Chapter 15: Fire Sealing Technique! Lightning Binding Jutsu!
The Aftermath of Dragon Fire Prison
The complete devastation was overwhelming—a bone-crushing, ash-scattering inferno.
Tsukasa wiped the sweat from his forehead and exhaled softly, gazing at the blazing Dragon Fire Prison he had created.
Fighting to this point had pushed both his mental and physical strength to their absolute limits.
From yesterday until now, he hadn't had a single moment of rest.
After being awakened by the explosive tags, he'd barely had time to react before being thrust into combat.
The combination of two C-rank jutsu with his mastery of Uchiha-style Wire Shuriken Technique had nearly drained his stamina and chakra reserves completely.
However, as he stared at the roaring flames of his Dragon Fire Prison, he couldn't help but feel frustrated.
After all that intense fighting, he hadn't felt any real pressure at all.
And Moroi—a special jonin who specialized in barrier techniques—hadn't even demonstrated his full potential yet.
Moreover, Fire Release was notoriously merciful. Surely his opponent wouldn't be so weak as to fall to such an attack?
The Observers' Perspective
The sudden turn of events on Tsukasa's battlefield caught the three combatants in the rear completely off guard.
This was especially true for the Great Elder, Uchiha Setsuna.
Honestly, his heart had nearly leaped into his throat when he saw Tsukasa push aside Seiichiro and charge alone to cover their retreat.
While Tsukasa's shuriken skills certainly retained their legendary precision, facing a jonin trapped within Kumogakure's barrier formation filled Setsuna with dread.
There's no way a genin can match a Kumogakure special jonin!
However, in just moments, the tide had completely turned!
While untrained eyes saw only chaos, the expert recognized the genius—
Tsukasa's decisive tactical response, combined with his masterful Uchiha Wire Shuriken manipulation, had successfully transformed two relatively weak C-rank techniques. He had elevated the Dragon Fire Technique and Phoenix Sage Fire Technique into something far more devastating.
This was true ninjutsu evolution!
As standard C-rank fire techniques, both Dragon Fire and Phoenix Sage Fire had obvious limitations. Both focused on wide-area suppression, but their power was dispersed across too large an area.
Tsukasa, however, used ninja wire to guide and concentrate the Dragon Fire, then enhanced the Phoenix Sage Fire with his Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson variant, focusing the scattered fireballs into precise points of impact.
He had successfully combined the power of two C-rank techniques into something approaching A-rank devastation!
Coupled with the razor-sharp ninja wire creating a tightening net around his target—it was like dozens of katana striking simultaneously!
This series of combination techniques left Setsuna in awe, already planning to study and replicate the strategy himself.
This kid's combat talent is absolutely terrifying! I teach him one technique, and he creates three variations on the spot!
"Moroi!" Dodai, one of the three Kumogakure shinobi, exclaimed, his eyes filled with horror.
Who could have imagined that in just moments, this Uchiha brat would execute such a flawless combination, using superior tactics to overcome raw power!
"Damn it! That kid actually managed to...!"
Dodai's face darkened like storm clouds, veins bulging on his forehead. He could barely resist charging forward and crushing the boy with his Lava Release: Rubber Ball technique.
He knew that losing Moroi would leave him and Raimei powerless to defeat Uchiha Setsuna, despite being able to hold him back.
This entire mission would fail right here.
"Calm yourself!" Raimei, who was roughly Setsuna's age, grabbed Dodai's shoulder firmly.
"Don't be impulsive, Dodai. Focus on our objective!"
"Moroi isn't as fragile as you think. Look—the barrier is still intact."
"Moroi's still alive!"
Despite his reassuring words, Raimei's brow furrowed with concern.
Tsukasa's attacks had been devastatingly swift and relentless, their overwhelming pace catching even veteran jonin off guard.
The only way to defeat any martial art is through superior speed.
As a barrier specialist, most of Moroi's expertise lay in sealing techniques and defensive formations. Even for an experienced special jonin, forming hand seals quickly enough to counter such rapid-fire attacks was nearly impossible.
