Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 35
🕑 Added 2024-12-01 15:25:12 +0000 UTCWhy do Sharingan eyes have to be red? And such an unsettling crimson at that?
Perhaps the Uchiha of history had pondered this, but nowadays, only outsiders seemed to care. After all, power rarely cared about aesthetics.
The most common explanation is that the Uchiha clan was cursed.
When in doubt, blame a curse—it was the easiest answer. Masashi had heard all the whispers, seen all the sideways glances.
Those hostile to the Uchiha prefer to say, "The Uchiha are inherently evil."
Over time, people began to ignore the fact that most Uchiha never awaken their Sharingan at all. These ordinary members lived indistinguishably from others. If not for their clothing, no one would even notice they bore the Uchiha name.
Nevertheless, the ninja community developed a stereotype based on the actions of the small minority who activated their Sharingan.
The Uchiha didn't mind this one bit. Their immense pride in their bloodline, coupled with a lack of communication skills, often left outsiders with impressions like, "They're arrogant," or, "What's so great about them?"
However, one thing was undeniable: the unique color of the Sharingan must be linked to the Uchiha's distinctive chakra, which, at its core, was still chakra.
And Masashi's first attempt at Sage Mode drew on the power of the White Snake Sage.
So, if his eyes changed color, it seemed only natural.
It didn't bother him for long. Only by experimenting could he find out what his final version would be.
And his hypothesis proved correct.
Under the White Snake Sage's guidance, Masashi spent about a week learning to draw natural energy from the earth and activate Sage Mode with his own power.
When he entered Sage Mode using the energy he absorbed, his Sharingan didn't turn into some grotesque form, though his eye shadow expanded significantly—perhaps too much.
But that wasn't important. What mattered was that his Sharingan finally returned to normal. That was the way it should be; otherwise, it looked like his eyes were smeared with dirt.
Technically speaking, even the traditional Sharingan wasn't entirely crimson—its pupils and tomoe are black, while only the iris was red.
The greatest reward of this training was that he gained insight into the Sage techniques of Ryūchi Cave, including the principle behind the Sage Art: Inorganic Animation.
This technique would later be developed independently by Orochimaru or Kabuto. However, without the foundational knowledge of Ryūchi Cave's Sage techniques, the jutsu couldn't exist.
That's why it's called "Sage Art: Inorganic Animation," not "Secret Art: Inorganic Animation."
Masashi applied this principle to his Ice Release, solving its lack of mobility.
Sage techniques were indeed incredibly useful.
The eye shadow, however, now resembled Kankurō's face paint—an over-the-top mess.
Still, it was better than growing snakeskin all over his body.
Appearance matters.
While it might not be the deciding factor in a business negotiation, a poor appearance could prevent the meeting from happening in the first place.
Wearing thick makeup to a negotiation might earn a comment about excessive powder, but if your eyes made people think of filth, they might throw up.
And Masashi excelled at persuading clients to willingly pay more. Maintaining his appearance was non-negotiable. It was simply a matter of whether he could afford more food rather than less.
And choosing the lesser evil was basic ninja protocol.
Having mastered the necessary techniques, he didn't stay in Ryūchi Cave. After synchronizing his chakra with Kuro, he bid farewell to the White Snake Sage and left the cave with the jonin from the Hannya Black Ops.
That fellow hadn't starved to death purely because Masashi had plenty of soldier pills.
After all, those pills needed to be brought back to Konoha for reimbursement.
Getting to the cave had been difficult, but leaving was simple—once you mastered Ryūchi Cave's Sage techniques, entry and exit became effortless.
He emerged at the same spot where he had first entered the cave.
"Alright, time to wrap things up."
Releasing the Hannya Black Ops jonin, Masashi used genjutsu to compel him to deal with his former comrades' corpses in the most brutal way he could imagine.
The jonin moved under his genjutsu, arranging the bodies in the Nordic blood eagle pose. The jonin severed their ribs from the spine with his kunai and pulled their lungs through the opening to create a pair of "wings."
Each was positioned face-down against the massive tree trunk.
When he was done, the whole thing looked like some messed-up collection of dark angels pinned to the tree.
Creative death poses didn't matter—ninjas had seen it all.
