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Eientei
Two gaps—one large and one small—tore through space at the same time, returning Veyron and Inukimi from the distant Saigyouji estate, over a hundred kilometers away.
"Did anything happen on your end?" Veyron asked after Inukimi reverted from her twenty-meter-tall demon dog form back to her usual humanoid appearance.
"...Nothing special, really." Inukimi said.
"Ooh~ But there was one of the Saigyouji retainers who stayed behind when the family evacuated—probably to keep humans or other beings from wandering in and triggering the cherry blossom tree. He ended up seeing the tree's final bloom and got infected by death energy. Turned into something between a human and a spirit."
"Ha? You mean… Youki Konpaku?"
Inukimi's description instantly reminded Veyron of the original gardener of Hakugyokurou, the half-human half-phantom.
"And after that?" he asked.
"He found a cave somewhere, sealed himself inside, and just disappeared. Judging by the state he was in, I doubt he'll recover anytime in the next few decades—or even centuries. So I just left him be."
She flexed her claws slightly. "Think we should go back and deal with it?"
"No need," Veyron replied, shaking his head.
As the two walked into Eientei, a familiar face greeted them almost immediately.
"Father, looks like your little revenge trip went quite well?" Houraisan Kaguya greeted him with a sweet smile.
"Can't lie—it felt great," Veyron said with a nod. Then his eyes caught the multicolored aura surrounding her. "And what's that swirling around you?"
"Oh, just a little something I stumbled across while you were away," Kaguya replied casually.
With a graceful motion, she raised her hand, and the five-colored lights separated. In front of her appeared a bowl, a cloak, a jewel, a shell, and a short branch turned entirely to jade.
"It's from The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. I heard about it from little Chika. Turns out that story's not just famous in her world—it's known in multiple other worlds too."
She continued, "And these five treasures? I just happened to already own all of them."
"The branch of Horai came from the Lunar Capital as a keepsake."
"The Buddha's stone bowl, fire rat's robe, dragon's jewel, and swallow's shell were all gifts from Eirin over the years."
"If one world had that tale, I could chalk it up to coincidence. But three or more? That's a pattern I can't ignore…"
Veyron raised an eyebrow. "Judging by your face, I'd say it was a pretty big discovery?"
"Mmhm. Unexpected, but satisfying."
The five treasures dissolved back into shimmering colors, only this time they didn't circle around her. Instead, they gathered into her hand and formed into a single branch—glowing with five radiant fruits and enveloped in dazzling auras.
"The Jeweled Branch of Horai," she said.
She gave him a heads-up, then lightly waved the branch in his direction. A stream of five-colored light surged toward him.
Veyron caught it with one hand and stared thoughtfully at the glow lingering on his palm. "Did it have this kind of effect before you came down here?"
"If it did, don't you think I'd have noticed way sooner?" Kaguya chuckled, though there was a hint of self-mockery in her voice. "Maybe before I was exiled, I wasn't even really Kaguya-hime yet."
"What kind of nonsense is that? You are who you are. Doesn't matter how many worlds exist—there's only one Houraisan Kaguya!"
Veyron stepped up, ruffled her hair, and scooped her up into a hug.
...
Having been away for over a month, Veyron hadn't forgotten there was another person waiting for him at home.
"…What are you two doing this time?"
Inside the pocket realm of Eientei, along with Yagokoro Eirin, he found someone else—Fujiwara Chika.
Which wasn't surprising, really.
Ever since awakening her spiritual energy, Chika had been formally apprenticed to Eirin under Kaguya's recommendation. She was studying the ways of manipulating that energy.
What was surprising, though, was the scene in front of him.
Chika was lying on a surgical table. Eirin's hand hovered just above her eyes, glowing faintly with spiritual power. Nearby, there were several blood samples and a few bizarre biological specimens. The whole setup just screamed "suspicious AF."
"It was my idea," Chika said, sitting up once Eirin pulled her hand back. Her eyes opened—veins bulging faintly near the temples—and her usually bright blue irises had turned all white. "I asked Eirin-sensei to run a full check-up on my eyes."
"Ever since I awakened spiritual power, I've noticed it can boost my Byakugan's abilities."
"At first, I thought it was just like, you know, how channeling energy into your fists makes punches faster and stronger, or putting it into your legs helps you run faster or jump higher."
"But after you helped unlock my Gene Lock… I realized it was more than that."
"Especially after hitting the second stage—the feeling changed completely."
"So I figured I'd ask Eirin to do a full analysis, just in case."
"This isn't the first time, is it?" Veyron asked, glancing over at Eirin. "Did you find anything new?"
Eirin nodded thoughtfully. "The energy needed to activate and maintain those eyes… it's not just physical stamina like we originally thought. It's actually a mix of physical and mental energy—what you might call a hybrid force."
"That kind of power is probably at the core of its own energy system, much like how spiritual energy works. Chika hasn't learned that new power system yet."
"As for why spiritual energy enhances the Byakugan… well, that's likely due to its inherently 'mental' or intention-based nature."
"And I don't think the Byakugan's capabilities stop at just 'telescopic vision,' 'x-ray sight,' and 'insight.' Those are just the basics. We're currently studying what other hidden abilities might be unlocked beyond those."
Even though he'd said it before, Veyron couldn't help but think it again—Eirin really was something else.
The energy she'd identified, a blend of physical and mental energy extracted from the body's 130 trillion cells… that was exactly what the Naruto world called chakra.
Sure, people like Uchiha Madara, the Sage of Six Paths, and Ōtsutsuki Kaguya might define it on a higher level, but for a regular Byakugan user? That hybrid energy was chakra—just as Eirin described.
And beyond those three standard abilities, the Byakugan did have hidden advanced powers—like a form of spiritual pressure similar to Conqueror's Haki from One Piece. Under certain conditions, it could even evolve into the Tenseigan, an eye technique on par with the Rinnegan.
Veyron was amazed that Eirin had discovered what chakra was... Truly impressive.
---
"Hmm..."
"…Come to think of it," Veyron said casually, "have you considered bringing Hancock here for an eye check too?"
"Hancock? You mean—wait, are you suggesting…?" Chika's eyes widened in realization.
Setting aside the fact that both of them were pulled from group draws in the chat group—which didn't count for much anyway—there were just… too many similarities to ignore.
Chika's Byakugan could be deactivated and hidden unless needed.
Hancock's Sharingan? Same deal.
Chika thought her Byakugan drained stamina, but it actually consumed physical and mental energy. Hancock said her Sharingan only used stamina—but maybe that wasn't the whole truth.
Chika's Byakugan had potential for further evolution, as Eirin had noted. Hancock's Sharingan had already advanced—from a single tomoe to two.
Different names. Different outward appearances. Different effects.
But structurally… the more you looked at them, the more they seemed like the same thing.
.
.
.