Hiroki weighed the pale Byakugan in his palm again, then glanced down at the grotesque "divine artifact" hanging from his waist.
Kakuzu's hand.
The severed palm looked almost normal at a glance, but thin black seams ran along the skin like stitches. From those seams, the Earth Grudge Fear threads could extend—living cords that were half blood vessel, half chakra conduit.
If ordinary eyeballs needed blood vessels to stay alive…
Then these threads were probably perfect substitutes.
"Technically speaking," Hiroki muttered, "they're basically biological USB cables."
He set the Byakugan gently on the table.
Then he lifted Kakuzu's hand.
The stitched fingers twitched faintly, responding to his chakra.
Black threads slid out from the seams like thin snakes, writhing quietly in the air.
They looked less like tendrils and more like veins made of shadow, each one pulsing faintly with chakra flow.
Hiroki carefully inspected the Byakugan again.
Two pale eyes stared blankly upward.
No eyelids.No muscles.Just the spherical organs themselves, faint veins still clinging to their backs.
"Hardware ready," he murmured.
Then he glanced inward at the mental interface.
The trainer window still floated there.
----------------
Infinite Visual Range v(>^ω^<).01.03
Four-Function Trainer
F1 – X-ray Imaging
F2 – Meridian Scan
F3 – 360° Vision
F4 – Infinite Visual Range
Status: Driver loaded successfully
Hardware not connected
Please connect to blood vessels promptly
to maintain eyeball vitality.
----------------
"…Alright."
He exhaled slowly.
"Let's see if plug-and-play really works."
Hiroki guided the black threads forward.
The moment one touched the Byakugan—
Twitch.
The eyeball trembled slightly.
Inside his mind, a notification popped up.
[Peripheral detected][Biological interface connecting…]
The black thread pierced the remaining vein stub at the back of the eye.
Instead of resistance—
It slid in smoothly.
Like plugging a cable into a socket.
"…Oh."
Hiroki blinked.
"That was easier than expected."
More threads followed.
They wrapped around the eye, anchoring themselves to the remaining vessels.
The pale veins slowly darkened as chakra began to circulate.
The Byakugan twitched again.
Then—
In the trainer window:
Hardware status: CONNECTED
A new line appeared.
Peripheral device detected: External Vision Node
Hiroki's eyebrows rose.
"External… camera?"
Before he could think further—
A second viewpoint suddenly appeared in his mind.
Not from his own eyes.
But from the Byakugan itself.
The perspective was strange.
Low to the table.Staring outward.
Like a security camera placed on the desk.
"…It works."
Hiroki slowly grinned.
He moved Kakuzu's hand slightly.
The viewpoint shifted instantly.
The eyeball turned with it.
A portable surveillance camera.
"No surgery required," he said approvingly.
"And detachable."
Then a thought occurred to him.
"If one eye works…"
He looked at the second Byakugan.
"…two cameras should work too."
The remaining tendrils extended again.
Another connection.
Another twitch.
Inside the interface—
External Vision Node ×2
The trainer window flickered briefly.
Then a new option appeared.
F5 – Multi-Camera Link Mode
Hiroki froze.
"…Wait."
"That wasn't there before."
He stared at the new line.
Then slowly smiled.
"Hidden features?"
He couldn't resist.
F5. Activate.
Instantly—
His mind exploded with perspectives.
Front.
Back.
Left.
Right.
Above.
Below.
Three different viewpoints merged into a single spherical awareness.
His own eyes.
Plus the two floating Byakugan cameras.
The entire room appeared in perfect spatial clarity.
No blind spots.
Even the chakra pathways in the walls and floor shimmered faintly through the X-ray overlay.
Hiroki inhaled sharply.
"…This is ridiculous."
He hadn't even installed the eyes.
And yet—
The Byakugan was already functioning better than normal clan users.
He looked down at Kakuzu's hand.
The black threads gently cradled the two pale eyes like a grotesque bouquet.
A portable reconnaissance drone.
A chakra-powered surveillance system.
And possibly—
A weapon.
Hiroki's grin widened slowly.
"Hyuga Clan…"
"You really sent me a nice gift."
Then he leaned back in his chair.
Because suddenly—
An even more dangerous idea appeared in his mind.
If one pair of Byakugan could become external cameras…
Then what would happen if he connected—
Sharingan?