Notes: Yikes, this chapter was really hard, even when I had it all mapped out. I'm experimenting with the writing style and would love feedback. Thanks.
Name: Riko Hyuuga
Gender: Female
Ninja Academy Report Card
Math: 9.5/10
Reading: 9.3/10
Science: 10/10
Family and Consumer Science: 9.1/10
Flower arranging: 9.6/10
Fine Arts: 9.6/10
Taijutsu: 7.0/10
Genjutsu: 8.4/10
Ninjutsu: 7.5/10
Overall: 8.9/10 B+
The role of chakra pathways in a shinobi's vision inserted chapter: the Byakugan
Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electrochemical impulses in neurons. The normal human eye is a spherical organ. The spherical lens focuses incoming light and forms an inverted image of the surroundings onto the retina, which, in turn, translates the light into electrochemical signals for the brain to process. In this respect, the Byakugan is exactly like a normal human eye.
The normal human eye enjoys an immunologically privileged status, in contrast to most of the rest of the body. This means that it is inaccessible to the body's immune cells and lacks lymphatic vessels. Since the chakra system is an offshoot of the lymphatic system, the average shinobi eye that lacks kekkei genkai contains only trace levels of chakra compared with the rest of the body. [a]
The presence of the lymphatic system, and with it, chakra, is the key difference between the Byakugan and the normal human eye. The Byakugan trait is encoded by one gene, Chakra Channel 2, and that gene is expressed constitutively in the eye from the sixth month of gestation onwards. Each cell in the eye releases the product of the gene, the protein chakra channel growth factor 2[b]. This factor directs the development and maintenance special chakra channels between and inside every cell of the eye. Unlike normal chakra channels, which are found in the rest of the body, chakra channels in and around a Byakugan eye are very wide and do not contain chakra points within a four centimeter radius of the pupil. [c] A high basal level of chakra is present in the eye at all times. This chakra reacts with the proteins found in the humor of the eye to produce the white substance that gives the Byakugan the telltale white, pupilless appearance.
The excess of chakra in the Byakugan greatly enhances the natural abilities of the individual neurons of the retina to the point where we can noticeably detect every photon, including those few that traveled between every atom in the backs of our heads. A special film of chakra forms in the part of the eye that the retina does not cover, such as around the pupil, and reflects almost all light entering from the back of the head towards the retina, where it could be detected. All light coming from around the third thoracic vertebra is unfortunately reflected onto the center of the optic nerve, the common blind spot of all human eyes. It is through these enhancements that we literally see through the backs of our heads. When a Byakugan is activated, all chakra points around the eyes and in the skull open fully and project a nearly undetectable chakra field. The Byakugan is able to see everything that the chakra field touches.
**I believe that the remaining chakra points in the body, in theory, can be opened using a technique similar to activating the Byakugan, but this has yet to be confirmed. I need to be able to see these smaller chakra points first.
There are several subtypes of Byakugan and two ways of categorizing these subtypes.
The first is due to the variations in the anatomy of the eye that are encoded by other genes for eye development. The two largest factors are eye dimensions and lens flexibility.
The longer eyeballs are linked to a farther range of sight that is valuable for scouting while shorter eyeballs are linked with a better ability to zero in on details, such as chakra points at a close distance, such as during hand to hand combat or text when a book is closed.
More flexible lenses are linked to the ability to shift focus from short range to much longer ranges.
The second way to categorize different types of Byakugan is by the user's chakra type and flow direction. This is because all of the Byakugan's special abilities rely on a large pool of chakra.
Every Hyuuga who is known to be able to see chakra points has a strong type of chakra that is somewhat difficult to shape finely. These chakra types are generally associated with shinobi who are talented with taijutsu. There are several types of such chakra.
The finer types of chakra, which are most easily molded, are associated with talented medical ninja and somewhat correlated with a weaker ability to see chakra but stronger ability to see through or past solid objects.
There is still much to be discovered in the realm of the relationship between different chakra types.
[a] The chakra system is an offshoot of the lymphatic system. In a normal human who does not have the potential to become shinobi, lymphatic system serves to transport immune cells and nutrients, amongst other things. In a shinobi, the lymphatic system retains its biological function, but has many more small branches in its vessels. There is much overlap between lymphatic, the vessels that carry much of our body's fats, and chakra vessels and that is the basis of the "calories to chakra" ability of the Akimichi clan. Since most shinobi also carry this ability, but at a much smaller level, they do not often fall ill.
