---Third POV---
Shiori didn't mind either way, she was only interested in honing her own strength. S-rank, A-rank... such trivial distinctions. True strength wasn't measured by mission classifications, but by how far one pushed their limits.
However, for the Uchiha clan, even great efforts like this wouldn't go unrewarded; they would likely be granted access to advanced ninjutsu from the "Scroll of Seals."
But Shisui was different from her. She observed as his shoulders relaxed slightly. Unlike her indifference to political gain, his eyes held something more, hope, perhaps.
In his view, if the Uchiha clan could earn enough merit on the Kiri battlefield, then the villagers might start to see them in a new light, perhaps even begin to trust them.
Seeing that everyone had accepted the outcome, Ryouma raised his hand.
"The S-rank mission 'Reclaim the Byakugan' is completed. Let's begin the return journey."
---
The news spread like wildfire through the camp, jumping from tent to tent as ninjas gathered in small groups, voices rising with excitement.
"Did you hear?" A chunin leaned toward his comrade, eyes bright.
"Hear what?" His companion looked up from sharpening his kunai.
"The Byakugan Killer was captured alive!"
"For real? Not just another frontline rumor?" The second ninja's eyebrows shot up in disbelief.
"Absolutely. The news has already spread throughout the entire village. I heard it directly from a messenger who saw them bringing him in."
A third ninja joined them, dropping his voice conspiratorially. "Oh, I've heard some inside info, apparently both Shisui and Shiori were involved."
"The Uchiha clan? Well, that explains it," the kunai-sharpener nodded.
"Yeah, with those two in action, no wonder they managed to bring back the 'Byakugan Killer' alive."
"Especially Shiori," added another voice as a fourth ninja approached. "I heard she doesn't even blink when facing down enemy jonin."
"Isn't she the one who took down three Kiri ninjas single-handedly at the eastern border?"
"Yeah, and walked away without a scratch. Ice cold, that one."
A senior chunin with a weathered face joined their circle. "Still, I think the most impressive one was the Leaf's Gale. After all, he was the team leader."
"Exactly. Without proper command, it probably wouldn't have succeeded."
"Right? With just these three on a mission, it feels like there isn't a single ninja in Kiri who can stand against them."
"Of course, they're Konoha's elite among elites."
"Haha, this time, Kiri is going to suffer."
Not long after Ryouma and Shisui's team captured Ao alive, conversations like this became common on the Kiri frontlines.
For Konoha, the news of Ao's capture was no longer a secret. In fact, intel like the capture of key enemy village personnel was usually publicized to boost morale.
Just like when Kiri stole the Byakugan, they immediately started hyping up Ao, even giving him the title "Byakugan Killer."
A messenger hawk from the Uchiha compound arrived, bearing the clan's formal recognition of her role in the mission. The scroll spoke of honor and pride, yet she set it aside without a second glance.
While others celebrated, she stood alone in the training field. Each shuriken she threw split the previous one embedded in the target. Pain was irrelevant. Fatigue was merely a barrier to overcome. Only power mattered, power to protect what little she allowed herself to care about.
---
When the intel about the lost Byakugan first made it back to the village, the Hyūga clan elders of the main house immediately convened an emergency meeting that lasted all night, they were so heated it felt like the roof would get blown off.
The Hyūga compound's central hall had never felt so suffocating. Elders from both houses sat in rigid formation.
"This is the greatest shame the Hyūga clan has ever suffered!" An elder slammed his palm against the table. "We must demand immediate intervention from the Hokage!"
Another elder shook his head cautiously. "And risk appearing weak? We should negotiate after the war ends."
"None of this would have happened if we hadn't sent a main house member on that mission!" a third accused, his veins bulging slightly around his eyes.
"Are you suggesting the main house should hide behind house members in every dangerous situation?" came the swift defense from across the table.
"I'm suggesting we exercise proper judgment about when to risk the Byakugan!"
Interestingly, not a single elder suggested taking it back by force, understandably so. Everyone in the shinobi world knew how rarely the Hyūga clan produced top-tier ninja. The idea of retrieving the Byakugan on their own was nothing more than a dream.
As the meeting dragged on, emotions flared. One elder violently shoved ancient scrolls across the table, fingers trembling as he pointed to mission records from decades past.
"This precedent was set twenty years ago when YOU approved a similar mission structure!" he shouted, face reddening.
"How dare you!" Another elder stood abruptly. "That mission was entirely different in scope and—"
The argument was cut short as the standing elder clutched his chest, his face paling even further than its natural tone. A branch member rushed forward, catching him before he collapsed completely.
"His heart! Someone get a medic!"
"This meeting is suspended," Hiashi announced gravely. "Get him to Konoha Hospital immediately."
In the end, the consensus was: the clan leader had to find a way to get the Byakugan back. If he didn't, this incident would go down in clan history, and he'd be cursed by future generations.
Whether he'd actually be cursed, Hiashi didn't know, he just knew he was stressed to death.
He sat alone in his chamber afterward, the weight of generations of Hyūga pride bearing down on his shoulders. If he failed to retrieve the Byakugan, his name would be forever stained in clan history.
During the last jonin meeting, he tried dropping several hints to the Third Hokage. But it was like winking at a blind man, completely ignored.
Then, unexpectedly, the tides turned. A squad managed to retrieve the Byakugan, and the entire Hyūga clan was overjoyed.
