Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 32: Betting on Whether an Alien Will Fall on You

Hyuga Fuji refocused his thoughts and tossed out a scroll. Seven unconscious Mist ninja appeared from it, collapsing onto the ground.

These were the Mist shinobi who had assisted the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, disposable pawns used as smoke screens.

"Using the Nine-Tails' chakra to enhance you all feels like a waste."

Taking out another scroll, Fuji formed a hand seal. Blood-red, ominous chakra flowed from the scroll into the bodies of the seven Mist ninja.

"Ahhhh!"

The seven awoke from their unconscious state, screaming in agony as the chakra invaded them.

When half the Nine-Tails' chakra was depleted, Fuji stopped.

The Second Hokage's Edo Tensei technique allowed only a small portion of a ninja's power to be preserved in their reanimated state. The stronger the ninja, the less power could be retained. Naturally, improving the strength of the sacrifices and their compatibility with the Edo Tensei was a key avenue for refining the jutsu.

The chakra Kushina had given him was plentiful, but Fuji had other uses for it. Temporarily strengthening the sacrifices to this extent was sufficient.

Staring at the Mist ninja, whose crimson, frenzied eyes now gleamed with mindless ferocity, Fuji moved on to the next step.

Dropping his blood onto their foreheads to bind their personal information, Fuji formed another seal.

"Summoning Jutsu: Edo Tensei!"

As paper fragments swirled through the air, the reanimated figures of seven familiar faces stood in a neat line before Fuji.

"From now on, you'll serve me, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

---

"Are you awake?"

The voice was familiar. Ranmaru opened his eyes, blinking against the dim light.

"Raiya-sensei?"

Black-cloaked with pitch-black sclera, Raiga Kurosuki looked down at Ranmaru with a conflicted expression. Yet he still managed a faint smile.

To Raiga, Ranmaru wasn't just a tool; he was more than just a pair of gifted eyes.

"Where is this? I remember being knocked unconscious by that Hyuga shinobi…"

Ranmaru tried to stand, using the wall for support, but his weakened body refused to cooperate. Seeing this, Raiga gently helped him up.

"This is his underground base. I… I'm already dead."

Raiga's hand, resting on Ranmaru's shoulder, was icy cold. His pitch-black sclera left no room for denial.

But Ranmaru didn't scream in disbelief. Instead, he asked calmly, "What does he want from me?"

"He promised… as long as you assist him with his experiments, he'll spare your life."

"In that case, you'll stay with me, won't you?" Ranmaru replied softly.

Raiga's lips trembled, but he couldn't bring himself to say a word. Instead, he nodded silently.

"I understand. I'll cooperate," Ranmaru said with surprising calm. "As long as I can be with you, nothing else matters."

"Ranmaru… I'm sorry…"

"Looks like the reunion is over. Time to get to work."

Fuji emerged from the shadows, completely ignoring Raiga's conflicted and resentful glare. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Ranmaru.

"Tell me everything about your Red Eyes' abilities."

"Yes," Ranmaru responded, patting Raiga's arm soothingly. He then explained in a calm voice, "My Red Eyes can see through objects, create illusions, and even resurrect the dying…"

---

"Interesting," Fuji murmured in the laboratory, his eyes gleaming as he studied the data on Ranmaru's abilities.

To prevent any unpleasant surprises, Raiga had shared some hidden information with Fuji: Ranmaru's village had once been home to members of the Kaguya clan. Raiga's encounter with Ranmaru during a mission had been directly related to this.

"So, these Red Eyes—similar to the Byakugan—are tied to the Kaguya clan? Is this some kind of genetic mutation or an ancestral regression?"

Regardless of the specifics, the link between the Red Eyes and the Byakugan was undeniable.

"And resurrection abilities too? Yet another dojutsu capable of potentially overcoming the Caged Bird Seal."

Fuji sighed. Unfortunately, his time was limited. With only a day left before his mission with Minato to the frontlines, he couldn't afford to delve deeper into his research.

"From here on, shadow clones and the reanimated shinobi will continue the work."

Setting aside the materials, Fuji turned and left the laboratory, heading toward one of Konoha's taverns.

Before departing for the battlefield, there were a few people he needed to meet.

But… the things people used to test fate in this shinobi world were truly strange.

Standing outside the tavern, Fuji saw Tsunade gambling against a familiar Hyuga clan member, betting on dice rolls. He shook his head helplessly.