[b] Chakra channel growth factor 1 is the protein that is responsible for the development and maintenance of the chakra network
[c] Contrary to popular belief, we Hyuugas have pupils. In fact, the actual anatomy of our eyes is no different from the anatomy of any other eye.
Added by Riko Hyuuga
The Healer's Shinobi Anatomy Manual: Kekkei Genkai.
Insert before the Sharingan.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Riko cringed as she heard the leader of her clan roar from within her office, which she was temporarily locked out of. Her own office, hidden in a corner on the third floor of Konoha's hospital.
"How dare she write this... this CRAP on paper? Clan secrets! What if someone finds this?"
"Sir, she's a good fighter. I'm sure she'll beat up anyone who tries to steal her work."
"That runt can't jyuken a fly if she tried." A few moments later, the head of her clan stormed out of the door with an arm full of notes and 3D eye models that she worked forever for. She was later told to consider herself lucky in that the Main House saw no need to activate her seal.
Mission rank: C
Duration: Indefinite
Assigned ninja: Medical-nin Riko Hyuuga.
Provide medical relief to citizens on the border to Wind Country.
Year: First year of reign of Hiashi Hyuuga
Requester name: Riko Hyuuga
Classification: Bunke
Requests: Resign from post as shinobi
Relocate permanently to border cities
Marry civilian Noburu Inoue
Status: Granted
Hiashi-sama,
While living in Maple City, I have given birth to a son. Here is a photo.
Sincerely,
Riko Hyuuga
Behind the paper of the letter, there was a picture of a baby boy with brilliant, brown eyes. What the Hyuuga Main House never knew was that the picture was taken after the mother applied a genjutsu on her child.
Riko,
Congratulations. Your husband and son will always be a welcome guest in our house.
The Hyuuga Main House
Hyuuga family roster
First year after ascension of Hinata Hyuuga
Riko found the beautifully decorated document in her mail and unfolded it. It was an important piece that was mailed out to her only once before.
Decades. It's been decades since Riko left on a "mission" to a civilian city, if the granddaughter of the head that she served under was taking over. Oh yes, she remembered now. Hiashi took over around a year after she moved out of Konoha and managed to get through a few minor modifications to the laws that regulated the Branch House, allowing her to remain at her new location for as long as she could support herself. Reluctantly, she searched the records for her own name. It was the twenty-third generation from the fourth branch, or the fourth Byakugan bearing child of the Hyuuga clan's founder. She smiled. As much as she hated the clan and hated the man for selling all of his descendants into the servitude of the seal, she could not blame him, not when he lived in a period when most of their clan did not reach adulthood due to Byakugan collectors. She was rather proud to be a member of one of the most ancient branches. A silver thread led from her name to the one above it. Miyako Hyuuga. Like hers, the name was sewn on with a silver thread and had a pearl next to it to indicate that it belonged to a woman. But unlike hers, it had another red piece sewn next to it as well, just like one of the two other names that came down from Miyako on silver threads. Katsu Hyuuga. What an ironic name for her poor brother, who died on his first B-ranked mission. But at least the red meant that the Hyuuga family acknowledged her mother and oldest brother as fully fledged members. On her other side was the third line from Miyako Hyuuga. The name Kin was sewn onto that spot with a black thread. Just Kin, no Hyuuga family name.
Lucky little baby. She smiled at the memories. To think that she was so upset on the day he was declared old enough to survive without their mother, the day that he was sent to their father's ancestral home.
Flashback
"No fair, you can see everything with your Byakugan!" he whined as she pulled back some branches of the bush that he was hiding in.
"Yup. I got the Byakugan and you... don't."
"I'll get your eyes, just you wait!"
End of Flashback
No Byakugan. No place to call home in the Hyuuga compound, where, she later learned, she, her mother, and her other brother were forced to stay at most of the time. That also meant no grueling and mandatory Gentle Fist training from that cold taskmaster of clan leader or his twin sons, who were like clones of that guy, with the younger one slightly better than the older brother. It was a good thing the two boys preferred to practice with each other rather than the other Hyuuga children, such as her. Most of all, no Byakugan meant no Cursed Seal or servitude to the Main House.
She gently traced her finger back to her own name on the family tree again. Three lines came down from that one, too. There was just one name sewn in black, that was all. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips when she thought of how free her sweet little darling was.