Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 118
🕑 Added 2025-01-05 19:42:33 +0000 UTCGenji stared calmly at the smooth cuts on the thorny branches before him.
Anyone who had seen Hashirama or Madara in action would find it hard for any grand scene to stir their heart again.
Those two—anything you could imagine, they'd already done, and on a scale beyond your wildest dreams.
Similarly, anyone who had witnessed Muzo in combat and managed to survive would no longer be fazed by bizarre occurrences. After all, nothing could outmatch the sheer variety of his techniques.
Genji had, by chance, seen all of these people in action.
To be honest, the scene before him now neither matched the grandeur of the first two nor the intricate creativity of Muzo.
Having lived for so many years, expecting him to pull off a "stunned old man" face was really asking too much.
In contrast, Ao wasn't nearly as composed.
"How did you do it?" he asked Masashi.
Just moments ago, a wave of sharp thorny branches had surged toward them, and Ao had been sure it was the end.
Abandoning the elder to escape on his own was not an option—if they were going to die, they'd die together.
Then Masashi had appeared. With a single seal, a miracle occurred.
The area they occupied became like a forbidden zone. Anything crossing the "boundary" simply vanished.
When it was all over, the trio stood at the center of a semicircular clearing, surrounded by a forest of cold, twisted thorns.
"This is the Flying Thunder God of Tobirama, isn't it?" Genji observed. "It seems Konoha has perfected this jutsu."
"Humbly speaking, it was the genius of the Fourth Hokage that perfected the jutsu, turning it into a mature technique. It's now much easier to learn," Masashi replied earnestly.
"As expected of the Hokage," Genji said with admiration in his tone. "Konoha is truly blessed with exceptional talent. I envy it deeply."
Who are you fooling? He thought. You think I don't know what the Yellow Flash's Flying Thunder God looks like?
"Your trustworthiness to the Hokage is truly admirable," he said with a smile. "No wonder you've been entrusted with such critical negotiations. The Uchiha and Senju seem to have finally put their grudges behind them and united. A truly joyous occasion."
"Indeed! The Hokage specifically nominated our clan leader as an advisor. You wouldn't believe how much pressure he's under now—he's even stopped practicing calligraphy because he's so worried about disappointing the Hokage."
"Wonderful, truly wonderful," Genji said with an approving nod. "Kiri and the Uchiha have come to know each other through battle. In the future, we must foster closer ties."
"We must," Masashi agreed with a sigh. "To be honest, Genji-sama, our clan struggles with social connections. We've got plenty of young, eligible bachelors, but they're all single. I've noticed Kiri has more women than men—many outstanding young ladies are stuck waiting to be chosen. That's just unfair."
What a cunning devil! Genji thought. I haven't even made a move on your Uchiha yet, and here you are targeting Kiri.
"Young women deserve to be cherished," Masashi continued righteously. "It's unjust for them to be overlooked. Why not build connections through mutual exchange?"
"Well said! Masashi, you and I think alike." Genji nodded repeatedly, as though he had found a kindred spirit. "In fact, I won't hide it from you—I have a niece. She's proper, capable, and wise but has struggled to find a good match."
"Oh? That's truly unfortunate." Masashi raised an eyebrow, instantly on alert. "But let's finish dealing with these traitors first. We can discuss this later."
"Of course. We'll talk afterward." Genji wasn't concerned. Once a topic was opened, there was always room to revisit it.
After this mission, the complementary strengths of Kiri and Konoha would undoubtedly usher in a stable honeymoon period. How best to leverage this would require skillful maneuvering.
---
Meanwhile, Ao said nothing.
He'd figured it out—these two weren't planning anything good.
Sigh… They hadn't even started working together, and already there was scheming and manipulation. Genji was an elder, so it was understandable. But why was the so-called White Ghost just as full of tricks?
Wasn't he supposed to be a combat specialist?
Even with the fall of the "Darkness of the Shinobi," Konoha was still crawling with scoundrels.
Finally, the conversation shifted to the task at hand. He rolled up his sleeves and readied his kunai.
He'd already tried dealing with the thorny wood—they were tough as steel. Genji was an old man, so heavy physical activity was out of the question.
