Neji reached for his kunai knife. He strained his Byakugan to search for nearby threats, for hiding shinobi or traps among the rocks, but he spotted nothing. The mountains were quiet, aside from the dusty wind. Neji calmed his nerves, releasing the tension on his kunai—this was what he had trained for. A shinobi must never show emotion.
"His name was Torono Meiyo," said Kyoju. "We met eight years ago when he visited Konoha. It appears he died fighting. Neji, what do you see? Tell me your opening analysis."
"Judging by the condition of the body, he was killed no more than two hours ago," said Neji. Torono had suffered a deep, fatal slash to his side. "There were ten assailants, and they ambushed the Meiyo Clan members from over there." Neji gestured to the cliffs near the road. "At least one of them is proficient in fire style techniques—there are fresh scorch marks near Torono's body. It looks like they took the remaining Meiyo Clan members hostage, and went off toward the east."
"Agreed," said Kyoju. "And do you know who the attackers are?"
"Not all of the ninja tools that were left behind belonged to the Meiyo Clan," said Neji as he knelt over a shuriken in the dirt. "The assailants' tools are simple, crudely designed, and somewhat antiquated, so it's unlikely that they originated from a large, established village like Iwagakure. More likely a small village or clan, with an aptitude for fire style."
"Almost certainly the Buzoku Clan," said Kyoju. "I recognize the weapon design, and they're known to specialize in fire style. Not to mention, the Buzoku and Meiyo Clans have been hostile toward each other since the Second Shinobi World War. There have been instances of both clans taking hostages and ransoming them back to each other, which I believe we are currently witnessing."
"Should we pursue?" said Neji. The trail was relatively fresh, and with the advantage of the Byakugan they would be able to track the smallest traces of footprints and blood droplets left by their quarry.
"We'll wait for Atama, and then follow his lead," said Kyoju. "But yes, I'm confident that he will want to hunt them down. We'll be outnumbered, but the Buzoku Clan isn't known for their strength. At the very least, we can locate their hideout and gather more information on the situation."
Kyoju's intuition was correct. Atama arrived on the scene, and opted to pursue the enemy shinobi at once. The three Hyuga ninja darted through the rocky landscape, following the trail while simultaneously looking ahead for potential traps.
"Finally, a little fun," said Atama. "I was afraid this mission would be totally boring."
Neji could see the chakra flow of Atama and Kyoju with his Byakugan, and he could see that it was significantly more focused and powerful than usual. They were both ready for combat. It was late afternoon when Atama signaled for the troupe to stop.
"Their hideout is in a cave up ahead, four hundred meters away," said Atama. "Do you see it, Kyoju?"
Kyoju focused his eyes before nodding. This target was beyond Neji's range, so he had to trust in his superiors—his Byakugan was still developing.
"There are two lookouts near the entrance," said Kyoju. "And sixteen more people inside."
"Six of them are having their chakra manipulated, appears to be genjutsu, so there's the Meiyo Clan," said Atama. "One of the others is injured, and one of his teammates is attempting medical ninjutsu." He grinned. "You two stay here."
Atama weaved a sequence of hand seals, and he began to fade: physical form, sound and scent. He vanished into the landscape and stealthily made his way toward the first lookout, a young man in dark garbs. The shinobi crouched near the peak of a tall rock formation, studying the surrounding area from above, longbow at his side and katana on his back. Atama recognized the insignia on the shinobi's clothing. Buzoku Clan, as we thought. Atama sliced the shinobi's trachea with one Gentle Fist strike. He slumped over silently, lifeless—an assassination of this level was hardly a challenge for one of Konoha's jonin elite. Atama felt a strange enjoyment when watching the life leave his victims. He watched each excruciating detail with his Byakugan as internal organs failed and chakra diminished. I see everything, and you see nothing.
Atama darted to the second lookout, dealing swift death again in a similar fashion. He resisted the urge to infiltrate the hideout on his own and massacre the lot of them. Atama returned to Neji and Kyoju, releasing his camouflage ninjutsu.
"The sentries are dealt with," said Atama. "We'll strike now, while they're tired and unsuspecting. I'll go in first and immobilize the genjutsu user, at which point the two of you will enter and act with these objectives: Protect the genjutsu user and the Meiyo Clan members, and eliminate the enemy."
"Atama, are you sure?" said Kyoju as he gestured to Neji. "I don't know if Hiashi would want Neji put in needless danger."
"Do not presume to know Hiashi's wishes," said Atama. "They're low level shinobi, just look at their chakra networks. I thought Neji was supposed to be some prodigy of the Branch House, are you ready to do this, or not?"
Neji nodded. "Yes, I'm ready."
"Don't let your guard down," said Kyoju.
