After Hizashi Hyuga’s story came to an end, the people of both the living world and Jōdo had little choice but to admit that he deserved his place on the ranking.
He had been born into one of Konoha’s most prestigious clans.
Yet the life awaiting him had been anything but fortunate.
Now came the part everyone had been waiting for—
the next quiz.
[QUESTION]
[Which dōjutsu is a natural counter to the Hyuga Clan’s Byakugan?]
[A: Sharingan]
[Includes Mangekyō Sharingan and Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan]
[B: Rinnegan]
[C: Tenseigan]
[D: Ranmaru’s Dōjutsu]
[E: Ketsuryūgan]
[F: Jōgan]
[G: Nearsighted Eyes]
[Rules: Members of Live Chat Groups One and Two may race to answer.
Only five answers will be accepted.]
[Reward: A correct respondent may ask the screen one question.]
[Preparation Time: Three Minutes]
The instant everyone saw the question, both chat groups erupted into discussion.
[Live Chat Group One]
[Kurotsuchi: Isn’t this unfair?
Surely the Hyuga themselves know which dōjutsu counters the Byakugan!]
A Hyuga shinobi immediately responded.
[Tokuma Hyuga: That’s where you’re wrong.
The Byakugan has no natural weakness!
The only real limitation is that the Byakugan of branch-family members is partially restricted by the Caged Bird Curse Seal.]
[Hiashi Hyuga: Tokuma.
That’s enough.]
Kakashi considered the options carefully.
[Kakashi Hatake: From my experience using the Sharingan, I’ve never noticed any inherent advantage it has over the Byakugan.]
Jiraiya’s expression changed when he saw one particular option.
[Jiraiya: The Rinnegan…?
Don’t tell me…]
[Orochimaru: Hehehe…
As far as the Rinnegan is concerned, I’ve personally witnessed just how terrifying that power can be.]
Tsunade immediately caught the implication.
[Tsunade: What are you two talking about?
The Rinnegan is supposed to be a legendary dōjutsu.
Are you saying you’ve actually seen one?]
[Ōnoki: I’ve heard of the Rinnegan.
It was said to be the eye possessed by the Sage of Six Paths, with power beyond anything ordinary shinobi could imagine.]
Ōnoki frowned at another option.
[Ōnoki: But what exactly is this Tenseigan?
I’ll admit I’ve never heard of it.]
[Mei Terumi: If I remember correctly, that child who traveled with the missing-nin Kurosuki Raiga had unusual red eyes.
I never learned exactly what they could do, though.]
[Rasa: I’ve heard a little about the Ketsuryūgan.
But as far as I know, the clan associated with it has all but disappeared, and very little information about the dōjutsu survives.]
Hiruzen sighed.
[Hiruzen Sarutobi: It seems even the so-called Professor still has plenty left to learn.
I’ve never encountered either the Jōgan or the Tenseigan.]
The Fourth Raikage quickly brought everyone’s attention back to the real problem.
[Fourth Raikage: Forget that for a moment.
We’ve got seven choices and only five answer slots!]
[Fourth Raikage: And we’re competing with the dead as well.
If anyone actually knows the answer, say it now so we don’t waste our chances!]
For a moment, the discussion became even more intense.
Then Jiraiya spoke again.
[Jiraiya: I have seen the Rinnegan before.
Someone who possesses it can master all five basic chakra natures and use all five forms of elemental ninjutsu.]
Orochimaru gave another unsettling laugh.
[Orochimaru: I’ll give you one name.]
[Orochimaru: Shinra Tensei.]
That was enough to make several experienced shinobi fall silent.
Hiashi finally contributed what the Hyuga Clan knew.
[Hiashi Hyuga: Our clan does have records concerning the Tenseigan.]
[Hiashi Hyuga: According to those records, it is an ocular power that stands beyond the ordinary Byakugan.
But that is all we know.
No one in the Hyuga Clan has ever awakened it, and we don’t know the conditions required to obtain it.]
His next message carried a clear warning.
[Hiashi Hyuga: So anyone getting ideas about stealing Byakugan would be wise to forget them.]
[Ōnoki: Then we’ve narrowed it down somewhat.
The most likely answers should be the Jōgan, Red Eyes, Ketsuryūgan, Rinnegan, or Tenseigan.]
Naruto immediately interrupted.
[Naruto Uzumaki: You forgot one!
What about nearsighted eyes?]
Sasuke stared at him as though he’d just said something profoundly stupid.
[Sasuke Uchiha: Idiot.
That’s obviously there to fool people.]
Then Sasuke’s expression sharpened.
[Sasuke Uchiha: I’m answering this time.
I’m getting that reward.]
[Sakura Haruno: Sasuke-kun, I’ll help you!]
[Ino Yamanaka: Me too!]
Hiruzen attempted to organize the villages.
[Hiruzen Sarutobi: To minimize wasted answers, perhaps each of the Five Great Shinobi Villages could select one person with exceptional reaction speed and coordinate our choices.]
The smaller villages immediately objected.
[Takigakure Shinobi: So the smaller villages don’t count?]
[Yugakure Shinobi: Exactly!
Why should the Five Great Villages take every reward for themselves?]
[Amegakure Shinobi: We don’t agree!]
[Kusagakure Shinobi: If the answer is somewhere among those choices, then everyone should compete fairly.]
[Kusagakure Shinobi: You aren’t the only villages with shinobi skilled in Lightning Release, you know!]
The Fourth Raikage’s temper immediately flared.
[Fourth Raikage: Damn brats…]
Rasa remained much calmer.
[Rasa: This was designed as an open competition from the beginning.
Cooperation between every village was never realistic.]
[Rasa: Everyone should rely on their own judgment and luck.]
[Mei Terumi: Agreed.
A chance to ask this screen anything is far too valuable.
No village is going to willingly surrender that opportunity.]
…
[Live Chat Group Two]
Madara was already eliminating possibilities.
[Madara Uchiha: Izuna, when the answering starts, rule out the Sharingan and the Rinnegan.
Neither has any natural advantage over the Byakugan.]
Hashirama immediately became suspicious.
[Hashirama Senju: Madara, how can you be so certain about the Rinnegan?]
Madara scoffed.
[Madara Uchiha: Because I awakened the Rinnegan myself.
Why wouldn’t I know what it can do?]
A new message appeared almost immediately.
[Yahiko: That’s impossible!
The Rinnegan belongs to Nagato!]
Madara laughed.
[Madara Uchiha: Nagato?]
[Madara Uchiha: You think that brat awakened those eyes himself?]
His next words stunned everyone watching Group Two.
[Madara Uchiha: Those eyes were mine.
I transplanted them into him.]
[Madara Uchiha: Nagato is simply an important piece in my plans.]
Yahiko erupted.
[Yahiko: You bastard!
I have to find some way to warn Nagato!]
Hashirama’s expression darkened.
[Hashirama Senju: Madara…
I knew you were planning something.]
Tobirama ignored their argument and continued analyzing the choices.
[Tobirama Senju: I’ve studied quite a few ocular kekkei genkai myself.
The Ketsuryūgan shouldn’t be the answer either.
It has powerful genjutsu-related abilities, but nothing about it makes it an inherent counter to the Byakugan.]
[Tobirama Senju: That leaves three possibilities worth considering—Jōgan, the Red Eyes, and Tenseigan.]
[Tobirama Senju: We can divide those three among ourselves.]
[Minato Namikaze: I’ll take one as well.]
[Tobirama Senju: Good.
Then the three of us can each choose a different answer.]
Before long—
the three-minute preparation period ended.
The screen changed.
[3…]
[2…]
[1…]
[BEGIN!]