Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 149
🕑 Added 2025-01-20 20:22:01 +0000 UTCThe "Three Sacred Treasures" weren't easy to learn.
Masashi quickly understood this.
Because Fugaku, with his casual "learn it by tonight," almost made him forget—although these were ocular techniques, they were supplementary skills for Susanoo.
In other words, using the "Three Sacred Treasures" required activating Susanoo first.
Who could just casually activate Susanoo at home?
What would happen? The house collapsed while you were sitting there?
So, he began to suspect that Fugaku might have an ulterior motive with his "teaching plan."
"What's wrong?" Fugaku noticed Masashi's gaze.
The two were sitting in Fugaku's courtyard at the time.
"Well, the way you're teaching... I just can't learn it like this." Masashi sighed.
"Understand it first, then you'll find it easier to learn," Fugaku replied. "I'll use transcription sealing. You release it with Susanoo once, and that'll do."
"Oh, I see..." Masashi, realizing he was the student here, decided it was best to be obedient. He continued to listen carefully.
Fugaku began by explaining the origin of the "Three Sacred Treasures," followed by their mechanics and application.
For example, the Sword of Totsuka was originally devised to deal with certain unusual opponents—illusions that had essentially gained sentience. Later, it was adapted to drain others' mental energy and replenish the user's ocular power, prolonging the Mangekyō Sharingan's usability.
This second development was thanks to Izuna, who was hailed as the perfect ninja.
The Yata Mirror was easier to understand; it was a defensive technique modeled after the Uchiha fan. Essentially, it was the Susanoo version of the "Uchiha Reflection."
The Yasaka Beads, on the other hand, mimicked the tailed beast bomb. Chakra was condensed to an extreme degree and then hurled in a shuriken-like motion for explosive results.
These three techniques maximized Susanoo's combat potential.
Unless one achieved the Perfect Susanoo, where the technique itself became a superpower amplifier, at which point the "Three Sacred Treasures" would be optional.
This progression reflected a fundamental reality of the shinobi world—the reason why technical prowess couldn't keep up with sheer power was that power levels were often absurdly high.
From his perspective, though, even with a Perfect Susanoo, these techniques still held value.
He disagreed with the tendency to ignore other techniques as ocular powers evolved.
After all, only a few could wield Yin-Yang Release, and even that couldn't negate senjutsu.
While Masashi was engrossed in learning from Fugaku, in the neighboring room, Hikari was busy preparing for his stay that night.
She reflected on the questions Mikoto had asked her earlier that day. She wasn't naive and quickly pieced together what was going on.
After all, she had been raised in a ninja clan and understood these dynamics.
Men in ninja clans typically resolved marriage matters around their early twenties. This practice ensured a balanced allocation of time between career and family—the most practical age for marriage.
Masashi was no exception. If anything, strong ninjas often married earlier. The fact that he hadn't yet was already quite unusual.
As a civilian in a world that greatly favored male ninjas, Hikari was undeniably in a vulnerable position.
Her once fervent attachment to her clan, stemmed from a need for survival. She knew that as a weak girl from a fallen clan, safety and stability were only attainable under the protection of a prominent ninja clan.
To the shinobi villages, a clan's relevance lay in its reputation.
In truth, her insistence on the Yuki name had less to do with sentiment and more with survival.
Joining the Uchiha wasn't her first choice because she doubted they would accept her. She didn't believe she had that kind of worth. Ice Release wasn't impressive compared to the Sharingan.
But she soon realized how wrong she was.
The Uchiha clan was nothing like she had imagined. The clan members were shockingly humane, completely different from Kiri's cold, profit-driven ways.
With this revelation, she tentatively sought to join the Uchiha clan. To her surprise, it went smoothly.
From then on, the name "Yuki" no longer mattered. Let someone else revive that clan if they wished. She hadn't even inherited the Yuki surname because she wasn't a kunoichi.
Haku cared even less. He had no concept of the Yuki clan to begin with.