Atama snuck into the hideout through the cave mouth, descending to the main room. Neji and Kyoju waited just outside, ready for Atama's signal. It was a large chamber, lit by lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The ten hostiles were resting and treating injuries, or watching the hypnotized Meiyo Clan. As Atama clung to the walls, nigh invisible, he crept across the room to the genjutsu user, a woman donned in a painted kabuki mask with horns. There's chakra flowing from the mask. That must be part of her genjutsu.
One of the Buzoku shinobi sat up. "It feels like an intruder is in here with us."
The rest of the room shifted to high alert. Atama smiled. So, they have a sensory type. Not a very strong one. No point in letting them find me on their own. He leapt down from the wall and landed beside the genjutsu user, knocking her unconscious with a precise jab to the upper back, and pulling off her kabuki mask. The Meiyo Clan members began to wake from the spell, sluggish and bewildered.
Atama revealed himself. "Don't move," he said to the Meiyo Clan. "This will all be over soon."
"There! He's there!" cried one of the Buzoku shinobi.
Two nearby Buzoku shinobi rushed toward Atama. One was armed with twin kunai, while the other pressed his palms together and produced flames from his fingers, like gloves of woven fire. "Katon: Burning Palms!"
Atama struck fast. He delivered two chakra-enhanced strikes to the fire style shinobi, one to his throat and the other to his heart, dropping him to the floor in an instant. Atama ducked under the blade of the other shinobi before targeting his vitals, dealing fatal, internal damage with a series of subtle blows.
Kyoju and Neji burst into the hideout on cue. Seven confused Buzoku shinobi attempted to defend themselves, but it was little use against the Hyuga. Kyoju thrust his palm and blasted a charging shinobi away with a wave of compressed chakra. Neji dodged a volley of incoming shuriken, and then exchanged blows with his attacker. Neji perceived a growing surge of chakra within his opponent, and a hot glow to his skin.
"Katon: Burning Body!" said the shinobi. Heat and light pulsed forth from the shinobi, forcing Neji to step back from the expanding blaze. The burning shinobi leapt toward Neji, attempting to grapple him into scorching submission.
"Hakkesho Kaiten: Palm Rotation!" said Neji. He emitted chakra from all of his body's tenketsu at once, combined with a rapid rotation, producing a spherical shield of spinning chakra. Neji's rotating defense repelled the oncoming shinobi, sending him flying against the wall of the hideout.
The Buzoku Clan was rapidly dwindling. Neji ceased his rotation technique, and saw a young shinobi rushing forward, kunai in hand. The boy was younger than Neji, no older than ten, and yet Neji could see that his body was worn and scarred from the lashes of strict discipline. There were tears in his eyes. Neji kicked the kunai out of the young boy's hand, and the boy froze in fear. Atama landed another killing blow on the other side of the hideout, punching through a second genjutsu kabuki mask as a Buzoku shinobi desperately attempted to don it and cast a hypnotic spell. Of the Buzoku Clan, this left only the young boy. He put his hands up in defeat.
"Do it, Neji," said Atama. "Don't hesitate."
Neji paused. "He's defenseless." Neji could read the boy's history through his scars. He was trained from a young age, and punished brutally. This was not the boy's fight—it was not his choice to be here taking hostages for the sake of a feud between clans that began before his birth. Does the Buzoku Clan have a Branch House? Is this boy's destiny to die here and now, and mine to ensure it? And for what? We're fighting the battles of our masters—are we both so disposable?
"Kill him!" said Atama.
"No," said Neji.
Kyoju flickered beside him and struck down the boy with a clean attack to the head. Painless and instantaneous. The members of the Meiyo Clan were still coming to their senses, bodies of the Buzoku Clan were sprawled across the hideout, and the Hyuga Clan stood above them all.
"You managed to learn Hakkesho Kaiten, so you know some secrets of the Main House," said Atama. "But do not forget your place—you are a prodigy among branches, and your defiance is unacceptable."
"Atama, let's not—" began Kyoju.
"Don't you dare defend him," said Atama. "He's a weakling or a traitor, and I refuse to have either breed on my team."
Neji did not speak. He was staring down at the still body of the Buzoku boy. Neji had faltered, and he would be punished.
With this unexpected twist in the mission, Atama, Kyoju and Neji helped escort the surviving members of the Meiyo Clan back to their village. They kept the genjutsu user alive, and handed her over to the Meiyo Clan for information extraction and ransom leverage.
Upon returning to Konoha, Neji was brutally reprimanded with the cursed seal juinjutsu for disobeying Atama's orders. Kyoju was punished as well for his perceived slight on Atama's authority. Neji fought the pain and humiliation inflicted by those that claimed to be his allies, questioning his endless pursuit of strength that he could never truly wield as his own.