Naruto: This Genius is Somewhat Ordinary-Chapter 427

At first, Shiba Miyako’s case barely stayed on Fujimoto Tōma’s radar.

They had only met once. No deep bond. And realistically, once the chakra wraith inside her was confirmed, responsibility shifted to Captain Mizuno Jūshirō and the command structure. No one would expect Tōma to carry that burden alone.

Still, the incident sent ripples through the entire Shinobi Defense Corps.

Some argued Miyako was already mentally lost. That the safest move was immediate termination to prevent future disaster.

Others pushed back hard.

Captain Mizuno, for one.

And the head of the Research Bureau, Kurotsuchi Mayuri.

Mizuno’s stance was obvious. Compassion. Duty. Protection of his people.

Mayuri’s motives were... different.

A living host containing a rare chakra parasite? That was priceless research material. There was no universe where he would allow it to be destroyed prematurely.

The arguments escalated. Meetings turned ugly. Accusations flew.

In the end, Mizuno personally guaranteed responsibility for Miyako’s containment with his own life on the line.

That settled it.

For about five minutes.

Then everything went wrong.

Not long after, Miyako became permanently catatonic.

The wraith inside her had been killed.

By a Research Bureau shinobi.

The strike destroyed the parasite instantly. But everything it had already consumed from Miyako’s mind was gone forever.

If she hadn’t been under constant monitoring, she would have died on the spot.

As it stood, she was alive.

But empty.

Recovery chances: almost zero.

Mayuri reportedly went nuclear. The Bureau shinobi responsible was interrogated using methods most people preferred not to imagine.

But the result made even less sense.

The shinobi insisted he had chased a rogue wraith that infiltrated Bureau territory and destroyed it.

Only afterward, during containment, did it "turn into" Miyako.

Nobody believed him.

And just like that, tension between Mizuno’s division and the Research Bureau hit freezing-point hostility.

When Tōma heard the full report, he felt a quiet, bitter disappointment.

Then suspicion.

Too many holes.

Mayuri wouldn’t destroy a perfect research subject. Not this early. Not without data.

Which meant the shinobi was either lying...

Or telling the truth from his own perspective.

Tōma stared up at the sky, digging through fragmented memories from another life.

There was a figure capable of this.

Creating advanced wraith-like entities.

Perfect hypnosis-level illusion techniques.

Long-game manipulation.

A name surfaced.

Aizen.

At first, Tōma hadn’t connected him to Miyako’s case.

Now?

The puzzle pieces snapped together with uncomfortable precision.

If not for Tōma interfering, the parasite likely would have taken full control of Miyako, then been eliminated later with no one learning anything.

Instead, it got sent to the Research Bureau.

If they studied it properly, they might uncover something dangerous.

From Aizen’s perspective, that was unacceptable.

So the parasite had to be destroyed.

Logic didn’t matter. Clean narrative didn’t matter.

Loose ends had to disappear.

Tōma let out a quiet laugh.

"Must’ve been rough," he muttered. "Publicly defending Miyako... while planning how to erase her."

He rubbed his neck.

"What was your end goal again, Aizen...?"

He genuinely couldn’t remember.

Even in his old memories, Aizen’s true objective had felt... abstract. Like trying to describe gravity using poetry.

Tōma shrugged it off.

Not today’s problem.

Today, he had somewhere else to be.

Squad Eleven.

Time to meet the monster Takeda Retsu had spoken about with that rare tone of respect.

Kurosawa Kenpachi.

—

The Squad Eleven compound reacted to Tōma’s arrival like someone had walked a tiger into a crowded market.

Fear. Tension. Side-eyes everywhere.

Historically, Squad Eleven had treated Medical Corps personnel like disposable support staff.

And Tōma had... corrected that behavior.

Forcefully.

Then someone finally remembered something important.

This was Squad Eleven.

They had their own monsters.

"Tōma? What are you doing here?"

He turned.

Akabane Renji stood there, sweat-soaked, fresh from sword training.

"Renji?" Tōma blinked. "Since when were you in Squad Eleven? Weren’t you under Aizen before?"

Renji waved dismissively. "Captain said I was wasted in a strategy-focused division. Transferred me here second year."

He grinned. "Honestly? I like it better."

Tōma nodded.

Yeah. That tracks. You’re built for frontline chaos, not paperwork.

"You could’ve told me," Tōma said.

"You’re a vice-captain now," Renji said, looking mildly embarrassed. "Felt weird."

"Even if I become a captain someday, I’m still me."

Renji smirked. "I’m holding you to that."

Then a voice cut in.

"Well, well. Medical Corps royalty visiting our turf?"

A bald shinobi walked forward, grinning like he’d just found free entertainment.

Madara Ikkaku.

"Third Seat," he added proudly.

Tōma studied him.

Ah. One of Kenpachi’s core fighters.

"You here because someone from Squad Eleven bullied your division again?" Ikkaku asked.

"No."

"Then you’re here to challenge us?"

Renji opened his mouth to clarify.

Tōma cut him off.

"Yeah. Sure. Let’s call it that."

Renji looked like his soul left his body.

Ikkaku grinned wide. "Good. Come on."

"I’m actually here to see your captain," Tōma added casually.

Ikkaku’s forehead vein twitched.

"You looking down on me?"

Tōma thought about it.

"...Appetizer first isn’t a bad idea."

That did it.

Weapons out.

Ikkaku charged first, furious and delighted at the same time.

Tōma parried lazily.

To spectators, it looked casual.

To Ikkaku, it felt like trying to break steel with bare hands.

"Not bad," Tōma said, knocking him back.

Ikkaku heard pure mockery in that.

"Don’t regret this!" he roared. "Extend! Hōzukimaru!"

His blade transformed into a spear. Chakra pressure surged.

Tōma quietly raised his own blade. Matching output. No higher.

"You’re not releasing fully?" Ikkaku demanded.

"This is my release," Tōma said calmly.

Not a lie. Not the full truth either.

They clashed again. Spear strikes became afterimage storms. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Tōma deflected everything with minimal movement.

Then Ikkaku shifted again.

"Split! Hōzukimaru!"

The spear split into a three-section weapon mid-strike.

Tōma vanished using body flicker, reappearing at range.

"Nice trick," he admitted.

Ikkaku laughed. He’d stopped caring about pride already.

This was fun.

Pressure made him feel alive.

Then the air changed.

Everyone felt it.

Kurosawa Kenpachi had arrived.

He stood silently, watching.

Hungry.

Ikkaku noticed and grinned. "One strike. Winner decided."

"You’re still holding back," Tōma said quietly.

Ikkaku didn’t respond.

...You’re saving it for him, aren’t you?

Fine.

Tōma raised Meikyō Shisui. Lightning crackled faintly along the edge.

Ikkaku lunged with everything he had.

Thunder answered.

For Ikkaku, there was only sound.

Then stillness.

His weapon shattered.

A blade rested against his throat.

"Ichino Kata: Thunder Flash."

Silence.

"I lost," Ikkaku said calmly.

No shame. Just truth.

Then he smirked.

"Be careful. Our captain... isn’t normal."

"I know," Tōma said.

He turned.

Kenpachi was already walking toward him.

Grinning like a battlefield given human shape.

Finally.

Tōma smiled back.