Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 147
🕑 Added 2025-01-19 16:28:11 +0000 UTCThe Uchiha clan's training grounds, while referred to as a "grounds," were actually a large complex of multi-functional buildings.
Because the clan's ninjutsu excelled in direct combat, it was designed to be extensive from the very founding of the village.
During the era of Tobirama, the Uchiha clan's territory was relocated for the first time. Although moved to the relatively remote southern suburbs, the clan was granted a larger expanse of land in return.
Thus, the newly constructed training grounds were almost absurdly large.
They were designed to accommodate all the Uchiha clan's shinobi for simultaneous training. There was even a full-scale simulation battlefield capable of supporting a full Police Force unit's military exercises.
While Tobirama imposed a ceiling on the Uchiha clan's political power by confining them within the framework of the Police Force, he also granted them substantial economic privileges.
For example, the Uchiha clan was allowed to sell their signature explosive tags and refined ninja tools to Konoha's allies through official channels. This quickly enabled them to accumulate the resources needed to develop their new territory.
The new Uchiha district and the existence of the Police Force spurred rapid development in the southern part of the village. Today, the southern district was nearly as prosperous as the northern district.
The once desolate land was now integrated with the northern district. However, the prosperity was mostly limited to the area between the northern district and the Police Force headquarters. Beyond that lay the Uchiha territory and the prison grounds, consisting largely of military areas and workshops, kept separate from residential zones.
As a regular visitor to the training grounds, Masashi had never fully utilized them over the years. For instance, he had never set foot on the simulation battlefield, having joined the Police Force only after the Third Great Ninja War.
After entering the training grounds, Fugaku led him straight to the simulation battlefield.
Looking around, Masashi found it unexpectedly scenic, with clear hills and streams.
However, traces of damage caused by explosive tags could still be seen in the terrain, and most of the remaining scars were from fire jutsu.
"It hasn't been properly cleaned up lately," Fugaku muttered, his professional instincts kicking in. "It's gotten a bit neglected."
"That's probably because there was a training session not long ago," Masashi said. "It can't be helped. After all, integrating the Aburame clan takes time."
Since the Aburame clan joined the Police Force, all of Konoha's peripheral clans were now colleagues.
The Police Force was now essentially omnipresent in Konoha.
With Byakugan and Sharingan for vision, Inuzuka's sense of smell, and Aburame's bugs in vegetation, infiltration into Konoha was virtually impossible.
Even with Masashi's current abilities, if he were an enemy of Konoha, he wouldn't be able to sneak in unnoticed under this setup.
Spies from other villages would have no choice but to disguise themselves as merchants or similar roles—there were no other viable options.
"Let's just go with that," Fugaku said ambiguously and walked deeper into the simulation battlefield.
Ascending a relatively "clean" hillside, he turned back to look at Masashi.
Masashi, puzzled, stared back.
He found Fugaku's behavior somewhat unusual today.
"How strong do you think you are now?" Fugaku asked.
"Hmm..." Masashi pondered for a moment. It was good to remain humble. This was always the safer approach. But he didn't want to undervalue himself either.
"I'd say I'm solid," he replied. "But there are plenty of strong shinobi out there. I'd call it being more than capable of self-defense."
"You're a genius, Masashi," Fugaku said, uncharacteristically effusive with praise. "The jutsu you've recorded in the archives now have their own dedicated section. Everyone's begun learning the Yang Release techniques you've introduced. You're also the first in the clan's history to use Susanoo with a three-tomoe Sharingan."
"Fugaku-sama, you flatter me," Masashi replied, slightly embarrassed.
He wasn't great at handling compliments—it was a long-standing quirk. Too much praise, and he tended to get carried away.
"But even so," Fugaku continued, "you're not the only one in the Uchiha clan's history to achieve such feats. Now, come and defeat me."
Masashi froze.
"Isn't this moving a bit too fast?"
Though he didn't say it aloud, he felt he was already the strongest in the clan.
Surely Fugaku wasn't planning to take a beating and then conveniently step down? It wasn't out of the question for him.
If Orochimaru was a "villain" driven by curiosity, Fugaku was a clan leader driven by passion for his family.
