Chapter 16: The Great Reversal! Inherited Madness! Uchiha Setsuna's Awakening!
The Aftermath of Battle
The village ruins, devastated by the ninja battle, lay in complete chaos.
Within the towering barrier, the ground was littered with shuriken, scattered ninja wire, chunks of earth, dead branches, and broken stones shattered by the razor-sharp threads.
As Tsukasa's quiet words echoed through the battlefield, Moroi shuddered as if struck by lightning.
Despite his fearsome reputation, he looked absolutely disheveled.
His red Kumogakure vest was torn to shreds by the ninja wire, revealing wounds beneath that oozed fresh blood in steady streams.
The stinging pain from his injuries made him wince with each breath.
Under Tsukasa's relentless combination assault, if he hadn't carried that Fire Sealing scroll—one that could be activated without hand seals—and if the Binding Barrier technique hadn't been readily available...
He truly might have met his end at the hands of this rookie genin.
Moroi narrowed his eyes, refusing to let his guard down. He formed a quick seal and used a sensory jutsu to analyze Tsukasa's current condition.
Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Approaching with his long sword raised, a sneer crossed his face as he spoke coldly:
"Kid, even now you're still trying to bluff me?"
"I can see everything. Your chakra is nearly depleted, your stamina is down to maybe ten percent, and you're trapped by my Lightning Release: Thunder Binding."
"In your current state, you couldn't even perform a basic Substitution Jutsu!"
Moroi's lips curled upward, his expression smugly confident as he delivered his verdict:
"You've already lost!"
"You have no choice but to accept death!"
However, Tsukasa's gaze remained unnervingly calm—almost frighteningly so.
As Moroi had observed, his condition was indeed dire.
Forget the Substitution Jutsu—he couldn't even perform a basic E-rank Rope Escape Technique.
But at that moment, a look of pure relief crossed Tsukasa's face as he murmured softly:
"Finally... finally... finally..."
"What are you babbling about, kid?" Moroi frowned, studying Tsukasa intently.
After their previous exchange, even with victory seemingly assured, he didn't dare underestimate this Uchiha any longer.
Tsukasa simply stared at Moroi calmly, then suddenly grinned, speaking as casually as if telling a bedtime story:
"Do you want to know something?"
"I've been waiting for this moment for so long!"
"And now—"
Tsukasa's eyes flashed with pure madness, his lips curling into a wild smile as he continued with extreme excitement:
"I've finally reached this perfect moment!"
"You're completely insane!" Moroi glared at Tsukasa, who was still rambling even in this desperate situation.
"Whatever your last words are, they end here!"
"Die!"
He decided to end this nonsense immediately.
One thrust through the chest would silence this lunatic forever!
Moroi gripped his long sword with both hands, pulling back into a perfect thrust position.
The blade's tip aimed directly at Tsukasa's heart!
All he needed was one forward motion, and the young man before him would speak no more!
His eyes darkened with killing intent as he thrust the sword forward, already envisioning Tsukasa's collapse.
However, at that precise moment—
Tsukasa, still bound by the crackling lightning—
Suddenly threw back his head and burst into maniacal laughter:
"Ahahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHA! GYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The laughter came in waves—starting as a mocking chuckle, building to full-throated hysteria, and finally escalating to the kind of death-defying cackle that brought tears to one's eyes.
Tsukasa looked down at Moroi with pure disdain in his gaze:
"Kumogakure... you don't actually think you've won, do you?"
As Tsukasa finished speaking, Moroi's long sword sliced through the high-collared black jacket covering Tsukasa's chest.
Seeing what lay beneath the torn fabric, his eyes went wide with terror, and the smug smile froze completely on his face.
The hand pushing the sword forward stopped dead!
"This... this... this!" Moroi looked up at Tsukasa in absolute horror.
"What the hell is this?!"
"What is this?" Tsukasa laughed maniacally.
"Then let me show you exactly what this is!"
Tsukasa endured the intense numbness and electric pain coursing through his body, his eyes blazing with fierce determination.
With one hand, he grabbed the torn high-collar jacket on his chest and ripped it completely apart!
The shredded black fabric revealed a young man's muscular torso to the sunlight.
However, covering this body was something that defied all reason—
A skin-tight garment made entirely of explosive tags!
Dense black explosive tag seals covered every inch of his body, from neck to toe, every corner packed with detonating papers!
The countless "explode" characters created a visually stunning—and terrifying—pattern!
This quantity could level the entire village!
Moroi felt a chill run from his toes straight to his scalp, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
This Uchiha brat was actually wearing explosive tags like clothing?!
You bastard! You absolute lunatic! You're completely insane!
Aren't you afraid of dying? You're planning to blow yourself to pieces!
Suddenly, Tsukasa felt his body relax completely. The thunder seals carved into the ground stopped functioning as Moroi's shock had cut off his chakra supply to the jutsu.
Tsukasa stretched his arms and legs, then looked at Moroi with cold indifference:
"The real winner here... is me!"
With that declaration, Tsukasa grabbed one of the explosive tags on his chest.
With a simple pull, the entire village would join Tsukasa in a spectacular flight to the afterlife!
The Observers' Shock
A deathly silence fell over the battlefield.
Outside the barrier, three combatants watched the scene within with growing alarm.
As Moroi had unleashed his Fire Sealing Method, Binding Barrier, and Lightning Release: Thunder Binding in succession, the tide had suddenly turned.
The roles of hunter and prey had reversed completely, with Tsukasa now trapped and facing death!
"Tsukasa!" Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna gasped in shock, instantly attempting to break free and unleash a powerful jutsu to shatter the barrier.
At this moment, Tsukasa's importance in Setsuna's mind had undergone a complete transformation!
He had mastered Uchiha-style Wire Shuriken Technique beyond his years. With simple instruction, he could execute Dragon Fire Technique and Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson flawlessly.
Furthermore, he could adapt and innovate, combining three separate techniques into combination jutsu that amazed even veteran shinobi.
In Setsuna's eyes, Tsukasa was no longer the "failure" who couldn't even awaken his Sharingan!
He was a genius among geniuses!
As a top leader within the clan, Setsuna naturally understood the path to Sharingan awakening.
He could easily create powerful emotional trauma sufficient to awaken any clan member's eyes.
However, such methods amounted to forced development. Awakening the Sharingan without sufficient talent to support it would only create a burden—a treasure coveted by enemies.
But Tsukasa was different!
His talent was more than sufficient to support such power!
In fact, Setsuna had been subtly orchestrating this life-or-death situation as the perfect catalyst. This level of trauma and desperation could potentially awaken not just the basic Sharingan, but drive Tsukasa all the way to the Mangekyō Sharingan!
And now, with victory suddenly reversed, this emerging talent was about to perish in a foreign land.
For the Uchiha clan—for his hawkish faction—this would be a catastrophic loss!
Setsuna gritted his teeth, his glare fierce with determination.
He decided to use Izanagi to eliminate one of the two Kumogakure shinobi blocking his path, then forcibly break through the barrier to rescue Tsukasa.
Such talent could not be allowed to die here!
End of Chapter 16
If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a Power Stone or Review!
P@atreon/Soulforger (45+ advanced chapters)