What mattered was the intimidation factor.
By now, the upheaval at the Hannya's base must have caught the attention of nearby ninjas.
The Land of Stone was teeming with rogue ninjas and local insurgents. Through their gossip, the news would spread most effectively.
When he reached the camp, he found bounty hunters looting and beheading corpses.
"We... we didn't know they were yours!" one of the hunters gasped as Masashi approached.
"Now everyone will know."
With one strike each, several more bodies hit the ground.
Then the Hannya jonin got to work.
He gathered all the corpses into a tree.
The Sharingan's manipulation didn't erase the subject's awareness. They retained their consciousness but lost control over their body.
This was part of Masashi's punishment.
Rules existed to protect most professionals. If the Hannya Black Ops wouldn't follow them, they deserved this outcome.
Dragging the unfortunate jonin along, he began his return journey.
The trip was uneventful—no one dared rob him, likely deterred by his reputation. Having completed his mission, he saw no need to hide his identity anymore.
Before he even reached the Land of Fire, news was already circulating that "Konoha deployed an Uchiha to annihilate the Hannya Black Ops with cruel tactics."
Danzō was bound to hear this. He'd likely feel the money had been well spent.
When Masashi finally saw the Konoha's gates again, he felt a deep sense of relief.
But he didn't enter immediately. Instead, he waited in the nearby woods.
Before long, a Root ninja appeared, glanced at the Hannya jonin, and asked Masashi, "When will the genjutsu be lifted?"
"Soon enough for you to get him back to your base."
"Danzō-sama said additional payment will be provided." The Root ninja nodded while applying sealing techniques to bind the jonin tightly. "You've done well. I'll take over from here."
"Fine. Call me if something else comes up," Masashi said, turning to leave. Then, as if remembering something, he stopped and asked, "That guy running the tea house—does he have an official position?"
"He does. It's an important one."
"In that case, bring him a few packs of cigarettes when you can. The poor guy has to use shadow clones just to have a smoke."
"He and his wife are trying to have a baby. That's why he's doing that." The Root ninja slung the tightly bound jonin over his shoulder and said, "It's tough outside, but no one's so broke they can't afford smokes."
Oh, so it was just for family planning. That made sense.
With a wave, Masashi headed home.
When he arrived at the entrance to the clan grounds, Masashi spotted Shisui standing by the gate, as if waiting for someone.
This can't be good.
"Masashi-nii," Shisui waved. "Don't pretend you didn't see me. You clearly did!"
"Oh, you were there?" Masashi reluctantly stopped, shoulders slumping slightly. "I just got back from work. I'm exhausted."
"While you were out working, the dividends for this quarter arrived. Initially, they were going to be directly deposited into your account."
"Huh?" Masashi blurted out, his posture straightening instantly. "No way, that's not okay. Financial protocols must be strictly followed. Financial security ensures the clan's security."
"It's not that. Just after you left, Danzō-sama transferred another two million ryo. He mentioned there's still a remaining payment. Fugaku-sama decided to hold off until you returned so it could be issued together."
"Oh~" Masashi was satisfied. "Why make such a big deal of it? Everyone should be treated equally. Holding mine separately for later—it's actually not a great practice."
Though, this kind of preferential treatment feels amazing. Wait, why was I being given special treatment in the first place?
"Fugaku-sama said that since you're back, you should go see him."
See? I knew it. There's a catch. And… this totally exploits my weakness.
Sure enough, leaked intelligence was never a good thing.
Masashi couldn't help but think of a future misfortune: someone so cocky from being unkillable got their intelligence completely exposed by a survivor of a past mission, ultimately ending up buried in the earth.
What a tragedy.
"Got it, I'll go now." he sighed, and began heading toward Fugaku's house.
Then he realized Shisui was following him.
"Why are you still here?"
"He told me to go with you."
"We're family. No need for secrets—what's going on that I don't know?" Masashi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Honestly, nothing. Maybe it's because the clan has never earned money from Root before?"
The Uchiha clan's pride wouldn't be swayed by mere money... would it? Impossible. The Uchiha clan can't be that shallow.
With such thoughts in mind, Masashi entered Fugaku's home.
