Yuki Seisui was the true inheritor of the Will of Fire. He… was not.
The more Seisui obsessed over the Will of Fire, the stronger Uchiha Renka's desire to kill him grew!
Too terrifying!
To be brainwashed by the Will of Fire to such an extent…!
Silently setting down the diary that recorded Yuki Seisui's reflections on the Will of Fire, Uchiha Renka looked at the man lying on the bed, his murderous intent intensifying.
Yuki Seisui, lying there, felt the surge of deadly intent in the air and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
Is he going to make a move?
Thinking this, Seisui began to feel a thrill in his heart.
His anticipation grew.
Meanwhile, Renka's killing intent thickened but he did not strike.
One reason was curiosity—he wanted to spice up his otherwise dull life.
Another was strategy—he planned to strike later at the dead of night when Seisui was fast asleep, maximizing his chance of success.
So they waited, locked in a tense stalemate. Even Seisui's occasional turns on the bed made Renka's heart race.
Though he couldn't distinguish between great and small threats, Seisui still inspired fear.
After all, Yuki Seisui possessed the legendary eyes of the Uchiha clan.
Though Renka knew little about these eyes, he understood their power could lay waste to the world.
Damn it! I haven't awakened those eyes! How can some non-Uchiha like him wield them?!
Jealousy festered in Renka's heart like maggots gnawing at bone.
This was one of the key reasons he planned to assassinate Yuki Seisui.
The greatness of the Uchiha was undeniable—but Renka's personal ambition mattered too.
And if he could restore the Uchiha's glory while satisfying his own desires… all the better.
The thought of killing Seisui himself sent shivers of excitement down Renka's spine.
Even his murderous intent slackened slightly at the thrill of anticipation.
Seisui, sensing this shift while lying calmly on the bed, felt utterly bewildered.
What's going on, little brother?
Why has your killing intent suddenly decreased?
If that's your game, then I'll take the initiative!
Moonlight spilled across the room, insects chirping intermittently, and fireflies drifted lazily through the open window.
Even in the heart of Konoha, away from industrial pollution, summer nights still welcomed the glow of fireflies.
Time crept by, each second stretching between the two.
As night deepened, clouds obscured the moon, and Renka finally moved.
Seisui's senses snapped awake, instantly dispelling his drowsiness.
Lying on the bed, Seisui opened his eyes just slightly, watching the stealthy black figure moving toward him—and felt a thrill of amusement.
If this were before, he could immediately see the assassin. But his overuse of the Sharingan had blurred his vision, leaving him unable to see clearly.
With the moon blocked by clouds, the intruder remained hidden.
Renka, seeing Seisui's even breathing, grinned coldly.
An upper-rank ninja's instinct told him Seisui's breathing and minor movements were signs of deep sleep.
Experience confirmed it—he was right.
Everyone's breathing differs when awake and asleep.
Drawing kunai from the pouch at his lower back, Renka's cold smile twisted into a vicious grin.
"Traitor of the Uchiha… die!"
A simple assassination required only a kunai.
Most ninjas were high offense, low defense. In Renka's mind, even with Yuki Seisui bearing the title of "Ghost of the Konoha," death by his kunai was inevitable.
It was common sense.
The kunai closed in. Renka's fervor surged.
But just as it was about to touch Seisui, the man, lying seemingly asleep, suddenly opened his eyes. White light shimmered around him.
"Clang~"
The metallic sound of kunai striking a counterforce reverberated as the weapon was sent flying back, nearly slipping from Renka's grasp.
Before he could react, his consciousness blurred. As he blinked, the world around him changed. He was no longer in Seisui's room—he stood in a blood-red landscape.
A crimson moon bathed the area in eerie light, and bones of the long-dead littered the ground.
How could he tell they were ancient bones? Every step he took crushed them into dust.
Fragile… too fragile!
No bones could be that brittle unless dead for hundreds, even thousands of years.
Renka's heart raced in panic, but he forced a shout, trying to hide his fear:
"A mere illusion wants to stop me, an Uchiha jonin?!"
His mind was racing—he had no idea how he fell into this genjutsu. It had to be Yuki Seisui.
"What are you doing there?" a crisp female voice rang behind him.
"Who—who's there?!" Renka spun around but saw nothing. Hands swiftly forming seals, he shouted:
"Genjutsu: Release!"
This was the universal counter for genjutsu.
The voice sounded again, now tinged with irritation.
"Rude!"
"Am I not here?"
Renka realized the voice came from the floor.
Is this the power of those eyes' genjutsu? he thought, staring at the small fox standing with a stick and a bundle.
Even trapped in a genjutsu, Renka vowed: I, Uchiha Renka, who carries the honor of the Uchiha, will kill that brat!
He tried to break the illusion repeating to himself: It's all just an illusion.
Seisui silently appeared before him.
"Who sent you to assassinate me?" Seisui's voice was gentle.
"Appearing in a genjutsu… you're bold!"
Renka's heart pounded, yet he maintained his bravado.
Seisui's expression twisted slightly, then he squinted, smiling mischievously:
"Now… am I really me?"
"Can you truly recognize me?"
Renka swallowed hard. He realized he might not kill Seisui tonight.
"I'll ask again—who sent you to assassinate me?"
"I won't reveal that master's name!" Renka's eyes flashed with the three-tomoe Sharingan, and he hurled four shuriken from his pouch toward Seisui.
One flew straight at him; the other three collided midair at sharp, impossible angles.