"Ao."
Hm? What is the White Ghost calling me for?
Don't you dare use some massive jutsu! The elder can't handle that kind of stress!
"Masashi, the elder's age makes him fragile. We must be cautious," Ao said nervously, eyeing the Uchiha.
Everyone knew the White Ghost's modus operandi: go big right from the start and keep escalating. His jutsu left nothing behind but devastation.
"Don't worry." Masashi placed a hand on Ao's shoulder, teleporting him back to Genji's side. Then, he began forming seals. "My jutsu isn't that inconvenient."
Drawing on knowledge passed down from Black Zetsu, he felt it—this time, he could do it.
Flame-like patterns crept across his face. White chakra became visible, radiating a cold aura.
Ao panicked and rushed to shield Genji.
White Ghost, you're insane! You promised caution, and now you're summoning some ice giant, aren't you?
Konoha ninjas were indeed unreliable.
He heard Genji's breathing grow heavy.
As expected, the elder's body couldn't handle the White Ghost's jutsu!
"Whi—" Ao started, ready to berate Masashi.
Suddenly, a powerful force pushed him aside.
"Genji-sama?"
"Shut up, Ao!"
Ao stared, dumbfounded, at Genji. The elder was staring intently at Masashi.
Crack. Crack.
A strange sound filled the air.
Ao witnessed something utterly bizarre.
It was a spine. A massive one.
This colossal spine seemed spiritual, passing through the two men as it stood tall before them.
It was formed from Masashi's constantly expanding chakra.
What kind of jutsu was this? Ao's confusion didn't hinder the jutsu's completion.
Under Masashi's control, the white chakra expanded to encompass all three of them.
Before the two men, the initial spine had grown into a complete humanoid upper skeleton. Muscles began forming on it, and the chakra shell contracted to create "skin."
"Susanoo…" Genji murmured with a sigh.
Konoha… No, the Uchiha clan had awakened this power once more. No wonder this man could serve as an advisor to the Hokage.
Although the White Ghost's Susanoo was immature, that depended on who you were comparing it to.
Genji also noticed something terrifying—his Sharingan remained at the three-tomoe stage!
The Uchiha clan had refined this technique to such a level!?
If someone were to tell Genji that a genius from the Uchiha clan could activate Susanoo at the three-tomoe stage, even if it was just a basic version, that person would probably be chased across the village by his wielding his staff.
Did they think geniuses could achieve anything?! Was "it's a genius" the answer to everything?
He didn't believe individual talent alone could accomplish such a feat; it could only be the result of collective wisdom.
If Masashi knew what Genji was thinking at this moment, he would undoubtedly give him a thumbs-up.
When he walked the world as Muzo, he had mastered almost all the Senju clan's ninjutsu. In terms of sheer quantity, he knew more techniques than any other Senju.
The reason it was almost all was that some techniques had ludicrous "hardware requirements" he couldn't meet, but he still understood their principles. During this process, he learned an enormous amount.
Tobirama spent most of his life studying the Uchiha, but he wasn't the first Senju to do so—he merely built upon and perfected the knowledge of his predecessors.
And all of this knowledge was taught to Muzo.
Thus, when Masashi acquired this knowledge, he wasn't acting alone—he had the wisdom of generations standing behind him.
After joining the Uchiha clan, he naturally gained access to the collective achievements and insights of the Uchiha's ancestors, including historical studies of activating Susanoo at the three-tomoe stage.
So now, he essentially had two legacies supporting him.
On this foundation, Black Zetsu gave him the final push, shoving him through the door.
And now, combined with the immense amplifying power of Sage Mode, he had finally unleashed it.
The appearance of Susanoo differs among Uchiha, but the basic versions are usually quite similar. At this moment, his half-formed Susanoo had taken on a rather generic form.
Simply put, it looked like something that screamed "bad guy."
There was no helping it—basic versions are like that. Aesthetics couldn't be a priority; whether the configuration met requirements was key.
The Susanoo raised its hand and swept aside the dense forest of thorny wood ahead.