His heart grew heavier by the moment.
All three combatants had unconsciously slowed their own battle, their attention fixed on the life-or-death struggle within the barrier.
Though it had begun as a simple genin-versus-jonin encounter, it now affected the entire battlefield—and potentially Kumogakure's entire strategic deployment in the Land of Hot Water!
Inside the Barrier
Black smoke billowed as flames raged throughout the enclosed space.
Dozens—hundreds—of razor-sharp wire threads, controlled by Tsukasa, sliced rapidly toward the center of the inferno.
The scene appeared completely one-sided.
Tsukasa, a genin without even an awakened Sharingan, had single-handedly overwhelmed Moroi, a special jonin from the Hidden Cloud Village!
But suddenly, his expression changed.
Something was wrong!
The ninja wire cutting toward the center of the sea of flames should have sliced Moroi apart like meat in a grinder.
Instead, it encountered resistance—like taut cables snapping against an immovable barrier.
The wires tangled tighter and tighter, yet couldn't advance another inch.
At that moment, the center of the blazing inferno began to churn.
A chilling voice echoed through the flames—
"Kid, you don't really think you've won already, do you?"
As the words faded, a pattern resembling a summoning seal suddenly expanded from the center of the fire.
Tsukasa's eyes widened as he recognized the formation.
He released the wires and whipped eight more shuriken from his tool pouch, hurling them toward the center of the flames!
"Useless!" Moroi's voice rang out with cold indifference.
As he spoke, he gradually emerged from the sea of fire.
"Emerged" wasn't quite accurate—in Tsukasa's view, the sea of fire was actually being absorbed.
Like water spiraling down a drain, the entire inferno converged clockwise toward the center, toward Moroi's position.
Moroi knelt calmly on the ground, one hand pressed firmly against a seal formula drawn on a scroll. With a frigid gaze, he declared:
"Fire Sealing Method!"
With those words, the entire conflagration was sealed within the small scroll.
Meanwhile, Tsukasa's eight shuriken were already flying toward him.
However, Moroi remained composed, forming the Ram seal and pressing both hands into the air.
A spherical barrier unfolded around him.
"Binding Barrier!"
This was the technique that had stopped Tsukasa's ninja wire from cutting through.
Moroi stood and advanced on Tsukasa, his hands constantly forming complex hand seals.
Tsukasa immediately sensed danger and instinctively tried to retreat.
However, Moroi thrust his hand forward and shouted, "Where do you think you're going, kid?!"
He slammed his palm to the ground after completing his seal sequence.
"Lightning Release: Thunder Binding!"
A crackling current instantly rushed toward Tsukasa, forming a circular seal pattern beneath his feet.
The kanji for "thunder" suddenly blazed to life!
Four whips of pure electricity wrapped around Tsukasa's limbs, binding him completely!
As the current coursed through his body, Tsukasa tried to move, but it was useless.
Half his body went numb, and even speaking became extremely difficult.
"Hahaha! What do you have to say now, brat?" Moroi demanded with a cruel sneer.
Tsukasa looked up at the sky, a thousand curses racing through his mind, but he couldn't voice any of them.
The old wisdom proved true once again.
Fire Release truly is a merciful jutsu! All flash, no substance!
Moroi approached slowly, drew his long sword, and mockingly lifted Tsukasa's chin with the blade.
"You Uchiha always love these flashy techniques."
"But unfortunately for you, you faced me!"
He sneered coldly, pressing the sword against Tsukasa's throat.
"Your showboating ends here!"
Faced with Moroi's overwhelming power, Tsukasa's expression began to twist strangely.
He wanted to laugh wildly but didn't dare—the more he suppressed it, the more his face contorted.
Tsukasa's eyes glinted with seven parts mockery, three parts disdain, and complete fearlessness.
He curled his lips, fixed his gaze on Moroi's face, and couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Really?" he said quietly.
End of Chapter 15
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