Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 177: Hozuki Gengetsu: Looking for a Disciple Without Eyebrows

In a pitch-black underground room, several Sunagakure shinobi anxiously awaited news from their companion.

One of the ninja, unable to hold back his worries, muttered, "He hasn't returned yet. Could he have been captured?"

"That's impossible, right?"

"Yeah, if he were caught, our hiding place would already be exposed, and the enemy ninja would have stormed in by now."

The others joined in the conversation, their pale faces betraying their fear.

As part of the Land of Wind's northwestern border forces, their duty had been to protect Yukage City.

But when the Land of Fire launched its offensive, and the Wind Daimyō redeployed some of their forces to the frontlines, disaster struck.

Over a thousand ninja from the Land of Demons stormed Yukage City, which fell almost instantly.

Defeated Sunagakure ninja either fled, surrendered, or, like this group, went into hiding, gripped by unease.

Seeing their growing panic, the first ninja to speak tried to force a laugh. "His stealth techniques are the best among us. If he were caught, there's no way we'd escape either. Don't overthink it…"

Bang!

The door suddenly burst open, cutting off his words.

"Who's there?!"

All eyes in the dim room turned to the doorway.

A familiar figure stood there, clad in desert-colored ninja attire covered with a thin layer of sand and dust, his clothes slightly worn.

The sight of him brought a collective sigh of relief.

A middle-aged ninja, reassured but irritated, snapped, "You little brat, can't you be more careful? If this place is exposed, we're all dead!"

He stepped closer as he spoke.

"Did you bring the supplies we need?"

"Don't go near him!"

One of the Sunagakure ninja noticed something strange and shouted in alarm, "His expression… it's not right!"

The figure's face was unnaturally stiff, his eyes empty and lifeless. His body bore what looked like wounds from kunai, yet they were unbandaged, and his face showed no sign of pain.

It's genjutsu!

The middle-aged ninja froze, but before he could react, the figure's body began to swell with strange blood-filled bubbles.

Boom!

A deafening explosion shook the area, sending a massive shockwave rippling outward.

The house was obliterated, and even the ground around it was torn apart, leaving a massive crater that looked like a deep wound in the earth.

After the explosion, not a single figure emerged.

Clearly, the unsuspecting Sunagakure ninja, never imagining their companion would become a living bomb, had been annihilated along with the building.

At the edge of the crater, Ranmaru scanned the scene with his crimson eyes, then shook his head at Chino beside him.

"No survivors."

Chino pouted in disappointment. "How boring. I thought they'd at least put up some resistance."

Rin, standing nearby, had also witnessed the entire event and silently marveled to herself, So this is the power of the Ketsuryugan? Turning someone into a human bomb through genjutsu… what a terrifying kekkei genkai.

"Is it all done?"

At that moment, a man with no eyebrows stepped out from the shadows of the street.

Seeing him, Chino muttered, "We didn't even get to fight properly. I took care of it all myself. Where are the jōnin? I don't think this level of enemy is suited for our team."

Hozuki Gengetsu wore a lazy expression, casually waving a hand.

"You think jōnin grow on trees? There aren't many here to begin with, and most were taken out as priority targets during the initial assault. Besides, you and Rin are one thing, but little Ranmaru only recently became a ninja. Let's stick to easier missions for now."

"Water Shadow-senpai, I'm a boy," Ranmaru interjected with a deadpan expression.

Gengetsu blinked, studying Ranmaru's delicate features for a moment before nodding thoughtfully. "You're a boy, huh. So Kurosaki Raiga wasn't… what I thought…"

He trailed off, abruptly switching topics to avoid setting a bad example for the younger ninja. "This mission might've been too easy for you, but don't worry. I'll find you a decent sparring partner soon. Chino, though, no using your kekkei genkai next time. Stick to the Water Release techniques I taught you."

"Huh? But I only recently awakened my bloodline limit. Shouldn't I be practicing it? And those Water Release techniques you taught—"

"No buts!"

Gengetsu cut her off mercilessly. "The Ketsuryugan is powerful, but have you ever seen an Uchiha rely solely on their Sharingan in battle? Master your basics first. After that, you can decide how you want to fight. The Water Release techniques I taught you aren't weak, so stop making that face."

Chino pouted but begrudgingly relented. "Yes, sensei…"

Behind her, Ranmaru and Rin exchanged amused, knowing glances.

After chatting a while longer, Gengetsu finalized their next objective and sent the three ahead, following them at a leisurely pace.

Chino had solid combat experience from her time on the isolated island. Ranmaru's crimson eyes provided sensory capabilities rivaling the Byakugan, and he had been trained by Hyuga Fuji. Rin, formerly the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki, was a combat-ready medical ninja who had participated in certain experiments.

Even with Gengetsu's exacting standards as a former Kage, this team was undeniably impressive. All three also possessed water-nature chakra, making them perfect disciples for him.

The only problem… they all had eyebrows.

Gengetsu sighed wistfully.

How great it would be if his disciples didn't have eyebrows…

Shaking off his fanciful thoughts, he turned his attention to the patrolling ninja on either side of the street. Spotting the armor they wore, he recalled something Hyuga Fuji had said, raising an eyebrow.

The enhancement serum derived from White Zetsu cells, combined with First Hokage-style chakra armor, gives these soldiers taijutsu skills comparable to standard genin. It's a shortcut to forming an army, but without a genin's basic training and adaptability, they won't hold up in real battles. They're only good for holding the line.

"Only good for holding the line?"

The enhancement serum could be produced indefinitely, and if the Land of Wind's mineral resources were secured, the chakra armor could be manufactured en masse as well.

While these soldiers weren't particularly strong, they could be mass-produced.

A few hundred wasn't impressive, but if their numbers reached tens of thousands… even the Five Kage would find them troublesome.

Gengetsu looked up at the moonlit sky, deep in thought.

The lack of lower-tier forces had been the Snow Country's greatest weakness in the past. No matter how many elite fighters they had, without sufficient lower and mid-tier troops, they couldn't defend vast territories.

But now, there were multiple ways to address this problem.

If the great nations didn't act quickly, they wouldn't even have a chance to compete.

With a sigh of mixed emotion, Gengetsu glanced down—and his expression darkened.

"I've been wandering here for so long… aren't you going to come out?"

A pool of black liquid separated from his shadow, rising into the form of a man who smiled at him.

"Please don't be angry. I'm just very interested in you."

(End of Chapter)