His only motivation to hold this position was his love for the clan.
But to be fair, among the previous generation, only Fugaku was truly suited to be the Uchiha clan leader.
"Masashi, you disdain traditional Uchiha values, but that proves you're deeply traditional yourself," Fugaku said with an unchanged expression. "You'd better come at me seriously. If you're determined to walk a new path, you need to know what the old path was like."
Masashi dropped his smile, realizing Fugaku was serious.
"Fine, but be careful," Masashi said, his scarlet Sharingan spinning. "I am quite strong."
"Don't joke, Masashi," Fugaku finally smiled. "It's you who should be careful."
In the blink of an eye, several shuriken appeared behind Masashi.
But he moved faster than the shuriken. His body disappeared from its original position as he charged toward Fugaku.
At the same time, Fugaku's eyes shifted, revealing his unique Mangekyō Sharingan pattern.
Crimson chakra materialized around him, forming Susanoo's hand in an instant. The fingers stretched out to grab the incoming Masashi.
The speed of his technique was impressive. Not only was it partial, but the arm was also fully formed, demonstrating his mastery of Susanoo.
This wasn't his first time using it—he had clearly used it many times before.
Masashi was perplexed.
Fugaku possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan, but it was a regular one. To achieve such proficiency with Susanoo required considerable practice. How had he replenished his ocular power?
Yang training alone couldn't account for this.
White chakra burst from Masashi's body as he partially summoned his own Susanoo's arm, aiming to clash with Fugaku's giant crimson arm.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, the hill was flattened, and the two figures were blasted in opposite directions.
"If you can use Susanoo, it's natural to copy the Akimichi clan's Super Expansion," Fugaku said, emerging from the dust. "You're not the only one who thinks that way, Masashi."
"Fugaku-sama, you've been hiding a lot," Masashi sighed.
"Enough with the chatter," Fugaku said. "Take this seriously. Didn't you also learn the Magnet Release? Use everything you've got."
On the simulated battlefield, they had been forced apart after their clash of Susanoo's enhanced palm strikes.
Different colors of chakra cloaked their bodies, radiating power.
Neither had fully activated their complete Susanoo, but this level of intensity already indicated a serious fight.
Sensing the overwhelming and rich ocular power of Fugaku, Masashi felt both puzzled and a sense of familiarity.
The Mangekyō Sharingan was something he had first encountered through Izuna, a ninja whose talent was nearly perfect.
Strictly speaking, without the chakra of Indra to give him an edge, Madara's natural talent was actually slightly inferior to his younger brother's.
But Izuna lacked Madara's unyielding willpower—the kind of determination to achieve his goals no matter the cost. Even when the Uchiha clan had been completely suppressed by the Senju clan, with some members already surrendering, Madara still had a core group of diehard followers.
Izuna could not match that charisma.
That didn't change the fact that he was extraordinarily strong. Although Tobirama eventually triumphed, for a long time, he had been on the losing end against Izuna.
The Flying Thunder God? It had been developed under the pressure of fighting Izuna.
The first time Butsuma saw Susanoo, it was because Izuna was beating Tobirama senseless. Thankfully, Hashirama was there at the time.
Like the Susanoo before him, Fugaku's chakra glowed a fiery red—bright and vivid, as though it were flames burning fiercely, perhaps symbolizing the intensity of its wielder's emotions.
This Susanoo was eerily similar.
And then there was the exceptional fullness of Fugaku's ocular power. Masashi recalled that in the past, Izuna used Susanoo more frequently than Madara, but his eyesight didn't deteriorate as drastically.
Despite Madara's arrogant demeanor, he had been cautious about using Susanoo before obtaining the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Izuna, on the other hand, activated Susanoo far more often, even if it was rarely in its complete form, especially in battles against the Senju clan.
In contrast, Sasuke from the original timeline used his eyes more intensively than Izuna. While the difference in power was due to the fully formed Susanoo, Sasuke's vision deteriorated at an alarming rate.
Masashi believed there must be some secret he wasn't aware of.
Fugaku, however, might know that secret.
Reassured by this thought, he spoke up. "I'm coming at you now."
