Malphegor
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HTP: Ch. 21
🕑 Added 2025-05-27 17:59:18 +0000 UTCHiruzen quickly received news from the Hyūga clan. All of the elders of the main house had suddenly "died of illness" overnight.
When the ANBU reported this to him, he was sitting in the Hokage's office. A wisp of smoke rose slowly from the pipe in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed, and his eyes filled with complex emotions.
"All died of illness? Hiashi truly is a man with the Will of Fire," he muttered softly.
In the end, Hiashi was not Fugaku.
"Yes," the kneeling ANBU respectfully replied. "The Hyūga clan publicly claims it was a sudden illness, but our investigation suggests otherwise. Last night, there was a strong chakra surge from the Hyūga estate."
Hiruzen was silent for a moment, then waved his hand. "No need to pay further attention. This is an internal matter of the Hyūga clan. The ANBU need not interfere."
"Yes!" the ANBU replied and withdrew.
---
Not long after, Hiashi arrived at the Hokage's office. His left arm was wrapped in thick plaster bandages, his face pale and his expression weary.
He said, "From today onward, the Hyūga clan will no longer be divided into main and branch houses."
Hiruzen praised Hiashi for his resolve, saying the Hyūga clan was truly worthy of being called the strongest clan in Konoha, indeed a pillar of the village. In his eyes, Hiashi even possessed the qualities of a Hokage.
Soon after, he received more updates from the secretary's office. Suna had finally caved under pressure. They agreed to reduce the compensation amount and would be sending Gaara and his siblings to Konoha to study the Will of Fire.
Having lost the Kazekage and suffering the devastating blow of the "Suna Crush Plan," they lost many of their capable ninjas who could engage in foreign conflict. It turned out Suna was even weaker than anticipated.
Now, they likely feared not only Konoha's retaliation but also that sly Ōnoki might exploit the situation. At this point, they were practically in a state of needing Konoha's protection, truly the weakest among the Five Great Nations.
Even giving their own jinchūriki to Konoha, and allowing the next Kazekage to grow under the Will of Fire… Suna seemed destined to become a vassal of Konoha from now on. Yet perhaps that wasn't entirely a bad thing for them.
Moreover, the pressure from Akatsuki now fell on Konoha.
---
In a foreign land, no, more accurately, another world entirely, a massive Marine battleship was speeding through the ocean, the "Justice" banner at its bow flapping fiercely in the wind.
On the deck, all Marine personnel were carrying out their tasks in an orderly fashion. But what was strange was the complete silence on the ship. From the Rear Admiral down to the lowest-ranked Marines, everyone moved mechanically, no banter, no jokes, not even a word of conversation.
For such a long and dull sea voyage, this was an almost surreal sight.
Was it due to the tense atmosphere before an imminent battle? After all, the ship was headed straight into the territory controlled by the Whitebeard Pirates.
A mere Marine Rear Admiral provoking Whitebeard? Utter madness.
Of course, that wasn't the case. All Marine personnel were under the control of a genjutsu.
Standing on the deck, Itachi looked out at the endless sea ahead, still finding it all hard to believe, it felt like he himself was trapped in a genjutsu.
He recalled the moment of departure and the crucial briefing he'd received about this world's inhabitants.
It had been in the Hokage's office. Hiruzen had explained, "This world is different from ours. The people there don't naturally possess chakra networks like we do. However, they have something called 'Haki,' which is a spiritual energy that flows through all living beings. Our research suggests that Haki and chakra share similar pathways in the human body."
He paused, taking a long draw from his pipe. "Your Sharingan's ocular genjutsu operates differently from standard techniques. Instead of manipulating existing chakra, it directly affects the target's nervous system through visual contact. But to maintain long-term control over multiple targets without chakra, you'll need to establish artificial chakra networks."
Itachi had nodded. "By injecting trace amounts of my own chakra into their systems?"
"Precisely. By creating temporary chakra pathways, you can then manipulate them. The stronger their willpower, their Haki, the more chakra you'll need to inject and maintain control."
Now, standing on the deck, Itachi reflected on how this theory had played out in practice. When he first arrived in this world, he had tested his abilities on a few ordinary citizens. His Sharingan could indeed place them under basic illusions through eye contact alone, but the effects were fleeting without chakra networks to sustain them.
Ordinary people's baseline resistance to genjutsu was actually lower than in the shinobi world, they had no training against mental intrusion techniques.
The Marines had proven more challenging. Their training and discipline gave them stronger mental resistance. The Rear Admiral especially had required a significant chakra injection to establish the artificial pathways needed for long-term control.
Initially, he thought controlling just the Rear Admiral in charge would be enough. However, he quickly discovered that the Marines in this world operated with rigid hierarchy and protocol. The moment something seemed off with a Rear Admiral, subordinates would immediately report it through their Den Den Mushi communication system. To avoid complications, he ultimately decided to control the entire crew of the ship.
The process had been exhausting. Each person required individual treatment, followed by visual contact to establish the genjutsu connection. The stronger their underlying Haki, the more chakra he had to invest. Some of the veteran Marines had taken considerable effort, their willpower creating natural resistance even after the artificial chakra networks were established. Still, with the Mangekyō Sharingan and sufficient chakra injection, even they could be controlled.
At the same time, he also tested the combat strength of this world's fighters. Rear Admiral-level officers were not difficult for him to handle in direct combat, but their mental fortitude was notably higher than most ninjas he'd encountered.
He decided that when he faced Whitebeard, if it worked, the mission would naturally be completed.
If the chakra injection fails, or if Kotoamatsukami proves insufficient... I'll find another way to carry out Mission Objective One, Itachi thought silently, his calm gaze looking off into the distance.
Just then, the Rear Admiral under genjutsu control walked up to him. His eyes were vacant as he respectfully bowed and reported, "Commander Itachi, we are now approaching the territory controlled by the Whitebeard Pirates. If we continue, we may be attacked by them."
Itachi nodded slightly. "Very well. Lower a small boat. I'll go alone. You all return."
"Yes." The Rear Admiral complied without hesitation, then added, "Wishing you success in your mission."
Itachi gave no response, only a slight nod. Internally, he began the process of gradually withdrawing his chakra from the artificial networks he'd created in each crew member. The genjutsu would fade naturally once his chakra dissipated from their systems.
Soon, a small lifeboat was lowered.
He leapt lightly onto the boat, forming hand seals with one hand as he channeled chakra into the boat's hull. Under his control, the small boat shot across the sea like an arrow, speeding toward the territory of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Meanwhile, the Marine warship turned around and slowly sailed away from the dangerous waters. The sailors on the deck remained expressionless, like soulless puppets, but the artificial chakra networks were already beginning to deteriorate without Itachi's active maintenance.
That was, until they returned to port. One by one, the Marine officers and sailors disembarked without expression, heading to their respective posts.
However, the moment they stepped into the base, the last traces of foreign chakra finally dissipated from their systems. The artificial pathways collapsed, and the genjutsu quietly lifted, like an alarm waking them from a nightmare.
Their empty gazes suddenly cleared. The base instantly erupted with noise and chaos. The Marines looked around at one another, their faces filled with confusion.
"What's going on? How did I get to the base?"
"Wasn't I on a battleship? Why am I here?!"
"What the hell happened?! I remember setting sail, but everything after that is... blank!"
The officers were even more furious, shouting in outrage.
"Report to Marine Headquarters immediately! There's a dangerous individual at sea, this guy can control people's minds!"
"Itachi! He said his name was Uchiha Itachi! He's gone to the Whitebeard Pirates!"
