Naruto: The Shattered Eyes

Fifty faces sat around a scroll, thinking deeply to themselves. Each Suguru held a notepad in their hands, scribbling and discussing with each other in hushed tones so as to avoid disturbing their other doppelgangers.

As their chakra began to dwindle, they approached the scroll in front of them and completed their assigned portions.

Disappearing once their tasks were complete, with some finishing earlier than others.

"Hmmm,"

Suguru began absorbing their knowledge and organizing their insights as he meditated at the side. Despite the searing headache that assaulted him, he calmly continued his deductions and calculations on his own.

The shine of his Sharingan was vibrant — after all, every one of those fifty clones had the same eyes.

"We've shrunken it once again..."

Now, he could fit the entire formation inside a single scroll.

"But it isn't enough."

Suguru closed his eyes and breathed. Putting his hands together, he began forming another fifty clones, each armed with even more knowledge than last time.

It was time to repeat the endless cycle of shrinkage.

This was how Suguru spent his days.

Uncaring of the outside world, focusing only on his own tasks.

With such dedication, success would eventually come knocking on his doorstep. How could it not? Endless hours spent solely on a single task. Fifty different minds had spent days on a single problem.

And this was not counting the many weeks he had already devoted to this project.

Suguru had already invested years in accumulation thanks to his clones.

It was about time for him to succeed.

***

And he did.

Looking at the mark on the back of his hand, Suguru marveled at the Juinjutsu branch he had created for himself. Fuelled by his own chakra, he activated the mark.

Blood began seeping out of his skin, pooling above his hand and forming a crimson sphere. The sphere was perfect, oscillating on its own as if in resonance with the moving world beyond his laboratory.

Inspired by the Sensing Water Sphere and Sensing Barrier combination, Suguru decided on a similar approach — pairing his miniaturized Real Mirage Formation with a tangible representation.

His so-called, [Mark of the Mirage].

Now, Suguru had a certain dominance over the area he could sense — after all, the Real Mirage Formation wasn't merely a sensory-type existence.

It was also capable of casting extremely subtle Genjutsu.

Thus, Suguru found a way to further enhance his [Genjutsu: Infernal Mirage]. Given the wide range of his jutsus, he would also be a very difficult enemy to deal with.

From his archery to his Hellfire Artillery, his Kaisugan, and now his Mark of the Mirage...

"Haha,"

A laugh escaped Suguru's lips.

One project down, and another to go.

***

The next project was a little more daunting.

One reason for that was the imperfection of his array of materials. Namely, he lacked Hashirama's Cells to make the perfect, fast-growing, human clone farm.

If he proceeded with creating his human clone farm now, his calculations indicated a very slow growth rate — it would take many years before the first human clone would become 'ripe' for harvest. Suguru did not have that much time.

Furthermore, even Hashirama's Cells weren't enough. He needed to pair those cells with the Nine-Tails' Chakra Cloak.

Similar to how Naruto had induced trees to grow out of the perishing White Zetsus in the war, Suguru wanted to make use of such an abundant amount of life force.

Thus...

"I really need Kurama's chakra."

Suguru clicked his tongue. He guessed that Jiraiya had most likely brought Naruto to Mount Myoboku, therefore restricting his ability to interact with Kurama.

After all, finding Mount Myoboku was a problem he did not know how to solve unless he raided all of Konohagakure's files.

Of course, there was the option of somehow summoning himself there as a younger Jiraiya once did... But Suguru could not guarantee that he would indeed end up there.

A dilemma was what Suguru now faced.

"...For now, I'll focus on laying the foundations."

In the end, Suguru sighed and settled for what he had at the moment. Those final pieces of the puzzle could wait.

***

Kurama Yumiko had been focusing on herself ever since Suguru left the team to become a chuunin. She wanted to become strong enough for her parents to allow her to take the exam this year.

However, a pesky Kekkei Genkai was getting in her way.

One that should've only been given to a single member of the clan. Yumiko sighed.

'Yakumo-sama...'

She worried for her clan's heiress, her cousin. After all, it seemed like the Kekkei Genkai within her wasn't as potent as Kurama Yakumo's, who inherited it in its entirety. Yumiko was spared from having a split personality... At least for now.

That was what Yumiko was worried about.

'Had Hitomi-sensei kept her lips sealed, I wouldn't have known about this scary side effect of our clan's Kekkei Genkai...'

Yumiko shivered. Despite her arduous training in Genjutsu, she always made sure to keep her mind clear. She even went so far as to cast several Genjutsu upon herself, all to make sure no Ido was forming in her mind.

The fear of being controlled by a monster formed by her own mind scared her.

Unfortunately for her, her fears came to life today.

"Shit,"

A curse, as clear as day, escaped her lips.

Indeed, Yumiko was facing another version of herself. One who wore horns on her forehead, similar to an Oni. A splitting, monstrous image of herself.

Looming within the depths of her mind.

Yumiko's shadow clone hurriedly formed several seals and cast a Genjutsu on her main body. A jutsu she made for her own benefit would thus be tested in a trial of flames.

[Demonic Illusion: Hell's Own Mind]

Suddenly, the world around Yumiko and her monstrous personality shifted. What was once a white world filled with beautiful emptiness morphed into a ruined battlefield filled with corpses.

"..?"

The Demonic Yumiko looked around, seemingly amused.

A pang of panic engulfed Yumiko just then. Her heart drummed against her chest as her stomach lurched.

'...Oh no,'

[]=[]=[]=[]

I appreciate your support on P@treon! Hehe~

Link: pa treon.com/ubemantou

(No space.)

You can read up to 35 chapters ahead!

[]=[]=[]=[]