"Come on."
With a clap of his palms, Masashi channeled chakra through his feet into the ground.
Something stirred beneath the surface. The earth began to rumble and rise, undulating like waves. Cold and heat alternated, spreading rapidly toward Fugaku.
Before the shifting ground could reach him, Fugaku leapt into the air.
The moment he left the ground, the terrain collapsed. A massive cloud of white sand erupted into the sky.
The sand wasn't naturally white; frost created by the cold mixed with the sand particles.
Using both Ice Release and Magnet Release? And maybe Scorch Release too...
Fugaku smirked.
But you'd better stick to using Susanoo!
The fiery red arm of Susanoo appeared in mid-air. Chakra continued to condense, forming Susanoo's sword.
With a single slash, the enormous power of the blade cut effortlessly through the avalanche of ice and sand. The Magnet Release binding the sand lost its effect upon contact with the sword, rendering the ice-sand wall ineffective.
The sword plunged into the flowing sand below, shattering the layers of ice and soil beneath.
In the deafening roar and tremors, massive rocks buried deep underground were flung into the air alongside clouds of dust. Jagged cracks spread across the land, stretching far into the distance.
This was why Mangekyō Sharingan wielders both loved and hated Susanoo.
Against such overwhelming power, most ninjutsu became meaningless.
Strategies that seemed ingenious were rendered futile.
They only needed to activate Susanoo and smash their way through.
The downside? Every use of Susanoo worsened their eyesight, eventually leading to blindness.
The ground continued to collapse, but this time, it wasn't Fugaku's doing.
Still not planning to use Susanoo? Stubborn as ever…
The next change confirmed Fugaku's thoughts.
From the sinking earth, more ice and sand surged upward.
A vast sea of sand appeared, with a giant formed of sand rising from its depths.
This new sand construct was sturdier than Masashi's previous ice creations. It no longer required senjutsu chakra to hold its shape, as the flowing nature of ice-sand provided greater resilience and enhanced binding capabilities. The low-temperature freezing effect now combined with Magnet Release's unique sealing properties.
Standing on the shoulder of the sand giant, he looked at Fugaku in the distance.
Susanoo might be formidable, but it needed a stable foothold.
His sand giant, rooted in the sea of sand, could regenerate as long as the sand sea persisted and his chakra endured.
By expanding the frozen terrain and creating a larger sand sea, he was confident that Fugaku couldn't destroy it with a single sword strike.
Fugaku looked at the vast sand sea, now ten times larger than before. He had to admit that wiping it out with one strike was beyond him.
So much chakra… What a cheat.
But...
"Masashi, if that's the case, I'll gladly accept it," he said with a smile.
Instead of attacking Masashi directly, he decided to absorb the chakra. With Masashi's reserves, it would be enough to replenish the amount needed to fully activate his Susanoo.
Fiery red chakra surged around Fugaku, rippling like waves.
Though they weren't true enemies, Masashi wasn't about to let Fugaku calmly activate Susanoo.
The sand giant began to move, its speed within the sand sea astonishing. In truth, it was part of the sea itself.
A massive sand waterfall emerged from behind the giant as he finished his hand signs.
The icy sand erupted into the air, forming countless projectiles shaped like shuriken and kunai. These rained down on Fugaku like a storm.
Even without wires, the magnetic field of the Magnet Release allowed Masashi to control their trajectories, letting them curve and strike unpredictably.
"Well put together," Fugaku praised, hastening the expansion of his Susanoo. At the same time, he used a fire jutsu.
A dragon of roaring flames spiraled around him, intercepting every icy projectile. The intense heat evaporated the frost coating the sand particles, nullifying their freezing effect.
The remaining sand was harmless against Susanoo, and as before, the Magnet Release energy dissipated upon contact with Susanoo.
This actually sped up Susanoo's formation.
Finally, fiery red chakra erupted outward, and the fully armored warrior god rose from the ground.
"Watch closely. The leader of the Uchiha clan must master this technique," said Fugaku.
In Masashi's perception, Fugaku's ocular power was being consumed rapidly, concentrated entirely on Susanoo.
Something was being created.
