Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 198: A Deal with Indra and Ashura

In the Sea of Consciousness.

Toneri and Chōmei were locked in an intense battle as Toneri tried to escape, but the sudden appearance of a figure interrupted their fight.

Sensing a familiar chakra, both Toneri and Chōmei paused, turning to look in surprise. However, when Toneri saw that it wasn't Sasuke as he had hoped, his excitement faded into disappointment.

A man with an ancient, regal appearance stepped forward, his gaze curious as he surveyed the surroundings.

"To create a space like this… it seems your understanding of techniques is quite profound," the man remarked.

"It's nothing special—just a combination of past researchers' efforts," Hyuga Fuji replied, appearing in the Sea of Consciousness as soon as the man arrived.

"You can communicate with him directly? That's unexpected," Hyuga Fuji said, his tone calm. "I thought he was like Naruto, incapable of tapping into the deeper powers within. But even if someone used genjutsu to send you here, you won't be able to accomplish anything. Why involve yourself, Indra?"

"He awakened me," Indra replied, his voice devoid of emotion, like a machine. "If this situation isn't resolved, both he and I will cease to exist."

Though his tone was cold, his actions were clearly driven by emotion.

"How about a deal?" Indra proposed. "You seem to value Toneri highly—for the Tenseigan, I assume. I can share my research with you if you let him go."

"You are the creator of the Hand Seals," Hyuga Fuji acknowledged. "I trust your research would be enlightening, but capturing Toneri would yield far greater rewards."

Hyuga Fuji didn't doubt Indra's abilities.

As the creator of the Hand Seals, Indra undoubtedly surpassed him in certain areas.

But compared to Toneri's unique value, Indra's research alone wasn't enough.

"Then what about me?"

Another figure, similarly clad in ancient robes, entered the scene, following Indra's connection. Hyuga Fuji made no effort to stop him.

Indra's eyes flickered briefly with recognition before narrowing coldly. "Ashura…"

"Now's not the time to argue," Ashura said, scratching his head as he glanced at Toneri and Chōmei, who had been isolated by Hyuga Fuji. His tone was complicated. "We've been fighting through the bodies of our descendants for so long. It's time we did something to help them."

"Hmph, and you were awakened by Naruto," Indra scoffed, though he didn't refute Ashura's statement.

Naruto and Ashura's bond had been slow to develop due to the influence of Minato and Kushina. As parents from the future's perspective, they had high expectations for Naruto, the son of the Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. He was supposed to be a genius.

But as Ashura's chakra awakened within him, Naruto's aptitude for Wood Release improved, while his performance in other areas declined significantly. This led Minato and Kushina to strictly forbid Naruto from delving into Ashura's chakra.

Sasuke's relationship with Indra, however, had taken a different path.

Perpetually overshadowed by Naruto, Sasuke outwardly agreed not to explore Indra's power but secretly sought ways to communicate with him.

Call it resonance or sheer defiance, but eventually, Indra's consciousness had awakened and formed a connection with Sasuke.

---

Meanwhile, Hyuga Fuji fell silent as he considered Ashura's sudden arrival.

He had already gathered a portion of Toneri's chakra, enough for slow and steady research.

As for Toneri's body… there was another version of Toneri in this era, so the loss wasn't significant.

On the other hand, the knowledge possessed by Indra and Ashura was invaluable.

One was the creator of the Cursed Seal and master of complex techniques.

The other was a direct heir to the Sage of Six Paths.

The insight they could offer far surpassed anything Toneri could provide.

'Still… is this what they call an "old man stepping in to save the day"?'

Hyuga Fuji's gaze flicked between Indra and Ashura, his expression briefly turning peculiar.

"What's your decision?" Indra asked, breaking the silence.

"So be it," Hyuga Fuji said with a faint smile. "Ōtsutsuki Shinichi is heading for the Dragon Vein, I assume thanks to your warning. Before he seals the Dragon Vein, I'll take the opportunity to learn from the two of you."

---

In the real world.

Naruto stared at Sasuke, utterly baffled.

From his perspective, Sasuke's actions had gone through the following stages:

Approach Hyuga Fuji.

Activate genjutsu.

Suffer a backlash and collapse in pain.

What was going on? Sasuke knew perfectly well that genjutsu didn't work on Hyuga Fuji.

Did he think that, with Yakumaru taken down, he would suddenly succeed where others had failed?

Naruto sighed in exasperation and pulled Sasuke back.

Sasuke had his moments, but couldn't he choose a better time for them?

With Kitsuchi having been launched into the air and barely avoiding death, and every other ally incapacitated, only the two of them remained.

If Sasuke were to go down as well, their team would effectively be finished.

After dragging Sasuke back, Naruto let out a sigh of relief.

Perhaps due to his superior ocular power compared to Yakumaru, Sasuke hadn't lost consciousness from the backlash. But the strain left him clutching his head, cold sweat dripping down his face.

"Naruto, Toneri isn't moving—take this chance to seal his chakra!" Sasuke said, gritting his teeth and forcing himself to remain composed.

Hearing the reminder, Naruto finally noticed Toneri's frozen state. His heart leapt with joy as he dashed forward to use a sealing technique passed down from Kushina.

The black substance controlling Toneri left his body to avoid being sealed, retreating underground.

Seeing this, Sasuke felt a sense of relief.

As expected of Indra—he had successfully stalled Hyuga Fuji.

---

"You didn't tell them that you traded your knowledge to ensure their survival, did you?"

As his connection to Toneri broke and the Sea of Consciousness faded, Hyuga Fuji raised an eyebrow at Indra.

If Indra had been upfront about the deal, there wouldn't have been any need to seal Toneri.

"…"

Indra's expression remained stoic, but his silence spoke volumes.

He didn't need to explain. How could he possibly show weakness in front of his descendants?

Noticing Indra's reaction, Ashura shook his head with a wry smile.

Stubborn pride… but that's just who he is.

Turning to Hyuga Fuji, Ashura met his gaze directly and said in a low voice, "Everything my father taught me, I've passed on to you. I hope you'll honor your end of the bargain."

Hyuga Fuji's eyes flicked toward him. "Aren't you worried that this will help me reach the peak even faster? After all, this knowledge includes the secrets of crafting Truth-Seeking Balls."

"It's only a matter of time. Whether it happens sooner or later, once you gain the Tenseigan, you'll be able to create Truth-Seeking Balls anyway," Ashura replied.

"But that would only give me the results, not the understanding behind them. What you've shared with me is far more valuable."

Hyuga Fuji shook his head.

With Ashura's teachings, he could experiment with combining the seven chakra natures to create Truth-Seeking Balls, gradually mastering the process.

"For someone like you, I suppose it makes a difference. But to me, it's all the same," Ashura said with a sigh.

These so-called researchers, with their insatiable desire to trace every phenomenon to its core, were truly incomprehensible.

But he understood their reasoning.

To fully study chakra, one had to grasp its essence.

Using power and mastering power were entirely different concepts.

It was this understanding that had led Ashura to learn the process of crafting Truth-Seeking Balls, rather than merely relying on his father's power.

Satisfied that his part was done, Ashura prepared to leave. But just then, Indra, who had just handed over his knowledge of the Cursed Seal and ninjutsu, spoke up.

"There's something I'd like to ask you, as someone from the future. Do you believe understanding and love can truly bring peace?"

"Brother…"

Ashura stopped in his tracks, his expression complicated.

As he had feared, Indra still couldn't let go.

(End of Chapter)

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