Both siblings were thrilled to adopt the Uchiha name. In the Land of Water, only nobles and ninja clans bore surnames. Though no one openly discussed it, everyone knew the distinction.
From that moment, Hikari was wholeheartedly devoted to Masashi, treating herself as his loyal servant.
She truly wanted to repay the kindness. But she hadn't expected Mikoto to consider her a potential wife for Masashi.
The Uchiha clan had selected several suitable candidates for him.
Hikari, however, distinctly remembered that Masashi had a good relationship with a kunoichi named Pakura. Yet Mikoto hadn't mentioned her name.
When asked, she explained that the Uchiha clan had traditional values. They believed in full integration through marriage. Without adopting the Uchiha name, Pakura wasn't fully "one of them."
Hikari thought it was too soon to make such judgments.
What if Pakura had simply forgotten? Or perhaps she didn't understand these clan customs?
Still, she decided to act first. She couldn't wait any longer. Gratitude had to be expressed without delay.
In this unfamiliar land far from home, she longed for warmth and a fresh start to forget her past pain. People from the Land of Water were well-acquainted with this concept.
So, she meticulously prepared.
By around 8 p.m., a knock came at the door.
Hikari rose and opened it.
Standing at the entrance was a kunoichi.
"Ah, hello." The woman's attire and hair color were distinct from the Uchiha members. At the moment, she seemed slightly embarrassed. "I'm here to see Masashi. I heard he's not going home tonight."
"Yes, Lady Mikoto mentioned that the clan leader and Masashi have important matters to discuss, so he'll be staying here tonight," Hikari carefully explained. She studied the woman's appearance and guessed, "Are you Pakura?"
"That's right. Since he hasn't returned yet, would it be okay if I waited inside?" Pakura found Hikari's politeness and gentle tone quite pleasing. "I have some matters to discuss with him."
"Of course. Please come in."
Hikari warmly invited her to sit in the living room and then went to make tea for her.
Her hospitality made Pakura feel a little uneasy.
It was just too polite.
Pakura, who was more accustomed to a straightforward way of life, found Konoha's customs vastly different from Suna's. Life here was full of intricate manners and formalities, so she rarely ventured out.
The disparity in customs made her uncomfortable.
Honestly, some aspects of Konoha's way of life felt overly elaborate to her.
What surprised her even more was that the people of Kiri seemed to be even more particular about their way of life than those in Konoha.
Watching Hikari's figure bustle about in the kitchen, Pakura, knowing the girl's background, couldn't help but feel sympathy.
Before long, Hikari returned with a cup of freshly brewed tea.
"Thank you," Pakura said, accepting the cup from her.
"Oh no, I don't deserve your thanks," Hikari replied modestly, sitting across from Pakura. Her large, dark eyes stared intently at her. "You're being far too polite."
"Is that so..." Pakura murmured, holding the tea in both hands and inwardly suppressing her thoughts.
Back when she was fighting against the Kiri ninjas, she had already found the people of Kiri to be quite... peculiar. Now, looking at this girl—someone born of a ninja clan—she couldn't help but think: if even she was like this, the others had to be even more eccentric.
"By the way, I heard that you and your brother both changed your surname?"
"Well, we never really had a surname to begin with, so it's not so much 'changing' as it is adopting one," Hikari replied with a smile. "But, honestly, I was quite nervous before it was finalized."
No, you didn't look nervous at all, Pakura thought.
The reason for her visit to Masashi today wasn't anything particularly urgent. She had simply heard that he had mastered the Magnet Release and was curious.
She also wanted to ask him about a few other things while she was here.
As Pakura mulled over her thoughts, Hikari was also observing her guest, silently marveling at her presence.
This skilled user of the Scorch Release was truly breathtaking in terms of physique. Her curves were undeniable, and though her expression was serious, her figure was anything but. No wonder there were so many rumors about her.
According to Hikari's knowledge, Masashi was quite particular about appearances—he prioritized physique even more than facial features.
Above all, however, he valued strength and disliked it when others meddled in his plans.