This was the tenth person from the Hyuga clan Tsunade had gambled with that Fuji knew of—and it was someone he recognized well: Hyuga Shinsuki.

Fuji stood watching for a moment before deciding to step inside.

However, the tavern owner at the counter noticed him and gave a friendly smile while gesturing toward a sign by the door: "No Minors Allowed!"

"I'm here on official business, under orders from the Hokage," Fuji said calmly.

The owner scratched his head and sighed. "Alright, go in, but no drinking."

It was clear from his tone that he wasn't entirely convinced by Fuji's excuse.

Fuji wasn't surprised by the reaction. This was how it always went. The tavern had a strict policy regarding minors—there was probably some story behind it.

Walking over to Tsunade's table, Fuji was quickly noticed by Hyuga Shinsuki.

Shinsuki immediately brightened, standing as if she had just been rescued.

"Fuji-kun! You're here to see Lady Tsunade, aren't you?"

The tavern's strict entry policy had only allowed her in because Tsunade had vouched for her—and on the condition that she wouldn't drink.

Given Fuji's age, Shinsuki assumed he wouldn't come here without a good reason, let alone find their exact table without prior knowledge.

Seeing Fuji nod, Shinsuki turned to Tsunade with an apologetic look. "Lady Tsunade, I'm sorry, but I'll have to excuse myself. Let's continue another time."

Before Tsunade could respond, Shinsuki quickly fled the tavern.

She couldn't understand how anyone could be so unlucky. Ten rounds—ten losses—all on Tsunade's end.

What was worse, Tsunade refused to stop, determined to win even a single round against her, leaving Shinsuki utterly drained.

Now, she was finally free.

Thank you, Fuji-kun. I'll make sure to repay you later.

( T/L: Maybe an Omake... Because next chapter doesn't consider the below as part of the story.)

"Brat," Tsunade muttered, glaring at Fuji as she watched Shinsuki escape. "Doesn't matter what official business you're on. Since you scared her off, you'll take her place and bet with me!"

Fuji sat across from Tsunade, glancing at the empty sake cups on the table and her slightly flushed face. "Lady Tsunade, have you been troubled by something lately?"

"Can't I just want to win for once?" Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"But I've heard you always lose when gambling. If you're upset, why keep doing something you can't win at?"

"I like it!" Tsunade snapped, taking another swig of sake. She leaned back in her chair, staring at Fuji with a slightly tipsy defiance. "If you think I'll lose, then figure out a way to make me win. Either way, I'm winning something today!"

She's anxious because winning hasn't caused bad luck recently? Fuji realized, recalling what Tsunade had told him before.

Her unusual luck—winning at gambling always came with terrible consequences.

Recently, she'd won a match against Hiashi Hyuga, but nothing disastrous had occurred since. She seemed to be betting aimlessly now, trying to make sense of it.

After a moment of thought, Fuji smiled slightly.

"Alright then, Lady Tsunade. How about we bet on whether or not you'll have a streak of bad luck today?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, curious despite herself.

"I'll bet that you'll choke on your drink, get something stuck in your throat while eating, and—on your way out—you'll get hit by a falling alien from the moon."

"…"

Tsunade shuddered, instantly sobering up.

"Kid, are you trying to curse me?" she asked, glaring at Fuji with a complicated expression.

"Not at all. I just think that with such an impossible bet, Lady Tsunade might finally have a chance to win," Fuji replied with a faint smile.

If she loses even this… well, that would be truly terrifying.

If she did lose, and an Ōtsutsuki did fall from the sky, then Madara might as well declare Tsunade the strongest ninja in history—summoning Ōtsutsuki by sheer bad luck was an ability no one else had.

Tsunade stared at Fuji, her expression shifting between irritation and disbelief.

"You're really something, kid. Betting on aliens falling from the moon… what kind of joke is this?"

"It's not a joke, Lady Tsunade," Fuji replied calmly. "It's just the kind of bet where the odds are finally in your favor. After all, how could such an absurd scenario ever happen?"

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, still staring at Fuji, trying to determine whether he was mocking her or genuinely serious. She could sense no malice from him—only that signature Hyuga stoicism that made it impossible to read his true thoughts.

"Fine," she said after a moment, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Let's make this ridiculous bet, then. If I win, I'll expect you to humor me and gamble with me again. But if I lose—"

"You won't," Fuji interrupted with a faint smirk. "This time, you'll definitely win."

