Byakuya Gang

Founded by Gekkō, this crew of thieves hid their faces behind owl masks and built a reputation as generous criminals. They lifted valuables from the rich, converted the haul into cash, and steered the money toward poor communities in far-flung regions. That generosity earned them wide affection, yet the goodwill rested on a lie. The whole enterprise was a performance staged by Gekkō, who was quietly gathering loyal followers so he could one day cash in for himself.

Their support spread widely through the Land of Fire as the gang pulled off increasingly bold jobs. In one scheme they manipulated Haguruma into unwittingly causing a distraction at the Konoha Bank, giving them the opening to crack the vault with Ryōgi's Ice Release and empty it of jewels. Further raids followed at the Nakrin Building and the Fukutoku Store. Leaning into their popularity, the group nudged the public toward believing that rich institutions preyed on the weak, then stirred Konoha's citizens into demonstrating against the Kaminarimon Company, even planting Genjutsu Cursed Seals on rioters to deepen the unrest.

All of it fed Gekkō's larger plan, the so-called Crest of Night Strategy. By tying up the village's ninja with a manufactured crisis around the Kaminarimon Company, the gang left the Ninjutsu Research Centre lightly defended, their true prize being Katasuke Tōno's vault holding records of every technique in existence. The scheme unraveled once the cursed seals were exposed and the protesters settled down, and a squad of Konoha genin rounded up and defeated the members. Gekkō, who had ditched his own people to keep the spoils, was brought down by the Seventh Hokage and locked away.

Gekkō sat at the center as both founder and mastermind, steering the gang toward his private ambitions. Ryōgi supplied the crucial Ice Release that opened sealed vaults, while Haguruma was pulled into serving as an unknowing decoy. When the plan collapsed, Gekkō abandoned each of them without a second thought.