Chapter 38: Forbidden Technique Training, Following the Light!

Chapter 38: Forbidden Technique Training, Following the Light!

Half an hour later, on a large boulder.

Uchiha Ci had memorized the contents of the scroll and, without hesitation, formed a hand seal, spitting out a fireball that destroyed the scroll on the spot.

Then, he assumed a meditative posture, sitting cross-legged.

He closed his eyes, gradually focusing all his attention on his own breathing. With each inhale and exhale, the whistling sound of the early spring wind quietly faded away.

Gradually, the sound of his heart pounding, beat by beat, echoed like thunder.

The full moon hung behind him, and the vast wilderness stretched out toward the horizon.

Under the cold and desolate light, Uchiha Ci suddenly opened his eyes.

In his scarlet Sharingan, the black tomoe slowly rotated, and everything around him seemed to move in slow motion.

He fixed his gaze tightly on his chest. Under the perspective of the Sharingan, a thread of fire-natured chakra, transformed by elemental change, burst forth from his heart!

The blazing fire surged through his entire body in an instant, making Uchiha Ci feel as if he was back in the moment when he had confronted the three from the Hidden Cloud.

The moment the explosive tags erupted into flames, scorching both body and soul.

But unlike then, now, all that raging power was contained within his body, like a highly compressed depleted uranium bomb, on the verge of exploding into a mushroom cloud.

Sizzle, sizzle—

Under the searing heat, his body suddenly emitted a sizzling sound, as if oil was being fried.

A sharp pain, like a hand gripping his heart, suddenly surged up!

Uchiha Ci's pupils shrank, and he immediately cut off the supply of chakra.

Just then, a message appeared before his eyes:

[You have mastered Fire Release: Chakra Mode (Beginner, A, Extremely Dangerous)]

Sizzle—

Steam rose from every part of Uchiha Ci's body.

He couldn't help but take a few deep breaths, feeling a wave of fear.

If he hadn't mastered Uchiha Setsuna's godlike manipulated shuriken technique and gained such precise control over his body, instantly sensing that something was wrong and stopping in time, he would already be dead.

And dying this way would have been considered suicide.

"As expected, it's very dangerous. Also, this process is irreversible. Once the chakra is fully ignited, it will burn itself, triggering a chain reaction similar to a nuclear explosion. At that point, there would be no turning back."

Still shaken, Uchiha Ci waited for the heart-wrenching pain to subside. He exhaled a long, refined breath and stood up, opening his status panel with a thought.

[Employee: Uchiha Ci]

[Title: Heaven's Chosen Warrior.]

[Talents: Heartsteel (SSS), Sharingan (Single Tomoe, B+), Battle Instinct (Beginner, S).]

[Skills: Uchiha Style - Manipulated Shuriken Technique (Master, S), Super Death Battle Barrier (Proficient, S), Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique (Beginner, C), Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique (Proficient, C), Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson (Proficient, B), Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique (Beginner, C), Wind Style: Extreme Air-Cutting Wave (Proficient, B), Clone Technique, Rope Escape Technique, Basic Taijutsu (Proficient).]

[Special Skill: Fire Release: Chakra Mode (Beginner, A, Extremely Dangerous)]

[Accumulated Layers of Heartsteel (Expandable)]

[Insurance Status: Paid.]

Seeing the Fire Release: Chakra Mode fixed in his status panel, Uchiha Ci finally felt at ease.

Aside from this core forbidden technique, the scroll also contained a sword technique called "Halo Dance," but it seemed to require a weapon forged with chakra metal.

On its own, the sword technique was only a B-rank skill, but when combined with the Sharingan, genjutsu, a chakra metal ninja sword, and Fire Release: Chakra Mode, it could form an ultimate S-rank forbidden sword art.

In the original story, Uchiha Shisui had mastered this sword technique, but perhaps because Uchiha Setsuna had already died by then, Shisui never grasped the core Fire Release: Chakra Mode.

However, for someone like Shisui, who could operate a giant humanoid avatar, this didn't matter much.

Uchiha Ci looked up slightly, gazing at the full moon in the sky.

He took a deep breath, his eyes becoming resolute.

Now that he had made all the necessary preparations, it was time to set off and cause a ruckus at the headquarters of the Jashin Cult!

But—

Just then,

"Are you planning to go alone?"

A familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind, filled with questioning and anger—

"Do you intend to say some grand words and then charge in alone to get yourself killed?"

"Uchiha Ci, who is it that's really running away?"

"Do you really want your dreams to end here in this insignificant corner of the Land of Hot Water?!"

"Well?! Answer me!"

Uchiha Ci turned his head sharply, just in time to see a small fist flying straight at his face!

His battle instinct, ingrained in his body, made him instinctively tilt his head, dodging the punch.

Then he saw the angry face of Hidan behind the fist.

For a moment, his eyes grew distant, and he relaxed his guard.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Hidan leapt up, grabbed the bandages around Uchiha Ci's neck, and slammed him hard into the boulder beside them.

Thud!

Uchiha Ci's back hit the rock with a dull thud.

Hidan's eyes were burning red with rage as he shouted:

"Bastard, answer me!"

"You—" Uchiha Ci was dumbfounded.

He had never expected that after telling Hidan to go home and stay put, the kid would ignore him and catch up in less than an hour.

And now, he looked like he was ready to beat his big brother senseless.

"What do you mean 'you'? I'm really fed up with you, Uchiha Ci!"

"Without me, could you even find the headquarters of the Jashin Cult?"

With Hidan's reminder, Uchiha Ci was suddenly struck by a serious problem.

Wait,

Where exactly is the headquarters of the Jashin Cult?

Uchiha Ci furrowed his brows, his body tensing. He grabbed Hidan with one hand and put him back in his rightful place, then coldly reprimanded him:

"Stop messing around, Hidan!"

"Even without you, I could just capture a Cult member and torture the information out of them to find their headquarters."

After saying that, Uchiha Ci shook his head and righteously declared:

"Still, your timing is perfect."

"All you need to do is tell me the location of their headquarters, and your mission will be complete."

"I'll even generously count you in for some of the credit in destroying the Jashin Cult."

"That way, when you go back home, you can brag to the ninjas of the Land of Hot Water that you once fought alongside the future ruler of the world, Uchiha Ci."

"How about it? Doesn't that sound like an amazing deal?"

Hidan blinked, his eyes wide with shock, as if he'd just seen a ghost.

How could someone be this shameless?!

Not knowing something was one thing, but to try to trick him like a kid for information?

Where had the kind-hearted big brother from an hour ago gone?

Give back my sense of gratitude!

"You bastard!" Hidan growled through gritted teeth, yanking himself free from Uchiha Ci's grip. He huffed indignantly and stubbornly declared:

"I'm going with you!"

"Tch," Uchiha Ci felt a headache coming on, "Why won't you listen to reason, kid?"

At that moment, he understood how Uchiha Setsuna must have felt when he was forbidden from taking on missions.

Ahead was certain death, and this kid didn't even have insurance. What was he showing off for?

Hidan shook his head, his face resolute as he said:

"I'm definitely going with you!"

"Uchiha Ci, I'm going to watch you. I need to see for myself—"

"Whether or not you have what it takes—"

"To become my god!"

Hidan took a deep breath, his eyes unwavering.

That light, which Uchiha Ci had once shattered, seemed to reignite and shine in Hidan's gaze.

"Just like you said, right?"

"All I need is the god I seek!"

"Whether it's you or the god of the Jashin Cult, it doesn't matter!"

"I will end the chaos in the Land of Hot Water, drive all the ninja from the Great Nations off this land, and become the next 'demi-god' of the ninja world!"

"This is my ninja way!"

Hidan suddenly fell silent, his eyes gleaming with determination as he stared at Uchiha Ci.

"Then first, let's start by eliminating this tumor called the Jashin Cult!"

Uchiha Ci took a deep breath, gazing at Hidan in silence for a moment. Although he felt a slight sense of admiration, reason told him that if Hidan went to the Cult's headquarters, history would likely repeat itself.

Or maybe something worse would happen.

But just as he was about to refuse Hidan, a melodious voice, as clear as a silver bell, suddenly rang out from behind him.

"Then let's go, Hidan."

"I've agreed on his behalf!"

Uchiha Ci was momentarily stunned and turned his head,

only to see—

A girl with clear, emerald eyes, arms crossed, her posture tall and graceful.

She stood in the moonlight's soft glow, a faint smile blooming on her lips like a flower in spring.

Then, slowly parting her cherry lips, she spoke:

"Also, I'm going too."