As soon as he stepped into the yard, he saw Itachi playing with a doll. The sight made him pause momentarily.
Correction—not a doll, but the reincarnation of Indra in its infant form.
"Masashi-sensei!" Itachi cheerfully ran over. "Look! I have a little brother!"
Why is he so cheerful about having a little brother? Too much energy drink? Oh... the shinobi world doesn't have those. I missed them so much...
"Congratulations." Masashi reached out and gave him a hairstyle that resembled an eight-headed snake.
But Itachi, still grinning foolishly, didn't even notice his new look. What a hopeless little brother-lover.
However… being a brocon instead of a siscon? That's no fun.
"Where's Fugaku-sama?" Masashi asked, steering the conversation back to business.
"Father's in the study. He's been waiting for you for a while."
Hmm? Trying to guilt-trip me for making him wait too long? Too bad, that tactic doesn't work on me.
"Alright, go play." Sending off his student, Masashi made his way to the study.
On the way, he ran into Mikoto, her presence as stunning as ever despite having recently given birth.
"Masashi, you're here?"
"Mikoto-sama, how do you look even younger after having your second child?"
"Oh, you're so sweet. By the way, about the introduction I made for you last time…"
"I'll talk later. I need to see Fugaku-sama first. He's been waiting a while."
He quickly used the Body Flicker.
Last time, he accidentally overdid it and ended up charming the clan cousin Mikoto had introduced. She seemed overly pleased.
This wouldn't do. He'd have to maintain proper boundaries in the future.
Otherwise, he might end up inadvertently mass-producing Sharingans for the clan, and that would ruin everything. It'd mess up the lore.
As they said, "Loving too much only leaves regret, as sweet dreams shatter upon waking."
He didn't want to be the guy waking others from dreams; he wanted to be the dream itself.
Once I get my money, time to rally Tetsuka and the others for a celebration. Nothing builds clan unity like shared revelry.
At the study door, he knocked first, then opened it and walked in, maintaining proper protocol.
"Fugaku-sama, I'm here… Oh, practicing calligraphy?"
Inside, Fugaku was meticulously using a brush. His posture was flawless.
But the characters… were a bit off. To be frank, they were hideous.
He should seriously consider switching hobbies. Maybe something less... visible.
"Hm, you're back?" Fugaku continued working on his writing. "You've been drawing quite a bit of attention lately."
"Couldn't help it. Danzō offered more money."
"Just now, he sent another two million ryō, saying you discovered a secret realm, so he added an extra million." Fugaku put down his brush and looked over. "Did you really find a secret realm?"
"It's Ryūchi Cave, where Orochimaru signed his contract."
"Ryūchi Cave…" Fugaku's gaze sharpened further. "You mastered it?"
"Of course. Otherwise, the sage would've swallowed me whole." Masashi grinned, puffed with pride. From now on, he too was a sage.
Hearing this, Fugaku stopped tidying his study altogether.
"Come with me."
He led Masashi out to the courtyard.
There, Mikoto was still playing with Itachi and the younger son.
"Mikoto, take Sasuke out for a walk." Fugaku's gaze stayed briefly on his younger son, softening almost imperceptibly. "Itachi, you stay."
Itachi glanced between his mother and father, his expression clearly conveying one thought: I think I can go too!
Fugaku didn't bother with words, responding with a look that said: I don't care what you think; only my opinion matters.
"Alright, Itachi, give Sasuke to me." Mikoto cheerfully claimed the baby and left.
That left Itachi looking a bit gloomy.
Fugaku turned to Masashi. "Masashi, let me confirm—have you mastered Sage Mode?"
Masashi nodded. "Why else would I go to Ryūchi Cave?"
Itachi tilted his head in confusion. His teacher went to some cave? To become a sage? This was beyond his current knowledge.
"You really insist on pursuing this path, don't you?" Fugaku sighed deeply. "Honestly, if you focused on the clan's traditional techniques, by now you'd probably—"
"Fugaku-sama, you've got it wrong. I learned this for the sake of the clan's traditions." Masashi said. "It's because the usual methods for mastering our clan techniques weren't working for me anymore that I took this route."
In fact, he'd explained this a thousand times already, but these people just refused to believe him. But today he could finally provide proof.
