Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 35: Is This How You Use the Flying Thunder God?

Returning home, Hyuga Fuji glanced at the shadow clone studying in the library before heading to his bedroom.

From his pocket, he retrieved a die. Staring at the single dot facing up, his gaze deepened.

One dot—small.

He lost. Tsunade won.

...

Root Headquarters

"Lord Danzo, I've brought her back."

In a dimly lit room, Danzo stared coldly at a trembling girl as two Root jonin stood by his side.

"Engrave the Curse Seal of Roots onto her."

"Yes, sir!" One of the jonin stepped forward, and despite the girl's panicked struggles, he began inscribing the seal.

"No! Lady Tsunade, please save—"

Danzo watched the girl's futile resistance with icy indifference.

Hiruzen, do you really think I don't know what you've arranged with Tsunade?

Bringing her back under the pretext of modifying the Curse Seal wasn't necessary. This was clearly about her researching a way to remove the Caged Bird Seal.

But with this move, you've stepped on more toes than just mine, Tsunade. Let's see how far you're willing to push.

...

Two mornings later, Fuji arrived early at the village gate, only to find two familiar figures already waiting.

Uchiha Yakumaru and… Hatake Kakashi.

"You're quite the rising star lately," Yakumaru said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Not only have you learned the Flying Thunder God, but you also helped the Fourth Hokage take down the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Truly impressive. Not like me—stuck recovering at home."

Fuji raised an eyebrow, scanning Yakumaru with a hint of confusion.

"Did you have vinegar for breakfast? I think I smell something sour."

"...What?"

"I once heard a medic say that drinking vinegar in the morning is bad for your stomach. You should take care of your health."

"...I'm upset that I wasn't there to protect Lord Hokage!" Yakumaru snapped, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Hokage-sama is about to arrive—I can't lose my composure.

"You wanted to face the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?" Fuji asked, tilting his head as if genuinely perplexed.

"You specialize in genjutsu and fire-style jutsu. They're seven ninja, many proficient in water-style. Facing them would be… difficult. You might've held the Hokage back."

Yakumaru glared at Fuji, his jaw tightening as if a string inside him was being pulled taut.

Fuji continued, his tone as calm as ever.

"You Uchihas tend to see defeat as a great shame, but why seek humiliation willingly?"

Nearby, Kakashi looked up from the small book he was reading, glancing at Fuji with mild curiosity.

The exchange felt oddly familiar. Back when Obito was still around, he'd often say things just like this.

Kakashi shifted his gaze to Yakumaru, who had lowered his head.

The string… snapped.

"Hyuga Fuji! You bastard!"

A flash of white light glimmered as Yakumaru swung his blade with precision and rage.

Fuji sidestepped effortlessly.

Despite the Uchiha's anger, his swordsmanship showed solid fundamentals. Even in his fury, Yakumaru's strikes were steady.

However, in terms of enhancing his overall combat ability… his swordsmanship was negligible.

Why bother using a sword at all? Fuji thought, sidestepping again as Yakumaru's blade sliced through empty air.

As Yakumaru unleashed a flurry of strikes, Fuji remained calm, dodging each one with ease. After dozens of swings, Yakumaru finally stopped, his breath heavy but his eyes burning with determination.

His grip on the blade tightened, and faint vibrations began to resonate from it.

A low hum filled the air, accompanied by a subtle chakra disturbance that made Fuji furrow his brow.

A genjutsu transmitted through sound?

Interesting.

"You're impressive—perhaps more talented than I am," Yakumaru said, his voice steady despite the earlier outburst.

"But you'll never surpass the centuries of heritage the Uchiha clan possesses. This technique was created by an ancestor who never even awakened the Sharingan. Allow me to—"

Yakumaru's words faltered as he noticed Fuji staring at him impassively, completely unaffected.

He froze mid-attack, staring at his blade in disbelief.

Had he not mastered the technique yet?

Why wasn't it working?

Recently, Yakumaru had devoted himself to studying genjutsu after the harsh lessons from his earlier mistakes. This sound-based genjutsu was classified as an A-rank technique, notoriously difficult to master.

Though he had only grasped the basics, shouldn't it have at least caused Fuji to waver for a moment?

"Alright, I've seen enough," Fuji said, stepping around Yakumaru's blade and brushing past him with a faint smirk.

"Your progress is clear. No need to demonstrate further."

Fuji continued walking until he stopped in front of Kakashi, who had been watching the exchange with a faint air of amusement.

"You're Kakashi, right? We met briefly at the Academy."

"Yeah," Kakashi said, nodding without looking up from his book. "Hello."

"Aren't you going to comfort him?" Kakashi asked, glancing at Yakumaru out of the corner of his eye.

"He's resilient," Fuji replied with a shrug.

"Is that so?" Kakashi mused, returning his attention to his book.

"You were testing his abilities, weren't you? Since you'll be working together."

"I needed to gauge his current level," Fuji said nonchalantly.

"To save him on the battlefield?" Kakashi asked.

"No. To better coordinate during combat," Fuji replied, his tone matter-of-fact.

"For example, once I've identified an enemy, I can use Flying Thunder God to teleport him directly in front of someone of equal strength."

Kakashi fell silent, a vivid mental image forming in his mind.

A battlefield.

A bewildered Kirigakure shinobi scanning his surroundings cautiously.

Suddenly, a voice from above: Your opponent has been matched.

A Flying Thunder God kunai lands at the shinobi's feet, followed immediately by a furious Uchiha Yakumaru.

Kakashi stared blankly at Fuji.

Is this how you use the Flying Thunder God technique?

Meanwhile, Yakumaru, who had just regained his composure, rejoined them. He cast a quick glance at Kakashi's book and frowned.

"You know him well?" he asked Fuji, gesturing at Kakashi.

"We crossed paths at the Academy," Fuji replied.

"A senior, then?" Yakumaru muttered, lowering his voice conspiratorially.

"Do you know what's in that little book of his? The other day, he came to the Uchiha compound to inform me about today's mission. On his way out, he bumped into a kid named Uchiha Shisui. They seemed to get along well."

Yakumaru smirked darkly.

"And then he gave Shisui a copy of that book. That evening, one of the elders who looks after Shisui came to my house, demanding information about Kakashi. He swore he'd break Kakashi's legs!"

At the mention of the book and Shisui's name, Fuji's expression twitched slightly.

Kakashi… had given that kind of book to Shisui? Wasn't Shisui only ten years old?

He had to admit… that elder might have a point.

"Everyone's here?"

A warm voice broke through their conversation.

They turned to see three figures approaching.

The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato; his wife, Uzumaki Kushina; and a girl who stood about Kakashi's height.

It was Nohara Rin.

Kakashi frowned as he noticed their arrival, his gaze narrowing slightly.

"Wasn't Rin supposed to join Lady Tsunade's medical unit and stay away from missions for now? And why is Kushina-sensei here?"

"Tsunade didn't approve that arrangement," Minato said with a sigh, glancing at Rin.

"And Rin, she…"

Rin stepped forward, her expression resolute.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi. But I want to witness the peace Obito dreamed of with my own eyes."

She smiled softly, her voice steady.

"Don't worry. I'll only stay in the base, supporting you all as a medical ninja!"

(End of Chapter)

***

Also if you wish to read unto 60+ advanced chapters and support me at

Patreon. com / NahinSS7