In the deafening roar, the entire Mizukage Building seemed to tremble.
The strength of a perfect jinchūriki lay in their ability to continuously use the Tailed Beast Cloak. Even simple punches and kicks carried the same destructive power as elemental ninjutsu.
Whether or not Susanoo was based on this principle was up for debate, but in terms of results, it was just as, if not more, effective.
The thorny wood was hard and sharp, but in front of Susanoo, it was meaningless.
Even protected within the Susanoo, both Ao and Genji could feel its overwhelming power.
It was as if a blunt metal weapon were smashing through tofu.
Segments of thorny wood were effortlessly torn apart, flying out alongside debris into the clear blue sky outside, then crashing down freely. The nearby Kiri ANBU, who were stationed as watchers, wailed in misery, their curses rising to new creative heights.
The thorny wood tried its best to hinder Susanoo on its path. Unfortunately, its sharp edges couldn't even leave a scratch on it.
This level of defense far surpassed the Sage Art: Majestic Attire that he had previously used.
That was a technique forcibly mimicking Susanoo through Sage Mode amplification. The chakra hadn't undergone any qualitative changes, and the strength was deliberately reduced; otherwise, he couldn't have used it at all.
This time, however, he was unleashing Susanoo at its original strength.
In truth, the Mangekyō Sharingan didn't require hand seals to activate Susanoo. This was likely due to the skill bonus that came with the Mangekyō. But this was Masashi's first time, and he was meticulous about his ninjutsu.
The result was excellent.
Even though it was just a basic, armorless version of Susanoo, it effortlessly displayed incredible defensive power.
"Absolute defense" might be an exaggeration, but unless he faced a god, it was practically absolute.
Susanoo, truly worthy of being the symbol of the Uchiha's power.
In Black Zetsu's words, this was the "Eye of Indra."
Every pair of three-tomoe Sharingan inherently possessed the power of Indra. In the past, due to the Uchiha's chosen path of power, they had to stimulate their spirit to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, forcing out their latent potential.
But achieving Mangekyō meant abandoning the infinite possibilities that came with Indra.
Now, Masashi decided that the three-tomoe was good enough. He didn't see the need to change it.
Between Indra and Obito, he chose Indra.
After clearing the thorn forest, he continued to release chakra.
An enormous flow of it surged into the lower half of Susanoo.
That familiar sound echoed again.
Susanoo's body began to grow taller.
Along with it, the three occupants were lifted into the air as chakra gained form, supporting them.
Susanoo's head pierced through the ceiling and emerged into the upper floor. Its arms swung, tearing through the floor above.
Finally, it was complete: a colossal warrior, radiating white light, stood tall.
With its movement, the ground creaked ominously. Cracks spread out like spiderwebs.
Both Ao and Genji immediately realized what was happening.
Genji instinctively tightened his grip on his cane.
Despite his vast experience, at his age, he needed to take free falls seriously.
Ao instinctively reached out to support Genji, earning a glare in return—Are you planning to help me jump off a building?
In the next moment, with the sound of shattering floors, Susanoo's body began to fall.
The anticipated feeling of weightlessness didn't come. From their perspective, they only saw a tide of rubble crash against the chakra barrier ahead, unable to advance.
Genji let go of his cane, sighing with awe.
Who would have thought that in his lifetime, he would experience sitting inside Susanoo?
It was… surprisingly comfortable.
And so, to the sound of continuous booms, Susanoo descended floor by floor.
Finally, with a thunderous crash, it landed firmly.
In front of the two, Masashi released his hand seals.
Guided by his will, Susanoo took a step forward and began walking outside.
It's far more flexible than Prometheus…
Feeling the difference in operation, he was quite satisfied.
In the original timeline, Madara and Sasuke had demonstrated the endless possibilities of Susanoo.
It could only be said that Yin Release was a power that pushed imagination to its limit—if you could think it, you could do it.
The chakra consumption is higher compared to Prometheus. I'll use Ice Release for the small fry in the future.
Masashi quickly grasped many of the differences between the two.
Boom—!
Like a raging bull, Susanoo burst through the thorn forest, revealing a clear view ahead.