The confident tone threw Tsunade off for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure, narrowing her eyes at the young shinobi. "You're awfully sure of yourself. You better not be scheming something, kid."

"Of course not," Fuji replied simply.

Tsunade grumbled to herself, still a little wary, but decided to let it slide. She signaled to the tavern owner for another drink, determined to see if this strange bet could actually break her streak of bad luck.

---

Meanwhile, outside the tavern, Hyuga Shinsuki walked briskly down the dimly lit street, her heart still pounding from her escape.

"Finally free," she muttered to herself, glancing back toward the tavern as if expecting Tsunade to chase after her.

She couldn't fathom how someone could lose ten times in a row, nor how someone like Tsunade—renowned for her strength and intelligence—could be so relentlessly stubborn about gambling.

As she turned a corner, her thoughts wandered to Fuji.

He's always so composed, no matter the situation. I wonder if he even knows how to have fun. Well… at least he saved me this time. I owe him.

---

Back inside the tavern, Tsunade downed another drink, her mood slightly lifted by the absurdity of the bet.

"So, kid," she said, setting her cup down and glancing at Fuji. "You're one of Minato's Shadow Guard now, huh? How's that working out for you?"

"It's going well," Fuji answered evenly. "The training is rigorous, but I'm learning a lot."

Tsunade scoffed. "You Hyuga types… always so serious. Do you even know how to relax? Maybe that's why I keep seeing Minato's students walk around looking like the world's weight is on their shoulders."

Fuji remained silent, his expression unchanging.

Tsunade studied him for a moment, then shook her head. "You're just like Kakashi. Too young to be this uptight. What are you all so worried about, anyway? You're in Konoha, the strongest village in the world. Try smiling once in a while."

"I'll consider it," Fuji said flatly.

Tsunade let out an exaggerated sigh. "Kids these days. No sense of humor."

She reached for her drink again but paused as her mind drifted back to her bet with Hiashi Hyuga.

"Hey, kid," she said, her tone shifting to something more serious. "You've got that look like you think you've got everything figured out. So tell me—what's your take on this whole luck thing? Do you believe in it?"

Fuji met her gaze evenly. "I don't believe in luck. I believe in preparation and probabilities."

Tsunade snorted. "Spoken like a true Hyuga. But let me tell you something—sometimes, no amount of preparation can save you. Sometimes, you just have to roll the dice and hope for the best."

Fuji didn't respond immediately. After a moment, he said, "Perhaps. But if the outcome is unfavorable, then the dice were flawed from the start."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You're a strange one, kid. I can't tell if you're incredibly wise or just hopelessly stubborn."

"Maybe both," Fuji said with the faintest hint of a smile.

---

As the evening wore on, the tavern began to quiet, with most of the patrons having left.

Tsunade eventually decided she'd had enough for the night and stood to leave. Fuji followed her to the door, keeping a respectful distance.

"Hey," she said suddenly, turning to face him. "You really think I'll win this ridiculous bet of yours?"

Fuji met her gaze, his expression as steady as ever. "I'm certain of it."

Tsunade smirked. "Well, I'll hold you to that."

She stepped outside, the cool night air refreshing after the warmth of the tavern. Taking a deep breath, she glanced up at the sky.

And then she froze.

A streak of light blazed across the heavens, growing brighter and larger with each passing second. It wasn't a star, nor was it a meteor. It was something far more deliberate.

"What the—"

Before Tsunade could finish her thought, the streak of light plummeted toward the earth, slamming into the ground with a deafening crash a few blocks away.

The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the village, causing windows to shatter and the ground to tremble.

Tsunade stared in stunned silence, her mind racing to process what had just happened.

Fuji, standing behind her, remained perfectly calm, though his eyes narrowed slightly as he activated his Byakugan to scan the area.

"Well," he said after a moment, his tone as neutral as ever. "It seems I may have lost the bet after all."

Tsunade turned to him, her face a mixture of disbelief and fury.

"You—what did you just say?!"

"I'll go investigate," Fuji said, ignoring her outburst as he started walking toward the crash site.

Tsunade watched him go, her fists clenched at her sides.

"This kid…" she muttered. "I swear, if this is some kind of elaborate prank, I'm going to kill him."

But deep down, she knew it wasn't. Whatever had just fallen from the sky… it was no joke.

(End of Chapter)