Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 75: Yakumaru: "Are You Calling Me Dumb?"

Memories of his time with Hyuga Fuji flooded his mind as Yakumaru stared at Tsunade, his eyes bloodshot. "He's always so calm, as if he's confident in everything he does. I refuse to believe he just died like that!"

Faced with Yakumaru's angry doubts, Tsunade sighed and said, "The body is right here."

The body is right here… right here.

The words echoed in the small space, reverberating like a haunting melody in Yakumaru's ears.

An unfamiliar yet all-too-familiar emotion rose from his chest, spreading like tendrils along his spine and stabbing into his skull. Cold, dark chakra surged within him.

"You'll understand one day."

Obito's words surfaced in his mind.

The tomoe in Yakumaru's Sharingan spun wildly as rage and frustration overwhelmed him. Yet, he had no clear target for his anger.

Should he hate the Hyuga clan's main branch?

They were already being forced to abolish the Caged Bird Seal under the Hokage's orders.

Should he hate Tsunade?

She had warned Hyuga Fuji beforehand.

So who should he blame?

The tomoe in Yakumaru's Sharingan connected, forming a complete Mangekyo. He knelt on the floor, grabbing the corpse's collar, and shouted in fury:

"Get up! I haven't beaten you even once, and now you die like this? You're such a loser!"

"Who's the loser?"

A familiar voice rang out, and Yakumaru, his eyes red with anger, snapped back, "Shut your—"

The words froze in his throat.

The familiar figure walked in, holding a stack of documents. He looked puzzled at first but quickly pieced everything together when he noticed the corpse on the ground and Yakumaru's glowing eyes. With a sigh, he turned to Tsunade.

"Tsunade-senpai, what are you doing?"

"Ahem!"

Under Yakumaru's deadpan glare, Tsunade coughed to suppress her laughter, though her lips twitched upwards.

"I'm not to blame. When I heard someone call out to me, I stepped out from the lab and saw this kid looking like the world had ended. His Sharingan had changed, and, well, what was I supposed to do?"

"I didn't even lie. The corpse is here. And this kid clearly cares about you. How could I not let this play out?"

Tsunade's tone grew more solemn as she added, "Only those with power can protect what matters most."

She didn't enjoy seeing others lose someone important—it only reminded her of Dan and her younger brother.

Compared to most Uchiha who awakened the Mangekyo through genuine loss, this kid was actually lucky.

At least he hadn't truly lost anyone. The situation was just… unusual.

With that, Tsunade waved dismissively and headed back into the deeper part of the lab. "You two can talk. I won't interrupt."

Hyuga Fuji watched her leave, then glanced at Yakumaru, his voice laced with meaning. "When you said 'loser,' were you talking about yourself, for not realizing Tsunade-senpai was lying?"

"…"

"Well, given that it was my split body, it's not entirely your fault for being tricked."

"…"

Yakumaru's face twitched as he stood up stiffly, his hand brushing over his newly awakened eyes. For a moment, he had the urge to gouge them out.

He had been longing for the Mangekyo for so long, but to awaken it like this? He wanted no part of it!

What kind of nonsense was this?

Was he the first Uchiha in history to awaken the Mangekyo through sheer misunderstanding and deception?

He looked down at the corpse on the ground, then back at the very-much-alive Hyuga Fuji. His expression twisted with a mix of emotions. Every curse he could think of flashed through his mind, but he didn't know who to direct them at.

He couldn't believe he hadn't even considered the possibility of a split body. What an embarrassment!

…

Moments later.

Yakumaru's eyes were deadened, like Kakashi's usual expression. His voice was flat as he said, "Go ahead and laugh."

Hyuga Fuji set the documents on a nearby table, then donned a pair of gloves as he approached the corpse. "You awakened your Mangekyo because of me. I don't have the right to laugh."

This rhetorical answer caught Yakumaru off guard, leaving him momentarily stunned before a faint smile crept onto his face.

"By the way, if I really had died, the Hokage would've been informed. You needed his permission to enter this place. Did he ever mention my death to you?"

Yakumaru's faint smile vanished, replaced by a pained grimace.

That piercing logic… This was definitely Hyuga Fuji talking.

Taking a deep breath, Yakumaru forced himself to calm down and stepped closer, watching Fuji's actions. His tone was muffled as he asked, "So, what are you doing here?"

Hyuga Fuji injected the corpse with a syringe, then waited patiently as he explained, "I wanted to learn something while Tsunade-senpai is still motivated. She's been interested in research lately, but I doubt it'll last."

"…"

As Fuji began dissecting his own corpse, Yakumaru struggled to keep his composure.

Since when did you become this terrifying?

He had seen people take their own lives. He had seen ruthless individuals. But dissecting oneself for research? This was a first.

Piece by piece, Fuji exposed muscles, nerves, and organs, peeling back layers with meticulous precision. Red nerves glistened under the lab's light.

The scene sent chills down Yakumaru's spine.

"W-why are you doing this? Are you trying to learn medical ninjutsu?" he asked, his voice dry.

"Not medical ninjutsu—research and experimentation. I've been studying the basics for a while, and today, I'm using my own body for practical verification. It also provides data for Tsunade-senpai."

As he spoke, Fuji shifted the topic, asking nonchalantly, "How about your Mangekyo? Can you use it? Or is it like Kakashi's, taking time to adapt?"

Feeling the surging power in his eyes and the heightened chakra within him, Yakumaru momentarily forgot his earlier embarrassment. Excitement crept into his voice.

"I can't use it yet. It'll take time to adjust. I also have a feeling that one of my Mangekyo abilities can only be used once every several years… I won't use it lightly, even after I master it."

At that, he cast Fuji a conflicted look.

Such a powerful ability… Should it even exist in this world?

If word got out, his eyes would undoubtedly become the most coveted prize on the black market, attracting all kinds of hunters.

Fuji paused mid-motion, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"An ability with limits like Shisui's? It must be quite formidable."

"Speaking of which," Yakumaru interjected awkwardly, eager to change the subject, "don't you have anything to say about me awakening the Mangekyo? You didn't seem very surprised earlier. This is the second—no, the third pair of Mangekyo in our clan!"

Fuji tilted his head thoughtfully. "The Uchiha value younger clan members who awaken the Sharingan early, seeing them as prodigies. Do you know why?"

Yakumaru frowned, puzzled by the sudden question. "I suppose it's because the Sharingan accelerates training. The younger you awaken it, the faster you can grow stronger. And then there's the emotional threshold."

He paused, then continued, "The less experienced a young ninja is, the more intense their emotional response when facing loss. In this chaotic world, their Sharingan evolves more rapidly."

"Exactly," Fuji replied, stepping away from the now-cleaned corpse. He placed a hand on Yakumaru's shoulder and added, "So, to put it simply, the more emotional and naïve someone is, the smoother their path to evolving their Sharingan."

Then, with a pat on Yakumaru's shoulder, Fuji turned and walked toward the lab Tsunade had entered earlier.

Yakumaru stood frozen for a long time, Fuji's words echoing in his mind.

He chose to ignore the part about emotions and fixated on the word "naïve." His face flushed with anger.

Are you calling me dumb?!

If I could redo this, I swear I wouldn't feel a thing seeing your corpse!

(End of Chapter)