With the frontline operation concluded, a detailed battle report from the Land of Water quickly made its way back to Konohagakure.
The mission, led by Sakumo Hatake, had achieved very little strategic advantage.
In war, victory and defeat often walked side by side, so this outcome alone was not particularly shocking. However, another piece of news accompanied the report, news that sent shockwaves through the village.
Hyuga Himeji had lost her Byakugan.
The entire Hyuga Clan fell into chaos.
For centuries, the Hyuga had maintained a strict and merciless hierarchy between the main branch and the branch families. The system had been enforced without mercy.
To protect the clan's most precious bloodline ability, the Byakugan, even the children of the clan head were not exempt from harsh traditions. Many had been marked with the dreaded Caged Bird Seal and forced into the branch family structure.
This cruelty existed for one reason only, to ensure that the Byakugan would never fall into the hands of outsiders.
Yet now the impossible had happened.
Himeji's loss meant that the Byakugan had slipped beyond the clan's control for the first time in their long history.
The Hyuga clan's ruthless internal system demonstrated how fiercely they guarded their bloodline. If an enemy obtained those eyes, they could study the Byakugan and uncover the secrets of the Hyuga's Bloodline Limit.
For the proud Hyuga clan, this was not only humiliation, it was a potential existential threat.
The situation was even worse because the one who had lost her eyes was the daughter of the clan leader himself.
How could Hyuga Tenku accept such an insult?
Had he not been seriously wounded during the Second Great Ninja War, he would have already rushed to the battlefield in the Land of Water himself.
Inside the Hokage Office Building, a high level meeting was taking place.
Three senior leaders of Konoha had gathered for an emergency discussion.
Seated behind his desk, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, stared at the report scroll in his hands. A rare frown appeared on his face as he read through the contents again.
The situation had grown far worse than he had expected.
After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.
"Orochimaru is requesting reinforcements."
Sitting nearby, Utatane Koharu immediately shook her head.
"That is easier said than done. Where exactly are we supposed to find more troops?"
The idea of fighting four enemies at once sounded impressive in theory, but the reality was far more complicated.
From the outside, Konoha still appeared powerful.
Internally, however, the village was already stretched to its limits.
Hiruzen folded his hands together and thought quietly before responding.
"Orochimaru is facing several times his number of Sunagakure ninja in the Land of Wind. I have already transferred Jiraiya to the Land of Hot Water. The remaining two thousand ninja in the village will be sent to reinforce the Land of Wind."
Koharu's expression darkened.
"Think carefully, Hiruzen. If those troops leave as well, the only defense Konoha will have left is the Anbu."
Hiruzen sighed heavily.
"For now, we have no other choice."
Konoha was currently facing its most difficult period.
On the battlefield in the Land of Wind, Orochimaru was confronting several enemy forces simultaneously. In the Land of Grass, the number of Iwagakure ninja was not overwhelming, but their leader, Onoki, had personally entered the battlefield.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Hot Water, the forces of Kumogakure and the Hidden Mist Village had formed an alliance, pushing Danzo Shimura and Jiraiya into an extremely dangerous situation.
Fortunately, Hayashi and Sakumo had managed to block the Hidden Mist's sea route toward the Land of Hot Water. Because of this, the Cloud and Mist alliance could not maintain their offensive pressure for much longer.
While the news from the Land of Water contained some positive elements, Himeji's situation created a new and urgent crisis.
"You both know what happened to Himeji. What are your thoughts?" Hiruzen asked once the council discussion reached that point.
The first to respond was Homura Mitokado.
His body was wrapped in bandages, almost like a mummy. He had been wounded during the battles in the Land of Hot Water and had recently returned to the village along with other injured ninja after Jiraiya took over command there.
Pressing a hand against his injured cheek, Homura spoke slowly.
"There are too many suspicious points in this incident."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"According to the report sent by Hayashi, the Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage, clearly ambushed Himeji to steal her Byakugan. However, two problems remain unresolved."
"First, the Hidden Mist appeared unusually well informed about our frontline positions."
"Second, I still cannot understand how the two of them managed to escape."
Hiruzen nodded slightly.
"There is likely a spy involved, but we currently have no clues. As for the escape, the Fourth Mizukage fled after realizing he could not defeat Hayashi. Hayashi then rescued Himeji from the ravine."
Hiruzen deliberately withheld certain information.
He said nothing about Hayashi awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan.
That secret was too important to reveal even within this meeting.
Likewise, he kept silent about the fact that Yagura had been controlled by an outside force.
That revelation was far too shocking, and Hiruzen intended to question Hayashi personally once he returned.
Koharu spoke again.
"So what do we do now?"
At the center of the issue was the Byakugan itself.
The Hyuga clan would never accept the idea that their bloodline ability remained outside their control. The stolen eyes either had to be recovered or destroyed.
From the village's perspective, the Byakugan was also extremely valuable.
On a large battlefield, it functioned as an unparalleled reconnaissance tool.
With the Byakugan, a ninja could see through enemy formations and instantly observe every movement on the battlefield.
If such an ability fell into enemy hands, it would be like handing them a weapon to use against Konoha itself.
The problem was location.
The Byakugan had been taken within the Land of Water. If the Hidden Mist had any sense at all, the eyes were already inside the Hidden Mist Village.
During peacetime, launching a covert operation to retrieve them might have been possible.
But now Konoha was fighting four enemies simultaneously, and the war situation was already collapsing.
There were simply no available ninja to send on such a mission.
After a long silence, Homura finally spoke the conclusion that no one wanted to hear.
"Sakumo's attack on the Land of Water achieved little. However, the Fourth Mizukage has been seriously injured. This is the best opportunity to strike their supply depots."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"As for the Byakugan, we must temporarily abandon the attempt to recover it."
Hiruzen remained silent.
He understood exactly what Homura meant.
If Sakumo and Hayashi took advantage of the current opening and attacked the Hidden Mist's supply network, the overall war situation could improve dramatically.
Cutting that logistical support could relieve pressure across multiple battlefields.
For the sake of ultimate victory, even sacrificing a pair of Byakugan might be necessary.
Yet another question lingered in his mind.
What about the Hyuga clan?
They had contributed greatly to the war effort. They deserved an answer.
Homura continued.
"Hiruzen, once the war is won, we can demand the return of the Byakugan during peace negotiations."
Koharu sighed quietly.
His words sounded logical, but she knew it was nothing more than comforting self deception.
Even if Konoha won the war, it would likely be a pyrrhic victory.
The situation might resemble the aftermath of the First Great Ninja War, when Konoha emerged victorious but lacked the strength to enforce meaningful reparations.
If the Hidden Mist Village refused to return the Byakugan after the war ended, what could Konoha realistically do?
Koharu doubted there would be any effective response.
Still, from a purely strategic perspective, Homura's suggestion was the most rational option available.
It simply meant that the Hyuga clan would have to bear the cost.
After a long period of contemplation, Hiruzen finally made his decision.
"I have made up my mind."
His voice was calm but firm.
"Sakumo will send a team to attempt the retrieval of the Byakugan. If they succeed, the matter is resolved. If they fail, we abandon the mission."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"I will personally speak with the Hyuga clan. The greater good of the village must come first."
Koharu raised another concern.
"What about Hayashi? You understand the relationship between him and Himeji."
Hiruzen was silent for a moment before answering.
"Send him a letter. Hayashi will understand the village's difficulties and our intentions."
Koharu let out a short snort.
"Then you write it yourself. I have no intention of doing that."
She stood up immediately and walked out of the room.
The door closed behind her with a soft sound, leaving Hiruzen and Homura sitting in silence.
For a long time, neither of them spoke.