Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 86: In the Face of True Power, Kage Are but Children

"Lord Haneda, if I may speak frankly, the Edo Tensei bodies you used before, though limited to 70% of their original strength, possess infinite chakra and immortality. They could employ strategies never used before. There's no need to spend this much effort on me," Pakura said, her gaze complicated as she responded to Hyuga Fuji's praise.

"As long as I can get revenge on Rasa, I don't care if I'm alive or not!"

"Think further ahead. The world is vast, and there are many strong individuals. In the face of true power, Kage are but children. Now that you have a second chance, don't limit yourself," Fuji replied calmly.

Hearing this, Pakura looked at him in disbelief.

Kage are but children?

In Pakura's mind, the man in front of her might already be the strongest person she had ever encountered.

With countless strange techniques at his disposal and the ability to break the boundaries between life and death, Fuji stood far above any ninja she had known.

Yet, her time with Fuji had shown her that he was a man of action, a pragmatist who never claimed to be "the strongest."

If someone like Fuji wasn't the strongest, then who could be? Senju Hashirama? Uchiha Madara? But they were both long dead.

And yet Fuji dared to claim that Kage were mere children before true power. Could Rasa really be so weak compared to the First Hokage?

Fuji noticed Pakura's questioning gaze but chose not to explain.

During Hashirama's time, even the First Kazekage had dared to bargain at the Five Kage Summit, clearly unaware of the might of the Senju Buddha.

And before Uchiha Madara, the Five Kage still believed they had a chance of winning.

Legends sometimes fell short of reality, and the truth was often far more terrifying.

Who could have imagined that the combination of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had the power to sweep through the Five Great Nations?

Not to mention the existence of the Otsutsuki…

Drawing his thoughts back, Fuji chuckled softly.

"How are you adapting to your new identity, Konoha Genin Yazaki Mika?"

Pakura's face immediately turned awkward at the mention of that name.

Currently, in Konoha, she went by the identity Fuji had just mentioned—a Konoha Genin who had previously worked as a spy for the Root in Sunagakure.

Willing to serve Fuji, she accepted this arrangement, though being labeled as a Genin at the age of twenty-two was a bitter pill to swallow.

Due to her background as a spy, the rank made sense, but still, being a Genin at her age—commonly referred to as a "forever Genin"—made her the subject of curious stares in the village. As a once-proud genius, it was frustrating.

However, the identity was perfect for her current circumstances:

First, as a former Sunagakure Jonin, she had in-depth knowledge of Sunagakure's secrets and could easily pass an identity check.

Second, as someone new to Konoha, she could convincingly act unfamiliar with the village, even carrying over habits from her time in Sunagakure, without risking exposure.

Third, Fuji's need for Sunagakure intelligence allowed him to reasonably assign her to his side without raising suspicion, laying the groundwork for their cooperation.

…

There were countless other benefits.

In fact, if she hadn't died once, her current situation would have resembled that of a spy retiring in triumph.

Given Fuji's authority, he could have assigned her any identity. This arrangement was already considerate of her.

If she had to be a "forever Genin," so be it—it was only temporary.

Pakura sighed inwardly, her expression returning to calm. "No issues. No one suspects the identity you arranged for me."

Fuji nodded with a smile.

Root was indeed an excellent place for both tying up loose ends and creating new identities.

Any unfamiliar face in Konoha could be explained as a Root spy.

Although some of Root's most critical spy records had been intercepted due to Hiruzen's countermeasures, there was still plenty of room for maneuver.

"In two days, the Fourth Kazekage will arrive. You'll have the chance to meet him," Fuji said in a calm tone.

"But the Fourth Kazekage must remain alive until the Five Kage Summit. After that… you're free to act as you wish."

"Understood!"

Pakura lowered her head in acknowledgment, a bloodthirsty smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"In a few months, we'll have a proper 'conversation,' Rasa," she thought to herself.

...

With Pakura's assistance, Fuji completed several tasks before heading to his underground laboratory.

"Ranmaru, how's it going?"

"It's still not working, Lord Fuji."

Ranmaru shook his head as he looked at the tank before him and the ninja inside. His tone was calm.

"The Byakugan shows no sign of visual power. It's similar to an unawakened member of the Hyuga clan."

"Is that so? Looks like more refinement is needed," Fuji murmured, stepping closer to the tank containing the clone of a Hyuga ninja. His eyes narrowed.

When it came to cloning, he couldn't help but think of the technology used in Boruto, where even Mangekyō Sharingan and Dust Release users had been successfully cloned, not to mention Jiraiya himself.

As Tsunade had warned him, this technology was indeed taboo—capable of mass-producing powerful ninjas and Kekkei Genkai.

If leaked, it would turn the shinobi world into a living hell.

Even Orochimaru, despite his expertise, had refrained from teaching Fuji such methods or granting him access to related research.

Perhaps because Orochimaru thought Fuji didn't need it.

Regardless, Fuji had managed to develop a prototype on his own. Refinement was only a matter of time. Two key issues required addressing:

First, his technique, derived from the Shadow Clone Jutsu, currently required a complete body to create a clone. The goal was to lower the threshold so that a single cell would suffice.

Second, he needed to identify why the Byakugan couldn't be cloned—or more precisely, why its visual power and chakra couldn't be replicated.

If the Mangekyō Sharingan could be cloned, there was no reason the Byakugan should be more difficult. Yet here he was, with clones that bore Hyuga features but lacked awakened Byakugan.

The original host had been a Hyuga with an awakened Byakugan, so the issue likely lay in Yin Release chakra or spiritual energy.

His cloning technique failed to replicate the spiritual energy necessary to awaken the Byakugan.

This, too, could be resolved by studying the Shadow Clone Jutsu, which split not only the body but also the soul and spirit. By analyzing these changes, Fuji could further refine his cloning method.

He didn't need the clones to possess full consciousness—just enough spiritual energy to trigger the Byakugan.

This would become a trump card. Even if the Hyuga couldn't evolve the Byakugan into the Tenseigan, they could mass-produce Byakugan users.

For now, though, Fuji turned his focus to advancing the Byakugan itself.

Approaching his workbench, Fuji gazed at the fifty Byakugan placed before him, narrowing his eyes.

Some were provided by the main family, while others came from branch members freed from the Caged Bird Seal.

The irony wasn't lost on him.

Using methods similar to those employed to save Nohara Rin, Fuji had branch members unknowingly subjected to a splitting process during experimentation. In their unconscious state, he created two bodies, killed one, and harvested its Byakugan.

The surviving body was left unaware, continuing life in Konoha until its energy recovered—at which point it would be harvested again.

These branch members were like trees, yielding a sustainable harvest.

Unlike Rin, however, they didn't doubt him. Freed from the Caged Bird Seal, they showed no suspicion or inclination to report to higher-ups.

Hiashi's declaration that Fuji, as the Hokage's advisor, was equal in status to the clan head had utterly subjugated them.

They had become true caged birds—willingly obedient, without needing seals to restrain them.

(Chapter End)

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