A messenger burst into Hiashi's chambers, face flushed with excitement. "Hiashi-sama! Incredible news! The Byakugan has been reclaimed!"
For the first time in weeks, Hiashi's face showed something other than strain, pure, unbridled relief.
---
Shisui found Shiori at their usual training ground.
"This mission could change things for the clan," he said, voice hopeful as he approached.
Shiori continued her training sequence without breaking rhythm. "One mission changes nothing."
"It's a start. The village seeing Uchiha as protectors rather than threats."
"Naive. They'll forget our contribution as soon as convenient." Her kunai hit the target dead center.
Shisui stepped closer. "That's exactly the kind of thinking that widens the gap! We need to build bridges, not expect them to collapse."
"I focus on what I can control, my own strength. Anything else is a distraction." Shiori's tone remained cool.
"And what good is strength if you're alone? If our clan stands isolated?"
Shiori's movements sharpened. "Better isolated than exploited. The village uses our eyes, our blood, then fears us for the very power they rely on."
After a moment, Shisui changed tactics. "You performed exceptionally well during the capture. Even Ryouma commented on your precision."
Shiori paused briefly. "He understands combat efficiency. Unlike most."
"You respect him," Shisui observed.
"He sees people as they are, not as their clans. That's... uncommon." A rare admission from her.
Shisui smiled slightly. "See? Not everyone in the village thinks in terms of Uchiha and non-Uchiha."
Shiori's expression closed again. "One exception doesn't change the rule."
---
In the command office of the Kiri battlefield, Fugaku, Hizashi, and Ryouma were discussing how to handle the captured Kiri ninja.
"After we extract all possible intelligence from Ao, we should execute him immediately," Hizashi stated firmly. "His death will send a clear message to Kiri and other villages about the consequences of targeting Konoha's bloodlines."
"That seems wasteful," Fugaku countered. "A living prisoner offers continued leverage. We could negotiate prisoner exchanges, information, even territorial concessions."
"And while we negotiate, we give Kiri time to plan a rescue," Hizashi replied. "The risk outweighs potential benefits."
Ryouma observed the subtle indicators of clan politics at play. Hizashi's insistence on execution stemmed from the Hyūga's need for closure and retribution. Fugaku's position reflected the Uchiha's practical approach to power and influence.
"The Byakugan has been recovered. Justice has been served," Fugaku pressed. "Now is the time for strategic thinking, not emotional reactions."
"This isn't about emotion. It's about deterrence. If enemies believe they can target our bloodlines without severe consequences, what's to stop them from trying again? Perhaps targeting the Sharingan next time?"
At the mention of the Sharingan, Fugaku's expression hardened almost imperceptibly.
"My clan is quite capable of protecting its own," he stated.
"As was mine. Yet here we are," Hizashi responded pointedly.
To be fair, Fugaku's plan aligned better with Konoha's current situation. Hizashi's idea of killing Ao to send a warning to Kiri might have had deeper motives tied to the Hyūga main house's own interests. But he had his reasons too. After Ryouma's squad successfully captured Ao, it was immediately decided that the reclaimed Byakugan would be entrusted to Heiji for safekeeping as a war trophy.
While Hizashi himself didn't particularly care about who kept the eye, others in the clan did. The main house elders naturally couldn't tolerate a branch member possessing a Byakugan that originated from the main house.
After all, the whole reason branch members were branded with the Caged Bird Seal was to prevent the Byakugan from "leaking" if they died on missions. Now with Heiji casually carrying a main house Byakugan around outside, what would that look like?
However, when Hizashi clearly conveyed that this arrangement came at the request of Ryouma, the elders could only give up on the idea of taking the eye back from Heiji.
They had no choice, he was the benefactor who helped cleanse the clan's disgrace. If he wanted to treat Heiji like a main house member from now on, then so be it. As long as they didn't let him go out on missions and risk losing the eye again, it was acceptable.
But one thing remained non-negotiable: killing Ao was a clan-wide demand that had to be fulfilled no matter what.
With both sides holding firm, they couldn't reach a consensus. In the end, both turned to look at Ryouma.
"What do you think is the best course of action?" Fugaku asked.
"Well, I…" Truthfully, Ryouma was leaning toward killing Ao. He had no desire to release a threat only to face it again later. And it definitely wasn't because the Hyūga clan had just gifted him a house right in the center of Konoha… He was just a human, and besides, it was a win-win situation.
"I believe it's better if we deal with Ao ourselves. Rather than chasing after benefits, we should prioritize the feelings of our fellow comrades in the Hyūga clan."
He spoke with clarity and reason, and Hizashi immediately gave him a grateful look.
Good people still existed in this world.
Fugaku was about to continue arguing, but Ryouma quickly added, "Kiri has always been known for being cold and ruthless. They probably won't offer anything worthwhile in exchange for Ao, especially now that he no longer has the Byakugan. And even if we did want to negotiate, we could still use his corpse."
Hearing this, Fugaku stopped insisting. It wasn't really a major issue anyway. But as the head of the Uchiha clan, he couldn't just go along with everything Hizashi wanted.
At this moment, Ryouma's intervention served as a timely middle ground, and Fugaku decided to go with the flow and accept the proposal. After all, the relationship between the Uchiha and Hyūga clans had become both delicate and complex due to the participants involved in the Byakugan reclamation mission. Every decision now had to be made with care.
Ryouma's input gave both sides a new path forward, one that allowed the matter to be resolved in a relatively balanced and agreeable way.