Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 206: Among the Clever Ones, an Odd One Out...

In Iwagakure, Kitsuchi reported his recent experiences to Onoki.

"...That's how it went. The historical text and future technology are all here."

Onoki silently stared at the scroll placed on the table by Kitsuchi, his gaze turning peculiar as he studied him.

Time travel?

Wood Release?

Perfect Susano'o?

Summoning meteors?

If not for being certain he was unaffected, Onoki might have suspected someone had cast a genjutsu on him.

But if all of this were true...

As he thought about it, Onoki couldn't help but sigh. "Konoha truly is powerful. It continues to produce extraordinary talent and endless geniuses. To think that in the near future, someone comparable to Uchiha Madara has emerged. Even in this era, Hyuga Fuji was also someone who walked out of Konoha."

He wasn't too worried, though. After all, if Kitsuchi from the future was still alive and well (Future Kitsuchi: I am not well!), it meant that at least Iwagakure hadn't been destroyed in that era.

Hearing this, Kitsuchi nodded in agreement.

Isn't that true?

The rogue ninja who defected from Konoha—Uchiha Madara, Orochimaru, Hyuga Fuji—were all heavyweight figures.

And even though Hyuga Fuji had taken so many people with him, Kitsuchi still felt that Konoha could crush them in battle.

Truly enduring and unyielding.

After sighing for a moment, Onoki refocused on the matter at hand. He picked up the scroll containing the sealed historical text and said, "Mabui certainly calculated this well. She knew we needed this piece of the historical text."

"We need it?"

Kitsuchi was puzzled. "According to future Mabui, only Wood Release chakra can unlock it. Isn't it something Konoha needs instead?"

Onoki silently looked at Kitsuchi, his gaze tinged with a hint of sorrow.

His son's lack of insight often left him feeling out of sync, making him worry that if Kitsuchi were to succeed him as Tsuchikage, Iwagakure might decline.

But given Iwagakure's lack of successors, he had no choice but to nurture him. After all, Kitsuchi's strength was passable.

Sighing, Onoki used a leading tone to ask:

"Of all the people present, why do you think Mabui entrusted the historical text to you?"

Because I can fly, and I'm fast!

This thought flashed through Kitsuchi's mind, but he dared not say it aloud.

Having spent so much time with his father, he knew that whenever Onoki used this tone, the first answer he thought of would undoubtedly be wrong.

Reflecting carefully, Kitsuchi realized something was indeed amiss. Hyuga Fuji and Pakura were also there, and they could both fly. His chance of escaping wasn't much higher than theirs, was it?

After thinking it over for a while, Kitsuchi offered what he believed to be a reasonable answer. "Because future me is still alive, so I had the lowest probability of being captured by Hyuga Fuji?"

If Hyuga Fuji's forces had captured him, he wouldn't have made it back. But since his future self was intact, it must mean he could escape unscathed.

"Wrong!"

Onoki shook his head. "The future has already changed. Originally, the historical text was meant to fall into Hyuga Fuji's hands. But now it's been sent back here."

"..."

Kitsuchi fell silent.

That's right. At some point, it seemed the future had been altered. But he couldn't pinpoint when the change occurred.

"As the Raikage's secretary, Mabui has always been known for her intelligence. This time was no exception—her actions were carefully thought out. Or perhaps it was part of a collective decision by the nations of the future."

Onoki looked at Kitsuchi and began explaining the reasoning behind Mabui's actions.

"The grudges between the Lands of Earth, Lightning, and Fire have deep roots. Suddenly forming an alliance, even with the threat of a powerful external enemy, cannot completely suppress all voices of discontent."

"Moreover, in any alliance, there must be a hierarchy. Without it, power cannot be united effectively. At such times, someone has to step back."

Among the three nations, the Land of Fire was clearly in an overwhelmingly dominant position. The ones who needed to compromise were the Lands of Lightning and Earth.

"With the historical text now in the Land of Earth's possession, we can use it to negotiate a dignified collaboration with the Land of Fire, ensuring both sides save face."

Kitsuchi suddenly understood but then asked in confusion:

"If this is such a valuable tool for diplomacy, why didn't Mabui give it to Yugito Nii in Kumogakure?"

If it's so useful, why didn't Mabui keep it for her own country?

"This is an overture to Iwagakure!"

Onoki sighed deeply, worried about his son's lack of intelligence. "Think about it carefully. Both the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth will have to rank below the Land of Fire in the alliance. Building goodwill now helps tighten bonds between us."

"And if my guess is correct, the Land of Lightning likely has its own fallback plan and doesn't need the historical text to maintain face."

Jiraiya was reportedly attacked by Kumogakure, but no one had seen his body. Onoki wasn't convinced Jiraiya had truly died.

He suspected that Kumogakure had been preparing a fallback plan ever since the incident with the Fourth Hokage's attack.

As long as Jiraiya was alive, Tsunade's stance would inevitably soften.

"Would the future Land of Fire really allow this to happen?"

Kitsuchi finally grasped the situation but grew more confused. "Among the five who returned, only Mabui is politically astute. The others are clueless about such matters. Doesn't that mean the Land of Lightning gains the upper hand here?"

He was self-aware enough to admit that he was no match for Mabui when it came to politics or diplomacy.

Onoki decided to lay it all out:

"Just looking at the composition of the five-person team, it's clear this was always a trade of interests!"

The future's five-person team was led by Kitsuchi, who had the authority to speak. Mabui, meanwhile, played a clear advisory role, while Naruto, Sasuke, and Toneri brought overwhelming strength to the table.

At first glance, the team seemed scattered, but there was a deeper logic to it.

Future Kitsuchi, as team leader and a key source of information about the Dragon Vein, would ensure that valuable assets like the historical text would be entrusted to the Land of Earth.

Mabui, with her sharp intellect and political sensitivity, would help secure benefits for the Land of Lightning and act as a mediator to facilitate the alliance.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Toneri, all around sixteen years old and without ulterior motives, were the perfect showcase for the future Land of Fire's overwhelming strength.

This composition sent a clear message: the future Land of Fire possessed absolute strength capable of crushing the Lands of Earth and Lightning.

It was a warning to both nations not to scheme but to quickly align with the Land of Fire in forming an alliance.

A seemingly simple team composition actually represented the interests of the three great nations and indirectly facilitated the alliance.

"Thinking a little deeper never hurts."

After explaining the intricacies to Kitsuchi, Onoki sighed. "Among those present at the time, perhaps you were the only one who didn't understand."

"Since the historical text requires Wood Release chakra to unlock, Kakashi could have kept it, but he didn't. Yugito Nii, despite knowing its importance, didn't insist on taking it when Mabui made the call. They all, directly or indirectly, understood the purpose of this gesture."

"Hyuga Fuji clearly saw through it too. He demonstrated his power by controlling Toneri, turning what should have been a showcase of the future Land of Fire's strength into his personal spectacle."

"As for why Hyuga Fuji did this, I can't figure it out. While it undermined the future Land of Fire's prestige, it didn't hinder the alliance in any way. On the contrary, his immense strength has only made us more inclined to support the alliance. Truly puzzling. Does he actually want us to unite?"

Watching Onoki furrow his brows in thought, Kitsuchi opened his mouth but couldn't find the words.

So... was I the only fool at the time?

No, wait, that can't be right.

There was also an Uchiha ninja present. He just fainted and wasn't included in Father's analysis.

Could Uchiha Yakumaru have figured all this out?

If not, at least I wasn't the only odd one out...

(End of Chapter)

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