Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 191: A Meteor Descends

"Shinra Tensei?"

The familiar technique unfolded before his eyes, and Naruto's gaze sharpened, though his heart was filled with doubt.

Hyuga Fuji had merely glanced at Kitsuchi, and Naruto hadn't sensed any chakra emanating from him.

Was it really the gravity-repelling Shinra Tensei?

Despite his confusion, Naruto kept his hands moving, controlling the Buddha's massive arms to strike at Hyuga Fuji repeatedly.

He was aware of the two comrades approaching from the distance. They had already rushed to assist the injured Kitsuchi, leaving Naruto with the responsibility of keeping Hyuga Fuji occupied and preventing him from making another move.

However, no matter how Naruto adjusted his attacks, not a single strike could land near Hyuga Fuji.

Every time the Buddha's fists launched, a spatial portal would appear in the perfect position, redirecting the attacks to disrupt the trajectory of other strikes.

Hyuga Fuji had remained motionless from the very start, not even bothering to dodge.

Naruto couldn't comprehend it.

How was such precise calculation even possible?

Even the Uchiha clan's famed shuriken manipulation technique required controlling their own projectiles to achieve precision, but this… this level of control defied reason.

In the future, Hyuga Fuji had overwhelmed his enemies with sheer, overwhelming power. Naruto had never witnessed him exhibit such masterful technique. The current situation couldn't simply be dismissed as skill—it bordered on omniscience.

Unless… unless his thoughts were being completely read by Hyuga Fuji!

"What did you do?"

Naruto, who had resolved not to exchange words with Hyuga Fuji, couldn't hold back his question.

"It seems that all you have is Wood Release," Hyuga Fuji remarked, disappointment evident in his voice as he observed Naruto's serious expression and lack of other techniques.

In this world, chakra was the foundation of everything.

As the reincarnation of Asura, Naruto possessed his chakra. With that, mastering Wood Release wasn't surprising.

By the same logic, Naruto should have been able to inherit other abilities that Asura had once wielded.

Truth-Seeking Orbs, for example—besides the Sage of Six Paths in the Pure Land, only Asura had wielded them.

'It seems that part of the inheritance requires memories to fully awaken. He'll need to further synchronize with Asura's chakra to achieve that. But when that happens, will Naruto still be himself, or will he become Asura? Is that why the Fire Nation didn't push Naruto's training any further?' Hyuga Fuji speculated inwardly.

"Hey, what did you do to me? And are you mocking the First Hokage's Wood Release?" Naruto shouted angrily, his frustration bubbling over.

"…"

Hyuga Fuji ignored Naruto's outburst and instead turned his gaze toward the two shinobi pulling Kitsuchi from the sand. His eyes lit with interest.

Chakra carried both memory and emotion. The chakras of Indra and Asura had led their reincarnations to find and clash with each other time and again. They could influence personalities, and while it was unclear whether they carried memories, their emotional imprint was undeniable.

Naruto's personality shifts were well within expectation. But what about this other individual?

And…

Hyuga Fuji's gaze shifted to the unfamiliar Hyuga ninja standing next to Sasuke. A faint smile tugged at his lips.

This one was intriguing as well.

"Naruto, stop embarrassing yourself with such ignorant behavior," Sasuke chided as he instructed Toneri to stabilize Kitsuchi's injuries with a medical talisman. He leapt to the top of the Buddha, glaring at Naruto with thinly veiled irritation. "You're making us look bad. Haven't you seen the way Kakashi-sensei is looking at you?"

"Hah? This is called staying true to myself! Did you forget Lady Tsunade's advice? Only by holding onto our individuality can we resist the influence of that special chakra!" Naruto retorted, his tone defiant.

Naruto knew a little about the Second Historical Text, including the presence of a unique chakra within him. Yamato had uncovered this when using his Wood Release chakra to view the historical text.

According to the records, the Senju and Uzumaki clans shared a common ancestor, whose chakra reincarnated and clashed with that of the Uchiha's ancestor across generations.

… Well, Naruto only remembered that much because it involved Sasuke.

Beyond the historical aspects, the Second Historical Text also detailed how to awaken that chakra and use it to grow stronger.

But there were severe consequences. Borrowing that external chakra would influence one's personality. While Naruto always felt his personality was natural and nothing was wrong, his mother's frequent remarks—like "I've raised him wrong; he's turning into another Obito. Time to try again"—had left him uneasy.

Because of that, he took Tsunade's advice very seriously.

What did it mean to "turn into another Obito"? He wasn't anything like someone bent on destroying the world!

"Don't use that chakra as an excuse," Sasuke said coldly, his tone icy as he recalled the foreign chakra within himself. "I know you too well. When you're upset, you shout and act out to draw attention."

All the while, Sasuke kept a wary eye on Hyuga Fuji, hovering in the air.

He had witnessed the earlier battle clearly.

Hyuga Fuji had managed to severely injure Kitsuchi without any detectable signs or alerts. His strength far exceeded their estimates.

This left Sasuke with no choice but to approach cautiously.

"…You really know me too well," Naruto muttered before asking quietly, "What about the Historical Text?"

The Second Historical Text was the cornerstone of Naruto and Sasuke's current strength. Losing it would have dire consequences.

"Toneri has already recovered it. Now we just need Mabui to complete her task, and our two most important objectives will be achieved. As for returning to the future… that depends on the outcome of this battle."

Sasuke maintained a composed exterior as he asked Naruto, "Do you think you can win?"

"No."

Naruto shook his head. "The Wood Release techniques I've mastered are too straightforward. Even bringing forth the Flower Tree World won't work on someone who knows the Flying Raijin. It's up to you to create an opening to attack his real body."

"I figured as much," Sasuke muttered under his breath, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as his Mangekyo Sharingan spun.

Noticing the determined looks in their eyes, Hyuga Fuji redirected his attention back to them, momentarily pausing his observations of Toneri.

Things had been set in motion over there. He could study it further later.

"That should be enough."

Hyuga Fuji's soft murmur floated through the air, confusing those who heard it.

Enough? Enough for what?

"Wait… what's that in the sky? A meteor?"

A Konoha ninja happened to glance upward and froze in place.

Hearing his alarmed voice, everyone looked up, spotting a glowing point in the sky that grew larger and brighter with each passing second.

The ground began to tremble. Heat waves and shockwaves from the descending meteor pressed against them, and the air itself seemed to grow hotter.

"Did he summon a meteor?"

Yakumaru and Kakashi exchanged stunned glances, disbelief written across their faces.

Without hesitation, Yakumaru abandoned all pretense, activating his Susano'o and shouting at the surrounding shinobi: "Run!"

(End of Chapter)