Chapter 25: Clever Hidan, S-Rank Forbidden Technique!
Half a Day Later
The Land of Hot Water, the battlefield where Tsukasa had fought.
A young man with short black hair, wearing black tactical gear and a Konoha jonin vest, leaped down from above.
This person was none other than Uchiha Fugaku.
When he witnessed the scene before him, he couldn't help but be stunned.
The original village no longer existed, replaced by a massive volcano split into fragments.
It appeared as though someone had wielded a colossal blade, striking wildly before finally cleaving everything into this devastated state.
Boiling underground water continuously bubbled up, forming a small river that wound down from the mountain pass.
"Great Elder, what exactly did you encounter here?" Fugaku frowned, standing atop the volcanic remains. He pinched a handful of sand and gravel, activating his Sharingan.
"Only two scenarios could result in such catastrophic destruction."
"Either Elder Setsuna finally awakened that forbidden power at the critical moment."
"Or... he used that forbidden technique."
Fugaku's voice grew somber as his Sharingan rapidly scanned the ruins.
"Hmm?"
He suddenly paused, noticing a relatively intact circular area near the boiling riverbed.
It was riddled with shuriken and kunai, scattered with spent explosive tags.
Deep gouges crisscrossed the landscape, densely packed with craters from intense taijutsu combat.
"Another fighter was here, someone capable of this level of shuriken mastery. Seiichiro? No, he lacks such skill. This must be Tsukasa's work."
"Tsukasa..."
"Considering this horrific post-battle scene, one can only imagine how intense the actual fighting must have been."
"Is he truly just a genin?"
Fugaku couldn't help but wonder—even Shisui, the most talented in the Uchiha clan's recent history, couldn't achieve such devastation at his current age and experience level.
"Whatever method was employed, the Great Elder must have used this power while experiencing intense emotion."
"So what was he trying to accomplish?"
He frowned, narrowing his eyes as he traced the path of the massive sword strike, calculating trajectories.
Finally, his gaze settled on a stone platform with a conspicuous gap carved into the volcanic rock.
"They might still be alive."
"At minimum, Tsukasa—there's a strong possibility he survived!"
Fugaku took a deep breath, his thoughts returning to Shisui's words:
'Tsukasa will surely become a bridge between our clan and the village, Fugaku-senpai!'
And now Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna, leader of the hawkish faction, had burned everything to carve a path for this young man. What kind of extraordinary qualities did Tsukasa possess that could unite both hawks and doves to such desperate lengths?
"Find him!" Fugaku exhaled deeply.
"We must find him!"
"This may be the final intelligence Elder Setsuna left behind."
"And... his last will!"
The Land of Hot Water
In an abandoned village near Yugakure, the capital of the Land of Hot Water.
Tsukasa opened his eyes to see an unfamiliar ceiling—cracked and crumbling with age.
"Oh, you're awake?"
A child with slicked-back silver hair sat beside the bed, gnawing on a piece of meat while glancing over casually.
"Where am I?" Tsukasa was bewildered.
His last memory was being in the volcano where that old man Setsuna had ambushed him with a blow to the head, knocking him unconscious.
And this wasn't the first time either!
Tsukasa gritted his teeth, remembering that before the battle had even begun, when he'd tried to help set up their trap, that same old man had also knocked him out with a head strike.
Seriously, who goes around knocking kids unconscious like that?
"Yesterday, underground water erupted somewhere and formed a hot spring river."
"I found you floating on the surface and fished you out."
"You're a ninja, right?" The silver-haired child turned his stool around, propped one foot on the bed, and asked with raised eyebrows while resting his chin on his hands.
Tsukasa's Sharingan flickered to life briefly.
Through the Sharingan's enhanced perception, he observed that this cocky kid had minimal chakra—not even genin-level reserves.
He frowned slightly: "You know I'm a shinobi, yet you still dared to save me?"
"Aren't you afraid I might kill you?"
However, the silver-haired brat remained calm: "Your body is covered in wounds of all sizes, but I looked everywhere and didn't find a single injury on your back."
"Someone who won't run away—in the Land of Hot Water, that probably makes you one of the good guys."
Tsukasa's expression froze.
For the first time in his life, he'd been handed the "good guy" card, and by some arrogant brat no less.
He felt like grabbing the kid's nose and giving him a serious shoulder throw.
But the brat had saved him, even if he hadn't particularly wanted saving.
Ultimately, Tsukasa—being fundamentally decent despite everything—could only sigh. Even with his modern education, he couldn't bring himself to harm his benefactor.
The road to a peaceful death is truly long and arduous!
"Hey, let me introduce myself. My name's Hidan," the silver-haired brat grinned, giving himself a thumbs-up.
"You can call me Boss Hidan."
"What about you?"
Tsukasa replied curtly: "Genin, Tsukasa."
But he quickly processed what he'd heard and stared at the brat in shock.
"Wait, what did you say your name was?"
"Hidan?"
"What's with that look? Of course my name is Hidan." Hidan scoffed, casually pointing his thumb at himself.
"The future savior of the Land of Hot Water! The one who'll become Yukage!"
"I will end the chaos plaguing this land, drive out all the foreign ninja villages, and become the next 'demigod' of the shinobi world!"
"That's my ninja way!"
"Wait, Hidan—aren't you supposed to be an idiot?" Tsukasa stared at the brat in disbelief, nearly activating his Sharingan to verify if this was really the same Hidan.
After all, Hidan was destined to become an Akatsuki member, a devoted follower of Jashin, part of the Immortal Duo, and possessor of the terrifying "curse technique: death controlling possessed blood."
He would defeat the Two-Tails Jinchuriki and kill members of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, including Asuma. His combat record was impressive, his abilities formidable!
He was arrogant, reckless, loudmouthed, presumptuous, and not particularly bright.
That was the Hidan from canon.
This brat matched that personality perfectly, aside from the lack of intelligence.
But a clever Hidan?
What kind of Hidan was this?
Tsukasa's mind flashed back to debates among fans about "what if" scenarios. If Hidan had brains, you'd get: strategic Hidan, tactical Hidan, planning Hidan.
A smart Hidan would be absolutely terrifying—on par with a pacifist Madara, a healthy Itachi, or a responsible Jiraiya.
Tsukasa blinked, his pupils trembling with the implications.
"How dare you call me stupid?" Hidan frowned, his gaze gradually shifting as he studied Tsukasa.
"Oh! I get it!"
"You're so intimidated by my reputation that you've started talking nonsense."
"That's what books call 'the intimidation factor of greatness.'"
"Fine, I forgive you."
Hidan laughed heartily, pulling out a scroll and tossing it to Tsukasa.
"This floated down the river with you, but I can't open it. Must be yours."
"Here, I'll call someone to check your head injury."
Ignoring Hidan's outrageous comment, Tsukasa took the scroll and immediately noticed the Uchiha clan symbol on it.
After examining it, he realized he felt a strong connection to the scroll—as if he could open it.
Carefully, Tsukasa unrolled the scroll.
When he saw its contents, his pupils suddenly contracted.
Because the words that met his eyes were:
"Uchiha Style: Secret S-Rank Forbidden Sword Technique"
"Dance of the Solar Halo"!
End of Chapter 25