Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 147: Chōmei—The Terrifying Green Spirit Sphere

Before his eyes stretched an endless ocean.

The surface was calm and profound, like an enormous mirror reflecting a vast starry sky. Tiny points of starlight sparkled within the water, swaying gently with the waves, as though countless tiny lives were breathing in unison.

Chōmei gazed at the breathtaking scene before him and sighed, "You're incredible, Hyuga Fuji. To think you could transform this mental space into something like this through the connection of spirit spheres… No, this should be called a Sea of Consciousness."

Beside him, Hyuga Fuji smiled faintly. "It's nothing special. It was built by them."

The countless sparkling orbs within the sea were various bubbles, some transparent, others vibrant with color. Each bubble represented a person with whom he had established a connection.

On this Sea of Consciousness, there was no tumultuous wind or waves, only the gentle whispers of the heart. The surface mirrored the innermost light of the mind—at times shimmering, at times unfathomably deep.

The sea was not composed of water but of the collective consciousness, emotions, and thoughts of individuals.

At its core lay the Spirit Sphere, connecting all those tied to him, creating this domain. Although the people involved were unaware of this world's existence…

"Being able to connect people like this is already an impressive feat. And clearly, the main force behind creating this mental space is you. Let's not pretend otherwise. I think I could stay here forever, enjoying the scenery without ever growing bored," Chōmei remarked with a smile as he admired the unique world.

After a moment, his curiosity got the better of him. "The bubbles… they remind me of the illusion traps in the passageway between the Moon and the Shinobi World. Do they contain the memories of those shinobi? Did you study those traps to construct this place?"

Fuji shook his head lightly. "No need to study. After personally interacting with the illusion traps, I understood them. However, the inner mechanisms of this place do borrow from those traps."

"The blue bubbles in the sea differ fundamentally from the illusion traps in the passageway. They don't contain memories. They merely symbolize the connections I share with others."

Fuji's tone was matter-of-fact. The traps he referenced had been created using the power of the Tenseigan. While he could replicate them, the process would take time. For now, he was content to adapt their principles.

Chōmei turned his gaze upward, where several dozen green orbs twinkled like stars in the sky. Curious, he asked, "The bubbles in the sea are blue, but what about those green spheres above us?"

In the Moon's passageway, the bubbles had also been green.

Fuji had previously explained that his ocular techniques had two variations.

One was the blue Spirit Sphere, emphasizing chakra transmission but offering limited control.

The other was the green Spirit Sphere, which prioritized mental control but had weaker chakra transmission capabilities.

The sea below represented those connected through the blue Spirit Sphere. Did the sky above symbolize those linked by the green Spirit Sphere?

"Would you like to see?" Fuji extended his palm, and a green orb descended from the sky, stopping before them. Like a mirror, it displayed scenes and images.

Chōmei shrank down in size and floated closer to the green sphere. Inside, he saw a scene of Nagano Shinya conversing with Kakashi and Yamari. He frowned in confusion. "Has this shinobi fought you before?"

In Chōmei's recollection, Nagano Shinya had not participated in the earlier battle, and the details he described didn't add up. Something was wrong with his memories.

Fuji responded with a silent smile, which prompted Chōmei to piece together the puzzle.

"So, this is the power of the green Spirit Sphere? It manipulates memories? No, that's not right."

Chōmei reconsidered, observing Fuji's unchanged expression. "Your ocular technique works more like a puppetry jutsu, directly taking control of a target's body. It shouldn't have the ability to alter memories. Did you draw inspiration for this from the illusion traps in the passageway?"

Fuji nodded. "Chōmei, tell me, what is chakra to you?"

"Chakra? It's the body, strength, and soul… Why?"

"And what about memories and emotions?"

Chōmei froze, his six eyes narrowing slightly. "Ah, I see."

For beings like the tailed beasts, which were composed entirely of chakra, their memories and emotions were inherently part of their chakra.

The same logic applied to humans. A shinobi's soul carried their memories and emotions, and since their souls were formed of chakra, their memories and emotions were, too.

Chōmei glanced at the green orb again. "So you implanted false memories and emotions into him using chakra?"

"More or less," Fuji said with a light laugh. "The illusion traps in the passageway showed people others' memories. This process was achieved through chakra. Using a similar method, I implanted fabricated memories into their minds, mostly using genjutsu."

"Genjutsu…"

Chōmei squinted. "Genjutsu-created memories are never perfect, especially when it involves personal matters. People's reactions can vary, and the caster has to account for that. I doubt you'd expend too much effort on someone like Nagano Shinya. So, the Spirit Sphere's role is to prevent him from realizing his memories are false, right?"

The original memories still existed in Nagano Shinya's mind, but he couldn't recall them.

The green Spirit Sphere's formidable mental control ensured that he avoided questioning the implanted memories.

And over time, even if the true memories surfaced, he would likely dismiss them as fake, given how long he had lived by the fabricated ones.

"Exactly. Most people only believe what they want to believe, especially if it benefits them."

Fuji reiterated something he had once told Hatake Sakumo.

"As it stands, they'd rather believe in their current memories than the truth. And the chakra consumed by the Spirit Sphere is almost negligible."

The rogue Edo Tensei shinobi, all placed under the control of green Spirit Spheres by Hatake Sakumo, believed they had genuinely escaped Fuji's control and fought alongside Tobirama Senju.

This fabricated memory held far more appeal to them than acknowledging they were subdued and implanted with Spirit Spheres.

And so, they remained firmly under Fuji's influence, unable to break free.

Chōmei nodded in understanding, his gaze toward Nagano Shinya filled with faint pity.

Spirit Sphere-based control required Fuji to expend chakra.

While it wasn't an issue for a small number of targets, managing many would become a burden.

Furthermore, unless Fuji fully overtook a target's body, their actions under the Spirit Sphere's influence were limited.

This technique resembled puppetry; the "puppets" would only move when Fuji "pulled the strings."

Initially, Chōmei had thought Fuji's development of the blue Spirit Sphere stemmed from dissatisfaction with the green one.

After all, in terms of combat effectiveness, Spirit Sphere control paled in comparison to Edo Tensei.

But now, Chōmei realized Fuji had refined the technique further.

This new method significantly reduced Fuji's burden while allowing the controlled individuals to unconsciously follow his orders.

The revelation sent a chill down Chōmei's metaphorical spine.

With just a fabricated memory, Fuji could steer a person's actions. Compared to the blue spheres, the green Spirit Spheres were truly terrifying…

(Chapter End)