moment the Kuryūgan shinobi in the Mist squad looked up, Yu, who was extremely sensitive to "gaze," felt an immediate and jarring sense of distortion.
In his field of vision, the Mist squad he had "suddenly" encountered seemed unwilling to cause unnecessary trouble after sensing him. Instead, they immediately veered off in another direction, widening the gap between them and Yu as they detoured. They had seemingly yielded the path leading to the Kusunami Coast.
Logically speaking, this was perfectly understandable.
During wartime, shinobi rarely stayed in their own camps waiting for large-scale pitched battles. More often, they were split into small squads to infiltrate deep behind enemy lines for long-term operations—sabotaging key routes, assassinating high-ranking officials, and intercepting supply lines.
In these scenarios, a shinobi's primary goals are to locate the enemy and obstruct the enemy, not necessarily to kill every enemy. Getting sidetracked during a mission is considered foolish. Even if they encountered a "weak Genin" like Yu, they might choose to bypass him to avoid a commotion that could draw in reinforcements and compromise their objective.
However, Yu didn't feel relieved. Amidst this apparent stroke of luck where the enemies "vanished," he felt a nagging sense of "wrongness." It was as if everything before his eyes was covered in a thin, color-distorted mist.
Knowing that the enemy possessed a Kuryūgan user, he couldn't tell if the scene he was seeing was real or fake, nor could he "refresh" his vision by simply breaking a genjutsu.
The only thing he could do was stick to his plan.
And so, after "hesitating" for a moment, Yu finally moved. He first feigned a sigh of relief, then chose a direction at a 90-degree angle from where the enemy had supposedly departed. He leaped onto a tree trunk and continued his journey.
He bounded across massive trees, drawing closer and closer to the position where the enemy had actually appeared.
1,200 meters... 1,000 meters... 700 meters... 200 meters...
Until finally, Yu's silhouette, flickering through the treetops, entered the naked-eye vision of Ao's squad—who had been standing perfectly still the entire time, without moving a single inch.
The summer sun's rays pierced through the canopy. Amidst the mottled sunlight, the two parties crossed paths.
Ranmaru, having removed his black blindfold, stared indifferently at Yu as he leaped past in the distance. A faint, eerie glow flickered within his vivid red pupils.
A moment later, Yu's back disappeared from the Mist squad's view.
Ao spoke in a low voice. "Well?"
"It should be an accident. This person is just passing through," Ranmaru replied with a nod.
Nearby, the Jōnin who had first sensed Yu asked curiously, "Wait, how did you determine that?"
"I can see his chakra. At the same time, I can sense a person's threat level through their chakra," Ranmaru shook his head, unable to suppress a smile that was part self-deprecation and part mockery. "Without a doubt, I am the weakest shinobi on this mission."
"And yet, that Hyūga brat gave me the feeling of an ant I could crush just by lifting my foot."
"Too weak..."
Ranmaru sneered as he gave his verdict: "Whether it's his chakra fluctuations or the anxiety and fear reflected in his chakra, they are both the most authentic pieces of evidence!"
"Don't be careless!" Ao barked. Though he felt the same—he hadn't sensed even a shred of threat from Yu—he still maintained a stern face as he reprimanded his subordinate. He shook his head and signaled with his hand. "Continue waiting here. Wait for the vanguard to fire the signal flare."
On the other side, Yu—unable to discern if he was still within the detection range of that Mist squad—sprinted for another kilometer before the distorted vision finally returned to normal.
At that moment, he confirmed that the group of Mist shinobi and the Kuryūgan user had indeed used their ocular power to tamper with what he saw. The sight of the Mist squad detouring and retreating was entirely false.
But he didn't stop. He pushed on for about five more kilometers before finally coming to a halt.
He took a deep breath. He had successfully cleared the most dangerous stretch of the path and, according to plan, had reached a point behind the enemy's encirclement.
And now—
The roles of hunter and prey were about to flip.
With that thought, Yu's eyes snapped open. The veins around his temples bulged violently as he rapidly refined his chakra, flooding it in massive quantities into the meridians of his eyes.
"Byakugan!"
Yu's field of vision began to narrow and lengthen. Instead of seeing everything within a one-kilometer radius in exhaustive detail, his sight transformed—similar to a flashlight in the dark, casting a straight, cylindrical beam of light.
Yu's vision expanded further and further!
Until he could see an area roughly 72 degrees wide, 200 meters across, and 7 kilometers long!
Yu controlled his vision, sweeping it around in a sudden arc!
Within this range, every squad of Mist shinobi hiding in the shadows, quietly awaiting the arrival of the Main House, was locked onto by his gaze! The locations of each Mist squad formed a trumpet-shaped map in his mind!
Then, Yu suddenly looked up toward the narrow end of that "trumpet."
There, two specialized smoke bombs were tossed into the sky one after another, colliding in mid-air!
Bang!
A thick red mist began to drift above the forest!
Simultaneously, the squads of Mist shinobi began charging toward the center of the encirclement!
Yu let out a heavy breath.
Thud!
He lowered the massive wooden box he had been carrying on his back. Then, from within it, he slowly drew out a 2.2-meter-long Greatbow.
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