When dealing with the Uchiha clan's arrangements, he would never openly say, "I refuse and will do things my way." Instead, he would subtly find ways to achieve the outcomes he desired.
That said, a wild stallion would always choose its own rider.
Hikari had prepared herself for this a long time ago, including gathering the necessary "equipment" in advance.
Even though she wasn't a kunoichi, she understood the importance of being prepared for battle.
She couldn't shake the feeling that there might already be something going on between Pakura and Masashi. As a self-proclaimed expert in theory, she could sense these things, and Pakura's demeanor wasn't exactly denying it.
Perhaps this wild stallion had grown accustomed to Masashi's crop. Maybe he had frequently brushed the stallion's nose, forehead, and neck with it, or lightly swished it through the air near the horse's ears, helping it get used to the movement and sound.
Then again, perhaps she was oversimplifying things.
After all, a skilled rider didn't only carry a crop; their arsenal included a variety of items, allowing for diverse tactics.
This realization made her feel a strong sense of urgency.
The more she observed Pakura, the more formidable she seemed.
Determined to act, Hikari decided she would find an excuse to hide her "riding equipment" upstairs later. If there was indeed going to be a riding event tonight, she wanted it to be fully under her control.
Fortunately, Haku had been invited to Setsuna's house for the night, so everything was perfectly set. All that was left was to seize the moment.
As these thoughts crossed her mind, she glanced at Pakura, her gaze suddenly burning with intensity.
---
Masashi was just leaving the Fugaku residence.
He had been escorted out by Itachi and Sasuke, as Fugaku had claimed to be too tired to do so himself.
But Masashi's thoughts were preoccupied with other matters—specifically, how to maneuver Shisui into a position as a clan leader candidate before Fugaku retired.
In truth, Shisui was the most legitimate representative of the Uchiha clan.
The current system of governance had been established by Tobirama, and among his selected guards—the elite circle he designed to wield supreme power in Konoha—Kagami had been a key figure. As Kagami's descendant, Shisui naturally had close ties to the Hokage administration.
In the original timeline, aside from Danzō, who treated everyone with suspicion, the rest of the Hokage administration genuinely saw him as one of their own.
As for mastering the "Three Sacred Treasures," after borrowing so much, it was only fair to borrow a little from the clan leader too.
"That's enough. You two don't need to walk me any further," Masashi said, stretching his neck and arms. "You're both probably tired. Go home and rest early."
"Uncle Masashi... I mean, Masashi-nii," Sasuke stammered, changing his usual greeting under Masashi's threatening glare. "What are these 'sacred treasures' you and Father keep talking about? And why do they require training?"
Good question!
"Because they're simply advanced ninjutsu. The term 'sacred treasures' is just a figure of speech," Masashi replied, patting Sasuke's head. "Also, call me Brother from now on, okay? You're too young to be worrying about family titles. If you really tried to follow all the proper titles, you'd be tongue-tied every time you stepped out of the house."
This little Indra reincarnation had somehow learned about their extended family relationships and insisted on calling him "Uncle."
"Oh..." Sasuke nodded, still confused. Weren't proper titles a sign of good manners?
"Have you been keeping up with your training while I was away?" Masashi asked. Since he had run into them, he figured he might as well check.
"Of course!" Sasuke perked up, eager to share. "Masashi-nii, the techniques you taught me are amazing! I can totally beat Naruto now."
No, you can't. You're lying through your teeth.
I saw the two of you fighting—it ended in a draw, with one pulling hair and the other yanking pants.
But Masashi decided not to call him out. If he embarrassed the boy, he might become even more insufferable.
"Alright, alright, I'm heading out. I'm exhausted and need some rest," Masashi said, bidding the brothers farewell as he made his way to Hikari's house.
Though tired, he prided himself on good hygiene. He would definitely take a bath before going to bed.
During that downtime, he planned to check in on Haku's training progress.
After all, the boy was his official disciple, so he couldn't afford to embarrass himself.
